Denon AVR-800 A/V receiver Review

Denon describes the new AVR-800 as a more affordable version of its higher-end audio/video receivers. The AVR-800 is a five-channel surround-sound receiver with three 60-watt amplifiers (for front left, right, and center speakers) and two 15-watt amplifiers for surround speakers. Its AM/FM tuner section has sixteen station presets.

Several surround modes are provided, including Dolby Pro Logic (with provision for a phantom-center mode when no center speaker is available). With a center speaker, there is a choice of Normal operation, which restricts the feed to the center to frequencies above 100 Hz (lower frequencies are shunted to the main left and right speakers), or Wideband operation if the center speaker has good bass response. The Dolby 3 Stereo three-channel mode is also provided (labeled Dolby 3CH) for use if there is a center speaker but no surround speakers. In that case, the surround-channel signal is folded into the left and right front outputs.

The AVR-800 also has circuits for enhancing the ambience of conventional stereo programs, with a surround-channel delay adjustable from 0 to 33 milliseconds (ms) in 1.5-ms steps (in Dolby Pro Logic mode, the delay range is 15 to 30 ms). The enhancement modes, designated Hall and Studio, differ essentially in the way the surround-channel signals are derived. In Hall mode, the sum of the left and right stereo channels is delayed; in Studio mode the difference between them is used.

There are audio inputs for phono, CD, an audio tape deck, a videodisc player or satellite receiver, and a VCR. There are also audio outputs for the VCR and audio tape deck, plus tape-monitoring facilities for the audio deck. Standard composite-video input and output jacks are provided for the VCR, as well as an output for a video monitor.

The AVR-800’s front panel is not as formidable as those of many other A/V receivers we have seen and used. Most of its functions are operated by buttons in a single row below the display window. The logically grouped and clearly identified buttons include the controls associated with the tuner presets and several controls related to the surround modes.

Larger buttons on either side of the display window are used for tuning and input selection. A small Video button near the bottom of the panel sets up the connections for TV/FM simulcasts. The Panel button steps the display through the receiver’s many adjustable settings (such as the level in each channel, delay times, etc.). An Output button silences all speaker outputs for headphone listening. The remaining front-panel features include the power button, headphone jack, volume knob, and three smaller knobs for bass, treble, and balance.

The display manages to be complete and informative without being confusing or overwhelming. When the tuner is selected, the band and frequency are shown in large characters. Additional information (tuning mode, stereo or mono reception, preset channel number, and so on) appears as required. With other sources, the display shows large letters identifying the source and surround mode (if any).

The AVR-800’s rear apron contains a vertical row of audio input jacks, a separate group of video jacks, and connectors for the supplied AM loop antenna and either a 75-ohm or a 300-ohm FM antenna. There are outputs for the front left and right, center, and surround speakers and two AC convenience outlets, one of them switched. All of the speaker and antenna connectors are insulated spring clips that accept only wire ends. That precludes the use of banana plugs or coaxial F-connectors except through a matching transformer or adaptor.

Although the AVR-800 has relatively modest power ratings, it is a full-size, solidly built, and reasonably heavy receiver. As a result, it ran cooler than most A/V receivers we have tested, its top cover becoming only slightly warm after extensive high-power testing.

Denon rates the center and surround power amplifiers for use with speakers of 8-ohm or higher impedance, the main channels for impedances as low as 6 ohms. The power specifications proved conservative, but the receiver is clearly not suited to driving 4-ohm speakers at high average levels, since the clipping-level output into 4 ohms was about 25 percent less than into 8 ohms. The short-term (dynamic) power into either 8 or 4 ohms was more than adequate, however.

The amplifier section’s frequency response rose about 1.5 dB in the upper bass and lower midrange, with its maximum at 200 Hz. In surround operation, this characteristic affected only the left and right front channels. It was apparently an effect of the tone-control circuit, which also had some other peculiar characteristics. In particular, the first half of either tone-control knob’s rotation, in either direction, had only a slight effect on frequency response (less than a 2-dB change), with almost all of the control’s boost or cut occurring in the second half of the rotation.

The FM tuner section had generally good performance, about the same as most current receivers (including some priced well above the AVR-800), and its capture ratio and AM rejection were distinctly better than average. It was not possible to obtain meaningful total harmonic distortion plus noise (THD+N) readings from the tuner section in stereo because of the high level of 19-kHz stereo pilot carrier in the audio output. Our readings consisted largely of this leakage signal component, which is inaudible in itself but could cause problems during taping off the air if the recorder’s input lacks an effective multiplex filter. The AM tuner’s response was typical—meaning poor.

The Denon AVR-800 comes with a system remote control usable with a number of Denon CD players and tape decks. The remote duplicates all the receiver’s essential controls, including the power switch, and adds a mute button and a test-tone button to help balance speaker levels in a surround system. A pair of Personal Memory buttons enables users to store and recall two different sets of surround-mode and input-source settings. The remote also provides separate level adjustments for the center and surround channels, which are best set from the listening position.

We used the Denon AVR-800 in a basic four-speaker surround system, with the phantom-center mode, for listening to CD’s and FM broadcasts. After a brief familiarization period we found its somewhat unconventional control setup (especially for input selection) easy and natural to use. FM programs sounded very good, and to the ear the tuner’s sensitivity rivaled that of some we have used that measured better. The Flail and Studio modes provided good spatial enhancement, with slightly but not significantly different sound characters.

The instruction manual for the AVR-800 was quite complete though not always easy to interpret. Very few (if any) products as complex as an A/V receiver can be used effectively without a thorough study of their instructions and some hands-on practice, and the AVR-800 is no exception. Despite its relatively simple appearance, it is a full-featured component.

Although the AVR-800 is a relatively low-price five-channel A/V receiver, neither quality nor significant features have been sacrificed. You may find more bells and whistles as well as more power at higher prices, but this receiver delivers the essential performance required for home theater and ambience-enhanced music listening at quite a reasonable cost.

Read all

Denon reviews

Read all