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Product Description

130 watts x 7 into 8 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at 0.05% THD * Dolby? True HD, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby? Digital Plus, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, Dolby? Digital EX, DTS-ES, Pro Logic? IIx, and DTS Neo:6 decoding * Audyssey Laboratories' MultEQ XT eight-point auto setup and room calibration system (microphone included) * XM Satellite Radio Ready with decoding for XM's HD Surround channels (requires XM subscription and optional XM Mini-Tuner package) * iPod? integration (requires optional Denon ASD-11R) *

Customer Reviews:

• Excellent investment in receiver
  We upgraded from a Yamaha RXV-1070 to move into the HDTV world last year ago when this receiver was released. It has been an excellent choice. The receiver has allowed us to simplify the set up by connecting all our components - from cable box to the old turntable - to the receiver with just one simple HDMI output to the plasma HDTV (for video only). The receiver is able to automatically set the parameters for each device - from the 5.1 channel sound for the HD channels to stereo sound for the turntable. It does an outstanding job of upscaling the picture from our old Sony DVD player to our HDTV's 1080p resolution. The sound is fantastic thanks to the Audyssey microphone that recognizes the speaker setup and optimizes it automatically for all viewing / listening positions. The Internet connection allows for all software upgrades to keep the system current. The connection is however very slow when it accesses music on the Internet or on our PC with a long lag between the command and the action. The remotes are complex and consequently, you cannot realize the full potential of all the features unless you are technophile [hence the one star penalty!]...more info
• Mixed feelings
  PROS: Lots of features and inputs. Sounds great, though I do not subscribe to the idea that different brands of amplifiers sound different. I think, at the same price level, all amps sound the same, at least to human beings. Any differences are only measurable with laboratory equipment and speakers and your listening environment would utterly mask that. Not to start a flame war. Moving on ...
  
  Can run multiple zones with multiple different inputs. Use this regularly.
  
  Internet radio and USB are really good features for me, as is the ability to play off Windows Media server. WRT Internet radio, the Denon website to organize your stations is a nice plus.
  
  Great price and immediate delivery via Amazon.
  
  CRITICALLY IMPORTANT: Amazon is an authorized Denon resaler. Otherwise, Denon will not honor your warranty. Bleeh! See below.
  
  CONS:
  
  Mine just died (:-( after 5 months of light duty use. Worse, the estimated time to repair at a service center is 2 - 3 weeks. That is after calling 4 centers. The other centers quoted 3 - 4 weeks. This is the centerpiece of my home theater/audio system. I'm limping along on cobbled up leftovers and having withdrawal symptoms.
  
  GUI and remote controls are definitely non-intuitive. Good thing,Denon supplies 2 remotes. The simplified remote is usable. I have never gotten the main remote to do much, and I have been completely unable to get it to run my TV or DVD player (which it is supposed to do). To put this in perspective, in all humbleness, I am highly technically literate. So, if I can't get it to work very well (the main remote), I'm afraid anyone other than an obsessive zealot or professional audiophile is going to experience some difficulties. The GUI could stand a lot of improvement, but I had no problems with it. Likewise, the manual is more like a few sentence summary of a particular feature than any kind of real explanation.
  
  Summary: I like it fine. I guess I can buy a good quality universal remote, if that is what I really want to do. Solid core functionality but with plenty of room for improvement wrt the user interface.
  ...more info
• Excellent product. complex to set up but worth the effort
  The Denon AVR-3808CI is the best receiver I've ever tested. I was so impressed I took it home. The unit provides qaulity sound and advanced features.
  
  I've installed multi room listening and the unit has handled the installation perfectly even spotting wiring problems along the way.
  
  I've been very impressed with ability to update the firmware directly over the unit's Internet connection and the ability to play Music from my PC server, from Internet streaming services or even from a USB memory stick.
  
  I've unit may also be configured from your PC via it's HTML interface. Once connected to your home network all the settings on the system can be changed, and more importantly stored and restored from your PC.
  
  The HTML interface lacks sophistication, I would rate it as cluncky, but it does work. Denon would be better off enhancing the HTML interface to be far more user friendly.
  
  The on-screen User interface matches the front panel interface exactly, however the on-screen interface is easier to use, since l the options are displayed. The Front panel display can only display the current selection and the next option below. Without a manual and a good understanding of AV programming it's easy to get lost in the process.
  
  Overall this is a fantastic unit and will be more unit than most households will ever need. This unit strikes a perfect balance allowing great home theater setup and being easy enough to program by any enthusiast. ...more info
• Great receiver!
  I have been waiting a while for "the perfect receiver". However, I have come to the conclusion that this is as close to perfect as I am going to find for my needs right now. I am using all 4 HDMI inputs (PS3, Oppo 980H, Directv HR20, and a Sony Vaio computer). The Denon has worked flawlessly with SACD, DVD-A, and lossless audio sources from my BluRay movies.
  
  For sound quality, it is important to get the speakers setup properly. Denon's auto setup with the included mic makes this a very simple setup. I have heard that it helps to take measurements from all over the room, so I setup 5 listening locations. The sound quality is fantastic. I do have an spl meter, but I have not had it out to fine tune the setup just yet. It already sounds fantastic. The Oppo has the ability to send out a DSD multi-channel signal for its SACD and these sound fantastic on the Denon.
  
  I am not really using the video upscaler very much since most of the signals I am inputting are already HD. In other words, the Denon mainly sends out the signals untouched, so it is hard to complain.
  
  The ability to update the firmware over the internet connection is what I believe sets this receiver apart from the competition. For me, this was the deciding factor. With all of the new tech in these receivers, I do not want to have to carry the thing into a service location every time it needs an update.
  
  I should mention that I played some music coming from my computer using the network interface and it worked okay. It did take a few seconds to retrieve license information for Yahoo Music DRM files, but I bet they improve on that in the future.
  
  The downsides are small, but should be mentioned. The remote is okay for setting up the system, but it is going into a drawer with my other remotes now that I have my Harmony 880 universal programmed for all of the general functions that I need. Also, the GUI takes some getting used to. I like the ability to rename the inputs and choose what video inputs go with the audio inputs. However, it was not something that I picked up and setup in a few minutes. It is better than my old Denon AVR-3300, so at least they are going in the right direction!
  ...more info
• A great value!
  I received my 3808CI last week. What a great value! When I was younger I worked as a sound engineer and even though I have moved on professionally since then I have always chosen my audio equipment with an emphasis on quality and value - bang for the buck. I found myself wanting a new AV receiver with lots of HDMI inputs after setting up a high definition video system. The 3808CI sure fits the bill.
  
  What impresses me most, aside from all of the flexibility and internet features, is the quality of the sound. Plenty of power, very clean, with the wonderful Audysey automated EQ software. This unit as far as I am concerned is the best value on the market....more info
• Great Power
  The power that this receiver puts out is amazing. I have this pushing 2 Monitor Audio RS8, and the combination of the 2 is truly amazing! I am not a tech person but really enjoy having very nice stuff. When setting this receiver up everything seemed very confusing even something as simple as changing the radio station. The touch screen remote and owners manual are no help either. I would suggest to Denon that they make their products more user friendly. Over all I am satisfied but am wondering if a Martanz would have been easier to set up.
  ...more info
• another denon marvel
  i love this receiver. it works very well with my components to make a wonderful home theater. i have only scratched the surface of this receivers capabilities but intend to continue scratching....more info
• Denon Is Not Compatible with Sony Televisions over HDMI
  I own this receiver along with a Denon 2910 DVD player. I also own two Sony televisions, a KDF-E50A10 rear projection, and a KDL52XBR4 LCD.
  
  When the Denon products are connected to the Sony televisions via HDMI, you will experience intermittent drop out of video and audio. The combination of Denon and Sony has problems with maintaining the HDCP handshake.
  
  Otherwise, this is a great sounding receiver. ...more info
• Incredibly flexible and powerful, great sound quality, but complex!
  Overall, I've been very happy with this receiver - the sound quality is superb, and the audio and video processing features are very sophisticated. I love the multi-zone feature, the Internet radio tuner, and the web interface (which permits me to use my iPhone as a remote anywhere in the house). The number of options is mind-boggling.
  
  However, if you don't know a fair bit about audio/video equipment (I do), get it installed by a professional or enlist the help of a tech-savvy friend. When I first set it up, the complexity of the universal main remote (it comes with another one for the other zones) and the on-screen menus drove me crazy. Once you figure it out, the main remote is pretty logical and convenient.
  
  The manual requires careful study as there are some oddities - for example, on-screen and web menus for Internet radio channel surfing don't work if it is in Pure Direct mode, and this is buried in the manual.
  
  I have the Denon connected to a Pioneer DV-656A DVD player via coax, S-video and component video; a Panasonic VCR/DVR with HDMI, component video and optical audio; an Apple AirPort Express modem - which connects the Denon to my LAN via Ethernet, and high quality iTunes audio is passed optically via the mini-Toslink/Sony minature audio out jack on the AirPort Express; and a Toshiba Regza TV using HDMI and optical audio. The only incompatibility is that the Denon won't recognize the optical audio signal from the TV, even when both are set to PCM, regardless of the various relevant setting options in both products.
  ...more info
• I have tried several AVR's
  This unit is the real deal. It provides the granularity a semi-technical person will inevitably want. Other AVRs sound just as good, but the cutomization and outstanding GUI is the difference, and the video scaling is solid. The negative posts I see regarding the genesis chip are not from those who own this product. This thing runs rather cool compared to what I have observed with competitors such as the Onkyo 875. And for those who are hung up on THX certification; look at any of the high end speakers, THX is rarely even mentioned as a variable. Not to mention, who really has a THX certified room...good luck with that!...more info
• If only it worked with Sony
  I have had this unit for 9 months now and really like it, but its sort of a love/hate relationship. First the love: the unit has excellent sound with my Klipsch RB-61 speaker system and has a very nice easy to use menu system. Setup was a piece of cake with the Audyssey calibration too, but there is hate: The remote. I still haven't figured out the advanced features and the biggest issue is it isn't compatible with Sony. I also have the DirecTV DVR, Sony Blueray BDP-S500 and XBR5. Every now and then, probably only once or twice during a movie the Denon blanks for a few seconds and resyncs itself. Calling Denon support they blame the Sony TV, but when connecting the DVR or Blueray directly to the XBR5 I never have the problem. I've tried countless sets of cables but to no avail and Denon has nothing to say. If the unit worked with my TV I would give it 5-stars, but for now its a love / hate relationship....more info
• Amazing.....
  This is one awesome unit for the money! You cannot beat the amount of features and sound quality for the price. Did I mention the sound quality? The automatic speaker setup makes this thing easy to setup. Be sure to get the new "feature upgrade" on denon's website. There are some great additional features (five of them) that improve the unit even more. One awesome addition is Rhapsody music through the unit via a network connection. That's over a million songs, at your finger tips, through the denon unit... Another cool feature is the ability to control every setting of the unit from my laptop. This makes setup even easier. I can also use my wifi PSP to control the unit(even Rhapsody!)!
  
  Pros: sound quality, features, networking, XM or Sirius, Rhapsody, upgradable
  
  Cons: Video upscaler (480i to 1080p) not so good(video quality not much better)
  
  Summary: I waited for some time to be able to purchase this unit, and I do not regret it at all! If you are shopping for a superb mid-range receiver...look no further.
  
  
  ...more info
• Denon Avr Theater Receiver
  Over whelming at first, and the learning curve is big when trying to show someone else how to use it. I have a Flat Screen,HD DVR Satellite, Xbox 360, Wii, Blu-Ray, with home theater speakers(6) connected. Everything works well together but it took sometime to get this working. I installed it......more info
• great product for the sound performance, but needs lot of work in networking front
  Price
  Bought this receiver in onecall for a price of $1399. Personally I think that this product is worth only around $1000.
  
  Upconversion video quality
  
  Once of the reason I bought this receiver is because of the video upconversion feature which was said to be excellent in the cnet review. I don't have any HD sources, connected my SD dishnetwork cable box and sony SD dvd player. Used the HDMI out to connect to the Samsung LN52A650 HDTV. Turned on the video upscaling feature to see how it performs with the standard definition signals but I didn't see a major difference in video upconversion quality, only a minor improvement. On the other hand the samsung hdtv was handling the Standard Definition signals very well and the picture was of very good quality (bypassing the receiver and connected the dish composite output to the hdtv composite in directly). So if you are relying on the video upconversion feature to buy this receiver don't expect much.
  
  Sound.
  
  Great sound output and very nice performance in the audio side. Coupled the receiver with KEF KHT3005 5.1 speaker set, the sound quality was phenominal. Needed to go through the Audessey AutoSetup , but I had to set the crossover frequency manually in the receiver to around 100HZ to get good performance from the subwoofer. Also increased the sub volume manually in the receiver to more sound. In conclusion for sound this is a great receiver.
  
  Network Streaming and connectivity.
  
  Setting up network with this receiver turned out to be very painful experience. My entertainment set is in Family Room which doesn't have a ethernet connection to connect to this receiver. Used one of my old Linksys WRT54GS wireless router to run DD-WRT firmware to turn the wireless access point to work as a client bridge. So that I can connect the linksys router to work as a wireless receiver and hook up the denon 3808ci receiver to connect to this client bridge. After I hooked up the receiver the receiver was having trouble to connect to the network, it couldn't pull a ip address from the network. The a/v receiver became very slow and it took more than 5 seconds to navigate between each menu items. When I connect the a/v receiver to the wired network the a/v receiver was immediately assigned a network ip address and everything works fine. To debug connected my samsung LN52A650 HDTV to the client bridge it immediately reported that no DNS server assigned and no DHCP server was available. I liked the "Test Connection" feature of the samsung as opposed to nothing in the denon.
  
  Now configured the A/V receiver to set DHCP to OFF and manually assigned a ip address and entered all the network details like subnet mask and DNS server info. Powercycled the receiver and now it was able to obtain a ipaddress. Frustrating and I wasted almost a day to figure this out.
  
  
  As soon as it connected to the network I was able to see the receiver in the www.radiodenon.com website with the receivers MAC address. Signed up in radiodenon and added few stations in my list. It immediately showed up in the A/V receiver. But when I tried to play one of the station the receiver was complaining "Track Not Found" Error. Called Denon tech support and after 1 hour of wait I was able to get a support person. Explained that I can't play a radio station(WMA encoding, but streaming in windows media player protocol MMS) in the receiver he took so much of time to even locate the station. After a while he told me that this station cannot be played in the receiver because it needs a Windows Media Player in the receiver. I was wondering why the receiver cannot understand the WMA encoding. I asked why, when the denon manuals say that all WMA and MP3 stations can be played, but he couldn't properly tell a reason but keep on telling me that it needs a windows media player in the receiver which is not possible.
  
  Later I figured out that the wma stations which is using mms as a streaming protocol cannot be played in this a/v receiver because the a/v receiver doesn't support the mms protocol as it supports only RTSP.
  
  
  On the other side I tried to play the music files stored on my laptop.
  
  The setup was like this
  
  DLink Wireless Router
  |
  |
  ---> Laptop connected to this network.
  ---> Linksys wireless router acting as client
  bridget ___> A/V Receiver
  
  Powered the A/V receiver , powered my laptop , the a/v receiver wasn't able to locate the laptop connected to the network. With trial and error I found out that I need to switch on my laptop first and then power the A/V receiver, after couple of minutes the receiver was able to locate the laptop and I was able to play the music files stored on my laptop.
  
  Though one has to remember that windows media player 11 must be istalled and permission must be granted to the a/v receiver to access the music file folders from your system.
  
  
  Overall , great sounding product with mediocore network features and very bad network usability. I was looking for the comparable sony STR-DA5300ES but dropped it from my list since it doesn't have a network connectivity :-(
  
  ...more info
• Denon-licious
  [Before purchasing this receiver I highly recommend going to the Denon web site and downloading the user manual]
  
  I am using this receiver in our bedroom for TV and music. I purchased after weeks of careful study. It was a close call between this unit and the Yamaha RX-V3800BL Yamaha RX-V3800BL 7.1-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver (Black), but the Denon won out for the following reasons: (1) Yamaha made me register with them to download the manual (2) The Denon has better video upscaling (3) In October Denon is supposed to release a firmware update which will add HDMI-CEC support, a feature I really like. If this had been primarily a music system, or if I didn't need to up-scale my standard def satellite box, the Yamaha might have won out.
  
  As the Internet will tell you, the main remote which comes with this unit is annoying to use, and I am expecting to receive a Denon RC-7000CI two-way remote from Amazon sometime today. (NOTE: You need the RF unit (RC-7001RCI) if you want the two-way feature to work.) From downloading the manual for this remote I suspect that it is being outsourced from Universal Remote. It is PC programmable, and I hope it will be a good controller for my 3808 and my other home theater components. I will post a review on it when I know more.
  
  I am a very technical person so factor that in to the following. Initial setup was fairly straightforward and was done with very little reference to the manual. I did have to restart the receiver to get the network to come up. While it is easy to get a little lost in the menu system, there isn't anything that is overwhelmingly obscure, and after a couple of weeks of use it becomes less of an issue.
  
  When my son and I first set the receiver up we were a little unhappy with how unstable it was. Too many lock-ups, especially when controlling the receiver over the web with my Mac. Updating to the latest firmware has greatly improved stability, and made some small refinements in the interface. Also, I lost my OSD until I fully powered down the unit and powered it back up.
  
  Things I like:
  Internet Radio (but then I like shortwave radio too)
  Nice Upscaling
  Flexible Configuration and Labeling
  Web Interface (wish all my components had this)
  RS-232
  Phono Input
  XM
  Functional auxiliary remote
  
  Things My Wife likes:
  iPod Interface
  
  Things I don't like:
  Miserable main remote
  XM User Interface Needs Work
  GUI could be better
  
  What's Missing:
  HD Radio
  3D (9.1)
  HDMI-CEC (promised in October, and I'm naively counting on them to keep their word)
  NOTE: HDMI-CEC currently passes through, so my TV and other components CEC just fine, it is just that the Denon ignores it all.
  
  Most Amusing Feature:
  Has a jack for Denon's $500 cat-5 cable Denon AKDL1 Dedicated Link Cable. Fortunately I don't need this feature, so I don't have to figure out if this is just a plain old cat-5, or if it has some sort of non-standard pinout. (I know if you have other Denon equipment this may be a nice feature, but you have to poke fun at that cable)
  
  My Setup:
  
  Samsung 40A750 (CEC supported) Samsung LN40A750 40-Inch 1080p DLNA LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color
  
  Denon AVR-3808CI (CEC planned)
  
  Denon RC-7000CI two-way remote Denon RC-7000CI IR/RF Remote Control
  
  RF unit Denon RC-7001RCI RF/IR Remote Base Station for the RC-7000CI Remote Control
  
  XM mini-tuner (Integrated with AVR)
  
  iPod Interface (Denon ASD-1RBK iPod Docking Station (Black Finish)
  (NOTE: You probably should just buy the basic iPod interface. As I understand it, the wired networkable interface Denon ASD-3N iPod/Network Connectivity Client Dock (Black) and the wireless Denon ASD-3N iPod/Network Connectivity Client Dock with Wifi (Black) duplicate some of the functionality of the receiver.
  (If anyone knows otherwise, please leave a comment and I will correct my review - thanks)
  
  Panasonic DVD Recorder (CEC supported) Panasonic DMR-EZ28K 1080p Upconverting DVD Recorder with Built In Tuner
  
  Samsung BD-UP5000 HD/Blu-Ray (CEC supported)
  Samsung BD-UP5000 1080p HD-DVD Blu-Ray Disc Combo Player
  
  Boston Acoustics MCS 130 5.1 Speaker System Boston Acoustics Horizon Series MCS130 5.1-Channel Surround Speaker System (Black)
  
  Boston Acoustics MCS 130 Additional Surround (x2) Boston Acoustics MCS 130 Surround Single add-on rear-channel satellite speaker for MCS 130 system Midnight
  
  Apple-TV (CEC Not Supported - time for an update to HDMI 1.3a/CEC capable product Apple!) Apple TV with 160GB Hard Drive - MB189LL/A
  
  Load Balanced Dual DSL (CEC N/A) Netgear FVX538 ProSafe VPN Firewall 200
  
  (I've exceeded Amazon's silly 10 product link limit, so you'll have to cut and paste the last few if you want to view the items - sorry)...more info
• Great Receiver
  Pros:
  1. The on-screen menu is easy to use, and all settings can be controlled from it.
  2. The networking functionality is excellent. Once you get it working, you will love this feature.
  3. The USB connection is great as well. Get an 8-16GB USB key, place your MP3 files on it, and enjoy. It even has random play!
  4. Full 1080p looks flawless, and the units ability to upscale is excellent. Any video source is going to be served well with this unit.
  5. 4 HDMI connections
  
  Cons:
  1. Not really a con per say, but this receiver is definitely aimed at the video crowd. While music sounds great, the real power with this receiver lies in its video.
  2. The auto speaker calibration. It did a fair job, but in the end, I took the time and did it myself. Not really that difficult if you are patient.
  3. The remote. It is not terrible, but you will be getting an all-in-one in short order.
  
  However, none of these cons would keep me from buying this unit again. It is hard to beat the price with this feature set....more info
• no problems - great amp/receiver
  This is my 10th amp and the best I've ever bought. It works as advertised and allows you to consolidate all your video inputs into one HDMI output (great for driving that flat panel TV mounted on the wall).
  
  Some reviewers claim this amp doesn't work with Sony TVs - this has not been my experience. The amp works fine with my Sony Bravia LCD and drives it at 1080p....more info