Customer Reviews

Denon AVR-1708 Dolby Digital EX Decoding Receiver

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I purchased this receiver in June '08 as one of the key pieces of building my new home theater system. So far, I've been very pleased with this unit's functionality, customizable options, and, of course, its look and fit with the rest of my home theater system.

Hooked up to this receiver are:
-a Nintendo Wii;
-a Sony PS3;
-a Bose® Acoustimass® 10 Series home theater speaker unit;
-a 52" Samsung LCD TV;
-a HDTV DVR cable box from my local cable company;
-a Panamax 5100-PM Power Line Conditioner;
-three (3) 4' Monster M1000 HDMI cables; and,
-two (2) 6' Belkin optical audio cables

Setup was a relatively quick and straightforward. The manual was easy to read and follow. Once the speakers were hooked up, I plugged the Denon into the power supply and went to audio heaven. This unit supplied plenty of power to all 5.1 channels. Right out of the box, the audio seemed just right for my room; without making any fine adjustments, I experienced ZERO issues with any aspect of sound: no muffled/muddied voices, harsh highs non-existent, and there were zero indistinguishable bass notes. The LFE output on this unit really gets the living room walls shaking with the low notes and rumbles from explosions when watching movies, or when playing Call of Duty 4. Even when listening to the everyday radio or mp3's on my iPod, this Denon receiver delivers clean, clear power to every speaker and channel.

The one thing that's worth noting concerns those all-too-important the HDMI slots. The two HDMI inputs on this unit are for VIDEO ONLY and the one HDMI output carries VIDEO ONLY. So if you want your HDMI connection to carry both audio AND video signals, then you'll have to find another Denon receiver because this unit won't do it for you. Though this may be an inconvenience for some people, this wasn't an issue for me, as I wanted to keep all audio signals separate from video signals (to maximize bandwidth within the cables). I wanted the HDMI cables devoted only to carrying video signals to maximize bandwidth to the TV to minimize as much audio/video lag as possible (of which there hasn't been any)

I cannot comment on the remote control because I do not use it for day-to-day operations. For that, I use a Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote my wife bought for me, which gives me access to nearly all the functions that the Denon's factory remote control allows me to do.

All in all, this receiver is a great purchase for the cost. It's an efficient and powerful receiver that's easy to set up and easy to customize. I look forward to many years of satisfaction from it!

This unit was purchased based on a suggestion from a Home AV guru to work along side a crestron "whole house" system. While a good performer during its first few months, it developed a problem where it would trip off and give me the ole' "flashing red" signal that I've read so much on the internet about this unit. During the on-going trouble-shooting saga, we made false diagnosis and tried remedies in other areas such as wiring or swapping cables that seemed to fix the intermittent problem. Days or weeks later, same thing......over and over. Eventually the unit shut off for good and could not be reset even with NOTHING hooked up to it. My fault for not pursuing the problems as a warranty issue when I had the chance. The unit is toast, and now I'm shopping for a replacement. This denon unit was junk.....never again.

Even though it has good features and good sound, my receiver broke down six months after I bought. The worst thing is that when I took it to repair, I found several others with the same problem. I thought the DENON would be a reliable brand in quality. My mistake. It is not.

This denon is a great receiver. I have had it for three years now and it has never let me down. The sound blows away cheaper receivers, and you can tell the quality of the components by the weight of the receiver. I purchased a pioneer, but returned it because my denon sounded so much better. If you want a cheap receiver, then this is not for you, but if you care about sound and long lasting quality, then look no further. This receiver has a lot of features, too many for most people.

I have my PS3, Comcast Digital Cablebox, and Wii connected and a the video is output to a plasma tv.

I rated it a little lower in the ease of use category, but I programmed my logitech harmony one to control the receiver so that my wife can use it (one button for PS3 and movies, one button for comcast, and one button for the wii).

The only feature I wish it had was a sleep button, so I could program it to turn off at night. Other than that, this receiver will last me years to come. Amazon's price is about half of what I paid, so if you are looking to upgrade or get a second receiver for a spare room, this should be your choice!

The reviewer who said it broke after 6 months, should get it returned in the warranty period, that is the only denon I have heard of which had that problem.

I purchased this unit on the advice of a salesman who stated that Denon was a great buy. WRONG. I had intermittent power supply problems early on but ignored the oblivious problem and instead continue to troubleshoot my speakers and wiring installation. I finally sent the unit in for warranty repair only to have the same problem a few months, and out of warranty later. That was my first and last Denon.

I've had my receiver for less than a year. The system sounded like it "blew up". I returned it to Denon for repair under the warranty. It has been almost over 3 months since I sent it to them with no reply or result. Lots of luck if yours "goes bad" and you have to have it fixed from the factory. I'm thinking that I will just abandon this receiver and buy another reeiver from another company - (NOT DENON)..