Customer Reviews

Denon AVR-2807 A/V Surround Receiver

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My old, stereo-only system consisted of several high-quality source components, separate tuner/preamp/amplifier, and a pair of very sweet (but rather low-efficiency) classic B&W speakers. When the preamp and amp both died after many years of service, I replaced them with the 2807, and added Polk center and surrounds for a 5.1 configuration. The 2807 makes my faithful B&W front speakers sing every bit as sweetly as my old audiophile separates did, with plenty of power to spare. Today my kids were watching Titanic with the master volume set just a wee bit high, and from two rooms away I thought the iceberg was colliding with the HOUSE. (The volume knob covers a rather impressive -80db to +18db range in 0.5dB increments). You even get TWO sets of amplified front speaker outputs, so you can bi-amp or bi-wire your main speakers if you want! And the 2807's quality is not only in the amplifier stage, but also in the DACs. CDs played through a digital input and handled by the 2807's processors are very smooth and detailed.

(If I may insert one gripe re the amplifier: the speaker binding posts are not at ALL flexible. Using spade lugs or pin connectors is pretty much out of the question. Getting the posts to even cleanly accept heavy-gauge bare wire is difficult. Banana plugs work of course, but the posts aren't spaced correctly for standard DUAL-banana plugs. Arrrgghh!)

Surround decoding and ambience processing is also generally excellent. For instance, using Dolby Pro Logic II with a stereo source like a CD generates a pretty nicely stable center image and subtle, unobtrusive surround enhancement; only occasionally will you hear things "breathe" or wander awkwardly into and out of the surround channel. It makes nearly all of my music CDs, and many TV shows, more enjoyable without calling undue attention to itself. Switching to Pure Direct mode (which is actually wonderfully clean, and is for highest-quality stereo-only handling of analog and two-channel sources) almost always sounds flat and less satisfying by comparison. Seven-channel stereo mode is also good for TV shows and CDs, giving room-filling sound with the surrounds driven nearly equally with the fronts. (There are a number of other soundfields, like Stadium, but I found most of them too gimmicky or show-offy to actually use. Stadium, for example, nicely isolates the play-by-play announcer's voice from a sportscast, and then gives it a HUGE echo that sounds like Lou Gehrig giving his farewell speech in Yankee Stadium. Just putting the announcer cleanly in the center speaker for the commentary, and boosting the ambience of the crowd in the surrounds to make you feel like you are at the game would have been a lot more usable and listenable.) DVDs I just play in straight Dolby Digital or DTS mode, both of which are handled superbly.

In addition to great sound, the other major strength of the 2807 is: inputs, inputs, and more inputs. DVD *and* Videodisc. TV *and* Satellite. Two VCR (or DVR) A/V record loops. A front panel input for your camcorder or game. Plus the usual audio in/outs: Phono, CD, Tape (and of course the internal tuner). All video sources have S-video jacks. You also get up to three component video and two HDMI ins, with upconversion, and plenty of digital audio in/outs, ALL assignable as needed. Plus, any of the inputs can be renamed on the display if needed! Don't have a laserdisc player? Use the "VDP" input for something else, and change its name accordingly. I connected my digital cable TV converter to the "DBS" input, and renamed the input "CABLE". Very slick.

The front panel of the 2807 is beautifully elegant and simple. Just power/standby, input select and volume knobs, and not much else, with all the other minutia tucked behind a (nice solid metal) flip-down panel. Sadly, the same can't be said of the learning, multi-brand remote. Some things on the remote are nicely done; the little button that chooses which component it will control (and nicely lights up the selection so you can see it) is placed perfectly where your thumb will easily find it. Same for the master volume adjustment. Nice ergonomics there. Basic functions aren't too hard to use, but the remote has enough buttons for an entire shirt factory, and after a few months, I am still trying to fathom the logic of why some things are grouped as they are, how to make it control my laserdisc player (which it theoretically should) etc. etc. And some things that SHOULD be on the remote, namely, dimming the front panel display, aren't. Plus, it doesn't have very good range. The remote that came with my cable box will easily work the 2807's volume etc. from a seat catty-corner across the room; the 2807's own remote needs to be closer and more on-angle. Most of the complaints you will hear in reviews about ease of use of the 2807 are really the fault of the remote. If after buying the 2807 you have enough left in your piggy bank for a really good programmable universal remote, it would be well worthwhile.

And while you're getting a better remote, pick up a good third-party FM antenna. I found the sensitivity of the 2807's internal FM tuner to be less than stellar, one of its few really weak points. Even strong local stations in my area don't come in all that cleanly using the (typical) cheap wire dipole antenna that is supplied.

Setup and adjustment of the 2807 is a bit tricky, but (for this computer professional) was not overly difficult. But, I did have to consult the manual frequently. For instance, I could easily find and navigate to the initial auto-setup command with the menu/right arrow/enter keys. But after getting there, it resisted all requests to actually start. Consulting the manual revealed that to actually make the auto-setup procedure GO, you have to press the LEFT arrow key at that final stage. (??!) The auto setup procedure, with supplied microphone, worked very well. It correctly identified the sizes and positions of my speakers, gave an error message when one of my surrounds had a loose wire, let me correct the issue and continue, and duly compensated for the fact that my new Polk center/surrounds are several dB more sensitive than my old B&W main speakers. Even so, I found the center speaker still WAY too prominent. Starting from the auto-setup's values, I boosted the left and right fronts slightly, and reduced the center speaker even more. Result was dialogue etc. nicely anchored in the center speaker, but it no longer sticking out like a sore thumb.

If you compare the Amazon pages for the Denon 3806 and 2807, noting the percentages of which item is bought after viewing both, you can easily see that with the 2807 Denon has hit a really sweet value point, giving you a lot of bang for the buck, with plenty of power and features but without useless frills. The differences between the 2807 and 3806 (an extra 10 watts per channel, the Denon Link multi-channel digital input for Denon's high-end DVD players, three-room/three source, touchscreen remote) are not worth several hundred more dollars for 99% of ordinary consumers. I had been considering the 3806, but when the 2807 came out, my choice was immediately clear.

Overall, the 2807 is a jewel. A beautiful sounding, solidly-built, top-quality component. Everyone in my family is thrilled with it. Its minor drawbacks are just that, minor. Highly recommended.

PS: I will repeat the comments of others about making sure to purchase the unit from an authorized merchant (I bought mine from Crutchfield) in order to have a valid warranty from Denon.

My AVR 2807 stopped working properly a few months after I bought it. The HDMI up conversion just stopped working. No big deal, I thought. It has been two months now and I'm still without my receiver.

I took it to one of Denon's "Super Service Centers." It sat there for over a month. By that time I was finally able to convince a customer service rep at Denon to send me a replacement unit because they could not repair my original unit. Two weeks later, they are still giving me the run around. No one answers the phone or returns messages. Bottom line, if you need to buy a Denon get it from a place where you can return it if it breaks. Denon is useless. I've never had this much trouble getting something repaired by a manufacturer. I'm disappointed the AVR 2807 stopped working after 4 months and I'm very disappointed with how Denon conducts its warranty repairs.

The good: Really terrific sound.
The bad: Setup a little difficult, Denon support is the worst. This is a complicated receiver and the manual is not great. Once everything is connected, the learning curve it long. If you want on screen display, you must hook up the monitor via components and not HDMI, that is a big drawback for me because I can't take advantage of the all important HDMI but I was told by Denon support I shouldn't see any difference between HDMI or component, that makes me wonder why they bothered with HDMI connections.

The reviewer RonC. gave a great in depth review that I found most helpful. I have a high end Sony 60"sxrd tv that does up conversion so I don't seem to need the upconversion capability of the Denon.***NOTE:I have no problem seeing on screen display for "System Setup" but it does not work during normal viewing if it's hooked up through HDMI. On screen display is important if you want to see volume level for instance, and also for things like effects.
If I based this review on Denon support, I would knock it to one star. Their support is terrible, hours on hold and when and if they come on, they are abrubt, no patience and end up putting back on hold and likely eventually disconnect. Beyond a doubt the worst support I have ever had. As much as I like this product, because of their support, and since it is complicated I need support, I am sorry I bought it.

I have always been a surround sound home movie buff. I recently upgraded from a high end Sony to the 2807. The sound is incredible and the up-scaled video is great. I have an up-scaling DVD player and a older standard 300 DVD changer. I found that the Denon up-scaled image from my older non-Progressive DVD player was actually better. It is true that the setup took a little time to get it the way I wanted and the remote is not very user friendly. I would recommend a universal remote (I have the Pronto and the Logitech 880). If you look why you would buy a receiver (the sound and video handling) this one is an incredible deal.

I recently purchased the 2807 to replace an Onkyo TX-DS777 that I have had for several years.
I am extremely pleased with the 2807. I had very little difficulty in setting up the unit, and the automatic room calibration system worked like a charm. The acoustic difference between the 2807 and my former Onkyo unit is very significant...much more that I had anticipated.
Also, I found the Denon remote to be quite intuitive, though I did add a Logitech Harmony 880 to my system. The Harmony is a bit more user friendly for the non audiophiles in my home.
Amazon and Crutchfield are the best!

Highly recommened by real audiophiles, however it was very complicated to set up. The manual was difficult to understand. Now that I have it working I'm pleased.

This receiver is not easy to set up but once you do, it is a pleasure to listen to. I was also pleased with the ease of purchase through Amazon and the delivery.

This is a great receiver with awsome power, however the on screen guide, programming and remote control need some refining.

While I am not an experienced audiofile, I have been extremely impressed with this product. The sound is better than any I have ever experienced, and coupled with my KEF 3000 speaker system, I am in heaven.

I've owned a 2807 for some years now, and haven't been impressed by this unit. For a start, the sound quality is not up to the quality of my inexpensive, 30 year old NAD amp -- which is disappointing. But a bigger issue is with the poor audio setup. The receiver seems to have a mind of its own when it comes to processing different types of audio input. For Dolby Digital it works fine. But for many other types of input I have trouble getting any reasonable volume out of the sub-woofer. I've had a couple of professional home theater techs look at it and it is setup properly. I think it is just not very good and processing certain input. You can manually ramp up the output of the receiver to the sub (LFE) or increase the volume of the sub itself, but that stuffs up the other processing modes.
This is not helped by the confusing manual and built-in setup.
I also found the built-in speaker equalization to be useless as it drops the sub output even more. I ended up buying a home theater setup DVD and manually setting it up. This way, the Dolby Digital and the music Stereo modes work well, but other modes are temperamental and the crazy levels to the sub in different modes is frustrating.