Customer Reviews

Denon AVR-4308CI Multizone Home Theater Receiver with Network Streaming and Wi-Fi

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Denon 4308CI Receiver

Strengths: Great quality picture and sound, excellent build quality, nice display, GUI interface, easy to assign/rename imputs, HD radio, 4 HDMI, 140 Watt multizone output, good value for price point.

Weaknesses: Complicated user manual, Useless remote, Faroudja vs. Silicon Optix processor

Price paid: $1,780 (2/08)from a reputable retail store. (Please do not ask which one as I was given an insider price)

Summary: After considerable research I purchased the Denon 4308CI to upgrade a prexisting Sony STRDA555ES receiver. My main desire in upgrading was to obtain HDMI connection capability and take advantage updated sound processing and 1080P upscaling. I ruled out various other comparable recievers for a variety of reasons, including heat generation as my components are enclosed in a audio rack partially recessed into a closed media room.

As a longtime Sony fan and owner of three ES AV recievers, it came down to a choice between the STRDA 5300ES and the Denon 4308CI.

I opted for the Denon over the Sony for a few reasons. The display on the Denon is much larger. It might sound silly but I like to see the information displayed on the receiver from where I'm listing to music. The Sony display was rather small. I also liked the fact that the Denon has internet streaming capability and HD Radio reception. The Sony has more HDMI hookups and a longer warranty (5 years vs. 2 for the Denon) but the Denon has increased power handling and full 1080P upscaling. Pricewise the Denon was a few hundred dollars more then the Sony but I felt that it had a more "modern" feature set.

So far after 4 months of use I have been very pleased with the Denon. Sound is fantastic and the GUI was intuitive. I disagree with some of the other reviews that I have read regarding the ease of setup. It took a little longer then I anticipated to set up but as I previously noted the GUI was fairly intuitive. I really like the fact that you can rename the inputs so when you select them from the function selection dial it will display whatever name you decide on. I prefer optical connections so I had to reassign some of the optical connections. Rear connections seem pretty sturdy. The unit gets warm but not hot after a few hours of use. Still havent taken advantage of the 1080P upscaling as of yet. HD radio signal reception is pretty strong and so far no interference despite living in a New York City Apartment building.

Harmony 880 Universal Remote works better then supplied remotes.

Video processing is excellent. I have however occasionally noted video artifacts. This reciver uses a Faroudja DCDi FLI2310 processor which is simply not as highly regarded by professional reviewers as the Silicon Optix Realta HQV processor used by Denon's flagship 3800BDCI Blu-ray player or the Silicon Optix Reon chipset used by receivers such as the Onkyo TX-NR905 and Integra DTR 8.8. However, overall picture quality on standard 1080i and 720p cable source material is excellent.

3808CI vs.4308CI? The 4308CI appeared to have a slightly more "attractive" build quality and appearance. In comparing the two models side by side before purchasing, the 4308CI simply looked better. However, HD radio, increased power handling and WiFi capability were the primary reasons I opted to spend more to purchase the 4308CI.

4308CI and 3800BDCI blu-ray combo. Have had the 4308CI and the 3800BDCI paired for the last three weeks. The Blu-ray picture is simply amazing. Will never purchase another standard DVD again if available in Blu-ray format.

Conclusion: I've been very happy with the 4308CI. It offers great sound and picture features at an attractive price point. However,if you are interested in better video processing you may want to check out the Onkyo TX-NR905 and Integra DTR 8.8 as well.

Review system components: (used in review)

Panasonic TH-50PZ750U 1080P (limited Ed)
Artcoustic DF-65's
Artcoustic DF-Multi (center)
Denon 3800BDCI (DVD)(used three weeks)
Sony ES 5 Disc changer
Sony SACD player
Monster HPS7000 Signature Series
Monster AVS2000 Signature series
Polk XM Radio Tuner

Written by Dr.LAL,DALLAS, Tx.

The DENON 4308CI is one of the best receivers I've used so far in the past 20 years. Being an audio enthusiast and hobbyist myself, i am an extremely satisfied user of this great product. I believe this is the only receiver which has Satellite radio+HD radio+internet radio in one unit. THe Sound and Vision off this unit is also exceptional. 4 HDMI in and 2 out will handle most of the components. I have a Bluray+PS3 doing 1080P, Sat TV etc all hooked up using HDMIs and it's the perfect setup. Ample audio output (140W/Ch on all channels is also a + point).

Internet Radio is something which made me curious to explore..years back when we were all streaming using our PC's, the sound quality was the real turnoff. So i decided to play around with this unit with the same mind set. I was wrong! the quality of some of the foreign stations received here in the US (like from France, Russia and great Indian music from India and UK) was excellent. This would really help when shortwave radio reception is poor and with access to 100's of stations, you can listen to your taste! HD radio and XM is also great!

The only drawback was its remote which is cryptic and takes time getting used to. Overall an excellent receiver, sound and vision wise! Great Job Denon

I have used the Denon AVR-4308ci receiver for about month now and have been impressed with the improvement of the picture quality produced by my 1080p projector using the HDMI switching compared to my previous component switching in the Denon AVR-5800. The clarity and color improvements are easy to see. Also the 4308ci is one of a very few home theater receivers that has two HDMI outputs so it can support a projector and a flat panel display concurrently. Compared with the earlier Denon AVR-5800 the stereo sound quality in the pure direct mode from a SACD source is very much the same - very very good. But in the surround output settings, using the Audyssey automatic room compensation, the sound is much better (especially in clearer dialog) than my previous 7.1 setup. Although the new set-up menus are much better than the AVR-5800, there is a considerable learning curve to get everything set up right with all the many options provided. This is not a receiver for someone who wants to have a casual relationship with their system. Bottom line: very high quality and great flexibility with a somewhat challenging set-up; highly recommended!

Bought the AVR 4308 in December, and its been now in the Denon repair log jam since February. No end in sight -- they again had to order "all new parts" after the first batch failed. As an owner of 4 Denon receivers, I grow worried that the first parts failed, the new batch they ordered failed, and they can't even give a MONTH or QUARTER when it will be repaired. When I called the Denon cust support line, he wouldn't give me an answer on when they finally gave me a new machine, when I asked 6 months, 9 months, 1 year?? He wouldn't even commit that after trying to fix it for a year that they would replace the machine. Asked to speak with a supervisor -- they refused to put one on the line -- saying that was Denon's warranty policy, and they would continue to fix it.

Oh yeah -- and naturally, once the parts were ordered, the receiver goes back to the END of the line. Even if the parts come tomorrow, they won't look at it for 4 weeks - at the earliest.

Having talked with one of the tech's who works at the repair place, they have been getting an increasing number of Denon's back -- and are "swamped". It seems like their quality control has completely gone out the window -- if their spare parts don't work, and repair clinics are swamped, I wish that I knew this prior to giving them what looks like a donation.

April 28th Update: Turns out the authorized repair agent shipped my unit to Denon. Of course, neither they nor Denon decided to share that with me until I called back and forth in search of an update. While on the phone with Denon, I again asked for a supervisor -- told there wasn't one on staff. Seeing as they had my receiver now since the beginning of February, I asked if there was a possible ETA, or when they would just replace the unit. The guy actually laughed at me, and said that they wouldn't consider replacing the unit. Again, I asked for a supervisor -- was told that he would get one to call me once they were around. This was much earlier today --- 6 hours later, no update.

So, for the four months that I've had the "pleasure" of owning a fancy Denon receiver, its now been at their repair blackhole for 3 of those months. My next steps are lodging a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and suing them in small claims court for a working receiver.

May 18th update: after calling an EVP at Denon, he finally expedited the process, and got my unit back to me about a week ago. Well, it stopped working again yesterday. The HDMI port will not pickup my satellite -- which worked fine the day before. When I plug the satellite directly into the TV -- not problem. Tried different ports, cables.. etc etc etc. To no avail. Back to sitting on hold at Denon again.

Seems like they tried to pack too much into a product...

2011 Update:

I originally bought Denon because of software upgradeability for internet media enhancements; I was even OK when they went to a fee model for software updates under the hope that their Japanese engineers would come up the learning curve on both usability and functionality.

I have since come to realize that Denon is not a trustworthy brand in which to invest significant dollars in premium priced technology products. The 4308 is a poster child for leaving high end product customers high and dry. The product was misdesigned with a primitive chipset that product management claims precludes them from implementing internet media enhancements such as Pandora support.

Sayanora Denon.

Original 2009 Review:

The 4308CI is very, very good hardware with extremely frustrating software. You can tell that Denon has very good hardware engineers that are completely clueless when it comes to software design. I installed it as part of a major home theater upgrade.....I chose it because of its multiple HDMI inputs, internet radio connectivity, home media server connectivity, Ipod connectivity, and ability to do firmware updates over the internet.

Despite its horrible software design, I would probably choose it again; only because all other Japanese CEM's are probably so much worse when it comes to end-user software design and support.

This product is so frustrating because it is so close yet so far from being a great product because of totally amateur design choices.

Example #1: The 4308CI has a web browser interface that could have been a superb way to configure and control the entire home theater system; but unfortunately, functions are spattered and hacked across the web interface, the on-screen tv display, and the LCD on the front of the receiver.

Example #2: Denon released in 4Q08 new functions (eg. Rhapsody & Sirius feeds) that are available for purchase as firmware upgrades: but purchasing and installing the upgrade requires a number of bizarre and obtuse steps, including reading and re-entering a 12 digit "upgrade ID" string from the front of the receiver.

Example #3: Poor design choices: Although the 4308 is internet ready, the new Sirius streaming support requires the purchase and installation of a separate Sirius satellite tuner device. Why not just stream directly from sirius.com over the internet like a number of other Sirius internet devices? Moreover, Denon's Rhapsody streaming function is internet based.

So, this is a very good AVR that could have been a great AVR, except for poor software design choices.

As the Blu Ray / HDTV bug bit me, I had to upgrade to a receiver with HDMI switching. I upgraded from a Rotel receiver which did not support HDMI.

I did quite a bit of research and auditioning before I chose this Denon. The important features for me were HDMI switching (with full support for Dolby TrueHD and the rest of the Blu Ray sound formats) and Audissey room calibration. Since many of us watch movies and listen to music in our regular living rooms which are not specially acoustically treated, room calibration is very useful, and it only became available in receivers a couple of years ago.

Other brands / receivers considered: Integra, Onkyo, Marantz, Pioneer Elite, Yamaha, NAD, Arcam, Rotel, Sony. Of these, Arcam and Rotel do not offer room calibration and yet are expensive, so they were ruled out. Sony, Yamaha, and Pioneer have some proprietary room correction which may or may not be good. I liked the sound of the Pioneer Elite for what is worth. Integra, Onkyo, Marantz and NAD have Audissey RoomEQ, which is the most advanced tried-and-true room correction available in home theater receivers today. The NAD and Marantz feature more limited versions of RoomEQ. Marantz sounds kind of dull and smears high resolution detail; some call this sound "sweet" but it really is just dull :) Integra and Onkyo are pretty feature rich and their highest end models are in the same league as this Denon. Integra and Onkyo (which are the same company really) sound detailed and somewhat bright.

Denon won because it has the fullest set of features (you can even listen to web radio or stream your music files over WiFi!), it is network upgradeable unlike most of the other brands (kind of like your PC which gets software updates), has enough power (140 Watts/channel) to drive most speakers, and it sounds fantastic.

This summer Denon is introducing the successor to this and a few other receivers, so prices for this receiver are lower now -- it must be one of the better deals on the market right now in this price range.

After an hour or so of firmware upgrades I finally got to test drive the AVR-4308CI and I am pleased to report that the performance is nothing less than stunning. The process was easy, except for setting up the wireless network connectivity. I had to use the remote to 'kick start' the configuration. After that it was web interface all the way.

Simply phenomenal HD performance when paired with the Panasonic bdp35k and the Samsung 750 series 52" LCD. Just finished watching the directors cut of BladeRunner on BluRay and it was spine tingling.

The Internet Radio feature is amazing. I had no idea the diversity of content available on the net, and I was happily surprised at the high fidelity when paired with a cable modem connection. The special audio enhancement modes did seem to improve the sound of bandwidth limited internet streams and our Zen Player.

Controlling the unit from the web interface is also a joy.

I can see how this unit would be daunting for those inexperienced in setting up and configuring electronic equipment. Absorbing the contents of the owners manual is a little like drinking from a firehose, but the remote controls and menu structure are fairly intuitive and have resulted in less hair-pulling than I might have expected after reading other reviews.

I removed about 20lbs of AV and audio cables from my setup when migrating to HDMI. A nice plus.

Why did I ever wait so long to get this AV receiver?

I have never been as happy with a receiver as I am with the AVR-4308CI from Denon. Only small complaint I have is that the 2nd remote(yes you get 2), the Universal remote, seems to be designed by people from another world. Not an intuitive remote at all, but that is easy to get around with the on-screen GUI and the other more simple remote.

HDMI switching, with full 1080p support. This combination along with Blu-Ray introduced me into a world I never thought was possible, the picture and sound is amazing. IMHO, BETTER THAN AT THE THEATER!!!

Can you say up-scaling? Well, buy one of these receivers and you will have no problem. I could not believe what it did for my 1080i/720p programming that was coming in from satellite and OTA. The upscaling made these feeds look like 1080p on Blu-Ray.

How about sound? I had the Denon 3308 prior to getting the 4308, and the difference is astounding to me. Everything is much more solid in sound, and with the extra power it seems to do this with little effort.

Denon has out done themselves with this little gem. The AVR 4308CI is a definite must have receiver.

I have had this unit over a year now and because of its excellent sound quality am very happy with the hardware and with Denons support through frequent firmware updates. Getting the unit set up and learning its quirks is another matter however. First let me state I have over 30 years experience with audio and video and have had it all. There is NO other unit on the market that will provide the sound quality anywhere near this price range. I had separate components for most of those 30 years and was always hesitant to go the receiver route. This unit changed my mind about that. I highly recommend this unit with the caveat that you need to have a GOOD COLD BEER ready for the evening after you get it set up. You will definitely want a drink after going through the manual and the sometimes strange software interface.

This is a truly fantastic AV receiver with an awesome amp with the worst remote possible.

This is my third Denon amp in 15 years and i must say that this receiver is truly awesome. It has the right combination of power and style. It has all the options you could want not matter how complex your environment is and how you may want to use it. I have an old turntable hooked up as well as a pioneer elite blueray and Kuro plasma. No matter what components you have to hook up to it, this is the amp can handle it... and blow you away.

I love the internet radio! I played with this several years back and I thought it was all hype. Playing it now is pretty awesome. That is probably because the internet backbone of america is a lot better now. But regardless several years ago it was a wasted feature but today is pretty neat.

I also got the ipod dock is great. I like how you can control everything on your tv screen.

The on screen menu is well laid out, but you can also read the information on the front of the receiver, which is very nice. It can easily be set up to handle multiple rooms- for example, I seet up a great surround setting in one room and have it power the outdoor speakers also. You can adjust the volume in one zone without affecting the volume in the other zone. This amp can handle pumping out a lot of power without a problem.

So why only 4 stars? The remote... This is the worst Denon remote that I've used. I happen to meet a Denon rep and asked him why their remotes haven't kept pace with the receivers.. His response was that they think that they people buying this level of receiver will be going out to buy a universal remote anyway. So they don't invest the money into a universal and usable remote. The second remote is nice to have to control zone 2, which is probably not going to be your complicated zone... But the old remotes were great compared to this main remote. With the way they have advanced their receivers, they should advance the remote.

To fix the problem, I purchased Harmony One by logitech. This is the type of remote that Denon should develop and include in their high end products.

7 star receiver
1 star main remote
3 stars for including a zone 2 remote