Denon AVR-991 7.2-Channel Networking Multi-Source/Multi-Zone A/V Home Theater Receiver with HDMI 1.4a supporting 1080p and 3D (Black)

by Denon

Product Features

• The equal power amp design features 7 discrete power amp circuits, and each channel is rated at a powerful 125 watts (8 ohms, 20 Hz to 20 kHz, .05% THD). Denon's versatile Power Amp Assign function lets you use 2 of the 7 amp channels for surround back speakers, or front height effects speakers, or they can be assigned for second zone multi-room speakers.
• Decodes Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital Surround EX, Dolby Pro Logic IIz, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-HD High Resolution, DTS ES 6.1 Discrete, DTS ES 6.1 Matrix, DTS Neo:6
• HDMI 1.4a Repeater Inputs (6) and Output (1) support 1080p/24, 3D (All formats) Audio Return Channel, 7.1 Uncompressed Audio, DVD-Audio, Deep Color, Auto-Lip Sync and CEC
• Anchor Bay ABT-2015 advanced analog and digital video 1080p/24fps/60fps upconversion and deinterlacing with multi-cadence detection
• Audyssey DSX surround processing, Audessey MultEQ automatic room acoustic measuring and correction system, Dynamic Volume and Dynamic EQ audio processing

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 15 x 17.1 x 6.7 inches ; 25.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 33 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B003M6A27A
• Item model number: AVR-991
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #80,998 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 1, 2010

Product Description

The new AVR-991 is a technological tour de force, designed for consumers wanting to network their AV system. It's also one the first to come equipped with HDMI 1.4a connectivity, including 3D pass-through (Broadcast and Blu-ray), along with Audio Return Channel. Ethernet connectivity opens up your AV system to host of exciting capabilities like audio and jpeg photo streaming via as well as hundreds of Internet radio stations. Pandora is supported along with subscription music services like Rhapsody and Napster. Flickr photo streaming is also featured. The AVR-991 packs a punch with 7-channels of onboard amplification producing 1120-watts of total power (160 per channel @ 6-ohms) delivering detail and dynamics to music and movie soundtracks. The amplifiers can be assigned for 7.2 channel surround sound, or a 5.2 channel system in the "main" room and power a pair of speakers in a second "zone". For video connectivity, the AVR-991 is equipped with HDMI 1.4a Repeating technology with 3D pass through capability delivering both audio and video to your HDTV with single HDMI cable. This HDMI connectivity supports the latest generation surround sound formats available on Blu-ray disc, including Dolby TrueHD and DD+, dts-HD and dts-HR. Also included is Dolby Laboratories new Pro Logic IIz Matrix decoding featuring front height effects channels that expands front soundstage. The AVR-991 boasts a number of Audyssey technologies. Audyssey DXS processing (Dynamic Surround Expansion) adds front height and/or width channels to expand the soundstage. Advanced Audyssey MultEQ analyzes a speaker systems interaction with room acoustics, and then delivers custom tailored correction processing to optimize clarity and tonal balance throughout the listening space. Audyssey Dynamic Volume is an automatic volume-leveling system that tracks audio dynamics to eliminate the irritating volume swings between TV shows and commercials.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome sound and incredible picture - all you need from a receiver December 22, 2010

By Veronica Gross

I just purchased this item and am thrilled with the difference in sound when compared with my older Onkyo TX SR705 or even my Yamaha RX-V1400. A few months ago I was just looking for better sound and tried to join forces by using the pre-amp from my Onkyo with the stronger Yamaha amplifier. There was some improvement, however I still felt the need for an upgrade. My wife just shaked her head and said another one of those black boxes for your collection, my justification: it is Christmas time darling.

After reading a large number of reviews even from different countries, I came down to Onkyo's TX-NR808 and this model. For sure Onkyo provides a great value for the money, mainly once prices start dropping, however after reading multiple reviews I had the impression that Denon's AVR-991/3311 would deliver the warmer and more detailed soundstage that I was looking for.

Denon's Audyssey setup was a breeze, menus are nice and easy to understand. It was the first time ever that I haven't had to adjust the settings after auto calibration, neither YPAO nor the older Audyssey on my Onkyo could deliver such an accurate calibration.
Once calibrated I turned on Pandora and my jaw dropped, I didn't know my B&W speakers and Velodyne subwoofer could deliver such crisp clear highs, and thight and precise lows, they always sounded great, but this was like if I had just installed a brand new HT system all together, I never thought this new Denon would make such a difference. My friends were always impressed with the sound in my HT, but this is awesome, it fills the room with incredible precision remaining pleasant even when playing loud or during movies action scenes....

My family room is large wiht high ceilings and open to the kitchen, this receiver can easily fill the room, it almost gets too loud at 0db reference volume. The front speakers seat appart at about 60 degrees from each other, after setup was like if they came closer together. I no longer feel any need for additional wide or high speakers, which I was evaluating before my unit arrived. I was even looking for a larger subwoofer, but after concluding my Denon's setup, both projects were dropped.
The dynamic volume and dynamic EQ come as excellent add ons, it would be worth to replace an older receiver just because of those features. It doesn't matter anymore at what volume we watch our movies or listen to our music, it is always pleasant and like a good wine, full bodied.

Once I started testing first BluRays it was unbealievable how natural and clear the voices were coming out of the center speaker, almost like if the actors were in our room, no longer that boxy sound from the center, all became more spatial / 3D. The level of detail is just amazing, when watching Knight Rider I could hear many surprising details in the back stage, the scene in the bank was so real,like it it was happening right in my room. Many sounds that I haven't heard before and didn't even knew they existed were suddenly very noticeable. The 3 dimensional and dynamic sound between front center and rear speakers makes you imerse even deeper into the movies. Once I tried my old Matrix DVD, the first I ever bought, it almost looked like BD, with the sound quality at a couple of notches up when compared with my older receivers. You need to re-adjust the settings on your BD player and TV in order get the best out of it.

In the past I was never much of a Denon fan because it used to be very user unfriendly and pricing wouldn't justify the difference that I could hear or see. Onkyo still has a more intuitive interface but once you understand Denon's logic it is fairly simple to accomplish your tasks, some minor things I still find odd, like you cannot choose all different sorround or effect modes by simply scrolling through without accessing Denon's menu to makethe changes (i.e Pro-Logic Music/Movie/Game).
The only little problem I had during setup was the updating process, some error message popped up at the very end, after the system re-tried updating several times I just followed the instructions to re-set the unit. After reseting the update was quickly completed, had to re-run Audyssey though, but nothing that you won't do better and faster the second time.

This is the first product review that I ever wrote and am just doing it because this product really exceeded my expectations. The sound, image and build quality you get from a Denon is like they define themselves, for discriminating folks, it is definately worth every penny. If for you quality comes before features I would higly recommend it. Happy 100th aniversary Denon. Read more ›

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Does what I need to to do, plus a bit more October 18, 2010

By A. MCREN

Rather than parrot the expert reviews that are available with a simple web search, I will just say that I like it better than the Onkyo SR805 it replaced.

On my equipment, It sounds appropriate for the price point. It also works with all of the my equipment - including 3D. It hasn't broken yet, seems to stream Pandora ok, and has a handy (albeit slightly clunky) web interface that lets you setup and manage the unit. I have never used the iPod dock (I use Airport Expresses), so cant say anything to that interface.

Very satisfied with the purchase.

Denon AVR-991
Samsung PN58C7000 Plasma
DirecTV H22-100
Samsung BD6900 3D DVD player
Roku N1000
Sony Playstation 3
Totem Inner Spirit for mains
NHT AC-2 Center
Polk something or anothers for in-ceiling surrounds
Harmony 1100

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic sound quality; lousy remote & on-screen guide February 11, 2011

By Fred K

I'm by no means an expert, but I am somewhat used to Denon products, having owned/used them for a while. I mention this because, if you're new to Denon, or aren't good at deciphering detailed instructions, prepare yourself for a new level of tech frustration if you venture beyond the basics.

The basic, plug-and-play setup is pretty easy and quick, and should work nicely for a standard config and standard speaker placement. My setup was a bit more complicated, mainly because the speaker placement is non-symmetrical, which caused the auto Audessy calibration to overcompensate the various output levels and crossover frequencies. It did it's job the best it could, but the final product -- the acual playback sound -- was way off and I had to resort to manual calibration with a sound meter. Once everythng was set, the sound quality is second to none! Other pros and cons so far:

PROS:

Apple AirPlay - dowloaded the $49 upgrade from Denon and can now stream & control music playback directly from our ipod touch and PC. The best feature about AirPlay is that it automatically powers on the 991 ans switches it to the correct input/output as soon as you select a song. Definitely a nice feature for others in the household.

Networked - you need an ethernet cable, but once set up, there are many useful apps and features the networking brings to bear. Like, full configuration control of all settings from a web browser, streaming music & photo services, etc.

CONS:

Terrible remote - tiny buttons, most with illegible captions. In one word: pathetic.

Display - almost as bad as the remote. Unless you are less than 2-feet away, it's almost impossible to read the mumbo-jumbo of data that is presented on the display at any given time....

GUI - again, very non-intuitive and arcaic-looking, with very little explanation of what the various settings do.

It's hard to believe that, in the almost 8 years since I purchased my Denon 2803 AVR, both the front panel display and the on screen GUI have changed very little. It stinks (and always has), but that's how Denon rolls.

I'm still on the fence as to whether or not I'll return mine. Having seen and listened to my buddie's new Yamaha AVR, I may jump ship. However, I don't think it can stack up to the Denon when it comes to audio quality, which is the primary reason I stuck with Denon in the first place. Read more ›

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Happy again...finally. December 14, 2011

By Coug Moog

I have been a dedicated Marantz user for many moons. Bought the first Dolby Digital receiver they offered. Upgraded to the 800 years later and had no problems with that one. Loved the sound quality. There is something about those Marantz units' sound that is just...right.

But when HDMI came along, Marantz started to go off the rails. Upgraded to a SR8001 and was blown away by the sound. Marantz all the way...but even more so. Three months later the thing went into shutdown and wouldn't come out. Had it repaired under warranty and got another three months out of it; had it repaired again. Same story. The fourth time the ol' Marantz bit the dust, I was finished with it and went to its successor, the 8002. Marantz couldn't have screwed up two receivers in a row, could they?

Two months later I was getting the thing repaired. Bottom line: I have never owned a Marantz HDMI receiver that was anything like reliable. I bought an inexpensive Pioneer receiver with all the iPhone whizbangery to fill the gap while I searched for a better solution.

So I turned to Marantz' sister company Denon. If I can't have the Marantz sound, I can come close with Denon. Fact is, the more computer chips are hung on these things, the more basic sound engineering must be sacrificed to meet the price point. I had almost given up looking for the big-boy Marantz sound in a sub-$1000 receiver when I decided to try the 991 from Denon.

It's only slightly less powerful than its immediate big brother, and doesn't really sound all that different from the other two powerhouses further up the range. Bass management is competent, meaning if you have a good sub and good speakers, this unit has the facilities to drive them correctly. This is something that unfortunately the little Pioneer cannot do.... The difference in sound between the Pioneer VSX1020K and the Denon AVR991 is simply vast.

It is almost as vast as the chasm between the Pioneer and my old Marantz when it was working.

HDMI has some new stuff over the old Marantz: this thing lets me use the two unused HDMI inputs on my Panasonic plasma as game inputs for 360 and Wii--and the audio goes back to the receiver along the same cable plugged into the receiver's 'HDMI Out' port. So after I plug in Apple TV, Roku, Dish, Blu-Ray and a little Chinese media player that reads every different HD video or audio codec you can download onto a thumb drive or sd card, it's nice to still have enough inputs on the tv to use the game consoles without having to plug them into the front port. I put a dvd in each console, adjust the audio timing via 'lip sync' and it's ready to go. So if you have any HDMI inputs on your TV and it supports the HDMI 1.4 Audio Return Channel, you have extra HDMI inputs for more gadgets. Before Audio Return Channel you had to connect your tv's sound to your HDMI receiver via s/pdif cable if you wanted to use the tv's own tuner or sources as 'upstream' components as well as the downstream display.

With Apple TV and Roku already connected, the receiver's network functionality is largely redundant, with one exception. The Denon app lets you control your system from anywhere via your iPhone. That is actually cool. I have a pair of Magneplanars upstairs in the living room, running off a pretty husky Niles amp on the 'zone 2' section of the 991. When I'm up there, I can stream content from any computer on the network via Apple TV, and select the zone, volume, etc., all from upstairs without having to install any remote sensors or triggers. It's the most comprehensive remote system I've ever had, all on the wifi network. There are still bugs to work out and I've no doubt that future iterations of the system will be far more seamless. I have a few thousand tracks and a movie library on a 2 Tb network drive the thing can access via iTunes on the main computer. It's pretty cool putting together playlists for specific gatherings in iTunes, then using AirPlay to either stream the playlist or choose any other content right from the living room couch when the receiver and Apple TV unit are down in the media room. If you have wanted to set up a zone 2 rather than a whole other stereo in another room or maybe outside, the networking functions of Apple TV plus the Denon app for on/off/source/volume control means you can do the whole thing while in the intended zone. The way I have it set up, when I have guests I simply set my computer to not sleep during the event so as to maintain iTunes control of the network drive.

The Magneplanars on the Niles really do better playing Apple Lossless tracks rather than compressed stuff from Pandora, etc. In the media room I'm running classic KEF Reference Uni-Q's all around (RDM2's) with an RBH sub and amplifier. Front channels utilize the Denon's biamplification option. The Denon will do music just fine on the KEF setup, not just the Magnepans upstairs. When I drop down to pure direct stereo, I have an old Sony megachanger carousel with a Toslink output. Instead of running the digital signal right to the Denon, I use my old Entech Number Cruncher to convert to analog and come straight in on analog from there. I find the Entech sounds better on stereo than the chip in the Denon. You can take any old 50 dollar CD player with a digital output and turn it into a Wadia with that Entech. Anyway, the analog stereo signal seems to be handled correctly by the Denon, with the subwoofer handling the correct low frequencies with a smooth crossover between it and the small KEFs. Upstairs the CD carousel running through the Entech plays beautifully on the Magneplanars but I can't control it via the iPhone so I usually don't use it for Zone 2.

Movies on the KEF setup are steered well and sound really good. Bass management is back, baby. When Russell Crowe tells the crew of the HMS Surprise to let fly and her cannons cut loose at the Acheron, my RBH sub's twin aluminum 10's just go crazy. I even scared my dad, and he's mostly deaf. The vibration from the cannon fire woke him up and he thought a truck had crashed into the house.

All that great volume in crashing cinema soundtracks is no good if it's muddy--as the old Pirelli ad said, power is nothing without control. This is where the old Marantz was particularly good, and the Denon does not disappoint. You get the craziness of action soundtracks or the delicate work of Ray Brown on the upright bass out of this thing, and it never gives you a monotone as long as your sub is up to it.

Now, if this thing will just keep working when I turn it on, then it will have outdone the Marantz where it counts. As for sound, the Denon AVR991 is easily the equal of the Marantz SR8002 in all but that spooky beautiful liquid midrange the Marantz produces. But the Denon is damn close even there. If you are shopping Denon, I would consider this the minimum acceptable Denon, with the upgraded power supply giving it a much more refined sound than their downmarket receivers. As for going upmarket, it's hard to justify since the goods are mostly there with this one. The extra thousands buy you a little more power and a bunch of bells and whistles. You don't need remote triggers and funky IR blasters anymore; wifi took care of that, so a lot of what you're getting with the more expensive receivers is useless gingerbread. I wouldn't want to be the salesman trying to upsell a customer from the 991.

Short-list component for anyone searching for a new receiver between $500 and $1000--or even $1500. Read more ›