Denon AVR-988 7.1-Channel Multizone Home Theater Receiver

Other products by Denon  | See collection 

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 20 x 20.7 x 12 inches ; 40 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 35 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000UPA4O2
• Item model number: AVR988
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #25,329 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 1, 2003

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

From the Manufacturer

Denon AVR-988: Dolby Sound, 1080p Scaling, Multi-Zone and More

Denon has long been one of the elite names in home theater receivers, offering a combination of advanced technologies and user-friendly features that transform even the most mundane living rooms into rich, powerful audio environments. Now Denon has rebuilt its receiver technology from the ground up to produce the AVR-988 7.1-channel home theater receiver, which has been outfitted with the latest audio and video advancements to deliver enhanced multiroom operation and performance. The AVR-988 incorporates such features as HDMI v1.3 inputs and outputs, which allow the receiver to play back many of today's leading audio/video formats, including Dolby Digital TrueHD and DTS Master Audio; A Faroudja FLi2310 video processor that provides video scaling up to 1080p resolution; Denon's Audyssey MultEQ calibration process, which makes setup easier than ever; and an RS-232C system control port and serial IR ports, which make it easy to integrate third-party controllers into complex home audio installations.

---

Under the Hood: Component Technology

With a power output of 110 watts per channel, the AVR-988 multizone 7.1 receiver can handle a variety of audio applications.

The AVR-988 offers a power output of 110 watts per channel, but adds a number of engineering advancements to get the most out of the technology. One of the most significant--7-Channel Equal Power--lets you connect seven speakers independently without connecting individual power amps via pre-outs. That's because the AVR-988 comes with a built-in internal amplifier for each speaker in your collection. This makes it possible to do things like connect a second surround back speaker directly off the main amplifier to play 7.1 surround formats. The receiver's Dynamic Discrete Surround Circuit (DDSC), meanwhile, optimizes all elements of the surround processor through the use of discrete high-performance components, including separate analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters, with sophisticated DSP surround decoding.

The receiver also offers AL24 processing, which was designed to faithfully duplicate some of the delicate nuances of analog music in digital form--a technology that's particularly effective among next-generation media with ultra-high bit and sampling rates. The results sound particularly good when music quietly fades away or starts again following silence, helping the listener detect some of the low-level details. The receiver further ups the ante with AL24 Processing Plus, which adds support for the 192 kHz sampling frequency of DVD-Audio.

In addition, the receiver is equipped to handle the latest in HD video support, with such features as Deep Color up to 36 bit, 1080p video pass-through, analog video-to-HDMI scaling up to 1080p, and 12-bit video encoding and decoding. The receiver also offers a couple of video essentials: progressive scan technology, which processes approximately twice as much video data to produce a sharper, noise-free image with finer details; and Faroudja DCDi video processing, which employs advanced algorithms to remove the jagged edges that appear when standard interlaced video is viewed on progressive scan displays.

Diverse Sound Modes

As with the best surround receivers, the AVR-988 is capable of reproducing a host of 5.1-, 6.1-, and 7.1-channel audio formats, with several processing technologies layered over the top. In addition to providing standard Dolby Digital, DTS, and Pro Logic II formats, the receiver also supports Pro Logic IIx, which allows 5.1-channel sources to be played in up to 7.1 channels; the expanded multichannel capabilities of DTS 96/24, Neo:6 Surround, and DTS-ES Extended Surround, all of which improve the digital surround impression for 5.1 or 6.1 channels; and DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby True HD, which boost the maximum sampling frequency (up to 96 kHz) and faithfully reproduce the sound of the studio master on up to 7.1 channels.

To assist with film soundtracks, the receiver offers a Cinema Equalizer that corrects for the placement of your speakers vs. the way they're placed in the movie theater. Theaters that locate their front speakers behind the movie screen tend to emphasize the high frequencies, which can sound too strong in a home with a conventional surround setup. Denon amplifiers adjust the high-frequency range so that the sound is cleaner and easier to listen to than uncorrected audio. Listeners can also improve the image detail of their audio sources using Neural Surround technology. This audio breakthrough--which is 100-percent compatible with stereo--offers superior spectral resolution and channel separation, thereby drawing the brain's attention to the sonic details in musical instruments, vocals, and ambience that are typically masked by other playback systems. This allows the listener to fully experience the richness and subtleties in recorded performance as never before. Neural Surround is the chosen format for XM satellite radio's XM HD surround programming. Finally, the receiver offers a seven-channel stereo mode that enables top-quality two-channel stereo output through your surround speakers.

---

Convenience Features

The AVR-988 offers 2 HDMI inputs, 1 HDMI output, and a host of other connectivity options.

Modern A/V receivers are increasingly designed for multi-room listening, and the AVR-988 is no exception. The two-zone, two-source system lets you select different audio sources for listening in different locations, letting you simultaneously listen to the DVD player in the main room and the iPod in the bedroom, for example. The receiver also offers compressed audio restoration, an audio technology that restores the fidelity of compressed MP3, WMA, and AAC formats to reproduce a higher frequency range and deeper bass performance. And to make iPod playback easier, you can connect the receiver to Denon's separately sold ASD-1R iPod docking station, which lets you control your iPod through the receiver's display.

Other user-friendly features include XM satellite radio compatibility (requires a subscription and an optional plug-and-play XM antenna), a night mode for neighbor-friendly listening, an auto surround mode, and a volume limiter that lets you set maximum volume levels.

Connectivity and Setup

The AVR-988 offers a host of inputs and outputs for connecting to diverse audio and video sources. The most significant is HDMI v1.3a, the digital interface standard for next-generation TV. With the receiver's two HDMI inputs and one HDMI monitor output, you can easily connect to such devices as HDTVs, DVD players, video game consoles, and cable and satellite boxes, each through a single cable that handles both high-definition video and multichannel audio signals. HDMI is also compatible with High-bandwidth Digital Contents Protection (HDCP), a technology for protecting copyrights that encrypts digital video signals. If your components don't offer HDMI outputs, you still have plenty of options, however, as the receiver also offers three component inputs, seven S-video and seven composite inputs, seven total digital audio inputs (four optical and three coaxial), and 10 analog audio inputs.

The receiver also lets you input multichannel audio signals, whether in high-definition MUSE 3-1, SACD, or DVD-Audio formats, via the eight-channel input. Made using eight standard RCA cables--one each for front left, front right, center, surround left, surround right, surround back left, surround back right, and subwoofer--the eight-channel input receives discrete analog audio signals via a digital source such as a DVD player, creating an immersive multichannel audio performance.

Setting up the AVR-988 is easier than ever thanks to Denon's Audyssey technologies. Audyssey Equalized was the first technology to properly measure sound information throughout a listening area, and then combine the information to accurately represent the acoustic problems in the room. Based on these measurements, Audyssey calculates an equalization solution that corrects for both time and frequency response problems. Denon also employs Audyssey MultEQ XT technology, which automatically determines how many loudspeakers are connected, whether they are connected in phase, and whether they are satellites or subwoofers. After processing, it then analyzes all the physical details--speaker level, size, and distance--and determines the correct frequency response for up to eight listener positions simultaneously. It's a must for people who want to get the most out of their surround systems.

---

AVR-988 Accessories

The AVR-988 is compatible with the following Denon accessories.

• The Denon ASD-3N iPod/network connectivity dock
• The Denon ASD-3W iPod/network connectivity dock with WiFi
• The Denon AK-HM100 HDMI cable
• The Denon RC-7000CI two-way remote control

Product Description

A/V Multi Source/Zone Receiver

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars High performance for a great price! Denon AVR 988, August 5, 2008

By	Rob Williams - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This was a strong performing receiver at $1200. Now it is an amazing value. Why?
Pros
1) Clean high current power- in the end, the most important thing. Strip away all the bells and whistles and "features" and listen to it. Many receivers brag about 100 watts of power and yet sound thin. Denon is known for amplifier quality. This Denon receiver was designed for the $1200 instead of the $500 price point and has the parts quality that reflects it (good power supply, shielding, and separate circuit boards for Digital, Analog Video and Analog Audio) The receiver has 110 watts for 7 channels and will drive your speakers for better bass and clarity.

2) 1080P Upconversion- there is two types of upconversion. In other words, what are you doing to a VCR or other analog video signal to make it HDMI? Some receivers "Transcode", which means they convert from regular composite video, S-Video, or Component video to HDMI. This is done for convenience. You get all of your sources on one HDMI cable going into the TV, but don't expect any improvement in video quality. The other way of conversion is called upconversion or "scaling." Now you are taking a 480i signal and converting it to 1080i or 1080P. The quality of that process varies widely. Some upconverters make the image look horrible. Some only upconvert to 1080i. Denon uses a Faroudja FLi2310 video processor that provides video scaling up to 1080p resolution. On other words, it makes your old stuff look good. Not as good as true HD source material, but it is a significant improvement.

3) Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio- decodes them both.

4) Multi-Zone/Multi-Source: Use 5 of the channels for home theater and the 2 other channels to power a second zone (like speakers for an outdoor deck) with a different source. So you can watch movies in the family room and still have a CD playing outside. The second zone can be fed from the coax digital or optical digital input (rather than only analog), something that many other multi-source receivers can't do.

5) Auto Setup: Many people buy a receiver and never bother to set it up to compensate for their room and speakers. I prefer to set up a receiver manually for inputs, speaker size and distance and it can make a huge difference in sound quality. Denon makes setup easy. Once you plug in the microphone, the receiver automatically detects and enters in auto-setup mode. The Audyssey Multi EQ XT can be setup for 8 favorite listening setups...you can calibrate it for a couple watching movies vs a group watching a football game. There is a large difference among auto EQs, and Audyssey does a good job.

6) Auto Lipsync- Have you noticed the image not match up with the sound? Rather than put up with that movie experience, the Denon receiver will allow you to correct for the delays between the video and audio processing.

7) Shh...don't tell anyone, but this receiver is very, very close in performance to Denon's AVR 2808. Just less expensive!
8) Yes, it even still has a phono input.
9) Music restorer- Playing an iPod? Use this to make compressed audio sources sound less worse.

Drawback
Although it will convert other inputs to HDMI, it only has two HDMI inputs. For those who want more HDMI inputs, add a HDMI switcher box. One of the best reviewed ones is the Oppo. It works with Tivo, Comcast cable boxes, and with Denon receivers.
OPPO HM-31 Certified HDMI 1.3 and 1080p Switch

35 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Verry affordable, great receiver for the money!, July 20, 2008

By	Tech Junkie "Tech Junkie" (San Jose,CA) - See all my reviews

Excellent music and video capabilities including the latest HD formats, and 1080p conversion is real (works well).
Denon is known for faithful reproduction of music and usually the cornerstone of low end /budget audiophile systems. I tried these with Martin Logan Aeon i Speakers and they sound fine (considering Martin Logans require amps to drive large currents at 2 to 4 ohms, but still not enough - while the sound quality is fine - no additional noises/artifacts, the volume tends to be low with martin logans); so I am forced to use other (Polk) speakers with these too for the most part (in 5 channel mode instead of stereo for classical music) in most situations (that and the bad docs/remote/gui setup is why I am giving 4 stars!)
Pros: 1. analog conversion all the way to HDMI 1080p
2. downward conversion to svhs/analog for multizones
3. Excellent connectivity to networked music (ASD-1r/3w/3n docs - optional) and ipods
4. easy setup for room
5. Preamp output available
Cons:
1. Still bad/complicated remote! (and bad documentation too).
2. Only 2 HDMI inputs?

Didn't test on screen menu feature on this yet (one year old Denon 588 didn't have that)
Overall it is a good product especially compared to the similar 2808 that sells for $1000 upwards. Both are similar featured (except that 2808 supports 3 zone/3 source compared to 2 zone/2 source for 988 model; and 2808 also has a simple second remote that is good; the rest of the amp is exactly the same as 988, just costs more!).Considering the price and features, this model is a steal right now!
Update/Caveat: If your speakers are 6 ohms or higher, then this receiver is great! So decide carefully taking all the components in to consideration. For my case, I am adding a good stereo amp (Class D) to drive the martin logans using the pre out for zone 2 as the input for the stereo amp.
UPDATE: Looks like Denon has introduced new models AVR-989 and 2809Cl with just 2 differences (115W instead of 110W per ch. and 4 HDMI inputs - they listened to the reviewers/users and increased the number of HDMI inputs)! That's the reason that these are getting discounted right now; if you don't care about more than 2 HDMI inputs, this is the best sale ever.
I have used Marantz, harmon kardon and sony in the past (never used Onkyo but reading reviews I stayed away from it because of power/burn out issues) and all of them have had troubles with power - usually gets heated a lot more than denons, sometimes protection circuit kicks in and turns off those receivers in my setup (goes to power efficiency of Denons, that they are able to give better wattage without wasting extra power).

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent quality and value!, October 25, 2008

By	Bala Rajagopalan "Bala" (Darien, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have been using the Denon AVR-988 for a month now. Excellent sound, build quality and aesthetics. Reviewers before have covered many points, so I'll just address the following:

- Shipping experience: I had opted for next-day delivery. The receiver arrived as promised in original factory packaging. There were a couple of nicks and dents in the box, but nothing significant.

- Hook up: Didn't take too long to set up the system. I see many comments on the user manual being complicated etc, but if you have dealt with any A/V receiver before, there isn't a whole lot different here. In fact, you probably don't need the manual at all to hook up your components.

- Audessey set up: The first time you need to consult the manual is to figure out how to start the Audessey auto set up. Specifically, you just need to know how to get your On-Screen menu display going, and after this, you can just follow the instructions. The system can take up to 8 measurements, but I needed only 3. This took a few minutes.

- Remote: As with most receivers today, the remote is cryptic and requires some figuring out. Especially, the 988 remote has a hidden set of buttons in the back, where some of the useful functions are kept (why put it in the back?) Also, it has a weird slider switch mechanism to select components to control other components like CD, which is odd. The remote could have been better, but this is no big deal considering many other positives.

Overall, I'd suggest that people don't get put off by prior comments on set up and complexity. Even if you're not familiar with A/V receivers, this is just a one-time effort.

- Build: Solid build quality in terms of weight of the unit, and the feel of it as you lift it and operate it. Note that this unit is made in Japan, not in China or Malaysia (unusual nowadays to find such products).

- Aesthetics: Very nice to look at, buttons are hidden under a flap, and the display is clear and functional (no jazzy colored lights). Of course, like all receivers, you have to go up close to read the volume level, active channels, but looks good overall.

- Sound: I have a 3.1 set up (don't like to run wires for rear speakers), and the sound quality from both stereo and 5.1 sources is crystal clear, nuanced, with tight bass. You don't have to jack up the volume too much (I mostly listen at -40 DB, the receiver goes up to +18DB). Some DVDs require me to raise the volume to about -25DB, that's the max I have gone so far in a medium sized room. Receiver automatically determines the type of source (Stereo, digital, etc), and plays it accordingly. Audessey automatically sets the tone controls, but there is also bass and treble settings you can manually adjust (plus levels of all 7.1 channels). Overall, extremely pleased with the sound. Pleasure to watch movies like Matrix with both great instrumental sound and effects, or listen to music.

- Running it for hours: I sometimes have it on for several hours, and the unit just barely gets warm. Compare this to Onkyo heating/flaming issues, and this is another reason to consider buying this unit.

In summary, as someone said before, this is a $1200 unit selling for less than half the price. It's not much different from the new 989 or 2809, at half the price! Great value, IMO, and I recommend 988 whole-heartedly.