infected flow Posted June 19, 2008 Posted June 19, 2008 Hi All, Well I have been doing my research for a amp and i have come up with these 2 recievers i already have a avr4306 and absoutley love it but i need true hd and soforth. Now i need to know the pro's and con's or opinoin's on these two but im also up for others people recommend, 1.Onkyo Tx-sr875 2.Denon AVR- 4308 3.Any others you recommend. One thing i dont understand is that the Onkyo is cheaper yet has more power and is THX certified which Denon isnt, can someone tell me why??? is there something im missing... Onkyo has more power but is this true or misleading..? some manufactures love to throw power claims out there ... What do all of you think? I am really confused now as to what to go for as to whats good these days... Thanks again in advance!
dantan Posted June 19, 2008 Posted June 19, 2008 Hi All,Well I have been doing my research for a amp and i have come up with these 2 recievers i already have a avr4306 and absoutley love it but i need true hd and soforth. Now i need to know the pro's and con's or opinoin's on these two but im also up for others people recommend, 1.Onkyo Tx-sr875 2.Denon AVR- 4308 3.Any others you recommend. One thing i dont understand is that the Onkyo is cheaper yet has more power and is THX certified which Denon isnt, can someone tell me why??? is there something im missing... Onkyo has more power but is this true or misleading..? some manufactures love to throw power claims out there ... What do all of you think? I am really confused now as to what to go for as to whats good these days... Thanks again in advance! G'day mate, My brother-in-law recently purchased a new Onkyo TX-SR875. I recently purchased a new Integra DTR7.8 (which is also manufactured by Onkyo, and runs the same amplification). The Onkyo TX-SR875 retails for $3,000.00. My brother-in-law managed to get one for $2,250.00! What an absolute bargain! Maximum power consumption of the Onkyo TX-SR875 is 870W, which means gobs of power! I am not sure about the maximum power consumption of the Denon AVR4308. What I am sure about is that the Denon costs so much more than the Onkyo, for fairly similar specifications. My brother-in-law and I used to own Denon A/V Receivers, but then realised that they are over-priced, and to be honest, I felt that my Denon AVR2807 did not have quite the explosive nature I like, when watching movies. The sound quality of the Integra DTR7.8 is far superior - to my ears - than my Denon AVR2807, and even a Marantz 7002. Onkyo and Integra are on an absolute high. Pretty much all the A/V Receivers from Onkyo and Integra currently are top-notch. They represent superb value-for-money, and have superb sonic ability, plus video processing is top-notch, too, especially with the Onkyo TX-SR875, which boasts the Reon chip. Dan.
dantan Posted June 19, 2008 Posted June 19, 2008 I wouldn't worry too much about THX certification. For an amplifier to be THX certified, especially the more sort-after Ultra II, an amplifier must meet THX's strict standards. It is only voluntary, and some amplifier manufacturers, including Denon, don't bother with this. Whether they are not confident (unlikely with Denon) that their amplifiers meet THX's standards or whether they cannot be bothered, who knows? With THX as well, an amplifier must be powerful enough to power certain large-sized rooms, etc.
50mxe20 Posted June 19, 2008 Posted June 19, 2008 Hi All,Well I have been doing my research for a amp and i have come up with these 2 recievers i already have a avr4306 and absoutley love it but i need true hd and soforth. I reckon that's the bottom line. Stick with what you know. I did.
James240 Posted June 19, 2008 Posted June 19, 2008 One thing i dont understand is that the Onkyo is cheaper yet has more power and is THX certified which Denon isnt, can someone tell me why??? is there something im missing... Onkyo has more power but is this true or misleading..? some manufactures love to throw power claims out there ... What do all of you think? I am really confused now as to what to go for as to whats good these days... the reason Denon products are so expensive is their Australian distributor. Not sure of the prices people are paying though, there was a thread where a retailer in Melbourne seemed to be offering good deals, and some have bought from Hong Kong. The Onkyo 'per channel' power output is misleading, you look at the total power output as mentioned.
infected flow Posted June 19, 2008 Author Posted June 19, 2008 I reckon that's the bottom line.Stick with what you know. I did. Lyle that really doesnt help me if i want to think outside the box now does it...thats why i posted this but feel free to comment on both avr's if you wish too... im trying to get an understanding of why pay so much for a denon than a onkyo and the differences... Cheers
fawlty99 Posted June 19, 2008 Posted June 19, 2008 Denon pricing policy in OZ has been subject to much adverse comment in this forum for good reason. Compare the OS prices after conversion to $aus to the local Oz prices. We are getting ripped off here. That being said I believe the Denon is a great receiver (judging by reviews) & I've always been impressed by Denon build & reliability. Not sure if the Onkyos have the same reputation in that area. As for THX certification - overated IMO and it costs the manufacturer to get the stamp. Doesn't mean that the product wouldn't qualify if they paid the royalty.
infected flow Posted June 19, 2008 Author Posted June 19, 2008 (edited) ok great does the denon have anything over the Onkyo regarding sound processing or video processing or any other functions that i am not aware of....?????? Edited June 19, 2008 by infected flow
50mxe20 Posted June 19, 2008 Posted June 19, 2008 (edited) Lyle that really doesnt help me if i want to think outside the box now does it...thats why i posted this but feel free to comment on both avr's if you wish too... im trying to get an understanding of why pay so much for a denon than a onkyo and the differences...Cheers Because you love it. It's a no brainer. The 4308 is a dream AVR. If in doubt go and listen and compare. ----------- PS. Your first post said nothing about price being important. Maybe it was implied but I did not read that. Others below have stated what has to be done. Go and listen to the differences. Wrt pricing there is always the Singapore option. Edited June 19, 2008 by Lyle
James240 Posted June 19, 2008 Posted June 19, 2008 ok great does the denon have anything over the Onkyo regarding sound processing or video processing or any other functions that i am not aware of....?????? Different processing chips - Reon v Faroudja Both have Audyssey set-up? The main difference will be in the sound, which you'd have to demo on your speakers of choice.
eleventyseven Posted June 19, 2008 Posted June 19, 2008 Denon's built in Japan - not sure where Onkyo and Integra are built but that's probably got something to do with the price differences (although I too have a real issue with the Aussie distributor hiking up prices). It seems Denon are trying to position themselves at the high end of the market (there's a recent thread about the price of a "Denon" cable being an absolute rip-off). I think it's short sighted and destined to fail. I was strongly aligned to Denon gear when I bought my AV amp in 2001 but the next purchase won't be Denon and if I'm happy with the competition there won't be any compelling reason to go back. If you're happy with the features of the Onkyo and the value is there, go for it. You can always drop a few more $$$ and get an extended warranty. As far as sound/video comparisons I think you would be hard pressed to find someone here that owns both amps (I could be wrong). Best bet would be for you to audition them yourself (cold comfort but it really is the best advice). I don't think the Denon has anything over the competition in its price range (actually a lot less in my opinion) and that is being shown by the price differences with competitors. You could always go OS and get it for a much better price.
infected flow Posted June 19, 2008 Author Posted June 19, 2008 Because you love it. It's a no brainer. The 4308 is a dream AVR. If in doubt go and listen and compare. Lol.... gets out of chair walks over to Lyle "slaps him" and shouts out "U KNOW WHY" walks back...hahahah Now whos your daddy!! lol ok ok lyle i get the point geez...
50mxe20 Posted June 19, 2008 Posted June 19, 2008 Lol.... gets out of chair walks over to Lyle "slaps him" and shouts out "U KNOW WHY" walks back...hahahah Now whos your daddy!!lol ok ok lyle i get the point geez... Good luck with the hunt. I do understand about the money and I was swinging away from Denon until I got a good deal. Importing from Singapore is a real option and lots here have done it successfully.
Crazy Mike Posted June 19, 2008 Posted June 19, 2008 Check other specs such as power supply etc.........Im sure that these current Onkyo's dont use a toroidal power supply like they used to. Im sure the 4308 does. Also, check the specs when all channels are driven. Specs into 6ohms at 1kHz with 1ch driven are BS. Check what each puts out 8ohms 20Hz-20Kz all channels driven.
Guest Steve_C7 Posted June 26, 2008 Posted June 26, 2008 I am also in the same position but looking at the 3808 which is the same as the 4308, but without wifi and a little bit less power. I like the specs of the onkyo, but am a little concerned with the heat it generates. I measured one running at over 60 degrees C in an open room. This made my choice simple really as I have to install mine in a cabinet with my PS3 (which also pumps alot of heat) so I can only go with the Denon. I also believe that the build quality of Denon is a bit better than the Onkyo, but that is all subjective I suppose as others look at weight as being a starting basis for quality. To me build quality includes design and any design that cranks out that much heat has a flaw. The Onkyo does have a better video process chip for upscaling than the denon, but was a moot point for me as I will be leaving the upscaling to my JVC HD1.
Grngo Posted June 27, 2008 Posted June 27, 2008 I've also been researching receivers for the last couple of months, and have both these on my list. I also had the yamaha 3800 on the list and liked the reviews but I have an old pair of Osborn speakers which i really like even though they are quite bright, and as the yamaha is also lively it wouldn't complement the speakers. I think I've narrowed it down to the Denon 4308 if the credit card will allow it. I heard it again today and it sounds great, really can't go past it and nothing else compares. The heat thing put me off the onkyo as well.
freakygeek Posted June 30, 2008 Posted June 30, 2008 Check other specs such as power supply etc.........Im sure that these current Onkyo's dont use a toroidal power supply like they used to. Im sure the 4308 does. Also, check the specs when all channels are driven. Specs into 6ohms at 1kHz with 1ch driven are BS.Check what each puts out 8ohms 20Hz-20Kz all channels driven. Yes, what is it with Onkyo and their BS 6ohm, 1khz, 1 channel driven, no THD quoted power output figures?? In my mind it reduces my perception of quality with the brand. I'll stick with what I know too (as Lyle suggested). I upgraded from an AVR-3806 to an AVR-3808 a few weeks ago and am very happy with my decision. It sounds fantastic. Another personal taste thing (acknowledging it has absolutely nothing to do with how it sounds) - I much prefer the appearance of the Denon. It looks so much more "finished" than the Onkyo to me.
cwt Posted June 30, 2008 Posted June 30, 2008 Hi infected flow; If you did follow Lyle's strategy [ and with full lossless decoding players just around the corner ; it would be just right for your 4308 . The denon has dual differential dac's so it would certainly pay to compare as the onkyo doesnt [and as stated doesnt have a low noise toroid]. The new onkyo's are just around the corner with the new faroudja hudson chip so you may save some money there if you buy a power amp . I would urge you to include the new Harman Kardons on your short list if honest power specs matter and some models have new faroudja cortez deinterlacer/scalers if important
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