jrgreene1968 Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 Been looking at receivers online..wandering how a denon sounds compared to onkyo. Thinking of replacing my 805 onkyo, and have read denons tend to be warmer sounding. Im looking at the denon 3310..anybody running it? like, dislike? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluBitRates Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 What about pioneer elite or marantz [] . Really though, it doesnt seem like that much of an upgrade from a 805 if that is working fine for you. I would look into getting a preamp/processor like the umc-1 before getting another receiver. You could get an xpa-2 and use that for your front left and rights and the xpa-3 for center and surrounds. Or you could just keep the 805 and buy new surrounds first. I think you have alot more options to look at first before replacing your receiver with another receiver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 I have some older Denon gear(PRA-1500/POA1500 combo and a PMA-1080R integrated), and they tend to be slightly on the warmer side of neutral. Not sure about the newer stuff. If you want a warmer sounding AVR, consider Marantz or NAD. Great preamp sections with little(warmish) coloration. I personally think the Onkyo's are as close to neutral as you can get in a HT receiver. JMO. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuzzzer Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 What don't you like about your 805? That is one incredible receiver! I've been very happy with Marantz and harman/kardon with my Klipsch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennie Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 I don't think you would notice much of a difference. As others have said, add an amp for your mains and let the 805 handle the center and surrounds. I think that would make a bigger difference. That is if it has pre outs, which I am pretty sure it does. Unless the Denon has features you need that the Onkyo does not, I wouldn't bother with another receiver. Dennie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrgreene1968 Posted August 3, 2010 Author Share Posted August 3, 2010 . nothing against the 805 ...but my setup does tend to get bright at higher volumes. Was just thinking about replacing the bedroom receiver with my 805, and get a new receiver for the living room. I was interested in the emotiva pre pro, but seems like they have bugs from what ive been reading..and i read they tend to favor the neutral to brighter sound Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superedge88 Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 I was trying to decide between Onkyo and Denon a couple years ago. After reading about and witnessing at the showroom how Onkyo receivers run HOT I decided to steer clear. It makes me nervous when I put my hand on the top of a receiver that is running at nominal volumes and it is almost too hot to touch. The Denon receivers run much cooler. I also read too many issues with Onkyos over heating. So the deciding factor for me was wanting to have a receiver that should last longer since it runs cooler. Just my two cents though, the features on the Onkyos are definitely no lacking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluBitRates Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 Then again denons do provide enough heat for sphinx cats to lie on them. LOL can you please post that pic again i love it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ave Bona Cornwall Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 I have always been a Marantz guy. I think Marantz and Denon are owned by the same company, but I have never A/B'ed them side by side. I did pick out Onkyo's for my parents and sister about a decade ago, simply based on features Vs. cost, and I do like the sound of my Marantz better...but then again, my parents' speakers and sister's speakers are not Klipsch, or in the same price range as mine, so perhaps my argument is moot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironsave Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 I completely agree with the notion of getting an amp and using the receiver as a pre for the center and mains. (I am looking to this for my next upgrade.) I love my Onkyo; it is the best sounding receiver at all volumes I have heard. I will agree; it runs warmer than others; but I have an exhaust fan added on to mine. I am not sure if you have to have new; but mine new was almost $1000 and I paid $140 2.5 years later...... Marantz; HK; Pioneer; Denon; and many others are good receivers; listening to each to decide would be hard; but ideal..... Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrgreene1968 Posted August 4, 2010 Author Share Posted August 4, 2010 thanks for all the replies. Done some more reading, last night and this morning, and i was interested in the denon 3310, thinking it was in the same ball park as the 3808..but have found out, its actually a step down. So thats out..the marantz 6005 and especially the 7005 seem nice. Now i have been reading more into the Harmon kardon line, and like the HK3600..i found alot of good reviews on them..but remember at one time hk had some quality control problems. power specs dont really matter, since i will be using a seperate amp. Wish there was a higher end audio store close to demo some different brands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zen Traveler Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 . nothing against the 805 ...but my setup does tend to get bright at higher volumes. If you are running the Emotiva on your front 3 speakers and it sounds bright i would look into room treatment or upgrading your speakers. That being said, I have a Denon THX ultra II AVR 4806 and after running Audyssey and using the THX modes you may wish to experiment with those settings in your Onkyo. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrgreene1968 Posted August 4, 2010 Author Share Posted August 4, 2010 i did try audessey several different times..it actually seems to make it even more bright sounding, and a whole lot less bass.I run the 805 with manual eq, and use the thx cinema and it sounds pretty good. I think i have a weakness for bright sounding setups, lol..i had the same problem with my system in my truck. After several differnt speaker setups, amps, etc, before i finally found what i was after[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psg Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 power specs dont really matter, since i will be using a seperate amp. Then I suggest you start with that and see if it makes a difference. EDIT: Oh, I see that you are already running externals amps in the XPA-3... Treat the room! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrgreene1968 Posted August 4, 2010 Author Share Posted August 4, 2010 the room is terrible for sound im sure..harwood floors, french door on a side wall etc. What are some decent tips to tame brightness, that the wife wont declare war over Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironsave Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 Throw rug of Wife's choosing on the wood floors...... Fabric curtains on the french doors? (retractable?) Perhaps some sort of fabric artwork? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superedge88 Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 Then again denons do provide enough heat for sphinx cats to lie on them. LOL can you please post that pic again i love it The denon is pleasantly warm (obviously judging from the pic) dakmart is a great place to find refurbished units, that is where I got my denon 989, not a single problem with it, and prompt service! You can also find good deals at ecost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluBitRates Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 i wish there was a small animal laying on my receiver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrgreene1968 Posted August 4, 2010 Author Share Posted August 4, 2010 that cat would fry if it tried to lay on top of my onkyo, this thing will heat the house in the winter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennie Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 Throw rug of Wife's choosing on the wood floors...... Fabric curtains on the french doors? (retractable?) Perhaps some sort of fabric artwork? [Y] That is what I would try first. The room has everything to do with the sound and if the room is untreated, you have sound bouncing around that you can not control. Want to see/hear the difference? Take your speakers outside and give them a listen. Dennie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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