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Denon 4311 review


ivanhurd

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I've had this AVR for a while, and never really said anything about it, so here goes:

My comparison is to an Onkyo-706, which worked nicely for me for quite some time. When I was shopping for a new AVR, I was dead set on the Onkyo-818 because I was satisfied with the brand and it had XT32, and was frankly a good price. I had read about the 4311 and really wasn't interested due to the simple fact that it was a couple years old. I even argued this on AVS. The thing that pushed me over the edge was the fact that you could get an AVR for that quality for the price I got it for and that it offered subEQ which the 818 did not. I was also convinced that the other options that the 818 had weren't really that important as far as future proofing as I had originally thought (which those ended up being included in the Oppo 103 that I got.

The 4311 has plenty of power and enough future proofiing for me. As soon as I hooked it up and ran the XT32 I noticed an immediate difference from my 706. The sound was fuller and more pronounced right off the bat. I think one of the biggest things I like about it is the free Airplay update. On my 706 I didn't listen to much music because I had to put more effort into hooking my laptop up to the AVR. Since I got Airplay I went from 90% movies/10% music to 60% movies/ 40% music. It really gave me a whole new appreciation for all of the music I have on my laptop (macbook pro).

I really like the fact that it has pre-outs. This was a really big future proof option for me as since I came to this site I've been thinking about picking up an amp (thanks guys...! =^P) The power that this AVR has made that idea to wait an easier one tho. Where I'm at now, it's plenty, but if I move my system into a bigger room it's good to know the option is there if I need it. The Denon GUI is easy enough to navigate, although it took me a little since I was used to the Onkyo. I do like the fact that it overlays the video as opposed to the menu taking over the TV. I know this is a bit late as the 4311s are pretty much ready to be done with, but if you are thinking of upgrading and don't want to spend $2K for a quality AVR, there are some still out there available for around $1200ish and should last you for long enough to make it worth the jump. The sound of extra power and XT32+SubEQ (which I will try out soon when I get a second sub) should make this a no brainer. At this point you are going to be hard pressed to get an AVR with this feature set and power for this price. It may be a bit outdated, but it's far from irrelevant.

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Since I got Airplay I went from 90% movies/10% music to 60% movies/ 40% music. It really gave me a whole new appreciation for all of the music I have on my laptop (macbook pro).

If I am reading you correctly, it is not just convience, but the SQ that is part of the reason for listening to more music. That says a lot about the avr! The 4311 is a nice avr and Denon's GUI is excellent.

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I bought my Denon 4800 for $2000 back in 2001 and I still use is for movies and music and sounds great!

It has been a great AVR and plan to get a Oppo 103 and run the HDMI to the tv and a optical to the 4800 and next year get either the 4311 or the Denon 4520 and maybe a new tv.

Enjoy the 4311!![:D]

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I bought my Denon 4800 for $2000 back in 2001 and I still use is for movies and music and sounds great!

It has been a great AVR and plan to get a Oppo 103 and run the HDMI to the tv and a optical to the 4800 and next year get either the 4311 or the Denon 4520 and maybe a new tv.

Enjoy the 4311!!Big Smile

I have a question. Looking at the Oppo 103, can't you just buy that, run its outputs to the older non-HDMI receiver, and use the Oppo to control the new features (internet streaming, movies, HDMI switching)?

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Yes I can use the analog out of the 103(5 cables) to my 4800 or just use optical(1 cable) for movies. The Oppo has 2 hdmi inputs plus the 7 channel outputs so that is a + with the Oppo.

I may not even buy the Denon 4520 until 2014 since the 4800 is still working so well. Also the Oppo 103 would handle all the new tech that my 4800 does not allowing me to wait another year or two to upgrade my A/VR.

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With the Oppo 103 you can run the HDMI cable to the tv, the opitcal/coaxial to the reciever, and run either stereo or 5.1 analog cables or use optical/coaxial from the Oppo to your reciever for music.

I think you would be able to do both for music and switch between the two to find which sounds better for you.

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Yes I can use the analog out of the 103(5 cables) to my 4800 or just use optical(1 cable) for movies.

Since you are planning on using your older non-HDMI 4800, and still want to take advantage of the new Blu-ray audio codecs DTS-HD MA and Dolby TrueHD, which are far superior sounding than regular Dolby Digital and DTS, you must use the 5.1 analog inputs of your Denon and let your Oppo player do the decoding.

Bill

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