9/18/2011

Denon AVR-3311CI 7.2-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver with HDMI 1.4a (Black) Review

Denon AVR-3311CI 7.2-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver with HDMI 1.4a (Black)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Having listened to mid-range receivers from most of the major brands, I liked the sound of the Denons the best..a bit warmer than the Onkyos, which is better for music. The Pioneers sounded nice, but lacked Audyssey (using the proprietary MACC instead). Marantz sounded great but aren't as fully featured as comparably priced Denons.
I wanted a receiver that's up-to-date with all of the latest surround sound formats and is relatively future proof, since I don't plan to upgrade again for several years. The 3311 seemed to fit the bill perfectly and I'm very happy with my purchase so far. The sound quality is great. I thought that my old Onkyo sounded pretty good, but this surpasses it by far. Audyssey MultiEQ XT does an excellent job at tailoring the equalization to compensate for the acoustical flaws in the room. I've never had a system that sounds so balanced, detailed and immersive. There's plenty of power to drive most speakers (even my inefficient Polk RTiA7's) to their potential. I was initially concerned about the reduced weight of the newer Denon mid-range receivers compared to older models, but this concern seems to be mostly unfounded, as the performance and adequate power speaks for itself. Pre-outs are included to allow for the addition of external amps, if desired. Last year's models apparently suffered from networking problems. Fortunately, these issues seem to have been resolved in the 3311 and the network features have worked flawlessly so far. By the way, the upcoming model AVR-991 is priced $200 lower and is basically the same as the 3311, except it has no pre-outs, a couple less inputs, one less zone and one remote instead of two.
To me, this unit (or the 991) is the sweet spot in the new Denon line as far as performance, features and value. It's reasonably priced, being $300 less than last year's 3310, yet has more features and probably better sound, due to the upgrade to the "XT" version of MultiEQ. It'll cost a lot more to step up to the next higher model (4311?) and, based on comments I've read, the difference in sound quality is likely to be marginal at best. The 3311 comes with a 3 year warranty (the AVR-991 warranty is only 2 yrs).
Based on my experience with this receiver so far, I'd definitely buy it again and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to a friend. Tip: try to get it on sale. I got mine for 25% off list price despite being a newly released model.

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The Denon AVR-3311CI 7.2 Channel A/V Receiver: Premium Technology and Performance gets Networked. The new AVR-3311CI 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-3311CI packs a punch with 7-channels of onboard amplification producing 875-watts of total power (125 per channel) 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". This only scratches the surface of the AVR-3311CI Multi-zone (3)/multi-source (3) capability. Enhanced power amp assign features, second and third zone programming feature allow the AVR-3311CI to be the hub of a sophisticated whole house system. For video connectivity, the AVR-3311CI is equipped with 1080p and 3D (all formats) compatible HDMI 1.4a Repeating technology, 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.

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