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(More customer reviews)My 6 year old Onkyo TX-SR502 was an entry level AV Receiver and it was time to upgrade. It didn't have HDMI connectivity and didn't have an onscreen display. It also did not have an auto speaker setup and I wasn't quite able to configure them myself to produce great sound. We also noticed lip sync problems when watching DVDs on our PS3. So after much research, I decided that my second receiver would be the Denon AVR-2112CI.
First, I'll address the issues listed above. I now have my DirecTV and PS3 wired to the receiver via HDMI and my Wii connected using component cables. From there, we have one HDMI cable running from the receiver to the TV. Using this connection scheme, we seemed to eliminate the lip sync issue when watching DVDs and were also able to eliminate any delay when playing video game systems between the controls and the actual on screen action. The onscreen display is great for a few reasons. It was nice to have something to look at while setting up the receiver, but it is also nice to see the volume level on screen when adjusting the volume. Our coffee table blocks the line of sight to the receiver and we would have to get up and look at the old receiver to see the volume level. Lastly, the included Audyessy MultEQ XT setup configured the speakers so that they sound great. The real test was my wife who said that the sound is much better now with the new receiver.
On top of these benefits, this receiver has some other great features. When hooking up to the internet through your home network, the receiver can stream audio from numerous different internet services. I primarily use Pandora, but Rhapsody and Napster are a few other services available. You can also access your computer music files through DLNA technology. Now if you have Apple portable audio devices with wifi (think iPhone, iPod touch, iPad), then you can listen to music off of these devices wirelessly through the Apple AirPlay feature. I found this feature to be flaky (time to connect and music stuttering), but when it works, it is a nice feature to be able to listen to your iPod library with device still in hand. You can even listen to Pandora this way as well, so it is up to you which method you prefer. AirPlay also works with iTunes on your Mac or PC. Just select the little icon in the bottom corner of iTunes and select "Denon AVR-2112CI." As I mentioned, the AirPlay feature can be a little flaky, but this may be due to a poor connection between my D-Link DIR-655 Extreme N Gigabit Wireless Router and my D-Link DAP-1522 Xtreme 4-Port GigaBit Selectable Dual Band Draft 802.11n N Duo Wireless Bridge/Access Point.
Lastly, this receiver features Audio Return Channel and HDMI Standby Passthrough. If you're television also has this feature, then one of the things you can do is run the video and audio signal through the receiver to the television while the receiver is in standby mode. This was important to my wife since she likes to watch TV shows using the television speakers. However since the new receiver produces a much better sound, she's often watching her shows using the surround sound, something she never did with our Onkyo.
My first receiver was a great entry level receiver for a new college grad living on his own for the first time. But this Denon is a great upgrade and is great for watching movies, playing games, and listening to music.
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Take control of your home theater with the AVR-2112CI from Denon. This versatile AV receiver features 6 HDMI inputs and an output as well as component, composite, and USB inputs to accommodate all your entertainment sources. 3D pass-through and Audio Return channel capabilities make this receiver even more attractive. An ethernet port opens up even more options with internet radio and other streaming capabilities.
Click here for more information about Denon AVR2112CI Integrated Network A/V Surround Receiver
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