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(More customer reviews)As an amateur reviewer who finds himself reviewing a number of products, I am always torn as to how I should perceive the value of equipment relative to the MSRP or the price I paid. Some manufacturers use MSRP's as quick value engines in allowing retailers to show significant savings below the MSRP. This issue recently resurfaced in conjunction with a planned review of the Denon AVR891, which I recently purchased at a significant discount.
The Denon AVR891 retails for $799, putting it in what I would consider in the thick of mid-level receivers. Its primary competitors are the Onkyo TX NR708 at $899, the Pioneer VSX-1120 at $749, what I presume will be the Yamaha RX-V767, and its first cousin in the Marantz SR5005 at $799. To preface the Denon's place in this caste of receivers one must ask what should $800 buy in an AV receiver today. First and foremost, it must provide a reasonable number (greater than five) HDMI v1.4 inputs. HDMI has rapidly (and often painfully) become the single cable solution for high definition audio and video. An $800 receiver should provide not only analogue upconversion to HDMI, but also scaling and deinterlacing generally from a brand-name chip (ie Farjouda, ABT, Marvell, etc). An $800 receiver should provide flexibility in incorporating multiple zones, presence speaker configurations, and auto-calibration software. Advertised and delivered power should represent adequate muscle to push speakers at reference levels. Ipod, Internet, and Blutooth connectivity round out the modern featureset while legacy input and connectivity are rapidly fading as we move more and more to a truly digital realm.In that space, the Denon AVR891 nicely checks most boxes. It provides six, rear-mounted HDMI v1.4 inputs and some of the best video deinterlacing and scaling chips out there in the ABT2015 (it does fail to provide noise reduction which the Marvell chip might bring). The 891 (and its CI sister the 2311) offer two zone playback although the 891 lacks pre-outs as the 2311 is intended for more serious enthusiasts who might rely on a secondary amplifier. Like its predecessor, the 891 offers Dolby PLIIz height processing (although they share speaker terminals with the surround backs/zone 2). The only seven speaker binding posts is a bit more limiting than the rivals from Pioneer, Onkyo and Marantz (I similarly dinged the 791 for its lack of simultaneous speaker configuration). In real world use, this would prevent you from configuring a 7.1 setup and then switching to a 5.1 plus zone 2 arrangement if you wanted. While I do not know the popularity of wide setups in home theatres, the 891 lacks Audyssey DSX wide processing (you have to move up to the $1,000 AVR991 for audyssey dsx), which is also a bit behind the competitive curve set largely by Onkyo and Pioneer.
The AVR891 has a convenient and easily accessible USB port on the front of the unit for quick playback from an Iphone or Ipod. This plays catch up to Pioneer, who pushed IPod Connectivity last year and has now taken it a step higher and implemented control of the receiver by an Iphone (or computer in the case of the 1120). Onkyo and Pioneer also have internet-based streaming connectivity, Onkyo wearing the Yellow Jersey in bringing Pandora streaming to the receiver itself.
In respects of legacy inputs, the lower end Denon AVRs experienced a pruning in 2010 in reducing not only analogue audio, but also analogue (component) inputs. The 891 has two component inputs, which is double the rather Spartan AVR791. The AVR891 does maintain two s-video inputs, but dropped the zone 2 pre-outs as mentioned earlier.
Now that the AVR891's relative position in the marketplace has been set, I want to comment on the audio, and to the a lesser extent, video capabilities. I have owned two Denon AVR2310cis in the past and found the AVR891's setup very familiar and uniquely Denon in its layout. Best I can tell, the setup menus have not changed year over year, nor has the industry-leading osd lain over video. In my humble opinion, maintains its position of one of the slickest OSDs out there. Moreover, I failed to notice any of the picture quality degradation some OSDs can create (as witnessed in the Onkyo TX SR608). For someone with concealed setups hidden behind cabinet doors, I found myself very smug with the AVR891's ability to display volume, source, codec, and video info onscreen immediately compared to Pioneer VSX-9140TXH or Marantz SR6004 that preferred a more mystery or "you guess" approach.I have overall positive feelings about Denon's well-needed redesign of the factory remote. Last year's space taser was as confusing as it was non-ergonomic. It looked like it came from the dashboard of a Pontiac in the Hertz lot. Denon has simplified the remote and taken a conservative, traditional approach with a nice glow-in-the dark buttons that are somewhat visible in the dark. That said, I have three complaints about the remote. Firstly, for $800 I should get a learning remote without a doubt. The $550 Pioneer VSX-1020 has a learning remote. Secondly, while the gui remote programming menu is slick, it is desparately lacking preset codes. If you have an Oppo blu ray player, you're out of luck for example. Thirdly, the remote lacks a "display" or "info" button. While this might seem trivial, I use this button frequently on other remotes - whether it's to see more about the program from my cable box or where I am in a movie.
As I have said before, I find the ABT2010/5 chipset as one of the best performing chips in synthetic deinterlacing tests. Its film cadence recognition is accurate and quick. To this day, it remains the best I have tested, though I reserve the right to change my opinion when I test the Marvell chip in the new Pioneer VSX-1120 that might bring more to the table in respects of noise reduction. Either way, the video processing in the Denon is excellent and it remains one of the few chipsets I would recommend enabling for non 1080p sources (although its benefit for native high def (1080i) is minimal). I am a huge believer of letting sources or displays do the heavy lifting and finding a receiver that only passes video unmolested (might suggest why I have used Marantz and Pioneer units most recently). Best I can tell, the Denon does not molest video signals.
In respects of audio performance, the AVR891 is a great experience. It has adequate power to push normal speakers well beyond comfortable listening levels. I did notice the similar greater surround presence after running Audyssey with the Denon than I did with both my Marantz SR6004 and MCACC in the Pioneer. I mentioned this in my review of the 791 and remember anecdotally noticing it with my previous 2310s. This is by no means a complaint, just an anecdote as to the character of the sound stage the Denon seems to create. While I did not have the 791 side by side for my review, I feel confident in saying there is not a significant (or even noticeable) sound difference between the two in my humble opinion. While I did not open up both boxes and inspect caps and power supplies, I would reckon the 891 is fueled by a larger power supply, but has an identical amp section and dacs to the 791, but that is just my conjecture. I also do not feel there was much difference from the 2310, but that should be taken with a grain of salt as more time has passed. In respects of heat, the receiver runs warm, but nothing dramatic like Onkyos of prior years that served as small space heaters after an hour's use. That said, the Denon is a little warmer than the Pioneers, which might be a product of the amplification class design.
I have spent a little over two weeks with the 891 and have really enjoyed and am happy to say it will find a permanent - well as permanent as my AV fetish will allow - in my home. Its lines are tasteful and its osd is slick and ideal for my bedroom setup that has a wall-mounted plasma distantly arranged from the receiver. Its performance has been bulletproof and without any hiccup I have found...this is a very nice package overall.
That said, it does lack what I would consider game-changing value in one particular feature or another. To a larger extent, it's a re-release of the 890 or 2310 with HDMI v1.4 and a USB port. I realize that's not fair in the greater picture of technology advancements and planned obsolescence, but the frugal Scandinavian in me has to point the value disparity in the $800 AVR891 and its heavily discounted predecessor AVR890/2310ci. Unless a 3D display is being unloaded from the UPS truck, I would hesitate to steer folks beyond the incredible value a 2310ci, 890 or even 3310ci presents right now. While I know this model year dilemma hits every summer, I feel the price disparity might be too much to push my recommendation to the 891, even though in every way it's a great receiver.
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