Denon 3805 Views

Electronics

While the AVR-3805 is not Denon 's flagship model, it shares many of the same features with the magnificent AVR-5803. This is one of the few receivers equipped with a direct digital connection for a DVD-Audio or SACD player. The AVR-3805 offers 120 watts into seven channels. There is on-board processing for Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, DTS, and DTS-ES, along with Dolby Pro Logic IIx that produces a 7.1 signal from a variety of sources.

There is a 7.1 channel input, 7.1 preamp out, three component video inputs and one output, five optical and two coaxial digital inputs, two optical digital outputs, three audio inputs and seven A/V inputs. That 's a lot of flexibility. The AVR-3805 comes with a touchscreen learning remote control. With audiophile construction and features that keep power separate from other signals, the Denon AVR-3805 is an excellent receiver.

Denon's Auto Setup feature eases setup hassles by confirming speaker phase, assessing the sizes of all of your speakers, measuring speaker-to-listener distances, and balancing speaker levels. The catch: you need to buy Denon's optional mic (or use your own compatible mic--click here for PDF) to take advantage of the Auto Setup feature. The first time we ran Auto Setup, it wasn't as accurate as the automatic leveling found on Pioneer's much less expensive VSX-D914-K. We reran the test a few times before the AVR-3805 got it right. OK, it may not be perfect, but it's much better than not doing any setup at all.

Otherwise, connectivity is on a par with separate preamplifier/processors selling for three times the price of the AVR-3805. The Denon Link offers a single-wire, all-digital hookup path for a few compatible higher-end Denon SACD/DVD-A players. That's nice, but most of us still have to run six analog cables between our SACD/DVD-A players and the receiver's 7.1 channel inputs. The receiver can upconvert your S-Video and composite inputs (from VCRs or older cable boxes, for instance) to component-video output. Other back-panel highlights include component-video switching for three sources, a turntable input, second and third zone multiroom capability, six digital audio inputs and two outputs, and an RS-232C port for use with AMX or Crestron home automation systems.