Home > Consumer Reviews > Denon AVR-3808CI 7.1-Channel Multizone Home Theater Receiver with Networking

When I went to the Magnolia center, the sale person used this receiver to demo the different speakers in the area. I asked why he used this receiver and he said "because it sounds the best." As we pushed the buttons to switch recievers (Yamaha, Pioneer), it became obvious that this receiver did in fact sound better. I have personally owned Yamaha, Pioneer, Harmon Kardon, but really like this receiver the best. In fact, I owned a Denon back when whe ProLogic was the thing. I can remember not liking the sound as much of the receiver I replaced it with(Yamaha). I should have stayed with Denon. I really believe the guys at Denon have "dialed in" this sound stuff. Video upscaling just doesn't work well and is a waste of time in my opinion. You should be watching hi def stuff anyway. Interesting that the best way for me to listen to music with this is to rip it to my computer and play it with the media server function. Sounds better than if I play the CD via my DVD player. Also luv the internet radio function. This receiver is really great and has greatly enhanced my home entertainment system.

I have been a big fan of Onkyo/Integra for over 15 years with several 8 and 9 series receivers. The last Onkyo 8 series receiver was a nightmare. It sound great with rich audio and above average video output. It is a great room heater. The Onkyo create HDMI problems after a few months of use. The receiver was serviced in several service centers half way across the US with months of down time. That usually work a month or two after the service and the problem will come back even the receiver was left in the open. Onkyo customer service are the worst, you get the run around for calling them. They don't response to emails. The only time I get them to response ever is faxing a LEGAL letter to their NJ headquarter. Onkyo call me the next day instead of never. I am giving up on sending this out of warranty, 2 years old 50 lbs Onkyo everywhere. So here come my first Denon.

After many researches from reviews and word of mouth from other audio geeks. The $1000 price tag is a great buy for what Denon offering. The accurate (confirmed by sound meter) auto Audyssey MultEQ XT technology, analyzes all the speaker's distance, set the correct frequency response, output level and whether the speakers are connected in phase or not. Found one of my speaker was out of phrase all this years and the sound effect has been improved.

This Denon run a lot cooler than some other popular brands. It is also shorter in height for a receiver in this class level. This help me on a limited rack space with heat situation. Now there are plenty of room for air circulation and best of all, there are less heat being generated by the Denon to begin with.

This Denon provide crisp, warm audio with good video upscaling output. Internet radio are fun. The touch pad remote is user unfriendly and confusing to use. Other than that, I think my $1000 are well spend.

I replaced my previous Denon receiver (2802) with this gem after upgrading my speakers to an Infinity Nine system. And what a great move! Other reviews I read noted that these speakers take a lot to drive (preferably somewhere between 120-150W) - which was the primary motivation for moving up. A bizarre lightning strike sealed the deal.

After reading several reviews online between the Denon and Onkyo lines, I decided to stay with Denon. This is mostly because I've been so impressed over the years with their own stereo-to-surround circuitry - which frankly produces the best stereo-enhanced audio reproduction I've heard from regular CDs. Plus, its direct-in handles my SACDs and DVD audio with great care. Regardless of the source I use: DVD Dolby, Blu-Ray, PS3, or iPod (yes, even the iPod sounds amazing!) and even Comcast's crappy audio, the Denon 3808 seems to have a setting and a sound that offers amazing warmth and clarity.

Plus, you cannot imagine how well this receiver sets itself up with the special tuning microphone and Audyssey sound processing. I was able to sample 5 different locations in my room (could've done more) and - Voila - the receiver did an amazing job providing the right balance, delay, and levels. And the TV-based menu system is a major improvement from Denon's historically cryptic menu system.

This receiver makes it easy to NOT spend $5,000 on an amp and still get heart-pounding movie action along with soul-pleasing jazz from one receiver.

For the Amazon price of under $1000 this is probably the best receiver in the world under $1K. Retail is $1600 so it should be pretty great. I went from a late model Yamaha to this and the difference in sound quality is very noticeable. This has a much richer and natural sound. The unit is fairly easy to set. I did have one problem with my DVR not passing the signal through the receiver regardless of what I tried. It turned out to be a firmware on the DVR problem but when I called Denon, a knowledgeable technician in the USA answered quickly and was of great help. That is so rare these days. So why didn't I give this a 5? The main touch-screen remote control was designed by somebody that has never actually used a remote - it is next to useless. Fortunately, Denon includes a secondary remote of a more traditional design that works well. Also the on-screen user interface is a bit quircky and at times certain selections are difficult to make - you actually have to go one level further down in a menu and then back out to get some of the functions to become selectable even though they should have been up-front. Once you get past these small issues, this is one great receiver for the money.

Over whelming at first, and the learning curve is big when trying to show someone else how to use it. I have a Flat Screen,HD DVR Satellite, Xbox 360, Wii, Blu-Ray, with home theater speakers(6) connected. Everything works well together but it took sometime to get this working. I installed it...