*Official* Denon 5308 Thread - Page 151

Will the 5308 start shipping with the updates already in? Or has it already? Can't seem to find any info on it.

^^
Sorry but no, you would have to buy a 5308CI and pay for the upgrade. In fact the 5308CI and AVP models are being discontinued in the USA and will no longer be manufactured ... the 4313CI to be released this spring will become Denon USA's new flagship model.

4313 I did a google search and can find no info on it. Guessing just a refresh 4311?

If so, then it follows a trend of Yamaha and Onkyo. While Onkyo's 500x series may retail for almost $3k, Onkyo's have always been heavily discounted so much that they fall into the price ranges of far 'lesser' models from other brands.

^^
The current 43XX model is the 4311CI. Due to the earthquake in Japan there was no 4312CI released last year. The 4313CI will replace both the 4311CI and the current 4810CI, although likely no information to be available on it until April (unless Denon releases info at CES this week).

Edit: Nothing was announced at CES, however, it turns out there is not likely to be a 4313CI, rather a new model series ... Denon should be releasing more information this summer with the new model release sometime in the fall.

CES is unlikely since DENON doesn't usually seem to have a strong official presence at CES. There are also no Denon press releases at the CES website. So, unless they release "off-show", I think the information will trickle out in March/April.

Still pondering what to do to eventually replace my 5803A...

I was seriously looking at the Integra THX DHC 80.3 XT32 processor but unfortunately for me it lacks the transducer output or multi-zone digital audio output.

I've been looking to replace the 5308ci for two year now but to this day I'm still unable to find a receiver this flexible and of reference quality to replace it with. Thus the decision to do the upgrade.

That being said... for 4.4K msrp including a 9ch THX amp it seems to be an outstanding value!

I looked at the 80.3, too. My wife reminded me that DenonLink 3 is what we use out of the shiny disc player and I like the way that functions for DVD-Audio/SACD, so I suspect we'll stick with Denon (even though most of the functionality is included with HDMI).

I'm just debating whether to get a refurbed 5308 (to replace the 5803) and then get the upgrade, so I'll have a lot of new parts in the refurbed unit. It just seems like such a waste to buy a 5308 just to replace a bunch of boards.

My 5308 was new in June of this year. Getting it was the culmination of many years of planning to build myself a home theater system. I got my upgrade just before Christmas and I thought I could now report on my impressions on what the upgrade has done for me. I think to help with perspective, I have to describe my setup to some degree.

Fronts: Infinity Overture 3's
Center: Infinity Overture 1
Traditional Surrounds: Infinity Overture 1's
Rears: Infinity Overture 2's
Front Heights: Infinity CC-3's
Wides: NA (was going to use Infinity CC-3's)
Front Left Sub: Infinity BU-2
Front Right Sub: Infinity BU-2
Rear Center Sub: Infinity HPS-1000

You may have noticed that I've locked in on a range of Infinity speakers. The reason for that is simple. I decided in college (~1996) that I wanted a kick butt home theater some day. However, I knew that I would never be affluent enough to just go get one in the future, so I decided to begin collecting pieces before there was a wife and kids and mortgages so that I'd have a chance to reach my goal. It took till now to make this happen, but the final system came together this summer. The downside is that my speakers aren't new tech anymore, but they are meticulously cared for, I've got spares, and when it comes to having something older, I think its way better to have older speakers than older players, receivers, and TVs. The 5308 was the final piece. I probably should have gone with a 4810, but I got excited and splurged maybe a bit too much. Here's hoping the 5308 will go the distance with me so that I can feel good about my investment.

I was pretty excited about the 5308 upgrade and that contributed to me getting it over the 4810. I originally tried to cheap it and get a 5308 B-stock thru Dakmart. That went badly. The unit they sent me was physically smashed. I got a new one after that was cleared up, paying full price and wincing still from that cost. The 5308 upgrade got me really excited as I thought I would be able to drive an 11.3 system with it. This did not turn out to be the case, but I convinced myself that it would so I plunged ahead to prepare for it. I bought a Parasound 5125 (5 channel external amp with THX2 certification) to power the extra heights and wides as I suspected from the way the 4810 worked that I'd need the extra amp to run the new speakers. My room is very well setup for heights, but wides were going to be a trick from a placement standpoint. When I realized I couldn't get heights and wides together, I opted for the heights due to the placement problems with wides and because it would be easier for my wife to accept the heights logic versus wides that may really get in the way and be prone to issues with our little kids running around. Since I had a 5 external amp in hand (best laid plans and all not going as hoped...) I decided to let the Parasound take the heights and the Overture 2 rears. My reasoning was that the Parasound could unload some of the Denon's work load amp wise, maybe give it more overhead power. I don't push my system hard, but it didn't seem reasonable to let so much amp be unused when the Denon was maxed out with 7 channels running.

With the upgrade, I'm now running a 9.3 system. Here are some of my observations:
-The bass management has significantly changed. After I ran setup, my subs are far more present and responsive. In fact, I plan to rerun the setup and dial them back a bit, I'm not suffering from a bass shortage.
-The entire sound field with the heights running is bigger. Before, the sound from the back of the room felt like too much. It was as if the front speakers were being overwhelmed and not balanced against the rear speakers. I tried fiddling with levels and stuff and got it a bit better, but nothing compared to the situation now with the heights involved. The front of the room now has more authority and the overall enveloping sound field is far better than before.
-I need to come out and admit that I'm a fan of Denon's 5 and 7 channel stereo surround sound. To my glee, the upgrade provided a 9 channel surround sound and I absolutely love for listening to music. It is as if my towers are 10 feet tall now with and a monstrous wall of sound washing over from the front. No longer do the fronts sound timid relative to their rear and side peers.
-Using DSX with movies has been a good deal of fun. With Transformer's 3, it was an orgy of powerful sound that scares and delights. Lord of the Rings movies provide greater sound depth with songs and large room cathedral sounds that give a real feel of the environment like I've never heard/felt before.

My 5308 has worked perfectly and I've had no problems. In my opinion, the upgrade is worth it. If you are willing to get a 5308 in the first place, then the upgrade makes sense to bring out its full potential.

GGT

Here! Here! I second your comment about legacy speakers. I too have an all Infinity system. Mine goes back to the 1990s. The Infinity Kappa 9.1s for the front r & l, side 7.1s, 2 SSW-212 subs plus one Infinity Intermezzio sub, as well as Kappa Center and Kappa Center for the Rear. It is true that they do not make them the same as they once did. Sound is sound and some of the old speakers if properly maintained cannot be beat. I figure that I would need to spend close to $15K to get the same great sound. It is good to hear that you are also very happy with your upgrade. I need to make it happen. I have a couple of Kappa video speakers that I could use as the right and left height. Enjoy your system.
Manny

Ok, here's my situation and I need some advice. I have a Marantz SR9600 (their last flagship model) but I want to upgrade to a newer unit. Now that I have a 3D TV, I'd like something that will play nice with the receiver. Unfortunately, it seems like most manufacturers have discontinued their "reference" lines save for the Denon 5308.

I replaced my Marantz DV9600 for a Denon 5910CI when I thought I had snagged a 5308CI (before new upgrade) for $1400. Sadly, I missed out on that unit. Now everything I'm seeing is in the 3.5-4.5k range. I really want a piece of equipment on par with the SR9600 but I'm not sure I want to take the risk on the 5308CI.

Any advice?

^ Hi Ed. If you read this thread, the feedback from owners about the 5308 (and BTW, same on the AVPA1 thread) 3D/XT32 upgrade is all really good. The only drawback is the total cost (is that what you meant by risk?) though if I owned a 5308 I'd absolutely get the upgrade!

The icon shows up in the bottom right of the screen and has an arrow pointing diagonally , what looks like a speaker, and what looks like sound waves emanating from it. It comes and goes.

Sorry for the bad description, but does anyone know what it is?

Also, I live in northern Virginia and want to know where to take my 5308 for the upgrade.

Thanks,

Check your PM inbox for more.

That could be the new "Don't smoke the speaker!" icon.

The closest service center to you that can do the upgrade is likely to be the one listed below; however, you can use Denon's service center locator as well.

Just Audio Repair Center
7907 Harford Road
Baltimore, MD 21234-5815
Tel.: (410) 882-4360

Sadly I've read this is the last of the big/reference A/V's from Denon, at least in near term.

Due to Global Recession then Earthquake, I'm hoping they decided to let this top level drop for 1-2years, then bring something back in say 2014/2015....let some demand build for it.

Any official news on this (dropping the 5308) or just insider speculation stuff.

So, if I'm really itchy for Denon flagship to replace my 4308CI in next 1-2 years, as pointed out the 4313CI is it...or hold tight and see what 2015 brings .......3 years goes by fast.

Go for the AVP-A1HDCI with 3D upgrade, while you can still get one

Not insider speculation, rather insider current status to be more accurate. Also, as it turns out there is likely to be no 4313CI, rather a new model number series is likely to be started.

Anyone else with the new upgrade. And those of you who have had the upgrade are you still happy that you spent the money.

It'd be nice if they had also added Airplay as part of the upgrade.

Seems to be a lot more discussion on the upgrade in the AVP thread.


Possibly, however, as the on board implementation is unable to pass video or play independently to Zones 2/3, you would be much better served with an Apple TV2 for $100 which overcomes both those limitations.

Ok i shelled out the cash, and i am glad i did. There is a much more to the sound. I run 7.1 the back speakers sound fuller, and i get a better tone.I see high and low for front speakers, 4 fronts guess i will buy 2 more fronts can"t wait to try out.

Dave,

I haven't done the upgrade yet. Although, I have a Denon 5308 running XBMC through my home server. XBMC requires you to setup a static IP address, so if you don't then it won't work. Just google it and you see the wiki. I also downloaded a free XBMC app off itunes and set it up for my ipad. You need to leave XBMC running all the time on your server. Alternative method... If you have Control4 system, then you can buy this 2 way ip driver for XBMC ($225), which allows the following.

Recluse XBMC media player driver for Control4 allows seamless control over the XBMC media player with the following features

■IP based communications
■Transport controls
■Cover art on Control4's Navigator
■Audio End-Point assignment for volume up/down/mute functionality
■Video End-Point assignment for those wanting control over their PC's
■2 way feedback via the JSON API for play, pause, stop, movie started/finished
■HTTP basic authentication integration (XBMC web server username and password)
■Samba Authentication integration (Control4 Network File Storage username and password)
■Assignable buttons for non intuitive buttons
■Wake on lan functionality
■Power off options
■Ability to send custom messages to XBMC via XBMC Notification (similar to Control4 Announcements via Navigator).


Nitro

Upgrade completed.
The Audyssey autoconfig seems to sound better to me, more balanced; I believe it handles the subs better than before.
I recommend getting this done soon, my guess is that the upgrade kit will not be available for too long; then you will be able to use this receiver for the foreseable future.
I am going to try out some front height speakers and watch the pod race or tron legacy to see if it is worth it.
PS: what is everyone doing with their old microphone?

I just delivered my unit this morning to Adam's Electronic in Huntington Beach, CA. They had a upgrade kit in stock. So I am hoping they will turn it around in a day. I had debated Whether or not go for the upgrade. I decided that since Denon will most likely not offer another flagship in the near future that it makes sense to keep what I have. I have really enjoyed it up to this point and expect the Aud. xt32 to be worth the investment. I don't see any future improvements other than 4k that will make this unit obsolete. And even then for a while I could just bypass the 5308CI and go direct to the screen. But that is at least 4 years out there. So I would rather have an up to date system between now and then. The build quality on the 5308CI is high and makes it a keeper. I wonder how many people will upgrade their units? I have always been less than satisfied with how the system deals with multiple subs. So the new upgrade should provide an improvement that I can hear. So excited.... man there was a lot of dust and hair from our two Great Pyrs. I gotta figure out a way to keep everything spotless. As soon as you put a fan in place it sucks all the crap into the console.

If you can open up the back of your console this will help in cooling. Yes you are right about the fan sucking up all the dust. I went with the fan at first and all it did was to move the heat in the console and suck in the dust. And you are also right about the upgrade i had it done and put in some upper level speakers and man what a big sound differences it make. I also run two subs i now have to re plaster the wall.

I won't be setting up any height speakers nor will I setup any wider front speakers. (Don't have the room and the Wife would probably question my esthetic awareness). I am just interested in the Aud XT32. It will also be nice to have the pass through for the 3D. Though I don't have a screen that handles 3D. Not sure I will invest the money for just that feature. I do want my subs to work and the speakers in general to do their thing to the best of their ability. I guess I could invest in Aud Pro and have someone come out and setup the system. Not sure I want to go to that expense. We will just have to see how everything sounds once I get it home and setup.
Manny

^I agree, just run autosetup properly when you get your unit back and have a listen. I recommend optimizing sub positions (using a measuring system if possible, and Pro can do this) for smoothest bass in and around MLP prior to running Autosetup.

I am unsure what a live Pro installer charges but it has to be close to buying the kit yourself ($550). And you have to license your unit if it has never been licensed ($150). I am also unsure what that installer really brings to the table. That is, unless one wants other services like room measurements to optimize changing speaker/sub placement, room acoustic treatments, video calibration, etc. Pro is really not that much more complex than the std autosetup and requires little more than the skills needed to use Windows on a laptop. Nor is it all that time intensive, either to learn or use. Figure an hour the first time for unpacking the kit, getting it hooked up, the software loaded, registering on the site and buying a license. Then figure an additional hour first time through over your std familiar autosetup for gaining familiarity, added mic positions and calculations, uploading data and downloading graphs. A pleasant and rewarding afternoon.

I was reviewing the upgrade manual and thinking about how I would setup my speakers. Prior to upgrading I had used the preout for front L & R to a Carver amp to feed the bass input to my Infinity Kappa 9.1s. The bass portion consists of two 12 inch woofers. The speakers have a metal connector that allows either one set of speaker cables or two. This allows one to bi amp? I used the regular FR and FL speaker output from the Denon for the midrange and highs on the speakers. I thought it worked pretty well. All of a sudden I am wondering am I sending the same volume/signal to that speaker? Does this make sense. In other words coming off the speaker terminals of the Denon I can drive the mids and highs. Am I getting the same level of sound by using a different amp (carver) for the bass. I never really thought that they might not be balanced. Is this an issue or am I just flipping out??????

^^
It's doubtful that your current dual connection is providing any real benefit, rather if you want to provide external amplification to the FL/FR do so with just the preouts. Also regarding using MultEQ XT prior to the upgrade, the recommendation was to set your FL/FR speakers to SMALL (regardless of their size or capability) as there were far more sub filters used than speaker filters. However, after the upgrade, XT32 offers the same number of speaker and sub filters so there's no similar benefit ... therefore leaving them set to LARGE works just as well and if they are externally powered, no issue with increasing the load on the AVR's amps.

That's a very good point. It's true that the "biamping" (it is not true biamping, other than irt the crossover of each satellite to the sub channel) in the Denon does not individually test, set the level of, or individually EQ each side of "biamp" individually. So depending on the gain structure of the Carver vs the Denon's internal amps, the fronts could be mismatched irt SPL to the mids/highs the way you had it.

I agree with jd as to connecting the FR/L preouts to the Carver, then one set of speaker wires to the speakers with the jumpers back in place on the speaker terminals. Autosetup will set them to Large.

I would NOT disregard the cardinal rule of Audyssey and proper bass management, which is to reset the fronts to Small. I would then listen to bass-laden material at normal max listening level with a crossover of 40, then 60, then 80 to see which I preferred. That is the advantage of XT32 over XT, you do not lose EQ power by keeping a low xover.

BTW, if you get Pro, it will "listen" (measure) for you and rank the goodness of each crossover irt the smoothest splice with the subs. Pro set my fronts to large with second choice =40Hz. I was advised by Audyssey Installer support to for sure reset from Large to 40.