[jonathanroz]

I am building a new house with a 13X21 media room. On of my options is to go with a 7.1 setup using the Klipsch Reference 7 series in the media room with the 15 inch sub. I was thinking of using the Denon 3803 to run the media room speakers and also control 4 pairs of second zone speakers in my other rooms. I just dont know if the 3803 has enough power for the Ref. 7 setup. I was thinking of going with one of the other Denon receivers but the video conversion feature is appealing to me and I dont want to spend $4000 on a receiver.


So I am trying to decide what option to go with and what receiver to use. I will probably be buying my equipment from the local "Ultimate Electronics" because I have a friend that works there. I just need help deciding on the receiver, and if anyone has any idea about what kind of inwall or inceing speakers are the best. I want to spend $400 or less per pair for the additional rooms, and I would think they would be used for music 90% of the time.


I am not set on Denon, I just like the video conversion feature of the 3803 and I have heard that they pair up well with the Klipsch line of speakers.


Any help would be awesome!!

 

[bunder]

Considering how efficient the Klipsch are, I'd think you'd have more than enough juice in the 3803 to drive them.


I would strongly recommend listening to the setup together before plunking down your money. I just traded a Sony 555ES for a 3803 and to my ears music sounds brighter now than it did before on my Boston VR-M towers. I'm still trying to decide if I like it completely. Back when I bought the Sony two years ago, I put it up against the then-current Denon in the same price range. The two sounded VERY close to me back then. This tells me that the current Denon is brighter than its predecessors.


My point is that the Klipsch are already very bright speakers. To my ears, they are fatiguing over time and sometimes even harsh to listen to. If the Denons are getting brighter, it might make for a poor combination.


Then again, maybe not..... to each his (or her) own.

 

[3ems]

The Denon 3803 and a inexpensive Parasound amp should nicely fit your reqiurement.

 

[RJ28462]

I think the 3803 has more than enough power especially if you don't drive all seven speakers at full range. I assume you're planning to use the pre-outs for a second amplifer to drive the other rooms.


I use my 3803 to drive 5 B&W 600 series speakers as full range. I can easily get over 105 db in stereo mode. My front L/R speakers are rated at 90 db sensitivity and 8 ohm impedance.

 

[Josh Z]

Quote:

Originally posted by jonathanroz I was thinking of going with one of the other Denon receivers but the video conversion feature is appealing to me and I dont want to spend $4000 on a receiver.

The 3803 is a good receiver, but don't buy it based on the video upconversion feature. It's not that great.

 

[LANELEC]

just hooked up my new 3803 and love it. it seems to me that running the hd sat and the dvd player through the component inputs has improved the picture quality if that is possible. i am also using the kilspch speakers mine are the r-3 II series. this reciever blows away my old pioneer vsx-26tx elite.even when the pioneer was working properly but that is another story.go with the denon you will not be sorry

 

[Audiguy3]

How do the Dennon do with 4 ohm speakers - does anyone know?

 

[jonathanroz]

The 3803 is capable of using two of the channels to power additional speakers in a seperate room. Of course when doing this it goes down to 5.1 in the primary room, but I doubt I will be watching a movie in one room with music playing in another at the same time, or at least not that often.


I was planning on using those two channels to power the other four rooms. I figure I will get a speaker switchbox of some sort so I dont have to power all 4 rooms if not needed.


Is this feasible, or should I be looking at getting another amp for those rooms?


Also the reason I was looking to do video conversion is because my projector only has one component video input and I was wanting to be able to utilize the 3803 so I can only run one set of wires to the projector. I dont want to have to use the S-video or composite video inputs because I fear I may lose too much quality.

 

[bunder]

Quote:

Originally posted by A4Short How do the Dennon do with 4 ohm speakers - does anyone know?

This is from Denon's site:



CAN I USE 4 OHM LOUDSPEAKERS WITH MY DENON RECEIVER OR POWER AMPLIFIER?


Yes, you certainly can.


To understand this a bit better, first realize that all amplifiers are designed to deliver a signal into an electrical "load" or resistance presented by the loudspeaker. We measure resistance in units called "ohms" (after the German physicist Georg Simon Ohm, 1787–1854).


Conventional wisdom makes an 8 ohm loudspeaker load the most acceptable because it "protects" the amplifier from delivering too much current. A 4 ohm loudspeaker can encourage a marginally designed amplifier to deliver more current than it comfortably can.


However, you should remember that a loudspeaker’s impedance rating is a nominal or average one: A speaker rated at 8 ohms may actually vary from 5 (sometimes even less) to 20 ohms or higher, depending on the frequency at which you measure the impedance. (Don’t worry about this too much -- good speaker engineers are well aware of these variations and take them into consideration when designing products.)


In general, you’ll find that Denon products are designed to function with a wide variety of loudspeakers and have power supplies and output circuitry more than able to meet the current demands of low impedance loads.


In the rare event that very low impedances tax the amplifier, quick acting circuitry will protect it from damage. If unusual operating conditions trigger this circuitry, the word "PROTECTION" will appear on the unit’s front panel. If this happens, simply turn the unit off, wait a moment or two, and turn the unit back on again. The protection circuitry will automatically reset. If it re-engages, check your system for possible malfunctions.

 

[Audiguy3]

bunder,


Thanks for the info. I had just started to look at their web-site. I had pretty much thought about the Sony ES receivers (I have one in my system in the basement.) but a friend of mine today came in raving about hearing a Denon vs a Carver Sunfire demo that he did last night. He thought the Denon blew away the Sunfire - and talked about how the Denon had more details - and a quck review here told me that the Denons seemed to be a brighter receiver (that would work well with my M&K K series speakers.) Also the 3803 had on screen menus with component out and upconverted everything to component out and a 100Mhz bandwith.


Looks like this weekend I will be doing some more research.

 

[Daventry]

bunder,


True the 3803 can drive 4 Ohm loads, but the distortion goes up. Still, one should think twice about paralleling a bunch of speakers for background music for the house if it's played loud.



A4Short,


It's possible the brightness may be subtle distortion. My 3803 sounds the same as my old stuff, meaning it's adequate.


The upconverted video has a spec'd bandwidth of 10 MHz, but is a little better. I can see some reduction of the number of lines in the THX Optimizer. The component video is more of a passive pass-through with the 100 MHz bandwidth. There should be no difference of the in and out.

 

[emillika]

I don't believe the 3803 has OSD on the component out..... at least mine doesn't.


Elmer

 

[wje]

[q]I don't believe the 3803 has OSD on the component out..... at least mine doesn't.


Elmer

[/q]

What? The Denon AVR-3803 has both features. Are you sure you have the AVR-3803?

 

[emillika]

I guess what I mean is the OSD doesn't work overlayed while watching source material.... I am not sure if this is the norm for other receivers.

 

[donjulio]

emillika,


I have not found how to get the Denon 3803 to display the OSD when viewing component material, either. Perhaps this is a feature as the intention is to not distrurb the video signal path.

 

[flynbw01]

I don't have a 3803, but I have read many posts concerning it as I am looking to upgrade my current AVR-1700. From the messages I've read the 3803's OSD is not active with the Component Output. You must connect S-Video or a Composite to view the OSD. It is rumored that Denon did not want to connect the OSD source to the Component output board because they want it to act more like a pass through and they don't want to negatively affect or degrade the component signal in anyway.

 

[Audiguy3]

It's funny - the literature I have read on this (Crutchfield - and maybe Denon - can't remember) said the OSD works for Component out - however the 5803 does not show it. I was wondering why the more expensive and TOL version did not and the 3803 did.


Reggie

 

[RJ28462]

Actually the OSD does work with the component output, but the volume display does not.


-RJ.

 

[Jambo]

Yes the OSD works on component signals, however, it isn't overlaid on top of the video.

 

[zman300]

Personally I think this sucks. I asked Denon Jeff this very question and he said it would be a degradation of signal to do it. You would think for a 4000 reciever you could afford a good enough overlay system. This is prob the only thing I despise about the 5803. My Mits HD reciever seems to be able to put video and text on the screen and it only cost 499. Whats the deal Jeff...