Denon AVR-3311CI 7.2-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver with HDMI 1.4a (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)Having listened to mid-range receivers from most of the major brands, I liked the sound of the Denons the best..a bit warmer than the Onkyos, which is better for music. The Pioneers sounded nice, but lacked Audyssey (using the proprietary MACC instead). Marantz sounded great but aren't as fully featured as comparably priced Denons.
I wanted a receiver that's up-to-date with all of the latest surround sound formats and is relatively future proof, since I don't plan to upgrade again for several years. The 3311 seemed to fit the bill perfectly and I'm very happy with my purchase so far. The sound quality is great. I thought that my old Onkyo sounded pretty good, but this surpasses it by far. Audyssey MultiEQ XT does an excellent job at tailoring the equalization to compensate for the acoustical flaws in the room. I've never had a system that sounds so balanced, detailed and immersive. There's plenty of power to drive most speakers (even my inefficient Polk RTiA7's) to their potential. I was initially concerned about the reduced weight of the newer Denon mid-range receivers compared to older models, but this concern seems to be mostly unfounded, as the performance and adequate power speaks for itself. Pre-outs are included to allow for the addition of external amps, if desired. Last year's models apparently suffered from networking problems. Fortunately, these issues seem to have been resolved in the 3311 and the network features have worked flawlessly so far. By the way, the upcoming model AVR-991 is priced $200 lower and is basically the same as the 3311, except it has no pre-outs, a couple less inputs, one less zone and one remote instead of two.
To me, this unit (or the 991) is the sweet spot in the new Denon line as far as performance, features and value. It's reasonably priced, being $300 less than last year's 3310, yet has more features and probably better sound, due to the upgrade to the "XT" version of MultiEQ. It'll cost a lot more to step up to the next higher model (4311?) and, based on comments I've read, the difference in sound quality is likely to be marginal at best. The 3311 comes with a 3 year warranty (the AVR-991 warranty is only 2 yrs).
Based on my experience with this receiver so far, I'd definitely buy it again and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to a friend. Tip: try to get it on sale. I got mine for 25% off list price despite being a newly released model.

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The Denon AVR-3311CI 7.2 Channel A/V Receiver: Premium Technology and Performance gets Networked. The new AVR-3311CI is a technological tour de force, designed for consumers wanting to network their AV system. It's also one the first to come equipped with HDMI 1.4a connectivity, including 3D pass-through (Broadcast and Blu-ray), along with Audio Return Channel. Ethernet connectivity opens up your AV system to host of exciting capabilities like audio and jpeg photo streaming via as well as hundreds of Internet radio stations. Pandora is supported along with subscription music services like Rhapsody and Napster. Flickr photo streaming is also featured. The AVR-3311CI packs a punch with 7-channels of onboard amplification producing 875-watts of total power (125 per channel) delivering detail and dynamics to music and movie soundtracks. The amplifiers can be assigned for 7.2 channel surround sound, or a 5.2 channel system in the 'main" room and power a pair of speakers in a second 'zone". This only scratches the surface of the AVR-3311CI Multi-zone (3)/multi-source (3) capability. Enhanced power amp assign features, second and third zone programming feature allow the AVR-3311CI to be the hub of a sophisticated whole house system. For video connectivity, the AVR-3311CI is equipped with 1080p and 3D (all formats) compatible HDMI 1.4a Repeating technology, delivering both audio and video to your HDTV with single HDMI cable. This HDMI connectivity supports the latest generation surround sound formats available on Blu-ray disc, including Dolby TrueHD and DD+, dts-HD and dts-HR. Also included is Dolby Laboratories new Pro Logic IIz Matrix decoding featuring front height effects channels that expands front soundstage.

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Denon AVR2112CI Integrated Network A/V Surround Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)My 6 year old Onkyo TX-SR502 was an entry level AV Receiver and it was time to upgrade. It didn't have HDMI connectivity and didn't have an onscreen display. It also did not have an auto speaker setup and I wasn't quite able to configure them myself to produce great sound. We also noticed lip sync problems when watching DVDs on our PS3. So after much research, I decided that my second receiver would be the Denon AVR-2112CI.
First, I'll address the issues listed above. I now have my DirecTV and PS3 wired to the receiver via HDMI and my Wii connected using component cables. From there, we have one HDMI cable running from the receiver to the TV. Using this connection scheme, we seemed to eliminate the lip sync issue when watching DVDs and were also able to eliminate any delay when playing video game systems between the controls and the actual on screen action. The onscreen display is great for a few reasons. It was nice to have something to look at while setting up the receiver, but it is also nice to see the volume level on screen when adjusting the volume. Our coffee table blocks the line of sight to the receiver and we would have to get up and look at the old receiver to see the volume level. Lastly, the included Audyessy MultEQ XT setup configured the speakers so that they sound great. The real test was my wife who said that the sound is much better now with the new receiver.
On top of these benefits, this receiver has some other great features. When hooking up to the internet through your home network, the receiver can stream audio from numerous different internet services. I primarily use Pandora, but Rhapsody and Napster are a few other services available. You can also access your computer music files through DLNA technology. Now if you have Apple portable audio devices with wifi (think iPhone, iPod touch, iPad), then you can listen to music off of these devices wirelessly through the Apple AirPlay feature. I found this feature to be flaky (time to connect and music stuttering), but when it works, it is a nice feature to be able to listen to your iPod library with device still in hand. You can even listen to Pandora this way as well, so it is up to you which method you prefer. AirPlay also works with iTunes on your Mac or PC. Just select the little icon in the bottom corner of iTunes and select "Denon AVR-2112CI." As I mentioned, the AirPlay feature can be a little flaky, but this may be due to a poor connection between my D-Link DIR-655 Extreme N Gigabit Wireless Router and my D-Link DAP-1522 Xtreme 4-Port GigaBit Selectable Dual Band Draft 802.11n N Duo Wireless Bridge/Access Point.
Lastly, this receiver features Audio Return Channel and HDMI Standby Passthrough. If you're television also has this feature, then one of the things you can do is run the video and audio signal through the receiver to the television while the receiver is in standby mode. This was important to my wife since she likes to watch TV shows using the television speakers. However since the new receiver produces a much better sound, she's often watching her shows using the surround sound, something she never did with our Onkyo.
My first receiver was a great entry level receiver for a new college grad living on his own for the first time. But this Denon is a great upgrade and is great for watching movies, playing games, and listening to music.

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Take control of your home theater with the AVR-2112CI from Denon. This versatile AV receiver features 6 HDMI inputs and an output as well as component, composite, and USB inputs to accommodate all your entertainment sources. 3D pass-through and Audio Return channel capabilities make this receiver even more attractive. An ethernet port opens up even more options with internet radio and other streaming capabilities.

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Sony ICF-CD7000WC 120 v AM/FM Stereo CD Clock Radio-Silver Review

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(More customer reviews)I have finally come full-circle: I started with a Sony DreamMachine about 10 years ago, and after going through a couple of other brands/configurations, I'm finally back to a Sony.
This is a nice unit -- decent sound, OK radio reception, good CD player, great features. Although the color is listed as "white," it's really more of a light putty color, very pale gray.
The biggest advantage of this unit over others I've tried is EASE OF USE and set-up. The "owner's manual" is small because everything is so straightforward and easy to find/operate.
Initial set-up takes less than a second: the clock arrives preset to the correct time in EST; all you do is set the time zone by hitting the button marked "time zone," and voilà -- the correct time pops in. Setting the alarm is also easy - took less than a minute to get it ready to go.
There are three light settings: really bright, reasonably bright, and backlight only, controlled via the "snooze" bar. The snooze gives you 10 minutes additional sleep time -- my last unit was 9 minutes, and I've had others with as few as 6 minutes. Ten "feels" just right to me. I can fall asleep to a CD, and wake to the "buzzer," which isn't really a buzzer at all -- more like a "chirp" that gradually gets louder, another nice feature. There's also a "nap" feature -- set it to your desired nap length, and it will wake you up without disturbing your alarm setting.
And, best of all, unlike other Sony models, this one has battery backup! If there's a power outage, you're safe. This is a big thing for me -- we have power outages 3-4 times each winter.
Very nice unit, well worth the money.

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