I had the great misfortune of destroying my Denon 2808 AVR. I still don’t understand what happened but the DSP chips blew and to replace it would cost a fortune. I decided to get a Denon 3808, similar to the AVR of Munskie.
The Denon 3808 has several improvements over the 2808, including the following:
1. It has a fabulous Graphic-User-Interface (GUI), in other words Menu, which pops up over the picture. This is unlike the 2808, wherein you need to stop playback in order to see the Menu on the screen. The GUI is also more user-friendly. I often manipulate my AVR (and projector and video processor) for individual films so this feature is very useful. Some of the typical adjustments I make with the GUI are:
a. Tone controls. I often watch films at a bit below reference level. Because of this, I need to increase bass and treble a little bit because one’s perception of the low and high frequencies diminishes more rapidly than the mid-frequencies, as the volume is decreased.
b. Surround set-up. I normally watch movies with a 6.1 set-up. Concerts are another thing. I find that quite often, a stereo output is better. At other times, a Dolby Prologic IIx – Music Mode is better.
c. Audyssey mode. The 3808 utilizes Audyssey MultEQ XT, a room correction technology which is pretty much state-of-the-art. The normal Audyssey mode has a slight roll-off starting at 2 khz. For concerts, it is preferable to select a flat Audyssey mode, which has no roll-off.
2. Digital to Analog Converters (DACs). The 3808 has much better DACs than the 2808. There is a distinct improvement in audio quality.
3. Extra set of surround speakers. Ever since I built my theater in 1999, I had always dreamed of having 2 sets of surround speakers because the room is quite long (30 feet). The 3808 allows you to have 2 sets of surround speakers – set A and set B. The incredible thing about the 3808 is that you can calibrate each surround speaker individually and as a combination, using Audyssey MultEQ XT.
4. Greater amp power. The power amp of the 3808 is rated at 140 watts per channel, while the 2808 is rated at 110 watts.
The 3808 also has networking capability but frankly, I haven’t bothered to try this out yet.
You can also add a cool new Audyssey feature called Dynamic EQ and Dynamic volume, through an on-line download. However, I have decided not to do this because the process isn’t perfect and if for some reason, the upgrade is not done right, you have to send the unit to Denon USA.