The Denon 2809CI
Denon has announced several new AV receivers for 2008, ranging from $1,200 down to $300. While last year's line of AV receivers marked a huge break from previous generations--with a colorful graphical user interfaces and curvy exterior design--the 2008 line looks to mostly continue the innovations from last year. The initial announcement lacked most of the important specifics we'd like to know about these receivers, but we have a broad idea of what they will offer.
All receivers will feature Audyssey Dynamic Volume, which is a sound processing mode that aims to keep volume at a stable level while you watch, so commercials don't sound louder than shows and explosions in movies won't startle you. We haven't tested Audyssey Dynamic Volume ourselves, but we could see it being a popular feature as varying sound levels is a complaint we often hear. All the new receivers will also have Audyssey Dynamic EQ, which is designed to make softer passages sound richer. While it's always nice to have these options, we're betting audiophiles will shun both of these sound processing modes as they tend to distort audio, either stripping it of its impact or making it artificially bassy.
The six most expensive models (AVR-2809CI, AVR-2309CI, AVR-1909, AVR-989, AVR-889, and AVR-789) feature upconversion of analog signals up to 1080p, as well as onboard decoding for high-resolution audio soundtracks, such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. HDMI connectivity wasn't released for all models, but Denon did specify how many inputs a few of the receivers will have: two for the AVR-589, three for the AVR-689 and AVR-789, and four for the AVR-889 and AVR-989. The AVR-2809CI will offer three-zone, three source capability, meaning you can listen to three separate audio sources in three different rooms. All other receivers feature two-zone, two source capability.
According to Electronic House, the new receivers will be available in July. The suggested retail prices of the announced models is as follows: AVR-2809CI ($1,200), AVR-2309CI ($850), AVR-1909 ($650), AVR-1709 ($450), AVR-1609 ($350), AVR-989 ($1,200), AVR-889 ($750), AVR-789 ($600), AVR-689 ($400), and AVR-589 ($300).
On Sale Now: $599.88
View the latest prices for Denon AVR-2309CI
On Sale Now: $429.88 - $529.00
View the latest prices for Denon AVR-1909
On Sale Now: $259.88 - $299.88
View the latest prices for Denon AVR-1609
On Sale Now: $794.29 - $800.00
View the latest prices for Denon AVR-989
On Sale Now: $485.34 - $569.00
View the latest prices for Denon AVR-789
On Sale Now: $274.95
View the latest prices for Denon AVR-589
The biggest knock against Blu-ray from the beginning has been price, but that hasn't stopped manufacturers from releasing new, expensive Blu-ray players. Although Denon's new Blu-ray player, the DVD-1800BD, is the least-expensive model in the company's line, its $750 price tag means only serious home theater enthusiasts will be giving it a look. The press release was light on details--there's not even a picture yet--but here's what we know so far:
Key features of the Denon DVD-1800BD:
- Blu-ray Profile 1.1 (Bonus View)
- Can output Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio in bit stream format
- Lacks onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding
- Dedicated stereo analog output
- $750 list price, available in October
The $750 price tag might seem high, but it's in line with other upcoming premium Blu-ray players, such as the Panasonic DMP-BD50 ($700) and the Pioneer BDP-51FD ($600). That being said, the DVD-1800BD seems light on features comparatively. The DMP-BD50 will offer Blu-ray Profile 2.0 support and the ability to decode high-resolution soundtracks such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. The BDP-51FD will only be Profile 1.1 compliant, but will offer Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding after a firmware update. Plus, it will feature 7.1 analog outputs and cost $150 less.
Furthermore, the de facto question for all new Blu-ray players is, what does it offer over the PlayStation 3? From the initial press release, it looks like not much. We're assuming the DVD-1800BD has at least 5.1 analog outputs--although the press release only mentions a dedicated stereo output--but even this doesn't add much since the lack of onboard decoding limits analog audio output to standard Dolby Digital and DTS. The one advantage the DVD-1800BD may have over the PS3 is with DVD upconversion, but we figure most viewers will find the PS3's upconverting capabilities to be "good enough." With the PS3, you get full Blu-ray Profile 2.0 support, superfast load times, excellent image quality, media streaming capabilities, and high-def gaming--for $400. We haven't tested the DVD-1800BD, so we'll save our final judgement, but unless you have a good reason not to get a PS3, the DVD-1800BD doesn't seem to offer much for its price premium.
On Sale Now: $198.00 - $429.95
View the latest prices for Denon DVD-1800BD
(Credit:
Denon)
Denon held its line show Tuesday, and over the last few days, we've been covering all the major announcements. From HTIBs to AV receivers, Denon showed a bundle of new products that will be coming out over the next few months. In case you missed anything, we've rounded up all our coverage here.
Denon line show 2007:Denon unveils new AV receiver line
Denon deals dough-intensive, iPod-ready HTIBs
Denon intros RF-capable universal remote system
Denon packs a lot into new tabletop units
Denon enters the sound bar market with the DHT-FS3
Denon shows off two network-friendly iPod docks
Denon asks $2K for Blu-ray
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