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Denon AVR-2808CI or Onkyo TX-SR805?

Hi. I'm putting together my first home theater setup and so far have purchased a Samsung LN46A650 and the KEF KHT 3005 SE 5.1 speaker system. I'm leaning toward an Oppo 981 as the source and am weighing the Denon vs. the Onkyo receiver. The setup will be in a 15x18 foot family room that opens up to a kitchen around the same dimensions. I'll need a second zone because I plan to eventually run a pair of speakers to an adjoining patio. I'm a newbie, so I'd like to have a receiver that's fairly easy to set up and operate. Any opinions as to the best receiver for me?
newsman
tgrisham
1,291 posts
 
Just for fun this afternoon I was moving gear for better accessibility and hooked up the Oppo 980 and the Onkyo 805 on Pure Audio. Simply, it sounds great and almost as good as my dedicated CD playback route. You will enjoy it! Have fun!
rrekstad
45 posts
 
I'll put it on the "audition list". Thanks!
mmarvin19
157 posts
 
Hi Newsman.
I have an 805 - no popping but it does run hot. I remedied this with a small $9 desk fan (at Office Depot)that has a large clip instead of a base. I fastened togehter 2 angle irons to form a big "Z". I attached the fan's clamp to one arm of the Z and slipped the other arm under the right rear side of the 805 and pointed the fan down at the hot spot. The fan's plug is plugged into the 805's outlet so the fan turns on/off whenever the 805 does.

This worked like a charm. The fan cools down the 805 to room temp. It looks like hell but its a lot cheaper than a pro amp fan that sits on top of the amp. Parts-express.com has pro fans starting at $55. I've been told by "experts" not to worry about the heat, but I believe the heat will have an adverse effect on the operational efficiency of the 805's amps.

Unless you have a Blu Ray or HD-DVD player and a 1080p TV, I wouldn't worry about HDMI v.1.3a/deep color.

I love my 805. It has more bells and whistles than the Swiss Army Marching Band.
winoguy17
1,116 posts
 
Go to shoponkyo.com. You can get a refurbed 805 for $549.
tgrisham
1,291 posts
 
Caution: I bought an inexpensive refurbished 605 through the onkyo website. they were very helpful, friendly and prompt. It failed the first day. I guess that's why it was a refurb to begin with. Also, it was made in China, the 805 was made in Japan. Was it just bad luck? Probably, but I ended up spending the extra to get a new 605. Just like with the 805, never a problem. The 605 is not as powerful, nor is it as advanced, but for a small room with old cheap components, its fine. The refurb saves you over $400 and comes with a 30 day return policy and a full warranty. Either way, it's an amazing piece of equipment, and not just for the money, it's just amazing as a pre-pro or a receiver. I only wish I could turn off the amps, since I'm not using them. It would save electricity and eliminate the heat. By the way, the heat is not an issue in a well ventilated rack.
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