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B&K 307 vs. Denon 5800 Debate

Thank you to those of you who helped me earlier. So my decission is narrowed down to the B&K 307 and Denon 5800 and boy is it a tough choice. Both seem great for HT. The B&K probably edges on stereo sonics due to the room equalization feature and has a great build quality, but the Denon has the nice NEO 6 Music feature which sounds good. Tough trade-off. Does anyone wish to share their experiences, regrets, thoughts about how these two products compare? Thanks.
128x128hifimatt
briweve
123 posts
 
I'm a B&K fan. I have a REF20, and listened to the REF30 the other day. Nice stuff. I personally like it better then the Denon
melsimpson's avatar
melsimpson
12 posts
 
Though I haven't heard the 5800, I'd say the B&K is the way to go. I'm very pleased with the 202 in my system. By all accounts I've seen, 2 channel performance is a strength of the B&K components at this price point. If you're able to arrange home auditions, that'd be best. Then, you can get what works best for You! Regards, Mel.
justy
19 posts
 
I would vote for the B&K piece as well; keep in mind that as new technologies become available, B&K will offer them as an upgrade. Denon ? No way... your stuck with the 5800's features forever.
earhertz
10 posts
 
I plan on purchasing the 307 as well. HOWEVER, you should know that at the moment, the 5800 provides a discrete 6th channel (rear center) for the new 6.1 titles, whereas most if not all others (including the 307) create the rear center info by matrixing the 2 surround channels. Be sure to listen to the staircase scene in "the Haunting" for a good example of the difference when you A/B the two models. However, everything being considered (upgradeablity, overall sound quality, flexibility, etc) I go with the B&K.
justy
19 posts
 
I have a feeling that the next generation B&K unit, as well as the upgrade, will address the discrete 6th channel issue...
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