Denon AVR-988 7.1-Channel/5.1+2-Channel Multi-source/Multi-zone Home Theater Receiver (Black)

I bought this receiver for $599 and I seriously doubt any other receiver for that money will compare to this. This receiver has breathed new life into my old cerwin vega speakers, so much so that I probably don't even need to upgrade them but I will. This is a very quality product. No issues or problems at all. Get this baby while you still can.

Denon AVR-988 is a fully loaded receiver. 1080P upconversion is real. I am connecting PS3 via HDMI "8m ~ 33ft 400 Series Cable", XBOX 360 via THX Certified Component Cable and have it upconverted to 1080P, Dish Network FTA receiver via Component cable THX1000 Series and upconverted to 1080P.



Now what is interested is the picture quality of the FTA Receiver (ViewSat Ultra) on 112" Fixed Projection Screen. The picture is really beautiful. I am sitting about 10 feet away from 112" and using Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080UB (top of the line 1080P HDMI v. 1.3). I connected the receiver directly to the projector and the picture just didn't look as good. So this receiver upconverts signals to higher resolution (of course not close to HD sharpness).



Also, I connected all devices through Fiber Optic Cables except for PS3 HDMI. Two things I noticed:



1- To get the True HD sound set up your PS3 to Linear PCM and NOT Bit Stream. This is because the PS3 decodes the raw HD Sound internally `using complicated mathematical equation' and then sends it to the Denon receiver in Linear Code Pulses (Linear PCM stand for Linear Pulse Code Modulation) so you end up with True Uncompressed sound but with no little light indicator on the front display of your Denon Reciever . So go to set up on PS3 (I think BD AUDIO) and set it up to PCM Linear; and then set the Denon to either Direct or Pure Direct (Pure Direct since you are using HDMI). Of course nothing will show on the Denon front Display but you are getting HD Sounds and to prove it PRESS DISPLAY on the PS3 remote and it will show Dolby Digital HD or DTS HD or Multi Channel PCM. Now to get the Denon Front display show HD SOUNDS you need a Blu-ray player and does bit streaming which means the raw material/sound is sent purely to the receiver so it can decode it internally (of course using a complicated mathematic equation) and then output as Dolby True HD or DTS-HD and that's when the Light Indicator will light up. Which one is better Linear PCM from PS3 or Bit Streaming to the receiver? Not sure, but it all depends on the system that does the decoding. I mean we don't have super ears to distinguish the difference (maybe there is/maybe there isn't) but the point is you are GETTING Dolby True HD/DTS HD sound. Maybe once Blu-ray players get cheaper, then you upgrade or at least try it yourself and see if it makes a world of difference or not.



One thing I remember reading through online forums (don't remember which one it was) that someone has the PS3, which sends Linear PCM, and his friend got the Panasonic Blu-ray Player DMP-BD30K, which Bit Streams, and they both have the Denon AVR-2808, which an equivalent same exact model as Denon AVR-988 except of the extra remote for the 2nd zone and three sources/zones instead of two for the AVR-988, the person was asking how in the world the sound coming from the PS3 (Linear PCM) to the Denon is the same to the sound from the Bit Streaming player. Therefore, in the end I do believe that it really doesn't matter if you are using a Bit Streaming Player or Linear PCM as the bottom line this Denon AVR-988 receiver handles the HD Sound beautifully.



Now let's get to the second thing that I noticed:



2- For the XBOX 360 (connected through Fiber Optic Cable) when I press Direct (note: pure direct won't work as it is connected through Component and have it upconverted to 1080P which means the Video Processor needs to be working and what Pure Direct does is Turns off all video AND audio circuits for optimum pure signal from the source - HDMI just passes from source to the projector) the Denon front display is off (Typical) and I get 2-CH Clear totally Uncompressed sound that is coming from the Front L/R speakers. No surprise for two reasons:



A) Xbox 360 is connected to the receiver via Fiber Optic Cable which doesn't have enough Bandwidth to carry up to 7.1 of uncompressed audio in forms of either bits or codes.

B) DIRECT mode is ON, which means no audio processing is working in the receiver.



Now you are probably wondering what if I get an Xbox 360 with HDMI output, will I get Linear PCM sent to the receiver or will it Bit Stream?



The answer is NEITHER. Why? Because the Xbox 360 or "Microsoft" doesn't have a built-in decoder and it just doesn't have the firmware or update to make it produce Dolby-HD or DTS-HD. Note: Sony didn't have it few months ago; but they added a firmware which updated the PS3. So, indeed the PS3 is the ultimate in Home Theatre as it makes a great Blu-ray Player and a Game/Entertainment system. Note: there is no benefit of getting HDMI converter for 360 as you will not get HD-Sound.



You can of course get Dolby Digital/DTS through Fiber Optic Cable and that is when the Audio Processing needs to be on in the receiver (i.e don't use Direct mode). When you switch between DIRECT on and off, you will 100% notice the compression difference (DIRECT ON: PURE CLEAR UNCOMPRESSED SOUND) (DIRECT OFF: Compressed Dolby Digital/DTS) now, the original Dolby Digital/DTS isn't the worst thing you hear, but you just need to increase the volume to compensate for the compressing. Also, DTS or always less compressed that Dolby Digital, so choose DTS when you go the DVD menu set-up option. But the thing is, Denon AVR-988 is very close in performance to any High Current Amplifier (when you don't take advantage of the HD Audio and of course 1080P Up-Conversion) like the Harman Kardon Receivers.



The bottom line is:



If you need simplified connection between the receiver and the TV get the Denon AVR-988 as one single HDMI cable from the receiver to the TV will do the job



ALSO



If you have PS3 or any Blu-Ray player and you are into Blu-ray movies, then you owe it to yourself to own a receiver that processes HD Sound with the most updated version of HDMI 1.3. DENON IS A GREAT CHOICE AND WELL KNOWS IN HOME THEATRE WORLD.



Please post your comments or questions as I will be regularly checking my post.



One thing to note is that once you set up the Auto Calibration to account for Room Acoustics, speaker size and distance, you need to increase the subwoofer a little (you can always add a second subwoofer though Y-Adapter cable) you need to FEEEEEEEEEEEEL the low frequency and NOT hear it.



I have 12" DPS Velodyne and it rocks.



I have not tried to Bi-amp my front Polk Audio RTi10 towers yet 'cause the sound is just perfect for me. Maybe I will Bi-Amp as there is two channels not used (5.1 set up only). or maybe i should set it up to 7.1.



My advice is to get the Denon for this price ($650 including the OPPO HD-31 switch with free shipping) as it is a steal right now. I called another Denon Authorized Online Retailer and asked them to price match and they told me that THEY CANNOT as "it is like giving it away".



So ADD IT TO YOUR CART NOW AND ENJOY HD SOUNDS and you will NOT regret it a bit.



Denon Performance vs. Price (this is a steal).



Good luck.

This was a strong performing receiver at $1200. Now it is an amazing value. Why?
Pros
1) Clean high current power- in the end, the most important thing. Strip away all the bells and whistles and "features" and listen to it. Many receivers brag about 100 watts of power and yet sound thin. Denon is known for amplifier quality. This Denon receiver was designed for the $1200 instead of the $500 price point and has the parts quality that reflects it (good power supply, shielding, and separate circuit boards for Digital, Analog Video and Analog Audio) The receiver has 110 watts for 7 channels and will drive your speakers for better bass and clarity.

2) 1080P Upconversion- there is two types of upconversion. In other words, what are you doing to a VCR or other analog video signal to make it HDMI? Some receivers "Transcode", which means they convert from regular composite video, S-Video, or Component video to HDMI. This is done for convenience. You get all of your sources on one HDMI cable going into the TV, but don't expect any improvement in video quality. The other way of conversion is called upconversion or "scaling." Now you are taking a 480i signal and converting it to 1080i or 1080P. The quality of that process varies widely. Some upconverters make the image look horrible. Some only upconvert to 1080i. Denon uses a Faroudja FLi2310 video processor that provides video scaling up to 1080p resolution. On other words, it makes your old stuff look good. Not as good as true HD source material, but it is a significant improvement.

3) Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio- decodes them both.

4) Multi-Zone/Multi-Source: Use 5 of the channels for home theater and the 2 other channels to power a second zone (like speakers for an outdoor deck) with a different source. So you can watch movies in the family room and still have a CD playing outside. The second zone can be fed from the coax digital or optical digital input (rather than only analog), something that many other multi-source receivers can't do.

5) Auto Setup: Many people buy a receiver and never bother to set it up to compensate for their room and speakers. I prefer to set up a receiver manually for inputs, speaker size and distance and it can make a huge difference in sound quality. Denon makes setup easy. Once you plug in the microphone, the receiver automatically detects and enters in auto-setup mode. The Audyssey Multi EQ XT can be setup for 8 favorite listening setups...you can calibrate it for a couple watching movies vs a group watching a football game. There is a large difference among auto EQs, and Audyssey does a good job.

6) Auto Lipsync- Have you noticed the image not match up with the sound? Rather than put up with that movie experience, the Denon receiver will allow you to correct for the delays between the video and audio processing.

7) Shh...don't tell anyone, but this receiver is very, very close in performance to Denon's AVR 2808. Just less expensive!
8) Yes, it even still has a phono input.
9) Music restorer- Playing an iPod? Use this to make compressed audio sources sound less worse.

Drawback
Although it will convert other inputs to HDMI, it only has two HDMI inputs. For those who want more HDMI inputs, add a HDMI switcher box. One of the best reviewed ones is the Oppo. It works with Tivo, Comcast cable boxes, and with Denon receivers.
OPPO HM-31 Certified HDMI 1.3 and 1080p Switch

This is the ultimate theater receiver and whoever owns it as well will know what I mean.

Excellent music and video capabilities including the latest HD formats, and 1080p conversion is real (works well).
Denon is known for faithful reproduction of music and usually the cornerstone of low end /budget audiophile systems. I tried these with Martin Logan Aeon i Speakers and they sound fine (considering Martin Logans require amps to drive large currents at 2 to 4 ohms, but still not enough - while the sound quality is fine - no additional noises/artifacts, the volume tends to be low with martin logans); so I am forced to use other (Polk) speakers with these too for the most part (in 5 channel mode instead of stereo for classical music) in most situations (that and the bad docs/remote/gui setup is why I am giving 4 stars!)
Pros: 1. analog conversion all the way to HDMI 1080p
2. downward conversion to svhs/analog for multizones
3. Excellent connectivity to networked music (ASD-1r/3w/3n docs - optional) and ipods
4. easy setup for room
5. Preamp output available
Cons:
1. Still bad/complicated remote! (and bad documentation too).
2. Only 2 HDMI inputs?

Didn't test on screen menu feature on this yet (one year old Denon 588 didn't have that)
Overall it is a good product especially compared to the similar 2808 that sells for $1000 upwards. Both are similar featured (except that 2808 supports 3 zone/3 source compared to 2 zone/2 source for 988 model; and 2808 also has a simple second remote that is good; the rest of the amp is exactly the same as 988, just costs more!).Considering the price and features, this model is a steal right now!
Update/Caveat: If your speakers are 6 ohms or higher, then this receiver is great! So decide carefully taking all the components in to consideration. For my case, I am adding a good stereo amp (Class D) to drive the martin logans using the pre out for zone 2 as the input for the stereo amp.
UPDATE: Looks like Denon has introduced new models AVR-989 and 2809Cl with just 2 differences (115W instead of 110W per ch. and 4 HDMI inputs - they listened to the reviewers/users and increased the number of HDMI inputs)! That's the reason that these are getting discounted right now; if you don't care about more than 2 HDMI inputs, this is the best sale ever.
I have used Marantz, harmon kardon and sony in the past (never used Onkyo but reading reviews I stayed away from it because of power/burn out issues) and all of them have had troubles with power - usually gets heated a lot more than denons, sometimes protection circuit kicks in and turns off those receivers in my setup (goes to power efficiency of Denons, that they are able to give better wattage without wasting extra power).