B&K 307 vs. Denon 5800 Debate

Bwhite,
Update = Sending the unit into B&K to get the hardware current with the LATEST technology. i.e. the 202 currently does DD and DTS, I have been told the next upgrade is to add DTS-ES, DPL-2, and THX certification. This is why B&k customers are so loyal, because their equipment is never outdated.

Thanks Justy..... Except what good does DTS-EX do for a 5 channel receiver? DTS-EX is 6.1 and the B&K 202 is NOT a 6.1 capable amplifier/receiver i.e. it does not have 6.1 amplifiers, or outputs which leads me to belive that there is truly NO point in upgrading. What is the point of being able to decode DTS-EX if you cannot listen to it on all six channels?

B&K customers are loyal because this product is likely their first venture into "higher end" audio and they have to justify the price of these "mediocre" sounding boxes
somehow. Then, along comes marketing with the idea of being able to upgrade.

I guess it's like upgrading your PC right? So I could go out today and upgrade my Pentium 233 with a Pentium 4 processor so I have the LATEST technology!!!

Just like updating a B&K to the latest technology!

Oops.. The fitting of the new Pentiums doesn't fit in the P233 motherboard. Wait a second, the RAM is different! Oh No!! The System bios is not Win ME, 2000, NT4 or even 98 compliant? YIKES!!!

SO my main point is be careful when people tell you that you can UPGRAGE your $3000 receivers as new formats come out. It is likely that any new format will require a change in not just software... but hardware as well.

So.. Justy, be careful when you presume that your equipment
will never be outdated.

The dacs can be upgraded,next years dacs will be better ect. Who in there right mind would want to be dvd audio compatible,when there is the superior format sacd which i already have.Bwhite no one said the b&k receivers were levinson beaters.I for one am not interested in adding 6.1 or 7.1 or 10.1 when there are about 5 movies available with 6.1 .All five of my speakers have the revelator tweeters in them,so i am in no hurry to buy one or even two more.By the way Bwhite my speakers for testing the different receivers on the market are probably better than 99% of the home theater buffs and the b&k sounds better period.I have had seperates in surround systyms[before pro logic] iv'e also had many different cdp,dacs,wires cables ect.the b&k receiver is a good deal if you compare what it would take in seperates $$ wise,even the denon is cheaper than seperates.also i paid 1600.00 for my 202 with optional silver face[2900.00]i could put it on audiogon tommorow and get 1600.oo for it.you can open the b&k and in ten minutes move your front two channels two the rear or side and add a two channel amp to the front channels.

BWhite,

OBVIOUSLY the B&K Upgrades are hardware as well as software driven; i think every internal component can be swapped out. Therefore if 6.1, 7.1 or 8.1 channels need to be driven; the amplifier would be upgraded to accomodate.

Okay.. Okay.. I get it... :) Lets look at the size difference between the 202 and the 307. The 307 is MUCH larger than the 202. The 307 is a 7 channel receiver and the 202 is a 5 channel. Justy, how will the extra amplifiers, cards and powersupplies fit inside the 202 box? I believe the B&K 202 (as with most multi-channel manufacturers) uses descrete amplification, which means one 105w amp (plus associated components) per channel.

I think I'm going to call B&K and tell them I want to upgrade my 202 to a 7 channel unit just to see how long
they laugh at me.