Denon 3803 + vs Rotel or B&K receivers


I am close to purchasing a new 3803 Receiver to control my home theater and replace my Adcom 545 based Stereo system.
I'm estimating usage at 40:60 (stereo:theatre) & room large 25x22x18.
Speakers are all Mirage, M-7si mains, OM-C2 center and OM-R2 surrounds.
Sources are Nakamichi MusicBank CD, Phillips Q-50 DVD (both with coax digital outputs).
Video is Satellite (& Cable) on the Sony XBR 40" HDTV.

I am considering getting the Denon now and possibly adding a multichannel amp later if needed. I also very much like the sound of the Rotel 1065 and B&K 307 receivers as well but they do not compare with the Denon for features, flexibility or processing power. Also, I have not heard any of these receivers with my speakers since they have been discontinued.
So I guess the questions are:
1) how does the new Denon 3803 with it's SuperSharks & BurrBrowns stack up with the other receivers on sound and
2) can the Denon as a preamp with a decent (~$800?) outboard amp best the B&K or Rotel and
3) do my speakers dictate one receiver over another.
Any experiences would be greatly appreciated. ...aeg
au_man
I have pretty much the same question, are there better options (for home theater with a big emphasis on 2 channel stereo) than the Denon 3083 with a solid outboard 2 channel amp? I have B&W 802 series 80 for the front and speakers not worth mentioning for the rest.

I currently have a Nakamichi AVS-1 with no pre-outs to drive the B&Ws separately and looking to upgrade the stereo, the home theatre is fine.

Thanks for any comments.

Caxton
AEG 1, I am in the same situation that you are in. In fact, my current system is based on the Adcom 545 and two 535s. I use paradigm speakers all the way around. With a 100" Stewart screen the emphasis in my home theatre is on video. I have a separate room for my audio.

I am considering the following receivers as a replacement/upgrade of my theater:

Outlaw Audio
Rotel 1065
Denon AVR-3803
Denon AVR-4803 (not available yet)

I agree with you that the Denon offers significantly more flexibility and the fact that it can convert video signals to component (with switching) is particularly attractive. I have owned several Denon components in the past and can vouch for their reliabilty and quality.

The Rotel has high current amplifiers and can be used with my Adcom 545 for 7.1. I have heard goood things about the audio quality and the 5 year warranty.

Outlaw has also been rated highly and offer (i believe) a thirty day money back guarantee but I am not too impressed with the looks or the build quality.

Right now, I am waiting for the Denon AVR-4803 to become available. If the 4803 is built to the same standards as their previous products and continues to offer video conversion and HDTV switching, then I will not hesitate to buy it.

My suggestion is wait and see.
Tonally, if you're looking for a sonic match for your Mirage 7Si's speakers, and are mostly into movies, for the price range the Denon is going to make a fine match overall. HOWEVER, speaking as someone who'e sold Denon and Mirage both since '95, and has extensive experience with both brands, I strongly recommend you run your speakers as "small" on your receiver for sure! I think the 3803 is going to match the slightly veiled and rolled off sound of the 7si's. The 3803 is crisp and clear, and soundstages very well for a receiver, has good processing, and is clean. INfact, better than most any other receiver in the price range. BUT, like most any receiver, they're CURRENT LIMITED compared to even modest separates power amps!
You won't lose on the sonics of the B&K either, as it's sonically excellent for a receiver as well.
Still, I once did a comparison with the old Denon AVR5600(when it was king of receivers) running some Mirage M7's and M5's playing full range for both music and HT, back when DVD was just coming out. I compared the amp section in this big receiver(and the Yamaha DSPA3090) to the modest Denon POA8300 3 ch power amp to driver the same speakers(Mirage). The receivers could not properly drive the speakers!!! Using the receivers "pre-out's" feeding the Denon 125 w/ch power amp WAS FAR MORE POWERFULL, DYNAMIC, and CONVINCING! At the very least, the separates power amp seemed to have 3x's the power on tap to control the speakers over what the receivers internal amps possesed!..this has largely been my experience with receivers in general on most speakers systems of modest sensitivity.
Anyway, My suggestion would be to possibly consider finding a deal on the receiver if you can used, or even going down to the AVR2803! Then you can add a better amp for the mains at least! hope this helps. Good luck