AV Receiver Reviews

Switching over to high-resolution, multichannel recordings gave me another angle on the AVR-2803's musicality. Thanks to the DVD-2900, I had my choice of DVD-Audio or SACD. The combo's capability for brute strength, at least on the musical side, was clearly evident in Jerry Goldsmith's SACD rendition of "The Generals," with its sweeping barrages of percussion, brass, and almost every other orchestral element. The same piece displayed dynamic range and agility, as the AVR-2803 shifted gears quickly and quietly to the relatively delicate and world-famous trumpet-and-woodwind swirls from the Patton half of the number. Chesky's outstanding Swing Live DVD-Audio demonstrated that the Denon combo can let its hair down, too. Cymbals were crisp, without making your hair stand up, and the bass drum's big kicks were punchy and tight. Most music lives in the midrange, though. Again, this territory simply sounded far better than it should have for gear at this price. The first-rate piano work's playful presence meshed perfectly with the first-rate clarinet work that is the star of the show.

This kind of delicate balance may not have been what Denon was after with movie soundtracks, but it was still there. Big explosions, revving engines, and rapid gunfire may get all of the attention, but no surround presentation is complete without the nuance and subtlety that go to work on the subconscious in the quest to re-create reality—or surreality. Naturally, Attack of the Clones is thick with surround information, and the AVR-2803 whipped those sounds around the room with speed and control. Through the AVR-2803, soundtracks won't fill a bigger room with a soundstage that blows you away, but there's enough size and definition with speakers of any normal sensitivity to rattle your cage. The AVR-2803 handled music-driven soundtracks like O Brother, Where Art Thou? and The Blues Brothers exceptionally well for a receiver at this price. As spectacular as The Blues Brothers' music is, it can be a victim of its time through inferior electronics. The AVR-2803 gave it that same warm, musical sound that I've heard it produce through other Denon receivers up the line.

Denon's Widescreen 7.1 mode provided an interesting 5.1-plus-channel alternative for movies you've heard in Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS a thousand times. Naturally, you can't expect the same kind of back-speaker control and presence that an EX-encoded soundtrack and its subsequent decoding will provide. For movies that lack EX encoding, though (and that's most movies), this is a way to get some extra action in the back of the room without mucking things up—a welcome addition on a sub-$1,000 receiver.

As good as the DVD-2900 sounds, it wouldn't be complete for movie presentations without the video performance to go with it. Luckily, the DVD-2900 is rock-solid in this regard, as well. If you still don't think progressive scanning is the real deal, try watching it for a month or so and then go back to interlaced. I wouldn't say that the DVD-2900 does anything spectacularly better than the other models from this very impressive initial round of universal players, but it will hold its own against most any of them. Resolution measures out to the format's full capability, and the DVD-2900 is particularly adept with its 3:2-pulldown recognition, making pictures as believable as the first-rate sound it delivers. A quick spin of Toy Story revealed that color shouldn't be an issue. It was rich and vibrant, with true, deep reds and blues that leapt off of the screen without seeming unnatural or forced. Be sure to experiment with the multiple progressive settings, as they are more than just window dressing.

Budget is, of course, in the eye of the beholder. There are certainly many people who would consider $1,800 to be a tidy sum for a complete system, including speakers, a video display, etc. In the grand scheme of things, though, $1,800 isn't a lot to have to spend on your source, preamplification/control/processing, and amplification, especially when it performs this well. The AVR-2803 is a particularly impressive value, with a bevy of standard features, some valuable added perks, and the same solid sound you'll find up and down the Denon receiver line. Unless you're talking about stepping up to the multi-thousand-dollar models at the top of Denon's line, about the only thing you'll get from spending more is a few more watts of power per channel—which may or may not make a big difference, depending on your room, speakers, etc. Meanwhile, the DVD-2900 gives Denon a rock-solid, midpriced option at the universal dance. Both its audio and video quality are excellent; and, as we've seen here, you don't really need thousands of dollars of electronics to bring out its potential. Only time will tell how it will ultimately compete with the rest of the quality universal players in this price range, although I have a feeling that it'll do just fine.

As for me, I'm still giddy that universal players have only been around for a little more than a year, and there's already stiff competition. Being a music lover hasn't always been easy during the past few years, considering the domination of video and MP3 products. However, with the high-resolution-audio war behind us on the hardware side, it could be smooth sailing ahead.

Highlights

• AVR-2803 sounds far better than it should for $799
• DVD-2900 plays any format you give it
• Both units have impressive internal components