0308wv05 Denon AVR grp

11/6/2003

6:33 pm

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DENON AVR-1803

AV receiver

Specification

FEATURES 6.1-channel FM-RDS/MW tuner; 80W per channel, 20Hz-20kHz, 0.08% THD, 8 single and paired channels; LFE crossover frequencies 80Hz, 100Hz, 120Hz; tone defeat; DSP modes: Dolby Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX 6.1, Dolby Pro-Logic II, DTS, DTS ES 6;1 Matrix & Discrete 6.1, DTS Neo:6; DSP modes Rock, Jazz, Video game, Matrix, Virtual with adjustable parameters; available in champagne-gold or black finishes; multi-component coded remote control SOCKETS Audio only 1 line, 1 tape; AV 2 line, 2 tape composite video & S-video; 6-channel audio input; 2 assignable component video inputs; digital inputs 3 optical, 1 electrical, all assignable; 1 optical digital output; 9 pairs of speaker terminals, including second main speaker pair; aerial inputs; headphone socket; multibrand coded system remote control DIMENSIONS 171(h) x 434(w) x 417(d)mm WEIGHT 11.7kg CONTACT Denon www.denon.co.uk TEST DATA Manufacturers rated output: 80W (20Hz-20kHz, 8, 0.08% THD) Measured output: 112W (8, 0.11% THD) 138.1W (4, 0.34% THD) Fidelity firewall: 107.2W at 0.03% THD (8) Distortion at 50W: 0.06% (8, 1kHz) Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz 16dB

All-round winner

Denons AVR-1803 may look restrained on paper, but in action it impresses with anything you care to throw at it
This model replaces the AVR-1802, but is of the same design school. It is available in black or champagne gold and has a powerful mix of added performance and features, plus a reduced selling price. The AVR-1803 is rated at 80W per channel for each of its six channels. Although not that impressive on paper, Denons rigorous approach to specifying power output places the AVR-1803 on a par with other amps claiming a 100-110W measured by laxer DIN, FTC or other regimes. One of the channels is designated as the surround-back channel for Dolby Digital EX and DTS ES, though it can be turned off in the system setup. But the AVR-1803 operates as a full 7.1-channel amplifier at line level. All you
Colourful, with luminous keys, but best for right-handed users
need is a spare stereo amp for the rear channels. A power amp is ideal, but an old redundant integrated amplifier will do fine. Multichannel processing is performed by a powerful 24-bit Analog Devices DSP and includes Dolby Pro-Logic II (with a full set of adjustments: Panorama, Dimension and Centre Width) and DTS Neo:6 (similarly adjustable). Of course it offers the usual 5.1 and EX/ES Dolby and DTS modes plus several adjustable DSP acoustics. But there is nothing here to trouble Yamahas much more extensive selection of DSP modes. You should experience no difficulty in connecting all your existing components to this amplifier. The impressive hit list includes two component video inputs and a six-channel audio input specified to 100kHz for the new high-res audio formats, which can clip some less generously endowed input designs. A front-panel input includes digital audio and S-video, in addition to the usual analogue audio and composite video. Operationally, the AVR-1803 is on reasonably firm ground, the design marred only on the black version, which has several black buttons that are hard to see. The aim was clearly to reduce visual clutter, but it makes the receiver rather hard work under certain lighting conditions.

PERFORMANCE

The AVR-1803 receiver bucks the trend at this price by doing everything well. It makes a very convincing case for well-recorded, effects-rich soundtracks such as Fellowship of the Ring, the convulsive opening beach-landing scenes from Saving Private Ryan or virtually all of the bombastic Black Hawk Down. It rises to the challenge extremely well. The sound does become a little thin if its driven too hard. But the sense of presence and of a coherent soundstage qualities that more than any other make home cinema so compelling are always apparent. More tellingly perhaps, the same sense of presence and an enveloping wrap of sound is present in lower-key soundtracks, such as Bridget Joness Diary and Amelie. Here the Denons resolving ability and transparency were under the microscope, a test from which it emerged with flying colours. Multichannel music recordings on DVD and SACD confirm that the AVR-1803 has the makings of a really fine amplifier s

What we think

WHATS GOOD Good all-rounder, with more real-world power than the numbers suggest and subtlety, too WHATS BAD Can become thin and raw if driven too hard; minor ergonomic shortcomings SOUND. FEATURES. EASE OF USE VALUE.77777.77777.77777.77777

Verdict 77777

Excellent value for money, with impressive features and superb performance a big thumbs-up
August 2003 s WHAT VIDEO WIDESCREEN ENTERTAINMENT 115