Denon 5805CI A/V Receiver

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You’ve probably noticed that with the increased sophistication of home theaters purchasing an A/V Receiver has become a daunting process. There is just so much to consider. How much amplification is enough? Do I want a 5.1 or 7.1 speaker system? Will there be enough digital video and audio inputs for future growth? Can I run separate zones for whole-house audio? Are all the latest technologies and features included or am I going to be hatin’ life next year when the new models roll out? Is there anything new on the horizon I should wait for?

If you’ve been putting off making a purchase and looking for the one product that has it all, assuming price is no object, it’s hard to image that any manufacturer will ever pack more into an A/V Receiver than Denon has in the THX® Ultra2 certified 5805CI. With enough amplification to run two separate 5.1 systems, all the latest surround formats, automatic setup and room EQ, HDMI switching from up to five sources, multi-zone A/V and networking capabilities this AVR redefines the term fully loaded.

Denon’s flagship 5805CI is an impressive piece of gear housed in the legendary high-gloss chassis that is distinctive of other Denon components. Even with all the controls and functions accessible via the front panel, the 5805CI has clean lines and an uncluttered appearance.. There are only a few controls that are always visible such as two knobs (volume and function select) and the Zone 2/3/4 selection buttons. Several LCD lights under the display panel indicate what functions are engaged and which input has been selected. Everything else is hidden under a panel.

Underneath the panel are three rows of small buttons and a circle of navigation controls. These functions are all duplicated on the supplied remote control making it possible to use either the front panel controls or the remote to make all adjustments. Also, there are jacks for connecting the microphones that are required for using the MultEQ XT and MultEQ XT Pro auto-set and room EQ plus a set of video (S-Video/composite) and audio (analog) inputs. While it’s easier to set up the 5805CI using the OSD (on-screen display), the front panel display offers a good deal of information. So, once you learn your menu selections its possible to make some quick adjustments using only this display.

The learning remote controller packaged with the Denon 5805CI is compatible with other Denon products. There are 36 pages of manufacturers preset codes in the owner’s manual to integrate the remote with non-Denon products, too. The remote offers both hard buttons for the most common functions such as power, volume, and menu navigation plus a pressure sensitive membrane for lesser-used functions.

About twice the height of most A/V Receivers and requiring at least two people to move it, the 5805CI contains a massive amplifier with 170 watts by 10 channels. Go ahead, crank away. Not even the most demanding soundtrack is going to stress out this amp and it’s sure to be loud enough for any size home theater. As you might guess with an amp of this size, this big guy runs HOT! However, fan noise wasn’t an issue since it is temperature sensitive to prevent audible noise. Just be sure to install it where there is plenty of ventilation.

The 5805CI offers up the whole assortment of surround decoders that you would expect including Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Surround EX, THX Surround EX, DTS-ES, DTS-ES Discrete 6.1, DTS 96/24, DTS Neo:6, THX Cinema and Dolby Pro Logic IIx.

The innovative Audyssey MultEQ XT is included in the 5805CI. This exciting new acoustical correction technology accomplishes two tasks. First it automatically detects how many speakers you have, checks polarity, determines what size they are (small or large). measures speaker distances, selects the proper crossover frequency to the subwoofer, and adjusts all speaker levels. By taking room measurements from up to eight listening positions, Audyssey then calculates a room response curve to correct for acoustical anomalies. The 5805CI is the first AVR to also include MultEQ XT Pro, which is only accessible by a certified Audyssey custom installer who uses special software. This offers a more extensive and comprehensive room equalization set up.

Networking capabilities are provided via the Ethernet port supplied on the back panel. Networking is only compatible with Windows XP and requires a good deal of expertise in setting up a local area network(LAN). Once configured you can listen to hundreds of Internet radio stations, selectable by genre and region. Up to 56 stations can be preset. Integrated with Windows PlaysForSure streaming technology, MP3 and WMA audio files can be played directly from the home PC. Additionally, by entering the AVRs unique IP address into the Internet Explorer web browser, a control panel of the 5805CI can be accessed from a PC for complete control of all features and functions.

The amplifier section is quite versatile and intuitively laid out. There are five speaker pairs on the right and five pairs on the left. They have been pre-assigned at the factory with the left front, center, two left surrounds and the left back surround assigned to the left side of the amplifier. Naturally, the corresponding right-sided speakers are assigned to the right side of the amp. Now if you are not using all those speakers, the amplifier channels are easily reassignable for other uses, including multi-zone operation in a whole house application.

The preamp section is extremely flexible and comprehensive. The 175-page manual offers diagrams for every conceivable application and configuration. Using the preout connections, one possible configuration is a multi-channel system created in Zone 2 that is completely separate from the multi-channel system in the main zone. Or you can use some of those extra channels to bi-amp the mains, which is pretty unique for a receiver. There are so many other possibilities, they are too numerous to mention here.

There is no shortage of video and audio inputs. The video section alone has more inputs and types of connectors than any receiver I have ever seen. For high definition video sources there are five HDMI inputs plus an HDMI output for full 1080p HDMI switching. This includes the transfer of multi-channel audio from DVD-Audio and DVD-Video media as well as stereo CDs. For compatibility with slightly older video devices and projectors, a DVI –D (HDCP) input and output connector is also provided. Additionally, there are six component inputs with one set of inputs using BNC connections, which is more commonly found on projectors and stand-alone video processors. There are both RCA and BNC component outputs.

Enabled with analog to HDMI video conversion, the 5805CI will scale analog video to 1080p then output the signal through the HDMI monitor port. Analog to HDMI video conversion also allows OSD information to be displayed from most video sources.

There are six digital audio inputs assignable to either an optical or coax connection plus three digital (optical) outputs. The special Denon Link transmits high speed, lossless digital audio when coupled with a compatible Denon DVD player. Analog sources are hardly forgotten with eight inputs for S-Video/composite, 15 analog audio inputs (that includes Ext. Inputs for SACD and DVD-A players) and even a MM type Phono Input.

In addition to the obligatory AM/FM Tuner, the 5805CI is XM Radio-ready with a connection on the rear panel for a plug-n-play antenna.

Speaker and component hookup was straightforward. However, configuring inputs in the OSD could take some time if you have a lot of sources. In fact, learning all the functions on the 5805CI could be a full time job. Be forwarded this unit is hardly plug and play, which is why it’s primarily sold through dealerships that encourage in-home installation.

Now I did I find the Audyssey, MultEQ XT to be extremely effective and a real time saver. Not only does this 10-15 minute process completely eliminate the manual speaker configuration procedure, the additional room correction results were astounding. To say I was impressed underscores my enthusiasm with Audyssey. In a nutshell, the room correction allows you to hear more of your speaker’s inherent sonic characteristics without the distortions caused by reflected sounds off walls and other objects such as furniture.

Audyssey seriously improved my overall bass response. It was smoother, tighter and much less overpowering. I knew something remarkable had happened when I walked around the room and there was no change in the room equalization. This leads me to the second biggest improvement – a wider soundstage that was enjoyable from every seating position in my theater. Whether I was playing a multi-channel source or a stereo recording, everything was simply more consistent and articulate. Soundtracks exhibited a coherent blend between dialog, music and effects with a better perception of movement and increased depth.

I wish I could have had more time with the Denon 5805CI so I could get to know it better. This is a serious performer with exceptional sound quality that is rich and full-bodied. Staging was open and realistic. Soundtrack dialogue was clean and effects were articulate yet forceful when needed.

The feature set is like no other. There are amplifier/preamp combos for as much or more money that can’t offer all the functions and applications available on the 5805CI. That said, It could well be over the top for the average user just because of its complex setup. Unless you really enjoy the challenge of installation, a certified systems integrator is probably better qualified to work through all the application possibilities of the Denon 5805CI.