Denon AVR-5800 A/V Receiver

Quietly, A Great Choice for Home Theater

By Mike McGann

Don’t you hate being behind the curve? You go out and buy something, and, wham, 20 minutes later, something has come out to make it seem old and behind the times.

Those who’ve bought home theater audio gear probably know the feeling. When we all felt smug about our awesome ProLogic system, along came Dolby Digital. Then DTS. Then Surround EX. Then Discrete Surround ES. Annoying isn’t it?

Thankfully, our pals at Denon patiently waited to introduce their new killer, top-of-the-line a/v receiver, the AVR-5800, until some of the new format mania settled out.

As audio format designers stop to take a deep breath, or drink heavily in Tijuana, or whatever it is they do when they’re not figuring out why we need four subwoofers in our living rooms, Denon has managed to come out with one box that covers everything. That includes the new DTS Surround Discrete ES, which gives you six actual surround channels, as opposed to the ProLogic-like rear matrix system used in Surround EX.

At $3,800, the AVR-5800 is a tad more expensive than some of the other top-of-the-line receivers, which I’ve taken to calling dreadnoughts. But for a few extra hundred bucks, you get DTS’s new Discrete Surround ES—a first—and, better yet, you also get the coolest remote system I’ve seen in ages, the RC-8000, which normally sells by itself for $630 (both the remote and the RF base/charger station).

While the general appearance of this receiver is pretty sedate—the usual low-key black front with a couple knobs on front that is favored by Denon—the rear of the unit reveals how amazingly flexible this receiver is. The display is the standard white text favored by Denon, although there are red, green and blue diodes on the front, indicating channels in use and such. Not surprisingly, it’s plenty heavy, thanks to big amps inside. A door covers some basic features, such as function and source.

Just the number of pairs of binding posts, 11 in this case, tell you how serious this unit is. There are two for speakers in another room, which is fairly normal in this class. The big difference is three surround pairs, allowing you to switch between direct radiating rears for multi-channel audio and dipole or bipole speakers for movies. You could, if those who live with you allowed, wire up three sets of surround speakers all at once. Plus, virtually no one owns enough gear to fill all of the inputs on this baby—three digital coaxial inputs and six, count ‘em, six optical inputs. Plus, for you laserdisc fans, there’s even a Dolby Digital RF input. At least you won’t have to worry when you need a digital input for your refrigerator in five years. Oh, and when 7.1 megasurround shows up (you know it will happen), there are two eight-channel inputs.

In terms of video, there are three high-pass component inputs, including one labeled DBS (anticipating a new generation of DTV tuner/HD satellite boxes due whenever they manage to escape from DirecTV’s testing labyrinth). In case that’s not enough, there are eight S-Video inputs and three outputs for your fleet of S-VHS decks. I’ve never seen this volume or combination of inputs or outputs on a receiver before. If anything is future proof, it’s the AVR-5800.

The packed in RF remote (and base station/charger) can operate the system from virtually any room in your house. The backlit LCD panel looks a bit like Philips’ Pronto, but I found it better ergonomically. The remote can control virtually any device via IR and uses RF (there’s an antenna in the base station, which gets hardwired to the receiver) to work wonderfully in a second zone. A word to the wise: don’t lose the remote. Unlike a lot of receivers, some functions cannot be easily replicated without the remote. While Denon doesn’t make a big deal about it, the base of the remote has a USB port, so it seems likely you will be able to customize the RC-8000 on a PC at some point in the future.

Of course, the bottom line with any receiver is how it sounds. For the most part, I was pleased with the way the AVR-5800 sounded. There is very little in the way of coloration. Detail, whether listening to music or a movie soundtrack, is exceptional. The amplifier is rated at 170 watts per channel, driving an 8 Ohm load, 20 Hz to 20 kHz, driving only two channels. Those last couple words are my biggest issue. The power is adequate but not overwhelming, nor impressively dynamic at reference levels. Compared to Parasound’s HCA-855A five-channel amp, which we reviewed last summer and is rated at 125 watts per channel with all five channels driven, the Denon seems a bit weak, especially with demanding movie soundtracks. I did connect the Denon to the Parasound amp, finding an immediate boost in dynamic range and punch without losing any detail. I love the pre-amp and processor functions but want a bit more power.

That single rant aside, there’s a lot to love about this receiver. Dialed down from THX reference levels (85 to 105 dB) to about 10 to 15 dB, where most of us listen to movies, the Denon has a very clean, detailed sound. No matter what I threw at it, the AVR-5800 never seemed to strain, providing a wonderful soundstage. Whether listening to Vivaldi or rock and roll in two-channel mode, there was a delightful transparency, never a processed sound. I enjoyed listening to music in seven-channel stereo; it filled my test lab with music, but it didn’t sound gimmicky.

Moving to movies, I popped in a couple of DVDs I generally use. Again, at the levels I watch movies at, everything sounded fine, for the most part. I did notice a slightly compressed dynamic range on Terminator 2, which has a number of scenes combining mumbling and explosions, a true test of any amp. Otherwise, all of the other soundtracks were quite pleasing. I was very impressed with the soundtrack from The Haunting, the only Surround ES DVD as of this writing, although DTS promises more are coming soon. Really. The extra channels really made sounds swirl around my test lab.

Look, here’s the awful truth: most normal audio fans will never find this unit underpowered in any way. My minor issues are strictly along the lines of someone complaining about a Ferrari needing 20 more horsepower. If you are one of those people who demand entrails-jarring, neighbor exasperating explosions, this Denon might leave you a bit cold. For everyone else, you really can’t find fault with the AVR-5800. It offers every feature on Earth; it has a great remote; and it sounds beautiful.

Denon AVR-5800/RC-8000 Remote

Price: $3,800

The Good

Clear, clean sound; outstanding remote; excellent upgrade paths; more inputs that any human deserves.

The Bad

Amp could use a little more oomph.

Target User: Hard-core enthusiast who wants the best and latest in sound but doesn’t spend his hobby time trying to deafen his neighbors.