Should I upgrade my Denon 1905 receiver?

Canedog

Just got back from Tweeter and the 'cheapest' AMP they had was over a grand... I have around $500 to spend.

I have RTi10s fronts, CSi5 center, FXi5 rear and a Velodyne/Polk PSW 10 sub combo. I'm using a Denon 1905 receiver and I am not impressed with the sound. Movies sound okay, music sounds bad.

Tweeter has an 'open box' Denon 3805 of $688. Should I sell my old Denon 1905 and upgrade to the 3805? Would I see much of an improvement in sound quality?

At this point, buying an AMP may not be an option for me.

dragon1952

For $500 you could get a kick-**** used amp on Audiogon or even Ebay. That's the route you should take. I don't think you'd notice as much benefit by going to the 3805. However, Tweeter should have a return policy. You could always take it home and give it a test drive. You just missed out on Russman's Conrad Johnson Sonographe for around $350 shipped. That would have worked great.

Ferres

There is a review of the 3805 here:
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_11_2/denon-avr-3805-receiver-6-2004.html

It seems to be a better option over all. Detachable powercord too which is always a plus for me.

It can be a starting point of a bigger system with addition power-amps to be added later, assuming this is in the cards.

mldennison

i doubt that you are going to get all that much improvement from switching to the 3805.

i also think you can do much better than $1000 for a quality amplifier. if you dont like the idea of a used item, go with outlaw...they have thier one-channel amplifiers for like $200 each, 2 of those will still keep you under $500 and would be much better than the 3805 IMHO.

*Seby*-Polk-

If you don't like Denon sound...don't like the 3805

Try another brand, like Harman Kardon, Yamaha RX-V2500 or Marantz. in this receivers you hear another sound, more bright in Yamaha, more bassy in marantz ... try it !!!!

*Seby*-Polk-

ohh sorry ... for Watch movies...for me, Yamaha is the winner. Music, maybe HK

Ferres

Lol! I'm still using my Marantz sr6300 and I'm pretty happy how it's keeping up with the occassional upgrades.

*Seby*-Polk-

Yeah...your receiver is great

Toxis

I'd definitely say the 3805 would be a great start for you! It'll dominate the 1905 in sound quality. I say get it (but offer $600 just to see if they'll take it)! Then later if you want more, then you'll have a better processor to build off of. Or see if there's a return policy and give it a try. If it's not a huge upgrade in your home, then consider finding a good amp.

There's a lot of amps out there you can find with good power for around $500. I know the marantz mm-9000 is a great amp and can be found for that range. Adcom and older Rotels are also great for the money. You also might want to save a few extra bucks and see if there's something significantly better for a little more. I found an amp that usually sells for $2500 with about 100 hours of use on it and got it for $780 shipped thanks to the bay. Deals are out there... maybe even on a 3805!

MrNightly

I'm walking proof that deals are there too.. Picked up the 3805 for $600 plus shipping. Hell of a deal. In my limited HT experience, this is a great start to power those big boys... I went with the RTi8's up front, and man, I think they sound awesome with the 3805. I understand the 10's are bigger and require more power, but I concur that they would be a solid stepping stone for you!

What can it hurt? Give it a shot. If you don't like the 3805, sell it on here for what you paid, and you're no worse off eh?