The Denon AVR-3805 is an impressive all-around receiver. It is feature-rich and is the next in line of an unbroken a pedigree of solid performers from Denon. We recommend the Auto Setup for those who are not comfortable with using an SPL meter and reference tones. For Room EQ your mileage may vary. I cannot recommend the Normal mode under any serious listening scenarios, however the Flat and Front modes may do well in certain room/speaker configurations. Denon has attempted to provide this functionality to give everyone a fighting chance to counteract the effects of room acoustics and possibly mismatched speakers... something I think they should receive credit for.

The customization offered by the AVR-3805 rivals just about anything in its price class. With the ability to bi-amp the main channels, full customization over your speaker configuration, and ample control over how DSP modes are utilized and configured for each source mode, the Denon AVR-3805 tops our recommended list in its price class. Add to this 8 Burr-Brown 24-bit 192 kHz DACs on all eight channels, 24-bit 192 kHz A/D conversion on ALL stereo analogue inputs, and some of the latest, most progressive features yet to hit the hi-fi market and you've got a real winner.