AVR-5803 Listening Tests: Multi-channel

Since the wife and child weren't home, I had the chance to crank the volume all the way up to "0dB" reference, which was super loud in my room, as I recorded average SPL levels of 100dB with bass peaks exceeding 120dB. This was about my listening level limit that I could handle for any length of time. In fact, after about 3 or 4 minutes, I covered my ears and pressed on. Before covering my ears, I was besieged by the almost endless dynamics that the AVR-5803 was demonstrating. I was a little distressed that Denon proved my theory wrong. This receiver had no dynamic limitations in my set-up! Instead, I heard the best multi-channel DVD-A experience since I was first introduced to the format. The AVR-5803, however, couldn't take all of the credit. Some of this audio nirvana was a result of the fabulous Denon DVD-2900 universal player's ability to decode MLP flawlessly. This was the first time I had heard DVD-A with correct digital delay compensation, and let me tell you, it made a tremendous difference. Anyone contemplating plunging into a multi-channel high-resolution player should make it a top priority that the player and/or preamp/processor or receiver incorporates digital delay compensation. The great thing about this set-up was the lack of additional D/A and A/D conversion stage present sincethe DVD-2900 handled all of the digital delay compensation in the digital domain prior to passing the audio content via its six-channel analog audio outputs. In the past, I actually used to prefer playing the DVD-A discs I had in their alternate DTS 96/24 rather than their MLP soundtrack. This was primarily because my DVD-A reference player did not feature digital delay compensation, and its DAC section wasn't nearly as good as my reference preamp/processor. However, the Denon reverses this preference. I now found the MLP track had a slight edge over the DTS 96/24 track in terms of transparency and refinement when listened to on the Denon gear.

I spent most of my evaluation of the Denon AVR-5803 in two-channel, since I was absolutely floored how well it sounded. However, when I desired to listen to some of my not so well recorded CDs on the AVR-5803, I did so in Prologic II and/or DTS Neo, whichever tickled my fancy at the time. I was happy to discover that the AVR-5803 had retainable memory settings for every input when engaging Prologic II or DTS Neo modes. All I had to do was configure the CD input to Prologic II or DTS Neo Music modes, and choose Prologic II or DTS Neo Cinema modes for the DVD input when listening to non discrete multi channel audio sources.

Track #4 "Blue Saloon" from Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells 2 CD really had me in awe at how detailed and spacious Prologic II sounded. I actually heard the digital artifacts in the recording as a very low level crackling in the electric guitars that I previously didn't recall on other systems.

At first I though it was something in the equipment and/or connections, but I later confirmed it was the actual disc on that particular track during specific guitar riffs opening and closing. Again, noisier systems would have masked this low level detail. I suppose you could consider this a mixed blessing since the Denon AVR-5803 brought out the best and the worst in all recordings!

Pat Metheny's classic Off Ramp CD was brought to new life when played back in Prologic II music mode. In two-channel, this CD sounded a bit flat and lifeless. Hey what can one expect from an analog mastered 20+ year recording? In Prologic II and DTS Neo, it was another story. I was in utter delight being surrounded by Pat's amazing guitar riffs and Lye May's accompanying melodic keyboard ballads. I couldn't help but wonder just how much better this would have sounded as a true multi-channel SACD or DVD-A disc. However, I didn't wonder too long, I just passionately enjoyed the music.

Denon's DSP modes were another story however. While I am by no means the biggest advocate of DSP surround sound processing, I do feel if used sparingly, these modes can enhance the audio experience, particularly with concert videos. After my extensive experience with Yamaha's RX-Z1 DSP processing, I found Denon's to be quite lacking. I had to tone down pretty much all of the factory settings to make them somewhat usable. Yet, I could never achieve the realism, or enhancements I was so fond of when engaging these modes on the RX-Z1. In the end, I reverted to Dolby Prologic II or DTS Neo to enhance ordinarily dull, non-discrete, two-channel and multi-channel program material.

I know what people are thinking, why is anyone still evaluating 5.1 in a 7.1 channel world? Well I have two reasons:

With that in mind, we will focus this portion of the review on 5.1 playback and progress towards 7.1 in a later segment.

Gladiator	Monsters, Inc.	Star Trek Nemesis	Terminator 2

Initially I engaged the AVR-5803 in normal DD/DTS 5.1 channel modes with no THX or DSP processing. I personal prefer this mode with the AVR-5803 since it sounded so pristine and pure and also because I wasn't overly impressed with any of Denon's DSP modes, especially with my fresh reference to how Yamaha's fabulous RX-Z1 receiver and proprietary DSP processing sounded in my system. To me Denon's "Widescreen" mode, much like THX post processing, seemed to soften the top end a little too much for my liking. In overly bright movies such as Terminator 2, this was actually welcomed. However, more recent and well-mastered movies such as Gladiator and Monsters, Inc sounded best to me in straight DTS and Dolby Digital, respectively. Switching between THX Ultra 2 and straight Dolby Digital on Star Trek Nemesis proved to be most interesting, however. In THX mode, the rear surrounds took on a more diffused and somewhat more spacious soundfield, but the overall frontal tonal balance of the system was slightly softened at the top end. I leave it up to the user to decide which they prefer as I was on both sides of the fence many times with regards to DSP, and I found it to be very source dependent. This was my first experience with using THX post processing for home theater applications and so far I discovered I preferred it only in certain instances, depending on the quality of the recording and the particular mix. Again, the extremely high quality processing and playback of 5.1 DD/DTS sources on the AVR-5803 was far rewarding enough for me. I next proceeded to playing my favorite DTS concert DVD from Eric Clapton's One More Car, One More Driver .

This DVD really opened my eyes, or ears I should say, at how well the AVR-5803 integrated my systems bass response, most likely attributed to the subwoofer group delay compensation and variable crossover settings from the AVR-5803's excellent bass management arsenal. The bass response in the song "Reptile" was absolutely stunning. Before listening to this track on prior gear, I always remembered it as sounding rather nice, with good solid bass extension, but perhaps a bit thick or overlaid in prior set-ups. Prior to the AVR-5803, never did I hear my system integrate so well with such tight, snappy bass response. Alas, I finally dialed in a nearly perfect set-up configuration to make all of my speakers work in unison in my listening room. One could only wonder how much better it could potentially get with active room correction. Perhaps Denon will provide that answer with a roadmap to their future products?

Ok I was beginning to get tired of making excuses why I don't have a 7.1 speaker configuration in my system. Thus I pondered how I could resolve my room limitations to allow me to permanently explore this format. I was perusing the website of one of my favorite loudspeaker companies (incidentally the makers of my reference speakers) and stumbled upon a revolutionary idea. Why not take their existing Bi-Polar/Di-Polar speaker and modify it so that each woofer/tweeter section are independent to each other via two dedicated crossovers, and wired each woofer/tweeter pair to the two internal back channel amps in the AVR-5803. Essentially this speaker is two 41-SE's in a common cabinet firing slightly off angle from each other. RBH liked this idea so much that they built me a custom version and named it the 44-SEB. If you follow the THX guidelines for back channel speaker placement, they recommend placing the back channel speakers on the back wall slightly apart from each other. The RBH 44-SEB achieves this quite nicely, but manages to do so in one box. More importantly, it was easier to convince my wife of placing one back channel speaker than two. Now all that remained was to un bi-amp the front channels and connect my newfound back channel speakers.

The RBH 44-SEB is a custom designed variant of their Bipole/Dipole 44-Signature SE speaker designed for Audioholics.com. It is electrically isolated and in-phase two channel speaker system in one enclosure making it easier to integrate 7.1 in a constrained room. RBH may offer this product for sale upon special request in the near future.

I have to say that adding the back channels really did enhance my surround experience in some cases, particularly when engaging Denon's own proprietary DSP modes, or when listening to DTS discrete 6.1 soundtracks such as Gladiator and Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring . Denon's own Widescreen mode seemed to really open up the rear soundfield when engaged in 7.1 mode. The advantages of adding back channel speakers became especially apparent to me within the opening battle scenes from Gladiator when switching between the discrete 6.1 DTS 6.1 soundtrack vs the DD 5.1 alternative. The DTS discrete 6.1 soundtrack sounded more open and vivid to me, particularly behind my listening position as the panning through the rear channels seemed more fluidic and natural. However, when listening to a 5.1 DD/DTS sound track in "matrixed mode", I did at times find it somewhat distracting, especially since the rear channel speakers were firing almost directly over the primary listening position in my living room. I found that adding a tad more delay and lowering the levels about a dB or so below the other channels helped in these circumstances.