Denon AVR-1911 Affordable Home Theater Receiver
The Denon 1911 is one of the most popular home theater receivers around and clearly worth considering. Although listing at $600 we've found it at well under $5000.
Note: You can now get the Denon AVR 1912 for less!
If you're currently have a 5.1 channel system you'll find upgrading to 7.1 channels well worth the effort and expense. The additional pair of speakers will give an added vertical dimension to your surround-sound experience and is the current “standard” in home theater audio. With the 1911 you also have the option of using the additional speakers to pipe stereo into a separate room. You can keep your existing speakers, and add the final 2 whenever you're ready.
With 90 watts per channel there's plenty of power. The 1911 is pretty much identical to the Denon 791, but with the addition of HD Radio. Much like HD TV, you'll get improved audio quality for HD radio stations. Many broadcast stations provide one or even two additional channels for alternative programming. Once you have a receiver it's absolutely free – no monthly charges.
Denon 1911 for Home Theaters
As an audio/video receiver, the 1911 can tie your home entertainment system together. In addition to conventional analog video inputs you'll have 4 HDMI 1.4a inputs and 1 output. This means you can connect 4 digital sources such as a DVD or Blu-Ray player, game console, and cable box up to your HDTV with only one cable each. The 1911 becomes your hub, switching video and audio simultaneously.
Video inputs are up-converted to 1080p, with both video and audio quality enhancement for a better entertainment experience. Your standard definition DVDs and cable TV gets a boost to near HDTV quality. This even applies to older analog equipment such as VHS recorders.
The HDMI switching is 3D compatible, so you'd be set for a 3D TV from almost any source. The 1911 also incorporates the latest Blu-Ray standards.
Minor Woes
If you're not familiar with contemporary a/v receivers, set up can seem a bit difficult. The manual can be a bit confusing, and setting up all the features is time consuming. So read through the manual a couple of times and allow 1 to 3 hours to get everything connected and adjusted.
TIP: Hook everything up first, before you plug in the receiver. In most cases on first-time power up the Denon will take care of the settings and adjustments automatically.
The iPod interface isn't without its drawbacks. The TV on-screen interface is pretty ugly and rather limited. You really need to use the included Denon remote control to get things going. Major problems have been reported for iPods with iOS4 and beyond. This isn't a Denon problem. Rather Apple didn't keep full backwards compatibility in their iOS upgrades. It's been reported that the iPhone 3GS works fine with this receiver. But if you big into iPods or iPhones this might not be the receiver for you.
Excellent Audio
Denon's 1911 also delivers high-quality surround sound for a cinema experience as well as music listening. It incorporates the latest Dolby processing, including Dolby TruHD and Dolby Pro LogicIIz. This receiver also includes Audyssey MultiEQ, Dynamic Volume, and DynamicEQ.
MultiEQ is pretty amazing. By sending calibration sounds through the speakers, it automatically measures acoustic responses. It then adjust it's frequency response to adjust for your room's particular acoustics and gets the most out of your speakers.
DynamicEQ boosts bass as well as the surround-sound speakers at low volumes. Most people notice a significant improvement even at normal listening levels. Finally, Dynamic Volume adjusts volume for you. Commercials and action scenes aren't overwhelming, yet you can also hear quiet dialog clearly without re-adjusting volume yourself.
The Denon AVR 1911 also has a USB port for iPods and other devices. This gives you better sound than an analog connection, and this receiver can even restore some of the audio quality lost in compressed formats like MP3s.