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If you like everything the AVR-2307CI offers but you want to save $100, check out the Denon AVR-887. It's essentially the same receiver, except that it lacks the custom install-friendly features (RS-232 port, 12-volt triggers, zone 2 preamp outputs).We started our evaluation of the AVR-2307CI with some 5.1 music. James Brown's Live at Montreux 1981 DVD put the receiver's stamina to the test. The high energy music can make lesser receivers beg for mercy, but with the AVR-2307CI in control, Brown's taut grooves never turned flabby, the raw power of Brown's growls and screams always remained clear. Turning to movies, the Sumo wresting match with Fat Bastard on the Goldmember DVD had lots of "impact"--the wrestlers body slams rocked our home theater. A lot of 100-watt-per-channel receivers don't feel all that powerful, but the AVR-2307CI surely did. We even subjected it to the ultimate test by running our Dynaudio speaker set to Large, because that setting generally sounds best, but makes far greater power demands. The Denon didn't mind one bit.
Saxman Bob Belden's Mysterious Shorter multichannel SACD was something else again. The session, a tribute to sax player Wayne Shorter, was recorded live in a New York City church, and the church's acoustical setting was projected upward and outward from our speakers and was especially vivid. Each musician's instrument stood out in bold relief, and we could hear its sound filling the vast space of the church. The high resolution gave Nicholas Payton's trumpet a sweetness of tone that's rarely reproduced at home. The AVR-2307CI effortless handling of the band's hard-hitting dynamics was also impressive.
Classical music on CD sounded appropriately lush, Fritz Reiner conducting Dvorak's New World Symphony with the Chicago Symphony elevated our estimation of the AVR-2307CI's overall sound quality. This music can could strident on some receivers, but not here. The recording's majestic scale was truly breathtaking in its beauty.
All in all, the Denon AVR-2307CI demonstrated the same excellent performance we've come to expect from the company's receivers. That brings us back to our HDMI caveats: in our opinion, Denon cut one too many corners for those looking for robust HDMI and high-def support. For them, it's still worth investing the extra $300 in the AVR-2807, or for a competing model like the aforementioned Onkyo TX-SR674. The 2807 also delivers bit more power, with slightly more generous connectivity, and a more sophisticated speaker autocalibration program. That said, the Denon AVR-2307CI is an otherwise great-sounding receiver that has a lot to offer--it's just too bad Denon couldn't take the HDMI functionality to the next level at this price.
Editors' note: Denon Electronics will not honor the warranty on Denon components purchased from unauthorized dealers, or if the original factory serial number has been removed, defaced, or replaced. If in doubt about a particular online or brick-and-mortar retailer, call Denon at 973/396-0810.
Assistant Editor Matthew Moskovciak contributed to this review.
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