The Best of Both Phone, and Tablet
-
"Outstanding Receiver" on by brlaub
Pros: Great sound, feature set, good video upscaling, networkable
Cons: Set up takes lots of time, manual and customer support are poor, not wireless
Summary: Replaced my 15 year old Proscan 65' RPTV and Pioneer Receiver with Sony 55 XBR8 LED, Denon 4310, and LG BD390. I was able to purchase the 4310 from a local authorized dealer for $1300 plus tax.
I'm no professional but have installed my own home entertainment systems over the years as well as assisting friends and family members. I can only describe the 4310 as excessively complicated and quirky. The owners manual is incomplete, poorly written and confusing. Much of the installation was achieved through trial and error, and took about 20 hours (not including connections).
The main remote is pretty good and operates all my equipment including my COX HD DVR. However it won't turn on the DVR and I can't get it to display program information no matter which manufacturer code I use. Help? The problem is that it takes hours to learn how to use it. The main zone toggles thru zone 1, 2, 3, and macro and only functions for the zone selected. After about 5 hours I am comfortable using it but the wife may never get it (maybe a good thing). I connected the DVR and TV using composite cables so the wife and guests can watch hdtv without the receiver using only the Cox remote.
Zone 2 which is used for multiroom setups does not function properly. The source select buttons on the remote do not work. Fortunately Zone 3 controls functioned properly and I only needed one zone.
I have not been able to get sound to the tv speakers when running thru the 4310 despite both the tv and receiver set to tv speakers and trying every possible HDMI control setting on the tv and 4310. This is an important issue for me since we watch a lot of news programs where the upscaling is useful but we don't need 7.1 surround sound. Any suggestions would be welcome.
Denon customer service was useless on these issues.
The manufacturer's codes for equipment supplied by Denon were not complete. I used internet sources to get codes that actually worked.
The second remote is superfluous but is useful when using zone 3 to select source. It does not operate other equipment.
It runs alot cooler than my Pioneer but I installed a fan in the cabinet to be safe.
Once you get it set up, though, it performs beautifully. The sound is amazing whether playing CDs in stereo or Blu ray in surround modes. My old Pioneer was top of the line in 1996 with AC3 but the difference with the 4310 was amazing. It made my old Infinitys sound brand new. Eventually the 4310 will be paired with Vienna Acoustic's Beethovens when we retire to our second home. I can't wait!
I was told that upscaling would only work with analog devices not HDMI connected devices. If this is true my eyes are fooling me. The Sony did a pretty good job of making STV palatable when connected directly to the DVR. However there is a significant improvement in picture quality running thru the 4310 using HDMI connections. I can toggle thru the sources (receiver, composite, analog, coax) and the reciever picture is hands down the clearest albeit nowhere near 1080.
The LG has pretty good upscaling itself when playing standard DVDs. I've compared dvds with the LG connected directly to the TV and through the receiver (with LG upscaling turned off) and the picture is significantly better thru the receiver. I don't know if this is because the 4310 uses AB not Faroudja since I have not experienced the latter. All I can say is that the upscaling on the 4310 is pretty darn good.
I chose the BD390 because of its built in wireless which the 4310 lacks.
Will somebody please tell me what all the fuss concerning Audyssey is about. Used MCAC on my old Pioneer and Audyssey on the 4310 and still prefer manual setup. Maybe when I move to our retirement home and have a true 7.1 setup with front height speakers?
I suspect the price I was able to get on the 4310 from a dealer is reflective of its quirkiness. The learning curve is steep. Professional installation might be useful but I believe if you can't install it you won't be able to operate it and get the most out of it.
If you have the time and iclination this is a great receiver especially if you can get it thru an authorized dealer with warranty at a reasonable price. -
"I bought a lemon and received poor service from Denon" on by UnhappyDenonOwner
Pros: the price, if the product worked.
Cons: poor quality, poor customer service
Summary: I have had this unit for 8 months now. It had green video lines on the HDMI output the day I got it. I had it repaired under warranty (2 weeks). Then it had issues with the HDMI audio intermitently stuttering. I took it back to the repair shop and they couldn't reproduce the issue, but they did something to my receiver because when I got it back it was playing 2-ch stereo only. I tried to upload my saved configuration file (figuring they changed some setting), but it wouldn't upload. Then I also had an issue with the receiver reliably getting an IP address. I called Denon tech support and spent many hours troubleshooting. They reset the network card and processor, but didn't get anything working that was broken, and at the end I didn't even get HDMI video at all. They said to send it to their own repair center and to expect to get it back in about a month.
So in summary, I have owned the unit for 8 months and have had 5 problems with it (1 fixed). It has never worked properly from day one. I have spent 10.5 hours troubleshooting the unit for Denon and the local repair shop. I have driven over 100 miles trying to get it repaired and it currently has the following issues: 1. Can't reliably get an IP address. 2. Can't upload its own configuration file. 3. HDMI audio intermitently stutters. 4. HDMI output no longer works.
Denon won't even ship me a new replacement. I am very disappointed with my purchase and Denon customer service. I won't by Denon products again. -
"Awesome sound, better tv picture, great value!" on by DavidWesty
Pros: Like the sound, Improves my satellite signal. Easy automatic setup. Great remote. A lot of value for the money spent. Denon reputation and technolology stands up for itself!!
Cons: Not sure how it would handle 3D at this point, but I was told it could be set up to process 3d signal.
Summary: It seemed to process my cable signal better improving the tv picture dramatically. Music sound is as good as it gets without sinking several thousand more dollars into very high end equiptment!
-
"I LOVE THIS UNIT!" on by Mark W
Pros: Audio, HDMI switching, Feature list, Internet radio.
Cons: Setup is not for the technically challenged.
Summary: I purchased this unit to replace my aging Denon 3802. Mainly, because it had no HDMI ports and did not support HD Audio. It is interesting to note, however, that when it comes to audio performance, the 4310CI is not a huge leap in sound quality over my Denon 3802. This was very surprising. The Denon 3802 is a beast and should be considered by those looking to save a few bucks. However, for those such as myself craving all the latest features, I settled on the 4310. I could not justify buying the 4311CI vs. the 4310Ci, which saved me about a grand. Out of the box, the 4310CI sounds fantastic. HDMI support and performance is above average. The ability to upgrade firmware via the internet is a definite plus. I was surprised at the music performance as well. This is definitely the mid-range unit for consumers who watch a lot of movies. The sound quality is better than any theater I've been to. Internet radio and streaming services were a breeze to set up and the sound quality was again very impressive. Unlike some, I chose to use the network interface to setup my unit. I believe that most people should give this a try because the interface is easier to navigate than the onscreen menu. I was very impressed by the network interface's mobile device support. After accessing the setup menu from my iPhone 4, I found it very easy to navigate and update various settings. You can even turn the 4310CI on and off and adjust the volume from this interface. For those persons, unhappy that Denon has not released an iPhone native application for the 4310CI, fear not, the included mobile support across your network is better than any app made for the iOS. Save your money and give this a try. Works great from my iPad as well. All in all, this is a great receiver ready for prime time.
Do not buy the 4310 unless you really don't need the networking features. It has great sound, but the network card is known to be defective. Yes, DENON will repair under warranty, but mine died after to months. I opted to move to the 4311, which had sow other issues untwisted to the network card. Crutchfield hooked me up. Good so ar and I love the 4311.
MARKWI
Updated on Mar 5, 2011
Write a Review
Online Stores
| Store | Promotions | In Stock | Price | Total Cost | Initial Sort Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | No | Yes | Tax: TBD Ship: TBD | $1,799.00 Shop Now | |
| See all prices | |||||
