Denon AVR 3802

[bigboxes]

Getting a new tv tomorrow so I thought I'd tear down all my equipment and clean them up. I bought the AVR 3802 back in 2001. Two years in and a couple of inputs/outputs stopped working. The thing had so many inputs that it didn't make much of a difference. I was hacked at the time, but it was easy to work around it. The 3802 has aged a little as it has no HDMI inputs/outputs. That's not really going to matter as the new tv has four HDMI inputs.

I had never opened up the 3802 and looked inside. I figured now was as good a time as any. I grabbed my can of compressed air and blew out what dust I could. I'm still amazed at the size of everything. At 40lbs I knew it was big. I counted seven fuses. However, none of them were blown. Twelve years is a long time for capacitors. They all looked good. Anyone know the life span for the ones used in this application? I noticed that there was a big 92mm fan to keep the internals nice and cool.

Here are some pictures:

 

[Number1]

A good receiver will last 20 years. My old Technic receiver certainly did. The lack of HDMI support means you will need a ton of audio cables between all your peripheral components and your receiver. Don't forget, the audio out of your TV via toslink will only put out a stereo signal unless you are using one of the TV's built in app like Netflix.
Replace the blown fuse and test it. Only replace the fuse once.

I would say time for an upgrade if you want to clean up the cable mess and want support for all the new HD audio format.

 

[bigboxes]

I counted seven fuses. However, none of them were blown.

Fuses are good. Love this thing. Massive clean power. It may be a while until I can upgrade the receiver. The tv was a major purchase. The sound has always been ahead of my picture. Now, the tv has matched it. I still have to hook it up and get a stand. This is a project for sure.

 

[NutBucket]

Funny how perspectives change over the years. I just finished recapping a receiver. The 40 year old caps all looked perfect and even measured well on my meter. But, better safe than sorry since its a piece of gear I'd like to keep for another 40 years.

 

[scootermaster]

Hey, I have a 3801 that's still going strong. The thing is amazing. I actually want to replace it, but I want to hold off until HDMI 2.0 is standardized.

 

[bigboxes]

Hey, I have a 3801 that's still going strong. The thing is amazing. I actually want to replace it, but I want to hold off until HDMI 2.0 is standardized.

Totally agree. It's not like they've come up with that much better features since then. I also like HD radio. I could care less about satellite radio, but I understand those that do. You subscribe then you can have it at home. Personally, I use my 3802 to watch movies and sports. Music? I've got my pc and it rocks!