Denon S-302...talk me out of it

[Davegod75]

I'm looking for a nice 2.1 system that will last me years. This have everything I'm looking for including:

ability to hook i-pod or usb HD and play music
elegance
ability to stream over wireless from a PC
all in one dealie


So is the price being asked for this 1699? way to much for what i'm getting?

what are the alternatives?

Thanks

 

[Deleted member 4644]

Is that a flat speaker design? Is that ever as good as standard?

 

[PurdueRy]

Do you realize what type of home theater you could get for $1700? Larger speakers can look good too. Cherry finishes are particularly classy looking and if set up right can enhance the look of a room instead of detracting.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Deleted member 4644
Is that a flat speaker design? Is that ever as good as standard?

You can get flat speakers that perform very well. Magnepan for example
http://www.magnepan.com/

Of course that's not the same kind of compact system that this Denon system is.

Davegod75, I have not heard that system, but based on first impressions it seems like a very expensive system for what it is.

$1700 could get you a killer system and that Denon system doesn't really look like one.

ipod connectivity is becoming pretty standard on receivers and often times ipod docks can be purchased as an accessory for receivers.

This system seems to combine features that you can get into a more traditional system and makes it more compact.

What kind of size constraints do you have?

Have you listened to the system at all? If you're spending $1700 on a system, you'd better listen to it and compare it to similarly priced alternatives before you decide if it's the right system for you.

 

[montypythizzle]

Really, I mean, REALLY, 1700 for a shelf system?!!?
What I would do is either get an iPod dock, get a DVD player with USB in, or DIAF.
I find it hard to believe those have ANY more bass than some regular bookshelfs and nice receiver for HALF the price.

 

[Davegod75]

yeah, it's a bit overboard. I admittedly just wanted to see what the cheaper alternatives you all recommenced. It does have everything I want in a system though.

What does everyone recommend brand-wise for separate components? receiver, speakers, sub

 

[Tiamat]

Thats quite a bit of money for what amounts to speaker set which probably is comparable to a 300$ set of computer speakers.

What are your restrictions in terms of size of gear?

A suggestion might be:

Apple Universal Dock - 50$

3' Belkin Line Out to L/R Stereo Interconnect - 10$

Panasonic SA-XR55S - 180$

B&W 683 - 1400$
or
Onix Rocket RS850 Sig - $1000
with
Onix Rocket RSC200 Center Speaker - $300

24' Belden 5000UE Gray - $10

What I am trying to suggest is, why the hell would you want to play in the sandbox when you can mess around with the real big boys.

The level of difference between the Denon system and something like what I suggested is beyond comparable. Something like what I suggested would utterly blow away that denon system in sound quality and quantity and oddly enough, price wise. There is still money left over for other component cables you might need, an HDDVD player...


If you cant do floorstanding speakers, don't worry, we can help out! There are so many different combinations of speakers that would utterly destroy the denon system, and if you want more ideas, I can scoop up some more links.

 

[Davegod75]

Originally posted by: Tiamat
Thats quite a bit of money for what amounts to speaker set which probably is comparable to a 300$ set of computer speakers.

What are your restrictions in terms of size of gear?

A suggestion might be:

Apple Universal Dock - 50$

3' Belkin Line Out to L/R Stereo Interconnect - 10$

Panasonic SA-XR55S - 180$

B&W 683 - 1400$
or
Onix Rocket RS850 Sig - $1000
with
Onix Rocket RSC200 Center Speaker - $300

24' Belden 5000UE Gray - $10

What I am trying to suggest is, why the hell would you want to play in the sandbox when you can mess around with the real big boys.

The level of difference between the Denon system and something like what I suggested is beyond comparable. Something like what I suggested would utterly blow away that denon system in sound quality and quantity and oddly enough, price wise. There is still money left over for other component cables you might need, an HDDVD player...


If you cant do floorstanding speakers, don't worry, we can help out! There are so many different combinations of speakers that would utterly destroy the denon system, and if you want more ideas, I can scoop up some more links.

Thanks for the suggestions. I don't think I need a center channel and the setup is mainly for music and only occasionally for tv. Do you really recommend a $180 panasonic receiver?

 

[Tiamat]

Originally posted by: Davegod75

Originally posted by: Tiamat
Thats quite a bit of money for what amounts to speaker set which probably is comparable to a 300$ set of computer speakers.

What are your restrictions in terms of size of gear?

A suggestion might be:

Apple Universal Dock - 50$

3' Belkin Line Out to L/R Stereo Interconnect - 10$

Panasonic SA-XR55S - 180$

B&W 683 - 1400$
or
Onix Rocket RS850 Sig - $1000
with
Onix Rocket RSC200 Center Speaker - $300

24' Belden 5000UE Gray - $10

What I am trying to suggest is, why the hell would you want to play in the sandbox when you can mess around with the real big boys.

The level of difference between the Denon system and something like what I suggested is beyond comparable. Something like what I suggested would utterly blow away that denon system in sound quality and quantity and oddly enough, price wise. There is still money left over for other component cables you might need, an HDDVD player...


If you cant do floorstanding speakers, don't worry, we can help out! There are so many different combinations of speakers that would utterly destroy the denon system, and if you want more ideas, I can scoop up some more links.

Thanks for the suggestions. I don't think I need a center channel and the setup is mainly for music and only occasionally for tv. Do you really recommend a $180 panasonic receiver?

Thats what my brother is using for his B&W 705 and it is surprisingly good for the money. I have no reason to think that it would be inappropriate for most speakers. Just make sure that the features are to your standards and it should be fine.

There are other more robust models out there, and if you don't need a center channel (you cant get the discounted prices unless you get 3 speakers with av123), there are many other alternatives.

With speakers, the most important part is to go out and listen for yourself, or listen to the speakers in your home. Since everybody's ears are different and decay at different rates depending on the type of environment you are subjected to every day, speakers are a very personal purchase.

As with all receiver purchase in the <1000$ range, if you listen to music at very high volumes, the amplifier section will be the weak point. Here is a very very long thread for this receiver, if you care to skim through it. If you listen to music at moderate levels, then you should not have any trouble whatsoever.

By the way, av123 has sold out on both speakers I listed above as of 9/27/07.

Do you have any audio dealers near you? B&W, Paradigm, Dali, NHT, Monitor Audio, all offer nice speakers in your price bracket.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

I'm really enjoying my 850s, I'm not surprised they sold the first batch for this sale already. You can still lock in the sale price and pre-order them now though.

Did you take a look at the sticky thread at the top? There are a lot of different suggestions for how to start off your system and many options listed as starting points for your research.