Onkyo TX-SR876 vs. Denon 3311ci

[Aharami]

I bought a refurb Onkyo TX-SR876 for $650 a month or so back. There's no doubt it's a great receiver but after getting two defective units from shoponkyo, Im getting a little frustrated. A friend just emailed me a deal where I can get a new Denon 3311ci for $815. Im wondering how the Denon 3311 compares to the Onkyo 876. At first glance, the Denon looks to have more features (network connectivity, more sound modes, etc) but the Onkyo is nearly twice the weight of the Denon (50 lbs vs 27 lbs). So the Onkyo's amp section is probably beefier than the Denon's.

Lets say the third unit comes defective again from Onkyo (first one had two channels not working, 2nd one had a broken front flap), should I return the Onkyo and get the Denon? Or will I only be paying more for a worse sounding AVR with just more bells and whistles? I care more about how the AVR sounds than anything else.

Are these two AVRs even in the same level?

Denon

Onkyo

 

[alcoholbob]

Depends what you mean.

For stereo mode, the 876 will indeed put out more power than the 3311. But in all-channels mode chances are the 3311 will put out more power.

The reason for this is, after the overheating fiasco with the 805/875 line, Onkyo put in severe power limiters on their new receivers when they are put through an all-channels-driven test. So unless your primary focus is music playback, this is sort of a non-issue.

My experience with Denons are that the idle power draw is unusually high, and they still draw a lot of power when turned off. Your electricity bill will probably improve with the Denon.

 

[CaitB]

I've listened to both of these receivers and what I would say is don't worry about the weight difference. Whilst the Denon may appear flimsy in comparison to the Onkyo, I have found the audio quality to be superb on that model of Denon.

Network connection is always nice to have too, not just for firmware, but stuff like internet radio / subscription audio services and content streaming.