I have the opportunity to pick up the Denon for $300 which seems like a good deal. It is two years old and very clean. However, I have been eyeing the small Panasonic deck b/c of it's size, price (~$275, new) and the good reviews I've read. My listening will be likely split 50/50 of home theater and 2-channel music. I don't have decent speakers yet so this will be the first component that I'll build around. What do you think?
Here are their specs:
Denon AVR-2802
Dolby Digital Dolby Pro Logic II & DTS ES Discrete 6.1 A-V Receiver
# 90 watts x 6 into 8 ohms (20-20k Hz) at 0.05% THD
# DTS-ES, Dolby Digital, and Dolby Pro Logic II decoding
# DTS Neo:6 modes
# learning/multibrand remote with glow keys and macros
# dual-room/dual-source output (preamp outputs for second room)
# digital inputs: 3 optical, 1 coax
# optical digital output
# component video switching: 2 in, 1 out (27MHz bandwidth)
# 3 audio (including phono) and 5 A/V (including 5 S-video) inputs
# 5.1-channel input
# 7.1-channel preamp output
# on-screen display (requires TV with direct video input)
# variable low-pass crossover
# 96kHz/24-bit D/A converters
# high-current, low-impedance amp design
# speaker binding posts for all channels
# 40 AM/FM presets
# 17-1/8"W x 6-3/4"H x 16-15/16"D
Panasonic SA-XR50
Type of Receiver AV receiver
Watts Per Channel (Main) 100 Watt
Watts Center 100 Watt
Watts Per Channel (Rear) 100 Watt
Sound Features
On-Board Decoder DTS-ES decoder, Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby Digital Surround EX, DTS Neo:6, DTS 96/24, DTS decoder
Digital Sound Processor Yes
DSP Presets Live, Game, Jazz, Mono Movie, Party, Pop/Rock, Action, Drama, Musical, Dance, Sports
Number of DSP Presets 12
Total Harmonic Distortion 0.09 %
Connectors
RCA Connectors 1 x subwoofer output ( RCA phono ) - rear, 4 x audio line-in ( RCA phono x 2 ) - rear, 2 x audio line-out ( RCA phono x 2 ) - rear, 1 x 5.1 channel audio line-in ( RCA phono x 6 ) - rear, 1 x monitor output ( RCA phono ) - rear
Composite RCA Connectors 1 x composite video/audio input ( RCA phono x 3 ) - front, 3 x composite video input ( RCA phono ) - rear, 1 x composite video output ( RCA phono ) - rear
Component Connectors 2 x component video input ( RCA phono x 3 ) - rear, 1 x component video output ( RCA phono x 3 ) - rear
Digital Optical Connectors 1 x SPDIF output ( TOS Link ) - rear, 2 x SPDIF input ( TOS Link ) - rear
Digital Coaxial Connectors 2 x SPDIF input ( RCA phono ) - rear
S-Video Connectors 3 x S-Video input ( 4 pin mini-DIN ) - rear
Other Connectors Total (Free) / Type 1 x headphones ( phone stereo 6.25 mm ) - front, 2 x front speakers output ( banana/spade x 2 ) - rear, 2 x front speakers output ( click-fit x 2 ) - rear, 1 x center speaker output ( click-fit x 2 ) - rear, 2 x rear speakers output ( click-fit x 2 ) - rear, 1 x rear center speaker output ( click-fit x 2 ) - rear, 1 x monitor output ( 4 pin mini-DIN ) - rear
General Features
Display Type Fluorescent
Display Dimmer Yes
Signal T Noise Ratio 103 dB
General Product Info
Weight 9.26 lbs
Also known as XR50, SA-XR50, Panasonic SA-XR50, Panasonic XR50
Manufacturer Part No. SA-XR50
Dimension 3.3 in x 16.9 in x 14.8 in (HxWxD)