I now have the Denon AVR 3312 for a few weeks and am after some back and forth with the basic functions satisfied and can recommend the device with restrictions. The most important thing for me, the sound, is now very good. Unfortunately, there is still a lot to complain about, in particular: Many functions are set only quite complicated. Play music from a USB stick often does not work and the Internet Radio is tough. The bass sound with large, high-quality speakers, but without a subwoofer is flawed with the normal settings my impression. The Denon hotline I would give the note insufficient due to my experience.
My personal overview of strengths and weaknesses
Positive / +
- Plain, transparent, dynamic sound
- Appearance device
- Amplifier Power
- Commissioning
- Calibration process via Audyssey
- Above average number of inputs / outputs
- Diversity (eg zones)
Neutral +/-
- Ease of use (not always easy)
- Menu navigation (often somewhat nested, not self-explanatory)
- Internet Radio
- Manual
- Operation via iPhone on the network
Weak / -
- Cheap appearance of the remote control
- Lack of bass in 5.0 surround configuration without a subwoofer (with default settings)
- Network weaknesses
- Lack of radio-only memory key panel
- 'Tough' switching on / switching, especially when Internet Radio
- Weaknesses in the detection of USB memory sticks with MP3 content
- Denon Remote App
- 'Hanging' of the device
- Accessibility and responsiveness of the Denon hotline
In Detail:
Appearance and appearance
High-quality impression, big, tidy-read display: very good. Cheap: the cover of the front Aux input, front right. Good also the weight, almost 12 kg many other devices are much heavier. The remote control works rather simply.
Very good, neutral sound
'Very good' for me the dynamic, transparent, clear sound; clean highs and tight bass, overall quite neutral, which is good if you like, I listen to very different music genres. Sounds a little less 'hot' than my previous, getting on in years Yamaha receiver. Very good especially the stereo mode via Direct Sound. Had previously been a decent receiver, we obtain after all, still an audible sound progress, though hardly a new sound experience, as you can sometimes read. The sound would total a complete recommendation if - yes if it were not with the subwoofer settings, see below.
Bass weaknesses if you use a subwoofer
I use the receiver in a 5.0 configuration, with 2 very high-quality front and rear speakers and center. Ie without a subwoofer. The standard configuration was then even after multiple-Audyssey calibration a very disappointing bass sound that bass were virtually nonexistent. This one can also in test reports to the receiver here (see, eg, Network World). This seems to be due to a faulty software that apparently the bass signals no longer 'passes' above a certain transition frequency. After much fruitless reciprocating the solution is that the subwoofer in the speaker settings are enabled in the configuration (!), Although you do not have. And in the advanced settings you have to activate Subwoofer LFE + Main ", which is described on the support pages of Denon for another case like this. The bass is then much better, but compared to the Direct mode is still not perfect. This seems to be due to a necessarily existing transition frequency of min. 40Hz, you can not avoid in the settings. Several requests to the Denon hotline this were not answered. The solution I could only find that I can play my big Nubert front floor-standing speakers, the bass to 27 Hz, now operate with different settings on the Zone 2. That limited to max. 5.1 Surround operating a what is in my case not a problem. The whole thing cost me many hours. For a point deduction.
Video
I have not yet used, therefore no experience
Service
The operating options are generally satisfactory to good. The menu-guided initial setup of the device is simple and good. You need a TV screen, etc. to adjust the unit. Perform automatic calibration with Audyssey microphone with necessarily at multiple listening positions and switch off the microphone firmly, not hold in your hand. The menus are only partly intuitive and often not self-explanatory. The almost better alternative is to integrate the device into the network and then start a configuration program directly via the PC browser. The manual is only in PDF format on a CD at but absolutely look into it! It is generally quite extensive (150 pages), but some formulations are meaningless because they repeat the wording of the menu substantially. Good days in operation are the four Direct Select buttons on the front, with which one can prove directly frequent sources (eg tuner or TV). However, I miss shortcut keys for radio stations at the front, that is only possible using the remote control. For Internet radio, there are at least three speed-dial buttons on the front (preset buttons). The remote control looks rather cheap, the buttons are small and it is not very intuitive. They can be programmed using the usual codes, ie you can eg control the basic functions of the TV so. However, it seems to 'learn' no signals of another remote control to. Overall, one can get used to the operation, but the operation is not a highlight, but here other similar devices seem rather bad cut. The device is quite warm, but not hot during continuous operation.
Network and Internet Radio
The initial discovery and configuration of the receiver in the home network worked quickly and easily. This property offers an extensive list of Internet radio stations. Searching is easy, saving on speed dial buttons on the remote (> 50) or the three preselect buttons on the front possible. Saving is a bit cumbersome. The sound on Internet radio is good, which is of course dependent stations. When you turn on the receiver, however, it takes far too long until the network connection is found and the first sound of the Internet radio station is heard (about 1 minute). There are with me while listening to again and again network dropouts, in the course of an afternoon that happens quite 2-3 times. The sound is lost then and you have the same or a different transmitter then again. This only happens when Denon device. Internet Radio through another device on the same network, eg via home theater PC, has no such problems.
Not recognized Several USB sticks: Disappointing - USB
My previous experiences of playing music or pictures from a USB stick are rather disappointing. Several tested USB sticks the AVR3312 could read only the data from one of them, on the other sticks he could not access. These were to commercial sticks with FAT32 formatting (eg Sandisk), which were connected directly to the front entrance. Disappointing. For a point deduction.
iPod, iPhone, iPad
The receiver has been detected on the network immediately and for example, when playing music with the iPhone is available via the button AVR3312 as playback target. Works seamlessly. Cloven: I have found no way to lock it. Thus, for example, juvenile and friends of our young had made the 'fun', suddenly remotely to sound for us while watching a quiet film with crazy loud techno music. Borderline. The free downloadable Denon Remote App for alternative remote control of the AVR3312 is rather weak and not very reliable in my experience.
Response time of the device and reliability
Partial operation of the device is a little tough, here some experience:
Turning on the power / source tuner until the first sound: 9 sec.
Turning on the power / source Internet Radio: 55-58 (repeatedly tested) sec.
Switching from one transmitter to another Internet Radio: 3-6 sec.
Switching Tuner Internet Radio (up to the first tone): 45 sec.
Save the configuration via network on PC (just 340 KB): 5 minutes.
Performing a firmware update via network: about 35 minutes.
The problem described in another review that the device hangs up suddenly for no apparent reason and unresponsive and can not be switched off, I had also once. The only remedy that unplugging. Well - not very reassuring.
Hotline
I tried in April and May 2012, more times in writing and by e-mail to contact the German Denon hotline. It has about weeks not work, except vacuous standard mail as confirmation of receipt was no substantive help. In the telephone hotline they were long on hold, after 15-20 minutes I have each given up. On my complaint you wrote to me twice that a support staff would contact me by phone. Although I had given my mobile number, you have not called me. In my email to the support I had made detailed configuration information with several screen shots, it was never responded. The FAQ-aids on the support pages of denon.de are very poor. Many products from discounters obtained felt better support. My impression from Denon Support: Terrible.
Overall impression
If you can live with the limitations of the device is due to the sound a recommendation. I've been thinking a long time whether I should return the device to your dealer and did not do it. The key for me was the very good sound, especially in the 'direct' mode. For most mentioned problems can be found somehow an alternative solution. Comparable Receiver of other brands seem to have similar or even more serious weaknesses. Probably here the technical progress with more and more opportunities, such as Internet radio, network streaming, USB, iPhone or 3D TV has a price demanded at the expense of quality. Especially the USB and network functions do not seem to be fully developed and they are overall tough. The Hotline is a disaster, in my experience. For this and for the poor standard bass reproduction in the absence Subwoofer one point deduction.
Would I buy the AVR3312 again? Probably yes - for lack of better alternatives. But unlimited enthusiasm sounds different.
