Denon AVR-4810CI Receiver & DBP-4010CI Blu ray Player Combo Review...

[joerod]

As an avid Onkyo fan for most of this decade I was not sure how I would like the new Denon AVR-4810CI. Sure I liked the 4310 and what it brought to the table. I even liked my old Denon 5803A back in the day. Since then though I have had mainly Onkyo Receivers and their pre-pros. I have been used to the HQV REON chip (for scaling) in the high end Onkyos and was excited to see how well the Anchor Bay VRS ABT 2010 chip would do in the 4810. Of course scaling is only half the battle. What about the sound? And finally how does it perform with a Blu ray player like the new Denon DBP 4010CI? In the next few paragraphs I will attempt to answer these questions and more...

Denon has always had sharp looking receivers and the 4810 is no exception. Sleek and powerful combine for an impressive package. Speaking of power the 4810 has 140 watts per channel. That goes for all channels including Heights and Wides (which can be used at the same time). I will just add now that I have not heard this good of sound in my theater from using any other component. The 4810 packs a great punch with astounding clarity. If you have followed my Reviews lately you know I am a huge fan of Height and DSX sound. I am often asked what is good demo material for Height sound. One of if not the best I have heard to date is the movie The Covenant. There is plenty of good rain scenes in this one. The Heights will add to the sensation that it is really raining in your room. Other movies had superb sound either on Blu ray or DVD. More on those when I talk about the 4010... As for DirecTV I was equally impressed with movies on StarzHD and HB0. Of course I have to talk about sports and how the DSX sound is. One cool thing about the 4810 is when you engage DSX a blue DSX light comes on (pic below) the front display. Let's you know from the back row when flipping through the football games using the NFL Sunday Ticket. Hearing the crowd roar or unruly fans heckle the players (or each other) is what makes DSX so special. I even watched a Bulls game (haven't watched many since MJ, Pip, Rodman and Pax retired) and the Heights had the same impact as they do with football.

TIP: You can't engage the DSX sound mode unless the Height mode is OFF.

The back... Let's go over the ins and outs of the 4810. With 6 HDMI inputs (one on the front) I did find myself wanting more. I guess I am spoiled with some of Onkyos having 7 or even 8 inputs. And my DVDO Duo has 8 as well. Not that having 5 on the back is not enough for the average consumer... The good news is there are two impressive HDMI outs that work simultaneously. I can send both to my PJ HDMI inputs and do quick A/B comparisons with other equipment. And of course send the image and audio to another display if desired. Pre outs there are plenty. Even ones for Height and Wide speakers. You also get SiriusXM, Denon Link and a RS 232 port. Not to mention a couple component inputs, remote in and outs (in case you have a Denon Blu ray player paired with it) and trigger outs. There is a bunch of S-video and yellow RCA inputs and a couple optical and coax (what are those?) inputs. And for internet and firmware updating there is an Ethernet connection. It does not get much easier than that.

Remotes... Yes I typed a "S" because you get two. Both are awkward but they do manage to grow on you. Both have direct input commands. I also really like the Channel Level button that allows immediate access to the speaker levels. Not having to go into the set up menu makes it easier for quick on the fly tweaking. Same for direct commands for Dynamic Volume and Dynamic EQ settings. Without having to go deep into the set up menu is to easy! Hopefully Onkyo reads this and can one day follow suit. For as far as sound modes go you have those direct picks to. So do two barely average remotes equal one really good one? No, but if this is the weakest link of the 4810 then it is doing pretty good. On the plus side both fit easily into your hand...

Scaling and Set Up... The 4810 has the best GUI I have seen to date in a receiver. It is easy to navigate and looks classy. I really like the Info section. It tells you the resolution coming in and going out, colorspace and even reports the up converted color depth (10 bit or 12 bit). Speaking of which the 4810 will pass it untouched perfectly. That and 1080p/24. There are many of the video adjustments (like Enhancer which sharpens the image without hurting it- as long as you don't go crazy) that a video processor would have under the picture adjust and audio adjust area. I have plenty of pics below showing it in action. I also like the sharp looking logos they use for the sound modes. That is a nice touch. The volume display though not as clean as the higher end Onkyos still is simple and gets the job done. I like how you can assign inputs anywhere you want and of course rename them. The Audyssey MultEQ XT Calibration is simple and does a great job. I only had to slightly tweak the sound levels using my trusty old Ratshack analog sound meter. Using the mic (included) I suggest purchasing a small tri pod to put on your seats. Even Wal Mart has them for 10.00 or less. Other areas of interest in the Set Up menu include the Network and Sound parameters. Updating the 4810 is easy using the Ethernet connection. Choosing the speakers depending on the sound formats makes life easy. Scaling DirecTV (pics below) I was able to get a near Blu ray image with some movies. Friday The 13th (the new one) looked amazing. Close ups revealed exceptional detail. Spiderman also looked terrific. Concerts also sounded and looked good. Check out Bruce! I also included a couple football pics and a close up or two of I Love You Man. All of the images had the 4810 deinterlace to 1080p. Lastly I added some pics of the movie Sex Drive. They are PG-13 so be aware. I was impressed with the overall resolution and how well it was displayed. Fun movie with nice close ups! That was HD programming. SD channels (480i) were able to benefit from the ABT 2010 chip. Though they did not look bad by any means I still refuse to watch anything if it is not in HD! I should point out that neither gaming, movies or sports showed any lag, stutter or issues of any kind. Very impressive!

TIP: When doing the Audyssey Calibration I have always achieved my best results by doing all the seating positions. The more info the better! Sure it takes longer but what is 10 more minutes when you can achieve the most optimal sound for your environment. Just do it.

TIP2: Take the time to set up each input's parameters for both sound and video. You only need to do it once because the 4810 will remember. You can always check it under the Status area of the menu to make sure it is doing it right. I always set aside a good 45 minutes or so when setting up a new receiver for the first time. That is just for the above. Add another 30 minutes for a good Audyssey Calibration. It almost feels like homework sometimes. Almost.

Side Note: I wanted to mention that I hooked up about 12 different components to the 4810 and not a single one of them had any HDMI handshaking issues. Usually at least one or two components do not like each other.

Sound (again)... To summarize the sound I would have to say from the fronts to the backs it is spot on. The Center (mainly dialog) is top notch clear. Adding Heights will completely envelope both Movies and Sports and creates the perfect environment. And yes they can be added to any and all sound formats including DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD.

The Denon DBP 4010CI is a good Blu ray player to pair with the 4810. Mainly because it has the Denon Link connection which will give Clock Control over HDMI which gives jitter free high resolution audio. Of course getting this connection (or the third blue light to come on the 4010) is like a scavenger hunt. It may take several in and outs of both GUIs (they look very similar) to accomplish it. And trust me, sacrificing a chicken does not help. The 4010 also has the ABT 2010 scaling chip. I was able to get the same result though using their 1610 Blu ray player (sending in 480i) and then having the 4810 do the work. Which makes perfect sense. Blu ray playback was very similar with the edge slightly going to the 4010. Still though, one might be able to save some money getting a less expensive player. The remote though nice is not a lighted style. I am not sure why most of Denons (and Pioneers) high end players do not come with lighted remotes. On another negative note I put in a few DVDs most notably K9 (my German Shepards love Jerry Lee) and when hitting pause and play the delay between was about 4 or 5 seconds. Inexcusable for a high end player that has a MSRP of 2K! I am sure it will be improved over the next few firmware updates. I should also point out DVD images looked very good though and were right on par with the best I have seen to date. I remember I was not a big fan of the Denon 3800 and that changed after it was out about 6 months or so. Doing analog sound with the 4010 yielded excellent results. Also going HDMI Bitstreaming into the 4810 sounded good. The 4810 loves all the data from HDMI. The 4010 also has plenty of picture adjustments so you will be able to get the most optimal image on your display. Speaking of Display hitting this command on the remote will show plenty of good detailed info about what disc you are playing. Video info, Audio info time elapsed, time remaining and so on. That's one thing cheaper players seem to fall asleep on. How hard is it to add how much time a title has left? The SD card feature was easy to use. Just press the Mode button and you are good to go. I also like being able to change the resolution on the fly. The 4010 allows it. Load times seem about average. You also are able to update the firmware and check out BD Live using its Ethernet connection. My quest for a high end Blu ray player that will have Netflix and other cool online features continues. A good way to achieve both is to combo the Sony S1000ES/N460. It would give the best of both worlds. Still for those that want to match high end components the 4010/4810 are hard to beat. I do plan to revisit the 4010 a little down the road to see what improvements might have hit and to check out the Web Browser Update coming to it in March... Stay tuned...

TIP: Increase the Mid and High level Sharpness by 1 or 2. I know purists well cry foul but doing so really helped squeeze out even more detail in the extreme close ups. And I did not see any strange side effects by doing so.

TIP2: To Bitstream just hit the Audio button and select HD Audio Output.

Blu ray viewing... The Hangover looked both excellent and had a kick ass soundtrack! The close ups revealed plenty of details. It was hard to notice to much though since we were to busy laughing. Inglourious Basterds also had some terrific scenes. The 4010 helped provide a very pleasing image and after tweaking it we had it up to the level of other great Blu ray players. Colors were rich and the picture had plenty of depth to it. The soundtracks are what really stand out though. Plenty of ear candy in both movies. The Hangover is the perfect "drink" movie. The songs that are played in this title really make you feel like you stepped into a night club. Inglourious Basterds shined with its action scenes. Bullets were flying everywhere. Backs, Fronts and Heights! The dialog in both titles were both clear and distinct. No complaints here...

Conclusion... The Denon AVR-4810CI is a technical Death Star that will improve any and all set ups with its superior sound and advanced features. I started this decade off with a Denon receiver and I guess I am ending this decade with one as well. It is shocking considering all the Onkyo receivers and pre-pros I have had over the past 5 years or so. The 4810 with its vast amount of features and options makes me feel like there is nothing it can't do. That is a rarity for any component to accomplish. If you don't mind spending a little more to get the best of everything (sound/video/features) then this is the receiver for you.



I need to thank Robert and Wendy (VE) again for their dedication to this site and my Review Section. Without them many of these Reviews would not be possible...


Equipment Used:

JVC DLA HD990
Denon 4010 Blu ray
Denon 4810 Receiver
B&K 200.7 AMP
Niles SI 275 AMPs
Pinnacle Speakers and Subs
MTX Lolita Subs X4
DirecTV HR21 Pro HD DVR
DirecTV HR23 HD DVR
Sony S1000ES Blu ray
Sony N460 Blu ray
Oppo BDP 83 Blu ray
Pioneer 09FD Blu ray
Denon 1610 Blu ray
XBOX 360
PS3
Wii
Security Camera System
iTouch
Carada Masquerade Masking System
Vutec Silverstar 120.5" Screen
Harmony 1100 Remote
Antec Component Coolers

What's next? I plan to Review the Sony BDP N460 Network Blu ray player and go through all the online features it has...

[Blu-HD]

You are the Best Joe look forward in the review. Regards Kris

[joerod]

You are the Best Joe look forward in the review. Regards Kris

Thanks.

[RickAVManiac]

Coming Soon... Last Review of 2009!

Last for 2009? I think I've read that promise somewhere else!

Joe you are really a HighdefJunkie

Eric

[Tome3]

Talk about ringing out the year with a bang! The JVC 990 and then this Denon combo.

[joerod]

Halfway there! Got the 4810 today...

[Robert Zohn]

Very very cool indeed. This is absolutely the greatest stuff, especially for the truest High-Def-Junkies, aka HDJ; so all of our members and visitors can enjoy.

BTW, you visitors need to join and make this your home for HT and for us to have a continuing dialog with the man himself, Senior Don Joerod is nothing short of amazing...

My hat's off to ya Joe

Thanks Joerod!

-Robert

[joerod]

Very very cool indeed. This is absolutely the greatest stuff, especially for the truest High-Def-Junkies, aka HDJ; so all of our members and visitors can enjoy.

BTW, you visitors need to join and make this your home for HT and for us to have a continuing dialog with the man himself, Senior Don Joerod is nothing short of amazing...

My hat's off to ya Joe

Thanks Joerod!

-Robert

No, thank you.

I am already hard at work on the 4810CI and can't wait to start typing the Review. Will the 4810CI be my "Receiver Of The Year" choice? Stay tuned...

[Tome3]

Can't wait. Inquiring minds want to know!

[joerod]

Can't wait. Inquiring minds want to know!

Maybe Christmas weekend or at least between the Holidays will be a good time to post it. It will give us something to talk about during the Holiday Season.

[TopmeTom]

Top idea that, not a lot happens in that period..

[joerod]

And it's up.

[jay]

Great review joerod!!!

[joerod]

Great review joerod!!!

I tried to post it last night (really late) and for some reason it didn't post. Then when I was finally able to get it posted there were a few paragraphs missing! You may want to gloss back over it because it is now 100% showing. I am chalking it up to the crazy weather we are having. Staying online is like riding a bucking bronco lately.

Thanks though.

[GOS]

Awesome review Joe! Damn, I want this thing. I'm a Denon (AVR) junkie...

[joerod]

Awesome review Joe! Damn, I want this thing. I'm a Denon (AVR) junkie...

It is hard to resist.

[Robert Zohn]

I have Denon's AVR4810 in my personal Cinema and we love it. We're driving 13 speakers; 9.4. We upgraded the a/v in our theater to JVC's HD550 and Panamorph's dedicated anamorphic lens that is specially designed for JVC projectors.

11 of the 13 speakers are built-in. For the front L/R/C I have Tru-Audio's Big Bad Boys and the heights are Pioneer's 10" Elite in-ceiling. The surround rear and backs are 10" Tru-Audio RV in-ceiling. Two of the 4 subs are front in-wall Definitive Technology and the two rear subs are Velodyne's DD12s. I'm using two Def Tech 1600 watt sub amps with Velodyne's sub woofer processor to manage the 4 subs.

I just became a SMS screen dealer for their acoustically transparent screens as they make a fantastic woven fabric that performs very well to pass audio without degrading the video. I had the opportunity to do a shoot-out against Joe Kanes' Affinity Da-lite screen and Stewart's Studio Tech 100. Joe Kane's Affinity and Stewart's Studio Tech 100 looked very close to each other and just a tad better than SMX's woven screen.

We treated all of the walls with custom built panels that are filled with convoluted foam and covered with black felt fabric. The ceiling is black acoustic tiles. The room is fairly dead, but has enough reflected surfaces from the frames, wall sconces and theater motif to make the audio come alive. The theater is absolutely amazing. I have never experienced a better a/v set-up and we build hundreds of high-end theaters annually. I try to get my clients to be a/v purests, but when you are dealing with a family you need to be sensitive to their goals and design tastes, whereas when I designed my Cinema the first consideration was the best possible a/v for the money we invested.

Denon's AVR4810 has plenty of solid clean horsepower to drive a large system of high-end speakers and deliver a full dynamic tonal range that will satisfy the most demanding audiophiles. When it rains or a helicopter fly overhead you feel it above you. The room is evenly filled with audio and all in the right places to greatly enhance your Hollywood Blu-ray experience. Overall a fantastic performance at a very affordable price.

Enjoy!

-Robert

[Tome3]

The Denon 4810 looks like it is the receiver to beat. Like clockwork Joerod you've written another strong and memorable review. Good thing I don't keep chickens.

I look forward to next year and can't wait to read your next review.

[organm]

Joe,

I was considering the Onkyo 1007, 3007 or 5007. What what I can interpret from your comments you have been an Onkyo person for a few years now.

Is it fair to say that your rank the Denon a little higher than the Onkyo's?


Mark

[joerod]

The Denon 4810 looks like it is the receiver to beat. Like clockwork Joerod you've written another strong and memorable review. Good thing I don't keep chickens.

I look forward to next year and can't wait to read your next review.

Thanks for your kind words. I appreciate it.

[joerod]

Joe,

I was considering the Onkyo 1007, 3007 or 5007. What what I can interpret from your comments you have been an Onkyo person for a few years now.

Is it fair to say that your rank the Denon a little higher than the Onkyo's?


Mark

Yes. I chose the Denon over all the latest from Onkyo including their new Pre-Pro. It just is the complete package. From the GUI to scaling to sound it does an excellent job. I am not telling everyone to dump their Onkyo units but I am saying if you don't currently own one I would take the 4810 over them.

[organm]

Joe,

Thanks for the advice. I think I will take a little time to look more closely at the Denon.

Also, I have a post in the AMPS & Receivers section relating to "External Blue Ray Decoder with Older Receiver".

If you get a chance could you please advise on this. Just wondering if this is a worthwhile interim solution for getting HD audio before I get a new receiver.


Thanks

Mark

[joerod]

Joe,

Thanks for the advice. I think I will take a little time to look more closely at the Denon.

Also, I have a post in the AMPS & Receivers section relating to "External Blue Ray Decoder with Older Receiver".

If you get a chance could you please advise on this. Just wondering if this is a worthwhile interim solution for getting HD audio before I get a new receiver.


Thanks

Mark

Just checked it out and yes you can use the analog outs and have the player decode the sound formats. You don't have to spend a lot of money these days to get a good quality receiver with HDMI inputs that will allow Bitstreaming of your Blu ray titles. Even the Onkyo RC 160 or 607 will get the job done for a very reasonable price. Something else to think about...

[organm]

Thanks Joe,

Yes the more I think about it the receiver options does seem like the way to go. Just thought the Blue Ray would provide a cheap solution until I bought a new receiver.

I have my system set-up in a Family Room that is pretty big but never the less it is not a dedicated HT room. From your experience would I be kidding myself going for the 9.2 Onkyo's or the Denon 4810?

Should I be going for say the Denon 2310 or 3310 or the Onkyo 707 or 807.

We always want better but in a lot of cases it is not necessarily warranted or beneficial.

Your thoughts please.


Mark

[joerod]

Thanks Joe,

Yes the more I think about it the receiver options does seem like the way to go. Just thought the Blue Ray would provide a cheap solution until I bought a new receiver.

I have my system set-up in a Family Room that is pretty big but never the less it is not a dedicated HT room. From your experience would I be kidding myself going for the 9.2 Onkyo's or the Denon 4810?

Should I be going for say the Denon 2310 or 3310 or the Onkyo 707 or 807.

We always want better but in a lot of cases it is not necessarily warranted or beneficial.

Your thoughts please.


Mark

Actually room size and the amount of speakers you are going to do should both be taken into consideration. Sure the 4810 is
up there" but you don't have to spend that much to achieve terrific sound. I like the 4810 because it allows my set up to be very flexible. Depending on what you have and how many displays you are doing it could easily be overkill. Have thought about doing Height speakers? The 707 and 807 are a very cost effective (key word effective) way to go.