AVR-988 Customer Reviews.

You will agree with the high star avr-988 reviews that customers rated the Denon AVR-988 at.  Audio and video aficionados will recognize the fact that this is pure quality of Denon at an affordable price.   Dolby Digital sound, FLi2320 video processor and ease of set up make this beauty a no brainer. 

This system is compatible with XM satellite radio receivers as well as iPod technology.  You’ll find it very easy to use with third party controllers if you happen to be pairing this with more home audio equipment. Like any smart shopper, you will appreciate the honest reviews of other happy customers. Join the growing list of happy customers of the Denon AVR-988. 

Reviews on the Denon AVR-988 highly rate this product. Of the 19 reviews on Amazon, 16 purchasers give it a 5 or 4 star rating and 3 customer give it a lower rating. The biggest problem seems to be defective units which have be replaced immediately with express shipping. When shopping any electronic product reviews are important to help you decide what model to purchase. It appears the AVR-988 reviews are highly rated. Below are the more current reviews.

Current AVR-988 Reviews.

Excellent quality and value!

I have been using the Denon AVR-988 for a month now. Excellent sound, build quality and aesthetics. Reviewers before have covered many points, so I'll just address the following:

- Shipping experience: I had opted for next-day delivery. The receiver arrived as promised in original factory packaging. There were a couple of nicks and dents in the box, but nothing significant.

- Hook up: Didn't take too long to set up the system. I see many comments on the user manual being complicated etc, but if you have dealt with any A/V receiver before, there isn't a whole lot different here. In fact, you probably don't need the manual at all to hook up your components.

- Audessey set up: The first time you need to consult the manual is to figure out how to start the Audessey auto set up. Specifically, you just need to know how to get your On-Screen menu display going, and after this, you can just follow the instructions. The system can take up to 8 measurements, but I needed only 3. This took a few minutes.

- Remote: As with most receivers today, the remote is cryptic and requires some figuring out. Especially, the 988 remote has a hidden set of buttons in the back, where some of the useful functions are kept (why put it in the back?) Also, it has a weird slider switch mechanism to select components to control other components like CD, which is odd. The remote could have been better, but this is no big deal considering many other positives.

Overall, I'd suggest that people don't get put off by prior comments on set up and complexity. Even if you're not familiar with A/V receivers, this is just a one-time effort.

- Build: Solid build quality in terms of weight of the unit, and the feel of it as you lift it and operate it. Note that this unit is made in Japan, not in China or Malaysia (unusual nowadays to find such products).

- Aesthetics: Very nice to look at, buttons are hidden under a flap, and the display is clear and functional (no jazzy colored lights). Of course, like all receivers, you have to go up close to read the volume level, active channels, but looks good overall.

- Sound: I have a 3.1 set up (don't like to run wires for rear speakers), and the sound quality from both stereo and 5.1 sources is crystal clear, nuanced, with tight bass. You don't have to jack up the volume too much (I mostly listen at -40 DB, the receiver goes up to +18DB). Some DVDs require me to raise the volume to about -25DB, that's the max I have gone so far in a medium sized room. Receiver automatically determines the type of source (Stereo, digital, etc), and plays it accordingly. Audessey automatically sets the tone controls, but there is also bass and treble settings you can manually adjust (plus levels of all 7.1 channels). Overall, extremely pleased with the sound. Pleasure to watch movies like Matrix with both great instrumental sound and effects, or listen to music.

- Running it for hours: I sometimes have it on for several hours, and the unit just barely gets warm. Compare this to Onkyo heating/flaming issues, and this is another reason to consider buying this unit.

In summary, as someone said before, this is a $1200 unit selling for less than half the price. It's not much different from the new 989 or 2809, at half the price! Great value, IMO, and I recommend 988 whole-heartedly.

J.B. 4/7/08

 My second Denon

Sent my first Denon (3802) and component HDTV home with my daughter. Got the Denon AVR-988 and new Samsung, what a beauty. Ease of use was greatly enhanced with the addition of the OPPO hdmi switch. So much easier to use.

C.M. 9/27/08

 Awesome Receiver,

Denon is one of the receivers out there, and the AVR-988 will make your 5.1 system sound awesome. Im using a Bose Acoustimass 10 system, Playstation 3, XM radio, and 40" Samsung 720p (Hope to upgrade to 1080p soon). Amazon's advertised price of $599.00 was a steal. Everyone else had it for at least $799.00. You wont be disappointed.

Z.M. 9/20/08

Great Receiver

It takes a great deal of patience to set up this receiver but once finished, it's a winner. It's, I feel a little overly compicated for the average audiofile, but needless to say it covers everything. I would not suggest anyone to try and set up without going through the instructions completely. And that can be a task, but, I repeat, it's worth it. I have had four Onkyo receivers and this is better than any of the Onkyo's I've had. The remote sucks, whoever designed it should not design any more, just go and collect garbage, because,in my opinion, that all he's capable of. But in spite of that, I still give it a five because there is many remotes out there that will do what you need to do. I use one of them, and only use the Denon in rare cases. Bottom line, I think it's top notch, and maybe the many reveiws about the remote will result in an improvement.

Ed 9/3/08