Denon 7-Channel Home Theater Receiver AVR-4306

My Denon AVR 4306 was bought new back in December 2006 and at that time, the reciever was fantastic! It is 7.1 compatible and best of all, it has RCA channel outputs so I can connect it to my Emotiva amp. The 4306 gives plenty of power per channel however, and to be honest, I didn't really notice much increase in output when I connect my AVR to my amp, then to the speakers. Since this review is old, I will point out that back in 2006, the AVR was amazing, but things have come a long ways since 2006 in the A/V world! It has HDMI upconversion to 1080p, but it doesn't offer 4k compatibility, nor does it offer 3D or the lossless audio codecs. I would love to buy a new AVR to replace this one, and soon I believe I will. Anyone looking for a great amp, should consider the Denon line, and back in 2006, this receiver was amazing.Here are some Pros:1. Excellent audio2. Plenty of watts per channel3. Easy to setup4. Backlit remote5. Tons of connectivity features on the backAnd here are some Cons:1. Doesn't offer 3D2. Doesn't offer Audio Return Channel3. Doesn't process DD True HD or DTS MA4. No Airplay option5. Not compatible with 4k resolutionConclusion:In 2006, this AVR was a beast of a receiver, one that has lasted me up to this date, 10/28/2013. Along the way, I've wanted to upgrade my reciever, but then I end up sticking with what I have because of how well it performs. So do yourself a favor and look at the Denon lineup for your next AVR.Josh

I agree with pretty much every review here already done. This receiver is a tank, sounds great, but you must buy it knowing that you will be challenging yourself.To put it this way, this receiver has been integrated into my home theater for 9 months and I sill find myself tweaking it to make it sound better.Overall, I'm happy with it but wish I had bought the slightly newer model "CI" that supports 1080p upconversion since my projector supports it. But that's the my issue, not the receivers, and you always face that problem buying technology.

I've had my share of maddening electronics products, but this one is probably the worst. The interface is terrible, so I usually would use the web interface (bad as that is, it's better than using the remote). But then the ethernet port stopped working. I've been using it to HDMI switch my sources but have noticed gradually degrading video quality. I directly connected a source to the TV and it was dramatically better, so I decided to stop video switching through the 4306. But that required me to route audio to the optical inputs of the 4306, and for some reason I can only get those inputs to accept stereo input. So my choice with the 4306 is poor video with 5.1 audio, or good video with stereo audio. I'll probably need to buy an external HDMI switch/splitter to keep using this thing.I give it one more star because of the 5.1 analog input. Everything else about it is decidedly one star.

I agree with all the good things that have been said and I have just a few brief comments to add.The remote takes time to get used to. I had to call Denon Support a few times for more than a year every now and then to learn what I needed. Now I love it.My manual is dog-earred. It has to be because there were times that I found what I needed when Denon Support was either dead wrong and/or unaware of what I needed to know. I don't always get the technical stuff right away, but if I put the time in, its almost always in the manual. Denon Support is less than perfect. They are sometimes a little abrupt, short tempered, can take forever to get through to, and sometimes just plain wrong. However, I'll give them a B+ at worst because God knows, I've called them enough and I usually get the right answer.I'm sold on Denon and I'm looking forward to a new 4810. Another nice thing about Denon is that there are few radial changes in recent years and jumping up a notch or two is OK from the standpoint that you are not going to be completely confused, quite the contrary the newer models seem to build on the previous.If I can't get a new Denon soon I'll still be happy with my 4306.

As a 4306 owner, I agree with many of the comments by previous reviewers. Sound and video quality are excellent, HDMI switching works fine. Tons of features and somewhat complex to set up. The manual is marginal in many respects.As stated in previous reviews, the remote control is not very good, but you'll probably want to use a good universal remote if you have more than a few units in your system.My big problem with the 4306 is this. When playing my Sony VCR through the Denon composite video input, the 4306 often completely freezes and displays only green and/or yellow vertical lines on the screen. This cannot be corrected with the remote control. You have to go to the 4306 and manually cycle it off/on in order to restore normal operation. This is a significant glitch in a high-priced product like the 4306.I also discovered that the 4306 does not provide audio line outputs. I want to listen to headphones while the main speakers are turned lower or off. (I'm hard of hearing, my wife is not). The preamp outputs are controlled by the same knob as the main speakers. Turn the main speakers down or off and you turn the preamp out levels down or off. Plug the wireless headphone base unit into the heaphone jack on the 4306 and it completely disconnects the main speakers. There doesn't seem to be a clean solution.Aside from the above problems, I am satisfied with the performance of the 4306.

So far it been great. Hooked to a Denon Blu ray and very easy to command.