Denon AVR4310CI VS Sony STRDA 5400ES

[admin_exported]

Greetings!
I was wondering if anyone knows if the Denon 4310 sounds the same as the Denon 3808.
I have two young children and another on the way. I've only had the time to visit a hifi shop months ago where I heard an A/B between the Pioneer SC07 and the Denon 3808. The Pioneer was warm and dynamic but the Denon was a detail king! Has anyone here heard the Sony STRDA5400ES A/B'd vs the Denon AVR4310CI?
By the way, nobody in any forum has mentioned... although the 4310 is a direct replacement for the 3808 power wise, the lighter weight of the 4310 is due to new technology...according to Denon Canada. The Sony is sold for a third less money in Canada than the receivers it was compared to in the last What HiFi group test! Is the Sony STRDA5400ES sold in the UK UK tuned maybe? Anyway, I have a detailed comparison list between the new Denon models if anyone is interested in seeing them. The Denon 4310 for example has one AL24 chip for each and every 7 channels...go detail go!!!
Thanks!

 

[wireman]

I haven't heard a 4310 (or a 3808 for that matter), but it's unlikely they sound the same. Older Denon models were generally criticised for being a bit 'safe' sounding, whereas, of the few new models thus far reviewed both here and in the States, that issue largely seems to have been addressed.

I note also you're talking about the 4310CI - that's the US version. Many of the American Denon variants are released in two versions, the CI which stands for Custom Installer, and a lesser model with some features and connections stripped out. Certainly, the UK AVR-2310 is not the same animal as the American AVR-2310CI, nor is that the same as the Amercian 7xx (which is the stripped-out version of the 2310) - all sell for different amounts, which is understandable given that they each have different features (aside from any currency and import issues). Check the rear-panel pictures on each of Denon's Country-specific web-sites to confirm some of the visible differences as to features and connections. Whether there's any audible differences too, I don't know. But if Denon's 4310 model line follows the same theme (and I don't know that it does), comparing specifications, real-world perfromance, features and prices of a US/Canadian 4310CI with a UK 4310 may be akin to comparing apples with oranges. Whether Sony have different, Country-specific models masquerading under the same model number too I don't know, but don't be misled by what you read on other forums: Americans (or Canadians) talking about a Denon AVR-4310 aren't necessarily referring to the same product offered here in the UK!

 

[Anonymous]

Those were all very good points wireman! I was wondering as well whether the Sony STRDA5400ES, which retails for $1700-2000(new msrp) CAD (Canadian dollars)/$1300 with haggling, is worth considering over the Denon AVR4310CI which retails for $2600/$2000-2300 CAD with haggling, considering the review from What HiFi's last group test and the price difference. I won't get a chance to listen to the Sony any time soon due to the aforementioned reasons.
By the way, the STRDA6400 is a seperate model from the STRDA5400 in the United States. The STRDA6400 is not available in Canada. Many people on this forum are under the impression that the STRDA6400 is replacing the STRDA5400... As well, the picture of the back side of the STRDA5400 on sony.co.uk versus the picture of the STRDA5400 on sony.ca/sony.com shows that the UK version has less imputs and lacks the ES badging on the front fascia. Is the reason that the UK version is more expensive because it is UK tuned?
Anyway, I've almost lost track there! I am very interested in the Denon in fact.
Thanks!

 

[TKratz]

I don't think the DA6400 is so expensive in the UK. I have seen it for a price around 1500£

It is not like Denmark where you have to pay 50% extra for DA6400 compared to the DA5400...

 

[Andrew Everard]

john7:Many people on this forum are under the impression that the STRDA6400 is replacing the STRDA5400...

Yes, just to clarify: the 6400 doesn't replace the 5400. Instead it offers more CI-friendly features, so has been brought into the UK in limited numbers to satisfy requests from the installation industry.