The AVR-2807 is the latest in a wide range of Denon multichannel amps and receivers that seems to cover just about every possible requirement at almost every price level. Making a choice is just a matter of choosing an appropriate feature set and deciding how much you want to pay.

Denon has this type of hierarchical design pat. What it has done is to design a small number of basic mainframes which are then customised using a number of bolt-on features, often proprietary. As a result, they tend to share not only many of their fundamental features, but performance levels tend to be a fairly common factor too, with comparably priced models sounding broadly similar. And so it is in this case.

The AVR-2807 is a 7.1-channel receiver which can be run in a 5.1-channel configuration, with two channels devoted to a second zone and the possibility of biamplifying - see Practical Tip. Compared to its direct predecessor, the AVR-2805, the new model adds analogue video upconversion (but not signal upscaling), Audyssey MultEQ calibration, and iPod compatibility (using the Denon branded iPod ASD-1R dock). An additional component monitor output means that in multiroom systems, two high-quality outputs are available. It's worth noting that the HDMI interface won't work reliably at ranges longer than 10m, which is soon used up when cabling around walls.

HDMI connectivity, which the whole industry has been getting behind in a big way, is one of the key elements of the AVR-2807 story. The HDMI sub-system has two inputs, so you can connect two sources, a DVD/HD DVD/Blu-ray player and a Sky HD box, for example. There's only one output but that's what you'll need to deliver pictures to your HD Ready screen. Even if the input to the Denon comes from an analogue source - composite, S-video or component - the signal can be sent to the screen in digital form via HDMI. The standard used here will also stream stereo or digital multichannel audio (depending on disc format).

Interestingly, the AVR-2807 can handle Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 and 7.1 from HD DVD via HDMI when converted to PCM. Apparently, most receivers with HDMI v.1.1 can do 5.1 in PCM via HDMI. Denon models from the AVR-2807 upwards can also do 7.1 channels.