With so many different Denon AVR's out there, the dizzying number of different model number designations can be very confusing. However, once you understand the Denon nomenclature for numbering their receivers, things make a little more sense.

The first thing to learn is that Denon puts out two parallel receiver lineups, with four-digit and three-digit model numbers. The primary difference is the retail distribution: four-digit models are generally sold by high end stereo shops and custom installers, whereasthe three-digit models are the "consumer" version sold in retail outlets like Circuit City and Fry's.

However, there is ZERO difference in terms of power, specs, sound quality, build quality, etc. between the two lines!! Denon has been doing this for years, it is exactly analagous to the Yamaha "HTR" and "RX-V" parallel receiver lines. But each 3-digit/4-digit "twin" model will have IDENTICAL internals; do NOT believe any marketing B.S. that the 4-digit models have higher quality components.

There will usually be one or two minor differences to differentiate the three-digit and four-digit models. In general, the four-digit versions will add a couple of "custom installer friendly" features like an RS-232 serial port, slightly more flexible multizone options, 12V triggers, or a room-to-room remote jack. There is also typically a slight cosmetic difference between the two lines.

Note that this "parallel" numbering scheme only applies to the "consumer level" Denons that you will find in retail shops, basically everything up to the 33xx/9xx level. The higher end models (basically anything at the 4xxx level and up), with their bigger prices and narrower market, don't get a "consumer" version.

Now that you understand that the three-digit and four-digit models are "parallel" lineups, you are ready to learn the number scheme:

• The FIRST number (or first two numbers on four-digit models) tells you the "level" of the receiver. So for three-digit models, the 8xx is one step up from the 7xx, which is one step up from the 6xx. For four-digit models, the 23xx is above the 19xx, which is above the 16xx, and so forth.

• The LAST number is the model year. So, for example, the 789 is last year's (2009 model) 7XX level receiver, and the 790 is THIS year's (2010 model) 7XX level receiver, and the new 791 is the brand-new 2011 model. If it ends in "1", it's a brand new model.

That's pretty much it! So, if you are at Best Buy and you see the brand-new 1911 model, but there is also a special on the 2310CI model, you now know that the 1911 (ends in "11") is one year newer than the 2310 (ends in "10"), but the 2310 is a higher-end model than the 1911 (the first two numbers are bigger, the 23xx series is above the 19xx series). So you'd be comparing a higher-end closeout model from last year versus a lower-end but new model.

The following table gives info on the three-digit vs. four-digit model equivalents, going back to the xx07 models (the first year that HDMI and Audyssey were fully implemented in the consumer lineup). Note that, since xx10, every Denon AVR model has complete HD audio ability throughout the entire lineup!

While I do have a "real" job, this website and all its content was created for free during my spare time. This is not a commercial website and I am in no way an AV professional. I do this because I enjoy learning about AV stuff and helping people out, and the contents and helpful hints found here are free for all to use.

However, if you found it useful, consider throwing a small donation my way to help me cover costs like web hosting, domain registration, time, etc. Maybe think about how much you would be willing to spend on a "Denon for Dummies" type book, and how much it would have cost to have a professional installer come over to set up your Denon.

Thanks for stopping by, and good luck with your Denon!