Denon AVR-5308CI (2008)

The Denon AVR-5308CI was Denon's flagship A/V surround receiver for 2008. It was built to compete at the very top of the market against the Marantz SR-9600 and Onkyo TX-NR5000. It weighs 58.1 lbs and measures 17-3/16" wide by 9-1/4" high by 21-3/4" deep. Big box, no way around it.

Power output is rated at 150 watts across all seven channels. Sound & Vision noted the receiver is rated at 140 Wpc in Surround Sound mode and 170 Wpc in Stereo mode (20Hz - 20kHz, 0.05% THD, 8 ohms).

On the video side, the 5308CI has HDMI 1.4 inputs with 4K upscaling and 3D pass-through, plus ISF calibration. Audio processing includes Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Pro Logic IIz, Audyssey DSX, and Audyssey MultEQ XT32 room correction with Dynamic Volume and Dynamic EQ, all running on a 32-bit DSP. It also has Denon Link HD for connection to compatible Denon disc players.

The 5308CI is remembered as one of Denon's finest pre/pro units, with high build quality and a deep feature set. The secondary market comes with caveats. HDMI board failures are a known issue, Denon no longer supports the model, and the unit's weight can stress internal connectors over time. Parts availability is limited, though collectors still seek the receiver out.

Known specs:

Power output: 150 W × 7 (140 Wpc Surround, 170 Wpc Stereo, 20Hz–20kHz, 0.05% THD, 8 ohms)
Dimensions: 17-3/16" W × 9-1/4" H × 21-3/4" D
Weight: 58.1 lbs / 26.4 kg