Despite what my wife says, I am seldom wrong, and I say that this will be Denon's biggest selling amp of the year. Sure, its big brother, the 4308 is bristling with even more technology, but the bottom line is that many people simply don't need 2 HDMI outs, DAB radio or wireless network capability. For those people, the 3808 offers very similar performance to the 4308, at a significantly lower price. As such, the 3808 is about the only amp that can go 12 rounds with Onkyo's excellent TX-SR875 and come out unscathed.

This is exactly what you would expect from an amplifier that is the latest in a long line of bockbuster Home Cinema amps from Denon, stretching back nearly a decade. It has exactly the right blend of performance and facilities, with four HDMI in, one out, full HDMI 1.3 and True HD compliance, advanced DCDi Faroudja video scaling to 1080p, double transformer configuration, network capability, excellent iPod connectivity (via optional iPod dock) and two USB ports. That would be reason enough to buy one, but there is another important factor to consider here - although the RRP of this unit is £1300, our Hot Deal of £1099 brings it to within £100 of the 875's price, which gives it a much better chance of competing with the Onkyo.