As far as i know denon is a very good brand and even their entry level products are very good. Yamaha AVR's are bright and hence the perception is they are better sounding. It also depends on the speakers which are being driven by the avr. A bright speaker paired with a bright avr may sound very harsh. I can say that denon is a balance not really as balanced as the marantz avr. But in my opinion, denon avrs are warm and offer decent amount of punch as well. I heard a pioneer avr and a denom avr side by side connected to the same speakers. I found denon maintaining a balance between harsh and very soft. I also have heard a marantz avr and its a complete balance. Its a soft and smooth avr more suited for music. When i heard yamaha, onkyo, harman kardon, denon, pioneer, marantz avr though not on the same set of speakers i found the rating to be in my opinion as.
1. Marantz
2. Denon
3. Onkyo
4. Harman Kardon
5. Yamaha
6. Pioneer
