Following up - alrighty! I found a great deal at an authorized online Denon dealer and pulled the trigger on the 4310. I was also able to purchase an extra two years of warranty coverage for 40% off their usual price, so will at least have peace of mind for the next four year! I still can't get the Denon support person to respond to my last two questions, but don't really care since I happened upon the same person's name responding to an inquirer that the Denon would NOT drive 4 ohm speakers. Probably just some technical liability thing or something since so many here have enjoyed Denon's running Axioms. I'll probably send the unit in to an authorized repair place this summer, but may not want to sell it. I could put it in the living room or keep it in case I have to send the 4310 in. The 3808 does strike me as a unique offering among receivers and I am still glad to have used it for a few years until this final blow. I still have one nagging question for Alan or someone knowledgeable:
Could my speaker have been damaged from this episode? When I briefly swapped it with the left channel, sound was emitted, but I didn't listen but a second to confirm that - didn't think to see if there were any qualitative changes. I also do not understand how my touching the surround of a speaker could cause the short/protection circuit activation situation. Do I need to worry about the Axiom while I await the new receiver? Thanks if you can help me close the door on this chapter! I'm sure I'll have some SNAFU's when installing the 4310, so would like to at least resolve this in my head before approaching the next thing. Thanks again to everyone.
Laura
