Home Theater Ace

DENON AVR-X3800H AV RECEIVER REVIEW

- Daniel Kumin

FOR AT least two decades now, designers have been managing to deliver more and more features, power, and audio/video finesse, for fewer and fewer dollars-or at least, no more-with every passing model year. Denon's latest lineup ably illustrates the trend and the one in the spotlight here, the $1700 AVR-X3800H, is going to hit a lot of budget sweetspots. It's the least costly model in the range with the nine-channels power needed for a full Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Auro-3D or otherbrand object-oriented surround implementation on board.

The X3800H includes nearly every other critical checklist item: HDMI 2.1 on all inputs and outputs; 8K video-capable and 4K up-converting; multi-subwoofer integration and room-correction via top-level Audyssey processing, with Dirac Live as an extra-cost option.

Denon and Marantz are stablemates, and in fact the X3800H is generally similar, not to say identical, to the Marantz Cinema 50 that appeared in this space a couple of issues back. And like the Marantz, the Denon delivers access to both Audyssey XT32 and Dirac Live room/speaker/sub correction systems, with Dirac being a $259/$349 (limited/fullbandwidth) add-on owners can activate online. (The Audyssey vs. Dirac debate will rage until the Internet turns to pixel-dust: I've achieved excellent, and at the end of the day functionally very similar, results from both systems, though they use different geek-level DSPs to get there, undertake essentially the same measurement and equalization processes.)

Another commonality is participation in the Marantz/Denon HEOS streaming/multiroom ecosystem, which we'll revisit briefly a bit further along.