SHOULD I BUY an 8K Receiver? A REAL Denon HOME THEATER Receiver Review
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- Опубліковано 29 чер 2024
- ✅ 🛒 3700H: bit.ly/3apHyLM, bit.ly/D37008K (recommend over S960H)
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Following this 2020 review, it was found that there were significant problems with the HDMI boards in the entire S960H line as well as in other AV receivers which affected many major brands.
► SHOP OUR RECOMMENDED DENON RECEIVERS
Denon 1700H: bit.ly/3P5xM3C
Denon 2700H: bit.ly/2YGnTVo, amzn.to/3lF4J9q
Denon 3700H: bit.ly/3apHyLM, bit.ly/D37008K
Denon 4700H: amzn.to/2QJBFiL
Denon 6700H: amzn.to/2YV07lG
► SHOP THE AVR-S960H 8K DENON HOME THEATER RECEIVER (REVIEWED HERE)
DENON AVR-S960H 7.2 CHANNEL 8K RECEIVER: bit.ly/3Afpdfm, bit.ly/D9608K
► TESTING THE DENON AVR-S960H RECEIVER
8K TV
LG 8K 75” Smart TV: bit.ly/LG8K99TV
SPEAKERS
Definitive Technology ProCinema 6D System: amzn.to/2F7q5eA
Q Acoustics 3050i Home Theater Package: bit.ly/Q3050HT
Q Acoustics 3050i Tower Speakers: bit.ly/3050iFLW
Q Acoustics Center Channel Speaker: amzn.to/2DnnUDs
Jamo Home Cinema System: bit.ly/803HCS
Jamo 810 Subwoofer: bit.ly/Jamo810
Jamo C97ii Towers: bit.ly/C97II
Wharfedale 85th Anniv. Bookshelf Speakers: amzn.to/2QqJs4V
RECORD PLAYER
Fluance RT85 Turntable: bit.ly/RT85player
SOURCES
PS4: bit.ly/RAPS4
MOVIES & GAMING
JoJo Rabbit in 4K: amzn.to/31O0rob
Midway in 4K: amzn.to/3lEUBxl
Lego Movie 2: amzn.to/2DwgHB4
Last of Us II: bit.ly/Pt2Last
► COMPARABLE HOME THEATER RECEIVERS
AV RECEIVERS
Marantz SR5015 8K 7.2 Channel Receiver: amzn.to/31XDQ92
Marantz NR1711 7.2 CH 8K AV Receiver: amzn.to/3bq8dYu
Sony STN-DR1080 7.2 Channel 4K Receiver (best value): bit.ly/STRDN1080
Yamaha Aventage A1080 7.2 Channel Receiver (better): bit.ly/YA1080R
Yamaha Aventage A3080 9 Channel (best): bit.ly/Yamaha3080, bit.ly/3a4MaI1
Yamaha RX-V6A: bit.ly/3cSYuuY
Onkyo 5100: amzn.to/3rRWM4l, bit.ly/3rS3ZBp
ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS
LG SOUNDBAR SYSTEM: bit.ly/LGSN11sb
SENNHEISER AMBEO: bit.ly/35yLQO1
► DENON 8K RECEIVER REVIEW
SHOULD I BUY an 8K Receiver? A REAL Denon HOME THEATER Receiver Review
Being an early adopter of any new tech has its ups and downs. Hiccups along the way are to be expected. You may even be wondering “should I buy an 8K receiver?” This honest look at Denon’s new AVR-S960H 8K receiver is everything you need to know about this line of new Denon receivers for home theater in 2020 to help you find the best receiver for 8K TV.
When building a home theater system, most people shop for the best home theater receiver for the money. The new S960H 8K receiver was high on our list of Denon home theater receivers for our new LG 8K TV. How it would stack up against our favorite AV receiver, the Sony STNDR1080? Surely a new 2020 receiver would best our several year old Sony receiver. The 4k vs 8k, Sony vs Denon battle should easily go to the Denon, but did it?
★ MORE ANDREW ROBINSON REVIEWS
➔ SONY STN-DR1080 Home Theater Receiver Review: • BUDGET Dolby Atmos HOM...
➔ Yamaha Aventage A3080 Receiver Review: • BEST High End AV Recei...
➔ LG 8K 75” TV Review: • HOW GOOD are 8K TVs? N...
➔ LG Soundbar Review: • The TV SOUNDBAR BETTER...
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#denon #hometheater #8k - Наука та технологія
*✅Following this 2020 review, it was discovered that there were significant problems with the HDMI boards in the entire S line as well as in other AV receivers which affected many major brands.*
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Wait a while for them to get good!
@@martinvegas1327 I think at a minimum I'd wait until 2021 for these.
@@martinvegas1327 or pour a very stiff drink first. On second thought, make that several.
Thanks for the review Andrew. Wow, disappointing to see Denon release the unit so buggy. I'm a fan of them though, I love my ageing AVR-3312.
@@MrWu1f Historically, Denon has been a great company and I've loved A LOT of their products over the years, so hopefully this is just an isolated incident or one-off experience. Thanks for watching!
I cannot agree with this review at all. I had the 960h for a year now and I have to say that I'm super happy with it. 4k 120hz works great with a PS5 (you might not care about 8k for a while, but 4k 120hz requires same bandwidth as 8K and same ports and it is very very relevant today if you have a console or a PC), HDMI switching is flawless, audio quality is actually very decent (obviously it is a $800 receiver, cannot compare it to $5k ones) but the comment saying that it sounds worse than the TV speakers...made this review loose complete credibility in this channel. Agree that the interface looks like from the 90s. Im a trained musician, have been exposed to both consumer grade, pro and audiophile equipment through my life, and my takeaway is that this is a great entry level receiver for the price
I think I will wait for 16K.
I for one, count on your honesty and clarity (must be hard to find proper descriptive words when trying to break down how to describe a sound or an image for someone else to understand). You have become my reference source for any item I would consider upgrading my system with - full stop.
Thank you for providing us with the reality of this product on what was a clearly painful review.
It's definitely easier and more fun to review a product we love. Thank you so much for watching.
People complaining about these 8k/60hz receivers, while ingnoring that its bandwidth allows for 4k 120hz...
Don't overlook the crossover adjustment! It's set at 120HZ. Change it to 80HZ for front, center and surrounds. The lower frequencies will go to the subwoofer. The sound is great now. 👍
HEY andrew, GREAT review on the DENON !!!! I am STILL TO THIS DAY loving my AVR 5805 !!!! HOLY HELL ...what a MONSTER..
Thank you for being honest! So refreshing especially in the audiophile world.
I appreciate your honesty in this one, thanks for the review. I imagine the higher tier models would perform much better...but curious to know!
I've found it is necessary to play Andrew Robinson videos at 1.25 speed in order to simulate the speed of a normal person speaking. :D
I had a Denon 4k receiver and the power amp was so crummy. They even made Klipsch La Scalas sound blurred, compressed, and distant. It only survived for a year of light use and I was relieved when it died completely. Never again.
Good job! If you dont occasionally take something to task, then folks start questioning the good reviews for authenticity. At least I do. You've always been forthright, though I've seen an occasional softball, and that's one of the reasons I keep coming back to your videos.
i loved my Marantz from 12 years ago but I don't have that anymore. This review was brutally honest and I appreciate that.
Denon after watching this review: Damn, we should have sent him our flagship!
I have this receiver and have none of the issues you've talked about. On certain recordings the mid range will get a bit muddled but overall I find it to be a capable and pleasing sounding receiver.
As far as heat radiating from the Denon I don't have that problem. I leave it on all the time and when I play it hard it's not hot whatsoever.
My other system is comprised of an Ayre amp,
VPI Superscoutmaster turntable, Audio Research Preamp, Rega Apollo CD player, and Infinity Intermezzo 4.1T Towers with Audioquest wires.
Similar experience for me. I swapped out a dead Yamaha HTR-6080 with this unit. It runs cooler than the old Yamaha. In my case, running in a 3.1 config, I find the bass and midrange very clear, but has far less high frequency clarity than the Yamaha. The old Yamaha worked better at low volumes, but I find with this Denon that it gets better with volume. It likes to be loud. One difference though, is that I was using the Samsung TV as a 4K switcher and used optical. On the Denon, I use it as a switcher now, and get signal from TV via HDMI. Not sure how much difference that makes. It's taking a bit of getting used to with the lower high frequency response on the Denon, but it may have been exaggerated on the Yamaha, so I'm giving it time before doing any manual equalization. I did use the built-in calibration. There have been firmware updates as of Aug 2021, so maybe those have dealt with some heat and response issues.
Hi Andrew, a very interesting review - thanks for your forthright opinions - this is how reviewing should be. Here in the UK I had a small issue with my (quite new) amplifier and took it back to the point of sale - the excellent Richer Sounds. While they serviced it they very kindly loaned me a Denon DRA800 amplifier to get me by. All I can say is that I was So happy to get my own amplifier back!
Always enjoy watching - keep up the great work. Cheers.
It's good to talk about what came before, open mindedness, and just cause it seems like every one is doing the same, not everyone , is doing the same, it's good to keep options, YOU DO A GREAT JOB, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!! DO WHAT U DO AND DO IT YOUR WAY!! it's appreciated , I've learned alot from watchn
You're honesty is what I liked about this video
I'm honest with you guys in every video. I don't understand why when a reviewer pans a product viewers treat that as being "honest". One can honestly love something too. Thanks for watching!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews If everything on a channel is amazing products it starts to feel like advertisements more than reviews. Not saying they are, it's just what happens, at least to me.
I can appreciate and even understand your reply, but maybe think about it in another way. On average, once we've completed the testing of a product, which in and of itself can take countless hours. I say countless because I don't keep track, but it's a lot. It takes around 12 hours to produce one review from start to finish. Between b-roll shoots, writing the talking points, filming the to-camera portion and then editing and post production, it's a lot. Not to mention all the SEO and management work that is constant and always going on behind the scenes. Each video you see represents quite a lot of work, who wants to put all that work into a product or experience that isn't enjoyable? Your experience with said product is over in 12-18 minutes, but for us it has been weeks if not months of work. I say all of this to try and bring some friendly perspective to the discussion as it can be easy to assume we just "play" with gear then turn on a camera and blurt out whatever comes to mind. I'm not complaining as I do think my job is pretty sweet most of the time, but know that it is a job, same as any other 9-5.
Have an avc-3700h, 0 problems, great sound, nice image, sound does not seems digital, bass is very accurate.... Pure direct mode in stereo is awesome 👌👍
I have the same unit, my only quibble is it runs a lot hotter than the old 14 year old Yamaha I used to have.
@@MasterChief37 mine is inside a narrows space, I have an infinity T9 ac, and I never saw it running to cool the avc
Love the honesty, liked the review in a long while :D I knew what budget receivers sound like and I was hoping for some honest review.
This was really a fantastic review. It could not have been easy to make. Much respect.
It wasn't. We take no pleasure in doing a review like this one. We appreciate you watching.
Thank you so much for this review!
I recently purchased this unit and couldn't describe it any better myself. I thought it was just me, so it was really nice to hear someone else experience the same exact thing.
I have this reciever also and hate the thing. We're can you go to sell it to someone else who will hate it later?
It's been week I am using this receiver with wharfedale having no issue bass is very deep, clarity no issue, it's good as denon,but I agree its getting bit hot other than that no issue even when you play as stereo.
So appreciate HONEST reviews. I've loved Dennon equipment for years, but if they're slacking and trying to make a quick buck because the tech is still so new....then THANK YOU for calling them on it.
Your description was spot on!
And this years award for most dramatic Receiver review goes to....... :-)
hahahaha exactly
ops. Denon were better off to send the best reciever they have. They will regret it now after review like this. Great review as always. thx
Jozef s this is a cheap one, it has nothing related with x4700h and x6700h which have been tested by sound engineers and are very recommended. Have you look inside these amplifiers? Even between 4700 and 6700 it is very different quality. So imagine with tis cheap s900 series.
@@CC-gt3ro yes i know its bottom of range. But Andrew is comparing it to half of Denon price Sony or Yamaha av. Does not sound good Brand Advertising to me to, build product like this for £700.
The best reciever denon has is x8500h it's still the same. Denon really drop the ball on this on, they should of waited 2 more years. No way i would upgrade from my x4500h.
Gerald Perry me i will update with the X4700h during 2021 when i will find a good deal. But i will use it as processor only mostly. It has been tested by a specialist and it is very good. The amplifier overheat a bit in such smaller case with 9 channel. but i will use it as processor so i will have much more reduced temperature.
WOW! You really kicked them in the butt! My faith in you as a reviewer has been renewed :-)
I used to think you never reviewed a product you didn't like. Not anymore!
Hard to argue with an honest opinion, this will grow your channel
Good review, I haven't commented on your channel before until now. Denon..... let me start by saying I'm a 15 year AV repair tech. Denon is a company that doesn't have its act together for quality and reliability yes they get hot very hot and will die a premature death due to heat. The numbers they advertise are not real. I made a LOT of money repairing the entire line of Denon products, most of them were 2 years old or less. They dropped like flies, not a good product. So back to the numbers after testing a unit(amp,receiver) I would burn it in on the bench for 8 hrs. The test rig I used showed their numbers were less than half of the posted ones🤔🤔🤔. And now you are still seeing/hearing the same results, I can only say Denon needs to go back to the drawing board and redesign the line again. Don't rush to be the first slow down and make it better, more reliable. Then...... well it maybe worth another look at that point. Until then its a good door stop is what they have.
As for your reviews good job
I don't know. I have 11 years old Denon 3311ci, it's abused a lot and still runs like a beast.
Bold! I appreciate the honesty in the review. Not in the market now (love my Yammy RX-V1085) but receivers I find challenging. Do you go bleeding edge to try and stay in front of changing technologies or go with something tried and tested and forego some of the new bells and whistles. I'm more of the latter. Thinking back, the AV in my receiver is one of the few pieces that has been turned over regularly every few years.
Are you sure that was thunder, or was that the sound of the Denon marketing reps storming your house!
Thank goodness for reviewers who offer an honest review about an av receiver rather than rattle off a feature list without ever providing insight into the product! Feature lists are important but so are value, quality, capability, reliability!
Damn, I was almost secure of purchasing this a/v receiver for my first Home Cinema setup. I thought exactly what you said.I thought 8K should be more future proof but at the end of the day, the most important part is the sound.
You saved me a lot of money but you just has give me more confusion in my decision right now so... thank U!! hahaha
As a PC gamer perspective, 8k is not the thing that I want but HDMI 2.1 allows 4k 120Hz (also new consoles). I would really want a new receiver that has that feature. The next TV will be 4k & 120Hz so I need a receiver that has at least three HDMI 2.1 in ports + two HDMI 2.1 out. Now my PC is connected to two monitors + two 4k TVs. I hope there will be reasonably priced receivers that have HDMI 2.1 support.
I'm in a very similar boat. My understanding is that 8k @ 60hz is comparable to 4K @120 and i don't see any receivers on the market that would support that outside of these 8K dudes. Not so much about being an "early" adopter as it would be about being in a specific market segment in this case.
@@gavination_domination Yeah... Any receiver that is 8k labeled has to support HDMI 2.1. It would be easier for the consumers if the marketing team would just say what HDMI type they support... Instead of hyping resolutions. I understand that 4k 120Hz bitrate is comparable to 8k 30Hz. Since 8k resolution is four times the resolution of 4k.
I haven't heard this model but I do have the basic S660H model, same Line I believe. Other than their 90's tech looking set up screen, my experience is the exact opposite of yours on the S990H. Seemless HDMI switching..just an audible CLICK lets me know it did it's job. The streaming capabilities are just great. Upscaling is improved on my 4k TV running thru the receiver, hopefully in the future the 8k input-outputs will serve a purpose. The gaming thru this AVR works smoothly as well. It's no high end piece of stereo equipment but didn't notice anything wrong or missing with the sound. The streaming sounds great. Didn't feel that digital sound you heard. I did think the mids were a little grainy in the center channel for TV, but I bought a new center and that fixed it. The 660 is almost half the price, although I believe it offers more wattage..but no height channels, pre-amp outs, and its only a 5.2...but for the price I thought it was a score. It's not the best at everything it does, but it seems to do everything well. A real AVR for cheap
As far as heat is concerned, I have the AVR-787 and when I first got it I noticed it ran a lot hotter than my previous "Stereos" I've had (Including a NAD Integrated Analog AMP("Stereo" With the AMP and PreAMP in one box) and a NAD Analog Receiver (Integrated AMP with FM Tuner) so I ended up installing a Computer Case fan in it and wired it to a 12 volt Wall Wart plugged into the AC Switched out port on the back of the receiver and it made it run a lot cooler, about 92 F out of the top vents at the hottest point of the case.
Hey there Mr Robinson, great and candid review that's much needed, I've had various Denon products through the years some great some otherwise. This I'm sure had to be a rather strange experience, as it could very well be this particular model and one above and one below( if there is one ) could be better. 👍🏾👍🏾💪🏾thanks again!!
Thanks for the honest review Andrew.
Thanks for watching, Lindsey.
I’ve had it for about a month and love it. No over heating, no problems.
Good to know! Appreciate you sharing!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Any chance you might have gotten a wonky unit? Might ask Denon to check that unit for defects.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I bought the Denon and there's been no issues with heat. My biggest complaint is the instructions. Absolutely horrible.
@Andrew Robinson I have the new Denon X3700 and think it is very good overall. I only have 3 issues:
-One going between inputs there is a definite lag. Nothing that really bother me, but I know it is there.
-Two the menus look like poop juice (but never really thought about it because after setup I don’t really use them)
-Three it is very hot which concerns me and I am looking at an AC Infinity Aircom
Things I really like:
-I love the HEOS app, Apple air play, built in WiFi less wires are always a good thing
-At 50 (goes to hundred) for well mastered audio it’s really loud so I usually listen between 35-45 for everything
-video pass through
-9.2 channel right out of the box
-zone 2 support (going to put a couple of in ceiling speakers on my back porch)
-All of my sources (5) are fed into the receiver and fed out to my Ben-Q HT3550 everything looks awesome obviously it isn’t 8K. I have it back further than what is suggested and it makes an almost 175 inch (larger than suggested) and it looks awesome! I am also a noob I’ve never owned another projector, this is my first receiver, and home theater setup but it definitely sounds great overall. For certain music (high energy jazz for example) you can get some listening fatigue. I assumed that was due to my Klipsch Synergy F2 which is a “known” complaint.
Setup
Denon X3700
Ben-Q HT3550
Klipsch Speakers
-Synergy F2 (Front)
R34C (Center)
-R51Ms (Surrounds)
-RP250S (Rear)
-R41M (Front Height)
-R120SW (x2)
Bought everything as used like new, open box, amazon return, or on sale. I am well $4K for everything and that includes the 12GA CL3 speaker cable, banana plugs, switching to short plugs on everything, sockets, etc etc
Have you tried the higher versions to see if they are different?
Not sure if I mentioned I am a noob
Andrew, love your reviews. I watched your video right after I purchased this unit in July 2021. I think they heard you loud and clear. While running thru the setup, there was a firmware update, that changed the GUI interface. I want to hope there was a tuning improvement as well. I did find the overall sound a bit vague, coming from a punchy Mid 2000s Sony unit. I watched a couple of other reviews about using Audyssey. Did you try using the iPad app to make more fine tune adjustments. I was able to alter the curves to my liking and got some nice results. I think it’s worth revisiting. Although I would say doing the curve editing is more than most are willing to do. It should be better out of the box, and without a $20 app.
I've been wanting the 8K version of the x8500h.
I currently have an onkyo receiver that only supports 1080. With everything becoming 4K and starting to move 8K it has been a real hindrance with video.
Great review. It definitely gave me assurance to just wait a bit. First gen anything seems to always suck.
The X8500H itself is supposed to be getting that upgrade no?
If it does you would have to send your 8500 in to get the HDMI board switched out.
Do not apologize for your review. You were very forthcoming about this receiver. Brand new products are not always “the best.”
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I'm in the market for a receiver to replace an old Yamaha and I was really considering this Denon. Now I'll step back and look for another option. I'm not an audiophile but I want to spend my money with a product that don't make me feel regret.
Yes, thanks Andrew for what is obviously always a lot of time and thought. And I love you mentioning Kristi in the picture too. Sounds like you two discuss and counter each other’s opinions. Which makes me trust what you say.
My S710W has been nice to me. But it’s the first non-garage sale amp I’ve had
You guys are teaching me what to look for when it is time to move on
So...... 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I’ve owned an S960H for about 3 months now and after owning several AVRs in this price range over the years find it works and sounds fine so don’t let this review scare you off if considering. No 8k content out there so just Denon marketing bs. I will be getting new Xbox/PS5 video game consoles and S960 has some features I wanted for those but I haven’t tested them yet. Running my Oppo 105 signal thru it to Epson 4010 projector with 5.1 speakers sounds amazing - using the Denon app on iPad gives you a great remote control with a lot of useful info and can tailor sound to however you like.
Maybe I got lucky but mine doesn’t get very hot - the same or maybe a bit cooler than the Marantz and Pioneer AVRs I had previously - and I switch between TV Audio and Heos Spotify all the time using the iPad app and have never had a shutdown.
As for the two channel sound quality that’s subjective and everyone can have diff opinion but I’ll say that quality is exactly what would expect for $649 usd and again it’s very easy to tailor the sound to your liking.
I haven’t owned the other current AVRs mentioned so I can’t say whether they are better or sound better but the S960 is certainly worth a look if want an AVR in this price range.
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with the S960H, I really appreciate it!
Surprised you had such a bad experience with it though my expectations were pretty low. My Marantz SR5006 that just suddenly stopped working musta been a real piece of junk! And really I wanted an AVR with HDMI 2.1 so choices were very slim.
The HDMI 2.1 functionality is something a lot of gamers want, not for the 8K capability, but because it allows 4k 120hz and variable refresh rate, which will be possible over hdmi with the upcoming RTX 3000 GPU's and the new consoles that are coming at the end of the year. Still, only offering 1 port is not great and it does not make up for any other faults with the receiver itself.
There is a TON of added functionality beyond just 8K, yes, but if you're going to tout 8K than we have to put it to the test. The single 8K HDMI port is a total fail IMHO as it means you'll be looking for an 8K switcher should you pickup say two gaming consoles capable of 8K output. But, seeing as how everything else with this receiver was so bad, I didn't think it necessary to beat on it anymore.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Oh no you are right, i would not think of buying one unless it has many more hdmi 2.1 ports, just wanted to mention another reason why someone would get a receiver with hdmi 2.1.
@@Baralan I did buy one x2700h, which I haven't received yet. Reason is that I bought lg gx oled flush mount TV and I don't want to have to move stuff around and pull out the TV to plug stuff in. Thinking ps5.
Great review! Honesty is appreciated. Still waiting to buy that LG soundbar you recommended. Out of stock at Amazon.
damn, that's a brutally honest review. I hope it doesn't burn any bridges with Denon (Denon: Andrew is dead to us.) :) Denon AVR runs hot, at least in my case of 4300h. Heat would cause HDMI issues, like randomly switching to other HDMI signal sources midplay without me asking it to. Though easily solvable by adding active cooling, my behaved like it should after I placed 2 cooling fans designed for desktop computer cases. Not ideal, but solvable problem.
but no, I won't pay top dollar for a new AVR if I had to babysit its heating issues, unless the audio is really great, which, this isn't. so...
Really interested to see your review of one of the X series receivers x3600 or x4600 for example.
Hi Andrew, thanks for a comprehensive review. I’m really, really glad I watched this before making any decisions. I’ve only just moved up to 4K and need to replace a 10 year old Sony AVR. Might look at the 1080 instead.
Thank you so much for this honest review Andrew. I was thinking of upgrading from my pioneer elite receiver to this one (I live out of the US so the price I pay online is double my the time the product reaches me) so this price point was OK for me. But after see this my pioneer elite don't seem so outdated after all, plus I don't have a 8k TV... Lol so much for future proofing my setup I'll just wait a bit more.
Thank you for alerting us to the heat issue. I am in a small apartment that is regularly over 80 degrees Fahrenheit due to being a south-facing exposure. It picks up sunlight in the morning till about noon and then proceeds to hold it throughout the majority of the day. I am already having issues with computers overheating and dumping more heat into this environment is simply not acceptable. So I will take pass on this unit.. The sound qualities also are not suitable for a small 19 x 22 room with 8-foot ceilings and thin walls.
I recently ordered the receiver after watching your video and thought I'd just take a chance. I paid close attention to the problems you mentioned (unbalanced, digital sound, high temperature, etc.) and could not find any such irregularities or problems with a Teufel Ultima 40 5.1. system with downfire subwoofer. The receiver remains warm to the touch, after calibration and a few manual settings, the system sounds very powerful, precise and clear even in the mids and treble. However, it is a receiver of the modelseries from 2021. Also, several firmware updates were installed before further adjustment. I also had a Yamaha RX-V-6a for direct comparison. But I let this receiver go back, because I actually liked the sound of the Denon a little better.
Still, I think it's good that you made this video. I guess that - as is unfortunately often the case in the technology sector - the model range was simply not yet balanced, or else there were problems with the design that have now been eradicated. As an example: I currently have a QN95a (QN 90a in the US) from Samsung, which unfortunately has problems in the direct HDMI feed (without AVR) and occasionally shows black screens due to poor HDMI timings. The OCB gets hot a.f. Also, my panel unfortunately has illumination issues. Unfortunately, the customer nowadays is often a "beta tester" of the products.
As someone looking and struggling to find a receiver in this price range, I appreciate hearing your experience. Thanks, appreciate it.
Just picked up this reciever today it was the only one in stock near me that I could buy for Christmas and after seeing his review I thought I'd regret my purchase and so far not the case first impressions were great very well balanced sound and absolutely incredible surround balance. I had a Dolby Atmos Sony receiver before this one and this reciever has a lot better clarity and bass as well as customization. I'll agree the menus are a weak point but still better than what I had. I'll comment again once Ive had more time with this reciever. Has ur guys experience still been good?
@@wyattparnell2412 Indeed, still a very balanced and good Sound for the price. Would definitely buy it again.
@@wyattparnell2412 Hi Wyatt. Curious to know how it's holding up. Thx
Wow, thank you Andrew for the honest review. I wonder if this is an example of what the higher end will be like?
We are ONLY commenting on this particular receiver. I have no way of knowing if the X Series will perform the same. Video-wise I suspect they might, but sound-wise I cannot begin to say. I would hope the X line would be better. Thanks for watching!
And this is why I follow you, honest feedback despite the potential backlash from the industry manufacturers
Gutsy review, Andrew - I like it 😁
The "storm" you can hear in the background is likely the angry mob from the Sound United marketing department 😂
You have no idea.
I haven't experienced anything you're describing; I have the exact same receiver. I use it mostly for home theatre entertainment. even then It does better than most surround sounds and sound bars. I recommend setting your Htz and levels manually like the old school filters. It likes power, but all around a good receiver. If you are looking for volume and power this receiver is not for you.
17:07 Stay safe during the storms, Andrew and Kristi. All the best from Canada.
My family and I once lived in Houston, Texas for a year and we were very familiar with severe storms and flooding there. Take care.
Thankfully, they've passed for now. Appreciate you watching and stay well!
Another great review Andrew Robinson. Sounds like I’ll be holding off on a new AVR until late 2021 or 2022 until those Panasonic chips are corrected.
OUCH! back to the drawing board Denon!
Loved the honest review! Would love to see how this and the Sony would compare to something like a Marantz SR6014/6015 in terms of sound and upscaling.
I bought a Denon AVR-X500 and it has served me well for over 6 years, a good basic receiver that I got to replace an old receiver that gave up the ghost on me.
That was a pretty scathing review. Very refreshing. I get a little tired of what I see as "compromising " reviews, by which I mean the reviewer spends a lot of time trying not to make an inferior product sound like it is inferior. They gloss over the bad and try to highlight whatever they find good. Well done for not going this route.
It goes along with what I have been hearing, that since becoming part of Sound United, Denons have been a little hit and miss. They still have some good products, but they aren't quite comparable to the old Denons in build quality. I think they are riding on their reputation a little bit.
Enjoying your reviews, keep up the good work!
Really surprised to hear such a negative review of the S960H. I got a 760H about six months ago and am extremely happy with it. Running Paradigm Studio speakers and Velodyne sub. It replaced a THX certified Pioneer Elite receiver which was 100wpc and I have owned some decent Yamaha models before that. This is my first Denon ever, so I am no fan boy of the brand. At first I thought it sounded flat, but after doing the Audyssey room correction it sounds 100% natural, detailed and very musical. My non-audio friends even commented how good it sounded when listening to some live concert footage from Porcupine Tree. (They had all heard my previous system, which was also room-corrected.) While it may have a little less oomph than my old Pioneer at volume, it sounds amazing at any kind of volume level that I would play it at. It is so detailed, I find I tend to play at lower volumes than before. The remote is incredibly user friendly compared to the other brands. Considering I paid $450 for my Denon from Costco, couldn't really ask more from this receiver.
I bought the same and it replaced my Pioneer Elite VSX-92TXH. It also powers my Paradigm Studio 100’s and actually does well considering the Pioneer was 110 watts/channel. I’ll see how this performs over the next couple weeks but so far it’s an improvement over my Elite for my current setup.
Yeah, I bought one at Costco a few weeks ago and it sounds surprisingly good. I'm just using it as a stereo at the moment. Probably sound great with a few more speakers added.
I really enjoy your videos, thank you for uploading. These 8K ready receivers are basically useless. I have an older Denon that was 4K ready and although it does pass through 4K it isn't 4K compliant so some connected devices won't play 4K to it.
Disappointed with your discussion on the sound, it's very subjective, it would be better if you discussed sound objectively with testing. Describing sound as textured etc comes across like you have golden ears.
I bought a Denon AVR-X2500H two years ago after my previous receiver, the Yamaha RX-V583, bit the dust. I had heard good things about the receiver and the company of course, but after using it for a few weeks returned it for a Yamaha RX-V685. The Denon that I picked up was very much how the Denon was explained in this review. The Yamaha has a warm more natural sound, plus the MusicCast app is much more robust than the comparable Denon app.
Andrew do you have any review about the Denon X3500! Congrats on the channel love it and following !
What av receivers would you recommend in that 650-700 price range?
Andrew, any chance of you getting one of the recently announced Yamaha av receivers to review soon? For example the RX - V6A ?
I don't think Yamaha has actually released them
I've had a Denon for about two and a half years the 2400 and it is lovely we enjoyed it very much me and my wife we have some Tower speakers Center Channel and subwoofer we're using 3.1 surround and that seems to work the best for our liking it works very lovely.
What a timely review! I'm in the market for a good reciever with 4k passthrough which can double as a stereo for speakers along the lines of the elac debut 6.2 or jamo 803. I've been looking at the older denon AVR X1600H however the lower power specs gave me pause. Thank you for an honest perspective and I'll be looking into your alternative receiver reviews along this price point.
I owned a Denon receiver, and it was the hardest thing to program I've ever used. I'm in the industry, and I actually know what I"m doing. That device was maddening and it didn't sound very good. Very harsh in the upper midrange for movies and Music. I replaced it with a Yamaha and have never looked back. Under $2500 they kind of own the market in ease of use and sound quality. I believe that Andrew just proclaimed the Yamaha RX-A3080 Kind of the Hill. . Remember that Sound Concepts own Pioneer, Marantz, Denon, and Onkyo. It is a matter of time before they are all using many of the same prts. That's the way the business works. Anthem, Arcam, NAD, and a few others are the next step above the mid-fi listed above. Good luck with whatever you choose! Variety is the spice of life!
Yamaha A3080? That's pretty expensive kind of a kit, isn't it? :-) Imo the side should test at least the x3700h, not this one. I think that reason why pppl are buying Denons, is that for the 60% of the price, I have bought the x3500h, which, feature wise, was comparable to A1080. Well, tbh though, I am not fully satisfied with the sound of Denon for the stereo. I was thinking about looking into a Yahama again, but will wait if there is new A1080 replacement in the new A design. 1080 is kind of dated nowadays, isn't it?
I own a Denon AVR-3806 and I agree that it’s very difficult to program, but it sounds fantastic!
Can it be the speakers?
I have this receiver with Klipsch Speakers and sounds awesome.
Agreed I have this receiver powering all Atlantic Technology speakers / subwoofers in a 5.2.2 system and sounds awesome !!! Had a Yamaha RX V6A before this Denon on the same system and the Denon in my opinion is so much better. Sound quality on Denon better then the Yamaha all the way around. Denon also able to drive my system to higher levels then the Yamaha.
Wow!!! I did not see that coming from Denon. I have a 20+ year old AVR3300 and a 3200 that I occasionally throw into my listening rotation and just love the warm, musical sound, STILL. Thank you for this honest review. I'm still looking for that one piece that can do all and sound great too, just for 2 channel listening. Soo far the Marantz NR1200 and the Marantz PM7000N are my front runners. What are your thoughts? Love your work!!!!
❤❤❤❤
Hi Andrew,
Thank you for your educated reviews and great presentation style.
I'm a disabled senior who lives for music and streaming Symphony videos.
Yesterday I purchased the DENON AVRS970H and stopped short of opening the box after seeing your review of its predecessor, AVRS960H.
Is it possible that the AVRS970H has cleaned up your significant concerns?
I own a wide array of speakers, including mom and dad's 1972 Empire Grenadiers with their 12"downfiring 18lb. magnet woofers.
I've been powering them with mom and dads 1972 Harman Kardon Nocturne 330, that I believe I may have overloaded during a powerful organ pedal transition.
Clarity and pure sound are my goals, and, when you mentioned grainy and digitized sound, it really raised my concerns.
I hope the❤❤❤❤ will get your attention.
You seem to be an honest and trustworthy guide.
best regards to you and your super cool wife!
namaste, david
I recently installed the new Denon 3700 which replaced an old Pioneer and now I have horrible hum. I've tried all the tricks to try and isolate / fix it but I ordered an ART T8 hum eliminator / isolation transformer which I hope is my holy grail to fix the issue. If anyone else out there is having the same issue please let me know your experience or thoughts. The issue quite literally stems from the Denon as I did not have any hum from the Pioneer. The hum gets lesser when setting the Denon into all pre out mode turning off the internal power supply but otherwise the hum is bad in both cases and downright LOUD with the internal amp turned on.
As for the heat comment in the video, I measured my Denon 3700 under normal operation with a FLIR temperature reading and it was 175 degrees under normal operating conditions of just watching UA-cam or idling. I'm sure under all channels driving / home theater usage it could get hotter.
I wanted to update others on my hum issue. I tried every trick online has to offer to fix a ground loop hum but the issue really did originate from the Denon 3700. The only solution that worked 90% of the way was to put a grounding wire between the grounding pin on the Denon to the grounding pin on my external amp as the Denon is only a two prong unit and therefore isn't grounded. I also had to unplug / re-plug and turn on everything after grounding the units together for the connection to really work. So in grounding both the Denon and the external amp I fixed it mostly. If I put the Denon into all Pre-amp mode i got it to 95% satisfactory.
This is the S960H
, what about the x2700h is it any good or you'd avoid?
Good, honest review.
Wow. Scathing is an understatement. But hey, I am glad you are honest about it. I was indeed wondering when I was going to see a "negative" review from you, and, well, here it is. Thank you for the video. R.
Very good review. It is hard to see an honest review done by a normal knowledgeable person. Nowadays they are either cheerleaders for the manufacturer or magic cables idiots who claim they can hear the differences of electrons moving through different metals.
We've gotten our fair share of "cheerleader for the manufacturer" comments and I stand by those reviews the same as I do this one.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews That is normal. We all like some Brands more than others and that is OK because we are who we are. But when your team plays awful you can also say it
LMAO 😂 😂😂😂
I will not listen this review. I just purchased this model. This Denon is plenty of technology and they improved this model for 2021, also they fixed the HDMI 2.1. Some firmware update have addressed several issues. At least they fixed the HDMI bug in hardware not do it in the Yamaha. Amazon buyers review gave better review to this Denon model than Yamaha closest competitor. Andrew you should ask for a fresh updated unit and renew your thoughts. I believe Denon will hate your review specially when Yamaha is getting worse customers reviews and you put this product in direct comparison.
How did you know everything about what he said.....without listening? Nice try though.
I mean:
"I will not listen to this review"
*proceeds to berate what they believe is in the review*
....
Something doesn't quite add up here 🤔
I have this device and I listened to and watched the review. I can't say I agree entirely with what he has to say and there weren't any scientific terms applied which I could work with ... but I will say I definitely understand the vague, "It feels like you have to force it into action" part.
There's just one big thing I have to call out as being wrong - just wrong, LFE's should "never" sound as if there's a direction, so if it sounds like it's coming from your neighbors, you did it right. At the very least it should be indistinguishable at first glance / notice / hearing / etc.
Anyway, I'm hoping it's my speakers but Denon has been updating it consistently although I haven't ran into the device shutting off, I have ran into it not switching right away. I have to push it a few times.
Anyway - as for the sound again ... I have to push it higher than I felt I had to before ... but let me explain where I'm coming from ...
I'm coming from whole speaker setups instead of an AVR with speakers. So the power output is often higher on whole setups but nothing the Denon can't handle. I have the Logitech Z-5500's and Klipsch Promedia 4.1's. Basically a mix of 4 ohm and 8 ohm speakers all which get less wattage than the Denon can pump through them at their impedence.
The only thing I have noticed even when mixing and matching between systems is the Klipsch sats sound better and I feel because there's a tweeter and a mid-range.
This made me consider the best sounding speakers I had were the least expensive and only two channel. But it had 3 speakers, tweeter, mid, low and were floor standing, not sats by any means.
So, since I don't get free or test AVR's but I know my audio / video and more speakers is better than less speakers, I'm hoping getting a good set of at least 2 floor standing speakers is the way to go.
With that said, I got this refurbed and my main reason was legacy awesome devices I'm not letting go of. This was the only one w/ 2 component and 2 optical which is exactly what I needed.
It's been a damn good ride actually.
I will 100% give him the, spice it up a bit rant (i.e. #fax). It's a good company, and these aren't inexpensive devices most people have anyway. I get the menu, it's like apple - nice and simple and to the point ... *but* I spent money on this puppy and show me what I'm in for - give me a fancier "test your system" section, a picture slideshow, a 30s clip, no need to have like 40 GB / TB worth of media. But something to show me this is the good stuff. You know, like ... just google "Simpsons Funny THX" - something like that :-)
Had the Denon AVR3807. It was really good with movies and even great with 2ch music, very capable fm radio. Also it looked elegant 😍
Loving the Receiver reviews. I agree 4k receivers are still relevant. Wouldn't mind seeing some reviews on the cheaper 9.2 receivers like Pioneer or Onkyo.
There's litterly no point going 8k. By the time 8k is on netflix, game consoles, tv and, well that's it, as there will probably be no 8k blurays, the current 8k receivers will be old as fuck and require upgrading anyway! And upscaling to 8k via a receiver is ridiculous.
Most people want it for its 4K 120 FPS capability for the new game consoles. Current 4K receivers only allow 4K at 60 fps.
@@markroze3641 Next gen will likely be a choice between 4k 60hz or perhaps 2k 120hz but I get your point. But you could just pass images to TV and sound to receiver!
$650 for 8k? No wonder it sounds like garbage. Instead of a long list of features, how about producing a unit that actually sounds good?
Exactly what I was thinking
The 8k is not that big of a jump. It just requires implementation of HDMI 2.1, which of course they fucked up, but that wasnt Denom or Yamaha's fault. That was the chip manufacturer of the HDMI boards.
Your review was right in line with what I read. A guy who does real scientific measurements said the noise floor was way too high on the denon
Thanks for the honesty.
I have a plus 30 year ild Denon; the AVR 1000 with "Dolby Surround".
Speakers: IQ Gent M & Mordaunt Short center plus rear speakers.
I'm still very happy with it. Prefer to listen stereo classical; the IQ's are top imho and the definition from the Denon is very good.
Note: made in Japan & round transformer inside.
Your review 'amplifies' my doubt to invest in nowadays stuff.... Denon or some else.
To end: I never buy any high costly product 'made in China c.s.'
I'm blown away by your impressions. Seems so out of character for Denon. Was the firmware up to date? Think you got a bad unit? The X series seems to be doing very well in measured tests, so I wonder if it's isolated to the S series.
Whatever the case, thank you for the honesty on this one.
Firmware was updated during testing and the unit was operational. We are hoping to find out if the X line performs differently!
I have 2 from Denon and i must say this guy is telling the truth, as when you change AVR from Tv to Game or Media it doesn't work, as it doesn't give sound output until I Restart the AVR, after that all works fine, I have one 8k model and one 2017 model(4K) after taking 8k my old 4k model is much better in performance wise.
Thanks for being honest. What do you think about the X1600H?
I have the Denon X2600H playing through a mixture of Paradigms and Bostons. It’s crisp and neutral but I’m sure the NAD or Marantz could be better. I don’t have an 8k TV and my ears are too old, so it’s suits me. Great honest review thanks.
Wow you really gave a lot of negativity about this Denon model, just been browsing the websites and it has a lot of reviews mainly by users though with 5 starts has great sound so although it's not to your taste it may be to many. So the only way is to listen for ourselves before proceeding with purchase. Anyway i know i won't be bothering because i trust your reviews. Happy owner of a Marantz SR6014 receiver.
thumbs up #74.. Thanks Andrew.. I am very happy with my Denon. But this one sounds like it was a genuine rush to market.
I think this S Series piece is an isolated thing. We hope to get our X Series receiver soon so we can confirm that the X Series is where the rubber meets the road. Thank you for watching and for sharing your thoughts.
I love to hear the odd negative review, which shows the integrity and value of the channel, through Andrew's independent and honest evaluation of products.
That's kind of you to say, but I don't believe integrity should be earned solely through negative reviews.
I remember folks spending a premium for those 'Future proof' receivers marketed as '4K Ready" around 6 to 8 years ago. And then HDCP 2.2 came along and those receivers became premium paperweights..
I enjoy your videos, but don't know what happened with your review sample. Wife & kids purchased the S960H as a gift for me, and I have none of the issues you mentioned. I do agree on Denons interface. They could at least put it in the native resolution of the TV vs. plain 1080p.
I have had this receiver for about a year and a half. I have Jamo speakers like you do in the video. Jamo s83, s809 and c912. I think it sounds good and used the audyssey app. You just told us the negative and nothing positive about it. I never had it overhear or turn off while switching
Buy cheap pioneer and see the difference. You’ll never go back to Denon
@@sharifamily5364 why pioneer?
I went from Sony to onkyo to Denon to Yamaha to pioneer!! It’s the best 💯
@@sharifamily5364 that is your option, my denon works great with not many issues and has audyssey
I have AVR-S940H and it turns off itself due to HDMI switch as described at 12:44. Overall, I think this review matches my personal experiences with this low budget Denon receiver. This is an honest review.
I thought you'd like to know that prompted by one of your earlier videos, I've just managed to get hold of a mint copy of The Greatest Jazz Concert Ever. I had the short version on itunes for years but this is spectacular. Thanks. Analog prod Moanin' also arrived in the same package :)
7 channels... are they really expecting 8K early adopters to be running 5.1.2 or 7.1 setups? At the very least, surely 7.1.2 or 5.1.4 is an absolute minimum requirement for next-gen tech?
most people use a soundbar, even with big avr.