Seems to be an ATL for this popular AV receiver. Most other places have this on sale for $1999.
Enjoy :)
Seems to be an ATL for this popular AV receiver. Most other places have this on sale for $1999.
Enjoy :)
Yes, this is excellent. There are cheaper alternatives with a less rich feature set, it all depends on what you’re looking for.
I'm not an audiophile at all, it'll just be for the home cinema (projector and 7.1 speakers, plus Android TV and a console or 2).
Is this receiver overkill for my purposes?
Nope will probably be a good fit if you can afford
This is far from an "audiophile" product. Having said that though, this is a very good AV receiver and will work very well for a 7.1 setup with room to expand if you ever wanted to add in ceiling speakers later on. It will also be more than adequate for music listening with a good pair of stereo speakers. You could definately go cheaper, but that would limit your ability to add to your setup later on.
it is overkill for your need, get the X1800H for 1k less
@CrazyTachikoma: Others have suggested X2800H, I can't really tell the difference between that and the X1800H - which one would be the better buy?
@hitman86: the 2800h makes no sense as a product, doesn't have Audyssey xt32, it's basically an 1800x with negligible more power for a lot more money
I got the 1800h
Just to be clear. This is not just an amplifier. It is a receiver.
It can act as a simple stereo Amp but it will lack in power a bit. What are you powering with it?
As far as sound quality this is considered on the good to very good side amongst receivers but would be more average amongst current amps.
Well actually… it's not really a receiver as the Aussie version doesn't have a tuner.
The Aussie model number is AVC-X3800H and elsewhere they're AVR-X3800H (come with a tuner).
Doubtful to find a cheaper alternative around the same specs out there for this price. Normally can get on sale for around $2000 and its a highly recommended receiver at that price point.
Great quality, but you may be better off getting the Sony STR-AN1000 as it's cheaper and pretty much as good if you're not a complete audiophile. The 3800H is definitely the better amp but I doubt you'll notice the difference if you don't have $5,000 speakers.
Sony is 7.2….
A good point. I assumed when Hitman said that they didn't know much about amps, that they didn't have a full 9.4 setup. I guessed 5.1 at most.
@GunnerMcDagget: I have a home cinema with a 7.1 setup. Is the cheaper Sony enough? I'm not an audiophile, just need it for a decent home cinema.
@hitman86: If you don't plan to put 4 speakers in your ceiling for Atmos then this one is overkill. Look at the 2800, linked in the thread as also on sale
@hen dawg: Ah good call, yeah that looks like it will satisfy my requirements just fine and a lot cheaper, thanks!
I have the STR-AN1000 and regret buying its. It is barely a receiver, I've had massive issues with it re of using devices, Sony connect doesn't work properly, the equaliser settings are terrible. I've paired it with an A80J and got it for a-centre speaker. That works, but the actual centre speaker channel is pretty underwhelming. I'd get the Denon over the AN 1000 in a heart beat.
I'm guessing you got a bad one. Same thing happened occasionally with the DN1080. It was rated as one of the best receivers, but many had issues with bad ones.
AN1000 is similar. It's a very well rated receiver, but some have issues with it.
@GunnerMcDagget: I'd be happy to get a replacement, but that would require me to get through the Sony cs gestapo.
@Lululuke: Only had positive experiences working with Sony CS. They replaced my out of warranty TV screen after it stopped working free of charge. Unsure how I got away with that.
@Koppeldread: I have to take mine in for repair every time I have something wrong with it. Have to travel an hour each way to drop it in, and they will not arrange for it to be posted. That's after I've had to reset the hardware and set it all up again. I feel they make it hard on purpose.
@Lululuke: Sony cs was good to me.
@GunnerMcDagget: no he didnt get a bad one, a LOT of people have issues with this new Sony AVR, avforums, avsforums, just read for yourself
that's the reason I gave up on buying it and got a Denon instead, which has been flawless
I've had an AN1000 for about 6 months now and have nothing but praise for it, so ymmv clearly.
Using it in a 5.1.2 configuration, sounds excellent with my speakers.
I know very little about amplifiers,
Congratulations! You are their prime target market. (OMG I'm going to lose karma over this. Is that a thing here?)
No it’s not.
This is pretty good especially for the money.
Anyone got experience with this shop?
Yes - I had an issue with a used item I bought from them. They refused to cover the repairs to a $2.2k amplifier when it broke within 3 months of me purchasing it from them.
So this amp is pretty solid and unlikely to have issues. However, get ready for a fight if you want something repaired under ACL.
Looking to get this for my dual sub setup - upgrade from X1700h
Does anybody know if the X3900h would be coming any time soon? Might be the reason for discounting?
Hard to say. Denon have been tight lipped on it. But everyone expected the X3900H to be released in 2024 so it's probably not too far off.
It's CES this week so we will know probably by end of the week
I'd just do it, the 3800 is already excellent, can't imagine you'd miss out on much by not getting the 3900.
The X3900h will launch for a minimum $2500 and you will not be able to tell the units apart in a blind test. It's a no brainer imo.
Will this let me finally hear the dialogue clearly?
Well, there are features to amplify the central speaker separately. If you have a central speaker and whatever you are listening to is at least 5.1 sound source then yeah, you can improve your situation.
No, you must change your Tele or wifey. Tele must be a lot cheaper
It's not your speakers…
Use subtitles, if possible, to help with understanding dialogues.
You can boost the centre channel volume independently. There is also a enhance dialogue option to boost typical vocal frequencies set to low-med-high.
Not if you’re watching a Christopher Nolan movie
Jesus christ, I just rewatched Interstellar last weekend and holy shit, it really is that bad. Even with $15k+ in speakers the audio mixing on his movies is a joke. Dont even get me started on Tenet…
It has a feature to enhance dialog esp at low listening levels. I can't recall what it's called but it's common to Denon AVRs. That might help you a bit.
Do you use a center speaker? Center speaker is the most important investment for most media consumption (music obviously the exception)
Huh? Great rant… this is not an amp. I for example am interested for everything in it BUT the amp feature. This is the lowest Denon with full range Pre-amp outs.
Also, are you seriously complaining about Audiophile being overpriced these days? Like you haven't seen what the real high end is charging for the last I don't know… 50 years?
https://addictedtoaudio.com.au/collections/power-amplifiers/…
Not an amp? Then how on earth does a piece of electronics weigh 12kg? Has an awful lot of speaker connectors on the back.
The sad, sad thing is that the people who buy this think heavy equals quality.
You realize an Amp really just needs 8 posts on the back… .LR IN x2 and LR Out x2.
I think I am wasting my time here. You seem a little… well… simple. Oh well… I don't seem to learn my lesson.
Those "Lots of connections" is what you usually see on AV Recievers. Not integrated amps.
The weight is most likely the power source as it is probably linear. You need a lot of heft to power that many channels with a decent amount of power.
I can't personally tell you what's in the box or each component costs… But this is a pretty detailed review of the amp.
https://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/denon…
It even includes some photos of its internals for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy :)
Thanks. Certainly cannot fault the tech specs, but that massive transformer from the 1900s annoys.
And cooling fans? We don't need added noise! Just use some modern amp technology, and you won't need them.
And what "modern amp technology" beats the clean, nearly ripple free, power output of a linear power supply?
@goodwillN1: A D-class with good filtering. I was designing power supplies with transformers, bridge rectifiers and linear regulators back in the 80s. but time moves on, and eventually you have to concede that digital beats wax cylinders.
@bargaino: What is a good modern amplifier you recommend?
You sir have no idea what you're talking about. Go play with the other children.
It’s not a class A amplifier. The store is called “Class A Audio”.
Just a heads up that this amp supports Dirac Live (better room correction), but the license costs an additional $350 - $600.
Review:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/d…
25% discount on Black Friday if you're patient.
How is the app and voice integration? Asking because my TV can turn on and off by Alexa but when audio is via the receiver CEC I can’t adjust volume. Not sure why but it annoys the heck out of me as I find audio levels change a lot between Apps and broadcast.
Audio volume changes wil be an issue regardless of the receiver you have. It's not the receiver's fault, it's the software in your tv.
Yes but ( since my dog at my remote ) I'd like to be able to adjust the volume - ie have volume accessible quickly by voice ie "alexa/google set the Dennon volume to 50%" vs getting my phone and opening an app, waiting for it to find the device and adjusting the volume- which can take 30 sec or a app restart often too. For some reason my LG TV lets me set volume by voice only if its using the local speakers, if via the receiver it says 'this is not supported'.. even though CEC does work ie setting the TV volume manually passes this change to the to the AMP.
So basically since my TV doesn't do it I want the AMP to be able to be "spoken" to directly.
Cec would sort you out. You could just use whatever remote you're using for the playback device (for me it's the Shield).
How much will it cost to build a nice system around this receiver? I only have 5.1 with old receiver atm.
How much do you have to spend?
Depends upon your preferences. Are you using it for mostly movies or equally used for music?
I am using Kef q350s for front and rear and KEF q650c for centre + SVS PB1000 PRO with x2700h and its good. These speakers+sub costed me about $3500.
But every ear is different, try to listen before you buy
General rule of thumb is you spend the bulk of your money on the receiver. It should, by far, be the most expensive component. Speakers can be had 2nd hand without issue, just need to do some research about what will work in your space and make sure you timbre match your speakers.
I've built a decent Boston Acoustics setup in 7.2.2 for under $600.
The receiver should be the most expensive component in a HT setup? By far?
Its generally accepted that the speakers will make the greatest impact to what you hear from an audio system. As long as an amplifier is powerful enough for a given set of speakers to play at a required volume with minimal distortion it will sound the same as any other amp that fits those paramaters. Going from a $2000 receiver to a $20000+ pre/pro and seperate power amps will not make anywhere near the difference that spending that 20k on speakers would, unless the $2000 receiver is very under powered for your speakers.
People tend to also over estimate how much power they actually need for their speakers too. this Denon would be enough to power the vast majority of bookshelf / stand mounts (hell, even most cheaper / efficient tower speakers) that people are likely to have if they are in the market for a cheap AV receiver.
LOL just my front left and right speakers were double the price of the receiver.
General rule of thumb is you spend the bulk of your money on the receiver. It should, by far, be the most expensive component.
I’ve had an interest in hi-fi and home audio for 40 years and have never heard this “general rule of thumb”.
I’ve had this since not that long after it launched.
My primary requirement was 9 channels for 5.1.4, and HDMI 2.1 for modern consoles and OLED.
I have been exceptionally happy with my purchase, and wholeheartedly recommend it.
Would buy if I was in the market. Very nice
Denon AVR-X2800H also on sale $1189 - https://www.classaaudio.com.au/av-receiver/3832-denon-avr-x2…
It says "call us for a better deal".
Anyone tried calling them to see if a bigger discount is possible?
Heads up for anyone with a denon or marantz avr that supports audyssey - there is an open source tool you can use that uses the audyssey mic and REW to create a much better sound profile. I rate it.
Details are here https://oca1evo.com/
Technically all you need is the $30 MultEQ editor app (although that can be found elsewhere too if you're on android)
First time I heard about this tool, so keen to give it a try. Is there a guide I can follow? Am using Denon AVR x1500h
Second this, A1 Evo made a massive difference for me. Definitely worthwhile and $30 for multieq is much cheaper than a Dirac licence. Look it up on YouTube, there is a guide to follow which makes it super easy.
Can this do multi sub, I’ve just bought this 3800 and am upgrading from 2 to 4 subs.
is this only for denon or marantz, can it work on Onkyo / Yamaha?
has to be audyssey so no onkyo or yamaha.
to be even more specific, has to be compatible with the MultEQ editor app - there is a list in teh app description here
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dmholdings…
Also, there is also an upgraded version that lets you measure the speakers using the audyssey mic, or your own calibrated mic like the Umik1, for even better results. I've done it with a umik1 recently and it's easier than it sounds, particularly if you aren't using atmos. Guide here:
https://brnkr.github.io/audyssey_one/
This is a good price for the specs. I have the Marantz Cinema 50 which is almost identical. Denons are good. Both brands are owned by the same parent company (Masimo).
Snap one up if you want it is my advise, might not b around for much longer …. https://www.reddit.com/r/hometheater/comments/1gyvo9j/sound_…
Ouch. So… sales incoming? :-D
maybe, it all depends on how much stock they have, all the others are at 1999 (20 %) as the OP mentioned so this is already a fantastic deal at 30% off
Is this 4K and can it power my Polk RTIA9, CSIA6 and FXIA6 speakers?
Are you lazy or ignorant on how to read specs?
I've had one for a while
Pro's
Issue free
HDMI overall near hassle free
As a pre-processor very good
Overall
Nice and will suit most as is
Movies great
Music ok
For me, came from a Pioneer LX87, excellent amp, pre massive cost cutting.
Sound quality much better than the Denon
Had to buy extra power amps etc to make up the difference and provide some head room for the Denon
We watch movies, so the Denon ends up being slightly better with extras (good surround processing), however sound quality was a noticeable drop from the previous beast.
Depends what you are upgrading from
For many, an excellent overall unit.
I'm still clinging to an old Yamaha A820, I think the last generation to utilize TI Burr Brown DACs, so the choice these days is give up the warm sound signature for modern features like HDMI 2.1.
I find Denon's to be on the slightly warmer side. Would you say X3800H deviates from that?
o yes I remember when I used to be fully into home theater stuff. Back when JB hifi used to cut audio cables to length :D those days are over unfortunately, its good to see the dream is still there for people :D
Great price!
This is the best price I've seen. I have been looking at this for a little while but waiting for the Onkyo RZ30 to get a bit more exposure. After adding Dirac the Denon comes in at around the same price as the new Onkyo.
Excellent price. I paid $1950 on black friday and thought that was a decent deal. Got it hooked up to the KEF Q series speakers.
Bought this unit last year, extremely happy with the purchase.
A couple of tips - YMMV -
i haven't messed with atmos before - how much do you rate it vs 5.1, vs say going from 2.1 to 5.1?
I don't think anything will beat 2.1 to 5.1. I would class it as the same improvement as 5.1 to 7.1 - noticeable and welcome but not an entirely new experience. Maybe just a little bit more than that.
I know very little about amplifiers, but I was thinking of upgrading a 10+ year old one. Is this one good? Any cheaper alternatives out there?