AVR-X6800H 11.4 Channel AV Receiver - 140W/Ch, Built-in HEOS, WiFi, & Bluetooth - Dolby Vision, HLG, HDR10+, Dynamic HDR & Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization - Home Audio Receivers & Amplifiers

Amazon has had some really good prices on the Amazon days so I bought a new receiver. Now I recently bought a AVR-S960H in 2022 which was excellent but I was needing another receiver. I originally reviewed the S960H comparing against an Onkyo back in 2022. I mistakenly stated the Onkyo was a TX-NR6100, which it was a TX-NR6050. Very similar with the NR6100 having THX and 10 more watts of power. This year I bought the Onkyo TX-NR6100 hoping it was better than the TX-NR6050 which it was in sound quality only, equaling the Denon AVR-S960H and Denon AVR-X2800H. However the Onkyo TX-NR6100 just doesn't compare with missing features, weird on-line manuals that have numerous inaccuracies, and weird, none standard Dolby decoding that is mentioned in the manuals. The biggest problem that I was hoping was corrected with a firmware update for the 2 years that passed with the TX-NR6050 was the incorrect speakers, playing the wrong dolby discrete channels. As I stated this is even mentioned in the manual as Onkyo thinks this is alright. I have a 7.1 speaker setup and listen to discrete 5.1 Dolby soundtracks of Concert Music Videos. I want to listen to the soundtrack discrete with no up mixing with a 5.1 speaker 'output'. The Onkyo's surround channel signals will only play out of the 'back' surround speakers leaving the surround speakers quiet. This is by design and acknowledged in the manual! This made the sound inferior and unacceptable to me. My Denon receivers play the surround channels correctly through the surround speakers. Then the above goes one step further in displaying the incorrect number of channels output in the on-screen display on your tv. It will say a 5.1 signal input to 7.1 speakers output. This is wrong and should say 5.1 signal input to 5.1 speakers output. Since the "back" speakers are playing, it somehow thinks that the output is 7.1 speakers when only 5.1 speakers are playing, even if it is the wrong speakers. Also the Onkyo has no HDR10+ for it's 3 inputs that aren't 8K compatible. Not good IMO. So with the quirks in the Onkyo TX-NR6100, I sent it back. I replaced it with a Denon AVR-X2800H. I could had replaced the Onkyo with a Denon AVR-S970H but I wanted the added room correction upgrade with the X2800 which is Audyssey MultiEQ XT, S970 has standard MultiEQ, no XT. Plus the X2800 in a 5.1 speaker setup will allow Speakers B to be assigned to the back surround speaker outputs or BIAMP if you have the need with your speakers. The S970 will not do that. The X2800 also has Zone 2 preamp outputs that the S970 does not. Also the X2800 has one year longer warranty than the S970. The X2800 also has 5 more watts/channel than the S970. At the time I bought during Amazon days, the X2800 was less than $200 more than the S970, so I bought the X2800. The X2800 steers the correct surround channels to the correct surround speakers unlike the Onkyo and sounds just as good if not better. I have more features and a long warranty with the Denon AVR-X2800H as well over the Onkyo. Also the Denon has HDMI 2.1 inputs for all 6 inputs and will play HDR10+ on all 6 HDMI inputs, that the Onkyo can not! I honestly have nothing to complain about the Denon. It does everything right and sounds great! It's also compatible with 8K60p(A) "UNCOMPRESSED" and 4K120p unlike some. I didn't look at the Yamaha RX-V6A/RX-A2A twins as they were not compatible with 8K60p(A) "UNCOMPRESSED" , just 8K60p(B) "COMPRESSED". They were the same price as the Denon AVR-S970H and AVR-X2800H models. That being Yamaha RX-V6A price about same as Denon AVR-S970H, and Yamaha RX-A2A about same as Denon AVR-X2800H. The Yamaha model compatible with 8K60p (A) "UNCOMPRESSED" is the more expensive RX-A4A but I seen no comparable pricing around what the Denon AVR-X2880H was selling at. Very similar to the Denon but more power with pre-amp outputs. I didn't need either for the hundreds more it was selling at. The Denon AVR-X2800H is the best bang for your buck 7.1 receiver right now IMO.

super - amazing - but not perfect - Denon AVR-X1800H 7.2 Channel AV Receiver - 80W/Channel, Wireless Streaming via Built-in HEOS, WiFi, & Bluetooth, Supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, Dynamic HDR, and Home Automation Systems - There are many aspects of the Denon AVR-X1800H Receiver that are amazing. However, the Denon AVR-X1800H Receiver does exhibit some flaws. Despite the flaws, the Denon AVR line of receivers is probably the most practical option available. - setup - the on screen setup, using HDMI to an HDTV, with speaker testing is amazing! - audyssey - I could not get the Denon Audyssey system to produce anything that approached a reasonable experience. I disabled that feature. With audyssey disabled, I have been able to fine tune a wonderful sonic experience. - HDMI passthrough - as wonderful as this feature ought to be, it turns out that it is terrible. First of all, it demands to try to "upscale" all inputs, to a minimum of 2160p. With several computers that I want to display on my big HDTV, including a home data archival server, running the HDMI output from the computer through the Denon creates a completely distorted looking result. It's visually atrocious. - web interface remote control - this is a GREAT feature. Most importantly, the Denon can be controlled directly from any computer by finding the IP address of the Denon on the LAN and simply pointing to it. This is amazing! - Android / iOS remote control - the control interface via the Android OS app is the best and easiest way to operate, control, and adjust the receiver! - sound quality - super overall - running a 7.1 channel setup, using Monolith brand speaks I also purchased on amazon, the surround sound experience is extraordinary. Using the Android or Web interface, I can adjust the levels of individual speakers to fine tune the sonic experience for each movie. The speakers are: Monolith T5 pair front - Monolith T4 pair rear - Monolith D5 front center - vintage (1984) Klipsch KG4 pair secondary front - ELAC SUB1225 Subwoofer. - note - the Denon AVR-X1800H is actually in the middle of the range or the similar receivers that Denon markets. However at this price level the Denon AVR-X1800H already provides what most people need. The addition AVR-X4800H AVR-X5800H AVR-X6800H provide more channels, and more "power", but they seem to maintain similar features. - Heos - have not used it and do not need it. I play all music via an HTPC dedicated computer running vlc media player, iTunes, Kodi, and so on HDMI erac output into the Denon for audio output. - conclusion - overall, except for the nearly unusable HDMI passthrough feature, the Denon AVR-X1800H is delightful. -

Alright folks. Grab a drink, sit down, and have a read. Because this is gonna be an eye full! This going to be an exhaustive, if not exhausting, full review of not only the Denon AVR-X4800H 9.4 receiver, but also all the speakers currently hooked up to it. Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): Purchase this! You will decidedly not be disappointed. Allow me to explain... I recently upgraded from a Yamaha RX-V1900 receiver in a 7.1 configuration, to the current system of the Denon, in a 5.2.4 configuration. The former set consisted of the Yamaha receiver, a front pair of legacy Paradigm 3SE speakers (30 years old at publication), Paradigm 5.0 Cinema surround speakers, and a Paradigm 10" enclosed SE subwoofer. Big fan. It's now in my bedroom. My recent upgrade consists of: Denon AVR-X4800H, pair of Polk Audio (PA) Signature Elite ES60 towers (Front left and right), PA ES35 center channel, pair of PA ES20 surround speakers, pair of PA ES10 surround height speakers, pair of PA Reserve 900 front height speakers, a PA 12" HTS 12 subwoofer (bottom ported), and the aforementioned Paradigm 10" enclosed subwoofer. Crazy! Right?! Caveat: I am not an audiophile! But maybe I'm getting closer to one due to these purchases. I am not "brand" loyal. That is not to say that I've not had excellent experiences with prior brands. Big fan: of Pioneer and Yamaha receivers. Also had excellent experience with Paradigm speakers. I branched out this time, and it didn't disappoint. You know what you like best. Keep up with it! Or, try something new like I just did. RECEIVER: The Denon AVR-X4800H, is nothing short of exquisite. I had a bit of time on my hands while deployed overseas, and hours upon hours to research. It was a legitimate toss up between the AVR-3800H and the AVR-X4800H. Here's why. To be honest, there's not a heap of difference between them. The biggest being the 4800 pumps out 125 watts per 9 channels, whereas the 3800 puts out 105 watts. Yes, yes, I know that's not full RMS. Additional minor features are 3 trigger out ports, and it's made in Japan. I merely opted for more power, and glad that I did. That, and Amazon had this unit on mad sale - less than the MSRP of the 3800. So, why not? Pro tips: If you've gotten this far, you've already likely had several audio systems behind your belt, and more or less know the ropes when it comes to set up and so on. The set up wizard on this bad boy as easy AF. I personally recommend doing both the manual set up, and take accurate measurements from your optimum listening position (laser measurement tool is clutch here), AND doing the full Audyessy set up. Ultimately the Audysessy set up worked magnificently. Not only did it do a near perfect job calibrating every speaker, it also picked up on a couple of my set up mistakes (an out of phase speaker - which isn't hard considering the rats nest of wires to hook up, AND it discovered a lose wire connection). I made only the slightest tweaks to the Audyessy set up. The AVR has several audio processing options for both audio and visual listening options. Try them all out. You'll find out in short order what your preferences are. I am a particular fan of: Dolby Surround, Auro-3D, and Multi Channel options.The first two employ all your channels, the latter, everything but your subs - and you'd be surprised what sound you can achieve without your subs if you've the right speakers. Bluetooth: This system can both receive, and transmit, Bluetooth signal. Some comments on both. I employed a stand alone bluetooth receiver on my legacy AVR. Game changer. For this, it's absolutely fine to use. If you're familiar with receiving Bluetooth signal on your AVR, you'll know that the range is limited. Not terrible, but if you're sending signal from your phone from the bathroom or patios, you'll know that it can, and will, cut out until you're back in range. Just sayin'. Now, you can also transmit Bluetooth from the receiver, although not at the same time as receiving. You can transit up to 8 separate devices. This is where it can become potentially interesting. While I suspected the options I'm about to elaborate on, I did reach out to Denon for clarification on how and what I could transit to in terms on bluetooth capable devices. For what ever reason, the response was rather cagey, and I don't know why. So, check it out - you're already directly feeding what combination of speakers outputting from your AVR. Guess what! You can ALSO transit to a myriad of bluetooth capable speakers as well! 8, at minimum! Now, keep in mind, since your channel speakers are direct linked, your bluetooth receiving speakers will experience an ever so slight delay in reception. It can be annoying. You could of course set up your direct linked speakers on the same delay, and viola, match your bluetooth speakers. But here is where the transmitting bluetooth could REALLY count - MULTIROOM broadcasting! Why bother with the extra wires, when you can just as easily send signal to other rooms with bluetooth receiving speakers??? For example, I have 5 Alexas, the legacy AVR set up in 5.1, and another in the spare room with the same capability. So, having tested some of this theory, I've been able to broadcast sound to any bluetooth capable receiving speaker in the house. COOL!!! Right?! Wifi: I've never had the option of wifi on an AVR prior. Spoiler alert, another game changer. You can download, for free, some apps for this AVR. I suggest the Denon remote app, and also the HEOS app. You can perform basically every option with the remote app, as the actual remote. The remote is fine, but as usual, a rather unwieldy large wand. The remote app works great as well. As for HEOS, it's mostly great. Admittedly, the random option for your tunes, isn't exactly as random as you might prefer, That's ok, you can sub in what ever music you want, as you want, construct playlists, etc. If you subscribe to any music streaming music services you've that option as well. HDMI: The AVR supports 3 HDMI outputs, including eARC, and 7 in. At present I only have 2 inputs, my fire stick for streaming, and my Blu-ray. Output is direct to the TV. This does upscale up to 8k, to a capable monitor. I have a Samsung 85' behemoth TV. I don't personally notice an appreciable difference between the upscaling. But you might. Ok, ok, speaker set up. Finally. Polk Audio Signature Elite ES60 towers - front left and right. They. Are. Amazing. Truly. Way more bass capable than I expected. I can have my subs off, and barely notice the difference. Mine are the walnut wood tone, with the front grills off. I LOVE the contemporary look. Curved on the edges. Surprisingly deep, but not ridiculously so. 3 drivers and a tweeter. LOTS of sound. Bottom "power ported" design. Just gorgeous cabinetry. Center channel: Polk Audio Signature Elite ES35. This thing is crazy. It is probably the single greatest addition to the speaker combination. Not only does it fit perfectly beneath my television, looks amazing, but sounds absolutely incredible. Vocals and mid tones come through just brilliantly! Had I known just how profoundly amazing this speaker would have sounded, I'd have considered getting the biggest center channel I could afford. NO matter. It accomplishes everything I could possibly need, and then some. Front Height speakers: Polk Audio Reserve Series - R900. The single reason I opted to upgrade to the Reserve Series height speakers is simple. The Signature Elite height speakers are specifically made to rest atop the ES60 towers. Not that big of a deal. But. From my research it was expressly suggested to get your height speakers as far up to the ceiling as possible. The Signature Elite ES90s, being curved to the towers, can't be easily wall mounted. The R900s, can achieve both positions. So, have a look at my photos for the results. Zero complaints. Surround speakers: Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20s. I have these bad boys opposite each side of my couch, and central listening position. They could easily perform as your front channel speakers. Loads of bass, and clarity. They're essentially ES60 towers, but a third the size and volume. These things just ring next to my ears! I have heard sounds and tones from songs I've listened to for decades; but never heard before. Phenomenal! Surround height speakers: Polk Audio Signature Elite ES10s. I got these as gifts prior to purchasing the new AVR, and additional speakers. I originally had them set up as a mid room surround speaker pair. BAD idea! They seriously underperformed there. Like, bad. Useless really. Now, I have them set up atop corner photo stands. See pics. Now, I don't have them as high up as maybe they should be, BUT, they sound exactly as I was hoping. Very very good height sound. I bought rubber computer desk angled stands, reversed them they way they were meant to be mounted, so now the speakers are oriented downwards towards my dome piece. And voila again! A very happy accident, in the immortal words of Bob Ross. I'm not joking when I say this configuration worked even better than I had hoped. Subs!: Since I had the option, I chose to make it a left and right Sub configuration. Again, you've the option to wire up to 4 subs with the Denon AVR 4800! Insane. I chose a front left and right configuration because I share the rear wall with neighbors. I know, first world problems. Call me considerate. Anywho. I have the legacy 10" downward facing Paradigm SE sub on the right. For its small size, it can sing ridiculously loud, and deep. For the left sub I have the front facing Polk Audio HTS 12' (discontinued). I considered the actual Signature Elite ES12, but the HTS just so happened to aesthetically match the rest of the existing speakers, particularly in terms of the downward facing power port. Again, no complaints. The truth of the matter is this: Considering the wealth of orgasmic audio bliss achieved by this truly magnificent set up, I've barely put it through its paces. Don't get me wrong, I've spent hours hypnotized by the otherworldly sound this AVR and speakers produce. What's really cool, is even at low levels, you can still achieve the same incredible sound processing. I'm floored. A couple final thoughts: Cable management. DO IT!!! I know you've already spent hours upon hours, shopping, researching, unboxing, etc. Take the time to set up your audio system, right, and the first time. You'll kick yourself repeatedly if you don't. I spent less than $40 on rectangular speaker wire conduit, measured a dozen times, cut a couple few times, and mounted it along the walls, floors, and fireplace. Looks amazing, if I might say. With any luck, you'll never have to reaccomplish the task again until you move to the next pad. Also, do take the time to read through the massively long user AVR manual. I learned, a LOT! Know what your gear is capable of. There is more science built into this thing that the CERN collider. You'll be grateful that you did. Ok, time for a refill, yes? Thanks for taking the time to read through. Hope this helped!

In search of a new A/V receiver, I sought recommendations from my friend, a professional custom home theater installer. He strongly suggested a Denon model, citing its exceptional quality and robust customer support. Regrettably, my experience with this receiver has been diametrically opposed. Upon connecting all components and completing the setup instructions, the unit commenced malfunctioning immediately. Subsequently, when all components were shutoff after I finished watching a program, the receiver turned itself back on. Occasionally, it would also turn on the TV too. Fortunately, I was present during these occurrences. I contacted Denon support, providing a comprehensive description of the issue, including the steps I had taken to resolve it, which entailed restoring the unit to its factory settings. Regrettably, the support representative was unable to provide any information regarding the underlying cause of the problem or offer a solution. When I informed him of my option to return the unit until January 31, 2026, his response was that this may be the most appropriate course of action. Upon looking at reviews of this receiver and Denon receivers in general, this has been an ongoing issue for some time. Therefore, I would not recommend purchasing Denon products.

I replaced an old Onkyo 535 with this Denon. It was a significant upgrade. There is zero noise, the Bluetooth is easy to use and provides excellent sound, and the HDMI circuitry is outstanding. The eARC capability is compatible with 2.1 HDMI, and it works seamlessly. Of note, I really like the way it provides the best sound configuration automatically for each source, and I don't have to switch around to find the best sound option. For example, if the source is compatible with Atmos, it provides Atmos. If it's only compatible with Dolby surround, it switches to that. Finally, the distribution of sound is superb. I have a 7.1 speaker configuration of mostly mid-level speakers, and the Denon uses them to their fullest. Rear sounds come clearly from the rear...same with each side, etc. And most of all, I don't have to tweak the system to get that. I just used the provided microphone and ran the set up (which was really easy), and I have really great sound. This unit is a good value.

I previously owned a Denon AVR-2808ci since 2008. That model's remote control didn't work well, and all controls were unnecessarily convoluted, so I was hesitant to buy another Denon. The thing that made me give them another chance is that the sound quality was nice, and I was hoping their engineers learned from their mistakes. I'm glad I gave them the chance. This new model, the AVR-X4800H, also has excellent sound quality; however, unlike the old one I had, the controls on both the receiver itself, and especially on the remote control, are significantly improved. The controls are intuitive, and everything works perfectly. That alone made me happy with the purchase; however, the ability to run 4k @ 120 hz for video gaming, and with extra HDMI ports they have here, all added to that value quite a bit. Then, in addition to that, the old model I had ran super hot. In fact, so hot, from just basic usage, it fried itself three different times in the span of a couple weeks (during the winter time), and it kept being repaired under warranty, until they replaced the top grate with one that allows more ventilation. However, this new model doesn't appear to suffer from that same issue. It gets pretty warm, but nowhere near what the old one did -- and I'm using the same Bose Surround Sound system with the new one. That said, as a precaution, I went ahead and ordered an AC Infinity AirCom to put on top of it, to assist with cooling/ventilation, which has worked wonderfully as well. No the tempts on this Denon AVR have never gone above 87 deg, even on a warm room on the third floor during the late spring / summer time. The other hesitancy I had was the price tag. I only purchased it because it was on a "25% discount", from $2500 down to around $1850. Granted, it was similar when I purchased the other one 15 years ago, but it's just an awful lot of money, in my humble opinion. I would say it was borderline on whether I would buy it for this amount, and if it went up at all, I wouldn't have purchased it. I may not purchase it again for this price, especially if I have one already that is working well -- it was only the wonky one that I already owned, that I just wanted to get rid of, that put more pressure to give them one more chance. With a working device, I probably wouldn't pay these prices again. But, if it were a few hundred dollars cheaper, then I probably would buy it again. Hopefully this helps someone. It's a great device, just a bit expensive. And, if you get it, I would still recommend getting a top cooling fan for it.

I really did some research before I bought this receiver and was reluctant with my decision until setup was complete. I must say, I am fully satisfied with my purchase. I was an Onkyo guy for years and this Denon drives my Klipsch more fully and dynamically than either two previous mid level Onkyo's did. Both which failed, but I did get 10 years out of the second unit. I looked at a replacement Onkyo, Pioneer Premier, and Denon. This was the only brand not plagued by short lifespan reviews, hence the purchase and I feel it was the right one. The sound quality is top notch! Just my .02

I bought this for my 2.1 system used for TV (4K with 120 Hz), movies, video games (4K with 120 Hz), turntable, and digital audio. I have previously used Denon, Marantz, and NAD AVRs. I was using an old NAD without HDMI, and I really wanted everything to synch up. I tried out a stereo receiver since I am only running a 2.1, but I didn't mesh for me. It was fine, but I felt it was lacking especially around multi-channel audio and the lack of an LFE output for the sub. The 2800H was very intuitive and easy to set up right out of the box. Hooked up to a TV, it runs through everything step-by-step. After the initial setup, I downloaded and ran a firmware update. When I finally got to use my ears, the sound was already superior to what I had from the mid-2000s 60-watt-per-channel NAD AVR with an external Bluetooth/DAC and PCM cable from the TV AND the brand-new, 2023 model HDMI-equipped stereo receiver (that cost me more than the 2800H). After running Audyssey, the sound only got better. Then, I set up my 2 front speakers on a bi-amp setting, utilizing two of my unused channels to drive my woofer and tweeter with discrete power sources. The eARC and settings makes turning on my TV, PS5, and AVR easier and quicker. I enjoy the fact that I can use any remote to fix the volume so there is always a remote close when we need a quick mute or change in the volume. I find the HEOS app to be a little clunky, but I am loving it anyway. I can run high-definition audio through streaming, which is a huge improvement from using Apple Airplay 2 or Bluetooth. It also lets me talk on the phone, send and receive messages, etc. without interrupting the music. Right now, I am still tweaking my settings, but I can definitely say that the sound is really good. Have I heard better? Sure. This isn't an 11-channel receiver with Dirac, a 200 watt-per-channel, high-end "audiophile"-grade component, or a tube amp. It is best at multi-channel audio and does really well for music, especially with a good set of speakers and quality sub with parametric EQ. My speakers have are low sensitivity (84dB), and the 2800H puts out enough grunt to listen give nuance and life to music in listening position, to bump the music to listen in my kitchen two rooms over, or watch at theater-level volume in my medium-sized living room with 8-foot ceilings. This thing is getting daily use, and it is more than enough to get the job done in style. For what I need, the 2800H is spot on.