Great review!! We'll be setting up Denon's new X3800H in a new theater demo room we're just designing and building. We're also designing/building another new theater in our showroom that will feature Marantz's new CINEMA 50 11.4 channel receiver. Both theaters will be equipped with 5.4.6 Dolby Atmos/DTS:X audio systems. So both theaters will use a 11.4 channels and 2 channels will use just the relievers' 2-channel pre-outs and powered by Marantz's 40n 2-channel Integrated amplifier. So our two front channel speakers and Smart amplifier will also be used for reference stereo critical listening with a premium SACD player and Technics Turntable. Let the fun with serious a/v experiences begin!
I am looking at the Marantz new CINEMA 50. Only thing I don't like is they got rid of digital box behind the door. Can you still see what audio format you are in with the new Marantz ?
@@scotttild I have the CINEMA 50 in stock and we'll get back here with the audio format display answer. Shane is pickling up one of our CINEMA 50 9.4 channel receivers this week and he will be reviewing this new high-end Marantz 9.4 Channel Receiver.
I just bought a Denon X3800H AVR. The video upscaling is really great on this unit. My picture was immediately improved somewhat by sending the signal through this AVR. As for sound: I doubt consumers will find better for under $2,000 anywhere. The Denon X3800H rocks! I couldn't be happier. For movie-lovers, I HIGHLY recommend this receiver.
Also to picture improvment. I dont believe you at all. I haven't seen a single upscaling that improved imagine at all in any tv at any price point. I doubt avr that does everything is focused on improving image. Do blind test then we will talk. When I decided to push my movies through external android tv I thought the image was worse but after testing it was indistinguishable from my smart tv.
I just ordered the Denon X3800H. Looking forward to hooking it up. I've been using a pioneer elite sc-65 for 8+ years so I'm well overdue for an upgrade at this point. You can't beat the price for what this receiver offers especially with the 4 dedicated subwoofer inputs and dirac being offered in Q1 of next year.
I just installed the X4800H last Monday, it’s a great AVR and I’ve been loving it so far although I was a bit surprised that it’s smaller than my old Yamaha RX-A2060 that I moved upstairs.
I wish you'd cover more the surround/atmos sound quality compared to different AV receivers/processors in your home theater rather than 2 channel audio.
My 3800H is worlds apart from the past Denon units (960 and 1700) I had!!! Awesome separation in the sonic realm among speakers....Heads and tails above past units! Highly recommended!!!
@@therealshanelee Hey, do you think i will see a difference in sound quality and channel separation if i upgrade from a Denon X2600H to the 3800? Does the 3800 have a better DAC and DSP? Thanks
Great job as usual. Your comparison to the Hegal sounds very similar to what I thought about two channel with the Denon using its internal amps versus using a Monolith Ncore amp and the Denon in pre-amp mode.
I been waiting on reviews before I picked it up. I've seen two reviews so far and they have been largely positive. I'm just waiting for a few more to pull the trigger on this one.
I find it humorous how it shuts off the display in PURE mode as if that's gonna taint the sound in an audible manner. I generally stay away from Audyssey. I tried it on my first Denon receiver and was very dissatisfied with the result. Going into manual mode it gives you all the parameters anyway. I can measure from my stupid face to each speaker's tweeter with a laser measurer thingy. I've got my own SPL meter and I can EQ better with a pillow duct-taped around my head than Audyssey can. I just wish it had a 31-band EQ. Also I like how Dirac Live Bass "Control a single subwoofer" option says "Bass Management on multiple subwoofers" under the list of features. LOL. I would love it if instead of directional bass I could assign one or two subs to LFE and the others for the speakers I set to small, if I were to do so.
Appreciate the Review. Based on it, I just dropped in X3800h….in my defense, I cheated a little, I added Emotiva’s BasX A3 across the front end. Wow, Jackpot!!! Blows away the Anthem I had, that kept burning out subwoofer channels. Thanks again. 👍🏾😎
I bought the Denon AVC X3800H to replace my aging Denon AVR X3200W. Setup was easy as is the Audyssey speaker setup.The main issue is switching between connected devices. All devises worked perfectly on the X3200W, but the X3800H appears to have HDMI Handshake issues and Auto Signal Sensing. When I switch from PC to TV sometimes I get Dolby Surr Tv and sometimes not. When switching back to PC ( Intel NUC SWNUC 11PAHi7000) I do not have any Sound. To fix this I have reboot the PC, which is something you do not want to do all the time.
Excellent detailed review as always Shane. Would love to see you review the Onkyo RZ50. Thought you may have done a video previously, but couldn’t find it. Either way, look forward to your next review whatever it may be.
Very thorough and well done review. I have a few questions regarding surround and 2 channel play back. Does this AVR have a setting where it will simply just auto decode the source and output the single in the format it is receiving it in? Or, do you need to go into the sound modes under movie, music or game and select your option? I'm looking for a receiver that will automatically decode the single it is receiving whether it be multiple channels, such as 5.1, 7.1 etc. and 2 channel source material such as PCM or from the tuner. I want it to automatically decode all the different formats it is capable of and output the sound to the appropriate channels. I hope I am explaining this correctly. It seems confusing.
I recently got a x3800h. Already own a x1700h which is a stellar avr with alot of power amd functionality. After setting up the x3800h, i noticed the speakers were getting alot of more oomph from the amp section of the x3800h. The additional atmos speakers, currently in 7.1.2 config really impressed. Will be adding an external amp soon to drive two additional speakers to go the full 7.1.4 route. The avr is really well built and has a heft that larger than the x1700h. There are some improvements in menu options over the old system on the x1700h but not all is good on the menu front on x3800h. Some of the quick select audio codecs are now on the right hand side in a vertical fashion, and appear slightly lowish res. The horizontal audio selection on the x1700h was much better IMHO. Also the x3800h clicks alot more often than the x1700h. A little annoying but nothing to be concerned about. The difference in sound is that the x3800 has a fatter more built up sound compared to the x1700h...but then you would expect that from a system with bigger amd better amp section. Apart from that there is not much else apart from ability to connect additional speakers and individual subs. If you have the money go for the x3800h. Its probably the bargain full atmos...ish via additional external amp, avr receiver on the market that does everything you could ever want. If you choose your speakers right and make sure they are 8ohms minimum, then definitely 💯 get it. If you don't intend in getting a full atmos rig, then the x1700h is a stellar choice.
I’ve got a 5ch amp and a 2ch amp I am going to hook up to this receiver and let the receiver handle the signals for top height speakers front and rear. How do I set up the amp assign for this type of setup? Thanks Great video btw.
OK, so you have tested Marantz Cinema 50 and Denon x3800h both against some other amps. How do those compare in your opinion one to each other? Cinema vs stereo music reproduction? :-) Thanks ....
What are your thoughts x4700h vs x3800h. I don’t plan to connect a lot to the AVR and doubt I’ll go DIRAC. The menu looks great on the 3800 but if I’m just after home theater performance, the 4700 has more power and a better processor (from what I understand). Oh and I’ll never be able to go 3/4 subs.
3800 gives you all modern HDMI 2.1 ports vs just 1 on 4700, you get the updated UI with 3800, you get Dirac Live upgrade path at $250-$350, you get 4 sub pre-outs, you get the ability to run 3800 entirely in pre-amp mode with all channels externally amplified. 4700h has barely more power and is still begging for external amplification help.
Great review! But I don’t see a compelling reason to pick 3800H over Onkyo RZ-50 other than 4 separate sub outputs. RZ50 comes with DIRAC Live, while you have to wait till March 2023 to get it thru software update plus $350 to $500 extra for 3800. Meaning it’s more expensive and less wattage to speakers (120W per Channel RZ50 vs 105W per Channel for 3800).
@@justinlovenow Pioneer LX505, Onkyo RZ-50, and Integra DRX-5.4 are essentially the same product, except Pioneer brand is considered more luxurious, and Integra most high end in the same company, thus the price difference. Toyota vs Lexus if you will.
Onkyo RZ-50 doesn't have Auro 3D. The Denon 3800h does have Auro 3D and you can get Dirac Live upgrade in March 2023 for $250-$350. So if you want Auro 3D and Dirac Live in the same box...the 3800h is it. The Watts per Channel is only for 2 channels driven and both of these would benefit from External amplification so I'm not moved by the bit of extra power the RZ50 has...My Outlaw 5000x amp will handle the power end of things.
Great review Shane particularly the sound review. Obviously the Hegel is a high-end unit. For me, the sound quality especially music is the #1 thing. When I say music, I'm not just talking about 2 channel but music in movies since movies are rife with sound in the bedlayer. Would you say the Denon moved you when you listened to music? If you play the intro to No Time To Die or the Crown or whatever piece you know impressed you with another AVR, did you feel "whoa, that sounds great"?
Finally a manufacturer that includes a proprietary output fo tactile transducers! It's just too bad that it's not really all that functional without more settings. The minimum that you need to properly integrate transducers is a delay setting and a proper crossover section, CX of 40Hz is too high - especially if you can't set a delay to properly sync the transducers up with the subwoofers. An EQ would be nice as well if you need to tame certain frequencies (your furniture also has (room) modes!). So in the end you still need a external DSP to fully calibrate your transducers so the integrate with your subs properly, otherwise they get annying pretty quickly... Still, one problem seems to be solved here: You probably don't want your transducers to run when you are listening to music so I have to switch the amp that powers the transducers on and off manually. I guess (hope) that these Denon only send the LFE signal to the transducers even if you have your mains set to small with a crossover. Also no workarounds are needed anymore to do the automatic Audyssey calibrattion. I hope Sound united adds more funtionality to the transducer out so we who use them don't need any exertanl DSP anymore to equalize them... Having all handled in one device (the AVR) is better/more convenient than using an external DSP since you can turn them on or off or adjust them depending on mood/contet. They could even consider providing an option to use one of the integrated amps to even power a transducer/shaker. The amps of an AVR are not really suited for a transduer though since an amp for that application has to provide huge amounts of power and need a FR way below 20Hz but still, would be nice to have that option for people who just want to try a transducer out and see if they like it. The 4 subwoofer outputs are a big deal! Are they truly independant? Does Audyssey try to measure them automatically or do you have to set everything up manually if you use more than 2 subs? You should tweak the subs as much as possible by hand (with assistance of a mic) anyways but i find that the automatic phase adjustements of Audyssey (I currently have a 4400h) still help me with the time alignement...
I just ordered a unit, and one of the big selling points is the number of discrete subwoofer outputs. I have five transducers in my in my sectional, and I think that while the settings here are a bit limited - it might just get me close enough to not needing the dsp. It makes you wonder, if they have a dedicated menu for these transducers you would think that there might be some special sauce behind-the-scenes to best take advantage of. One potential possibility is that by mapping these to sub output #4, they can be ignored by audyssey and dirac or something
@@cr4zyg047Did you set everything up in the meantime? How does it work? I guess you can run the automatic room correction (Audyssey or Dirac) without the transducers getting activated? Can you enable or disable the transducers on the fly via the AVR remote? I mostly wonder if only the LFE signal gets sent to the transducers and not all the bass signal (if you have set a universal crossover for all the speakers) so if you listen to music or if there is other bass active on other speakers like the LCR (like in the score), the transducers don't get any signal? I hope so, that would be very helpful.
Loving my new X3800H. However, I may have found a bug... can you check if the Quick Select remote buttons and Speaker Presets are saving the Audyssey LFC setting? On mine it's saving all of the Audyssey settings /except/ that one.... (according to the manual, it's supposed to)
No reason why not, should be perfect for it. My brother is planning to get one specifically to use as a Pre Pro. I might even consider it but I have such long runs, (about 40 ft) I probably need to stay with balanced outs.
@@mfkhometheater7742 Yeah, wish he'd gone further with his experience with movies rather than 2 channel use, as most people here are more interested in comparisons between other AVRs he's gone through and his current setup. What Hi-fi says they noticed a difference in tuning, wondering if Shane experienced the same.
Very informative! what are your thoughts on using the AVR as a preamp only (setting the unit to disconnect the internal amps) and running external amplification with Emotiva or Monolith amps? Also, would it be ok to use the AVR's amps just for the height speakers or would that still introduce enough of the lackluster high frequencies to mess up the entire mix?
Would adding a 2 channel amp to the close the gap in terms of sound performance compared to the Hagel? I have a Parasound 2125 v2 (150x2) and am interested in the 3800. I thought the external amp may improve the sound quality in 2 channel listening.
Great review as always. I'm currently putting together a cinema room .. converted bedroom. I've got the 3800 with a emotiva basx a2 ... Will power the fronts. My room isn't big say 18ft x 14 approx ... I'll be getting 4 subs... thinking 4 svs 1000 pros pb.. but can't find any videos of anyone actually using 4 subs? Are the 4 still useful without Dirac?
Very good review. I found the music performance to thin for me with this amp. I upgraded after I blew my 4400 and realized that I really miss the depth of the music because the dacs in the 3800 are super cheap TI dacs.
I'd like to see you do the Hegel/ music comparison using a comparable Marantz (maybe the cinema 50). I always end up with a marantz in my system, seems a bit more laid back (my personal preference). As you mentioned, Denon music can be a bit bright/fatiguing. ASR/ Amirm gives the Denon's lots of love but sometimes you have to go with your own ears
Thank you for this great content 👍. I am planning to get the r600+400+r100(2 pairs)+RC80i +hts 12 for my 7.1.2 setup. But bit confused about the avr, denon x3800h vs 4700. My dedicated ht room size is 5.3m*3.7m after the aquistics. I am not planing the preamps due to budget constraints. Which avr would you recommend for this setup denon 3800 or 4700?
Get the 3800 over the 4700, 3800 has all modern HDMI 2.1 ports whereas the 4700 only has one full featured HDMI 2.1 input. The 3800h is on the Dirac Live upgrade path in March 2023. 4700 can not get Dirac Live ever. 3800h has the newer Denon user interface. 3800 also has 4 independent subwoofer outputs.
Very informative video. Thanks for your work. Question, does the 3800h have a pass through feature? If my Xfinity is plugged into the receiver, and hdmi from the receiver to the TV, can I turn the receiver off and the cable broadcast keep playing through to the TV/ audio through/ TV? Thanks in advance.
I must say, im a old school computer guy and all those menu options just made my head hurt lol. I think i need to hire a sound person and hook my stuff up
Great review! My Yamaha TSR-7810 Receiver is kinda long in the tooth at this point. I'm looking to get this receiver to upgrade from 5.1.2 to 5.1.4. Can't wait to try the Auro-3D! With a 5.1.4 setup, can I do the Voice of God speaker too, or do I need a amp for that?
The Denon 3800h outputs to the voice of god channel using one of the subwoofer pre-outs. So technically the 3800h, with added amplification can achieve a 7.3.5 output if you use one sub output for voice of God channel. I have not tried the voice of god channel and don't know if ultimately it's worth it especially if your going to be using a mix of Auro 3D and Dolby Atmos at times.
I'm curious about the X3800H's OSD limitations. From experience with other Denon models, there *may* be a restriction on where the receiver is able to inject its overlay. For example, my S760H will not inject the volume bar onto a 4K120 stream. If I remember correctly, my older X4200H would not inject the volume bar if Dolby Vision was enabled. Does the X3800H have a limitation like that?
So at the beginning of this year I bought the Yamah A6A AVR. Which is 2300 vs the Denon's 1700. Looking at the features it feels the Denon for hoke theater has more to offer where as the Yamaha has more musical offerings. How would you compare them?
Im using a denon 4700h , i got that upgrade itch dont know if getting a 3800h or 4800h is worth the upgrade. I do run 4 subs would be nice to have dirac live. I guess il wait til i see more reviews after dirac live is out.
Hey Shane... I Was Wondering 🤔 Will There Be A 6800 Coming Out Soon??? I Have A Eleven Channel Speaker Setup 🔊 , And I Don't Have Monolith Or Amps Of That Nature... So That's Why I'm Inquiring About The Possibility Of A 6800! Otherwise, I Seeing 👀 From U Guy's That 3800, Is FANTASTIC!!! Keep Up The Great Work!!! I Seeing U Guy's ( Like Techno Dad And Several Others!!!!) Do Your Thing, Keeps People Like Me So Informed and Some!!!
I see that the 4 subwoofer levels can be adjusted manually independently. Can you confirm that Audyssey supports independently calibrating the levels and phases of 4 subwoofers?
Hello everyone, I recently purchased a Dirac Live license for the AVR DENON 3800h but I didn't see any advantage in having paid $350, so I would like to know if Direct will provide refunds? I really appreciate for your help, have great day 😄
This question requires your budget and type of room/setup you want. But assuming you don't want to break the bank and if the RZ50 was still $1399, it be a better value and I would definitely recommend getting it over the X3800H. Now it's $1599. The new Denon X3800H is $1699. Only $100 difference but the RZ50 already has Dirac on it, not an add on. No AURO3D and only 1 independent sub out (It's actually dual - 2 outs - but not independent). Frankly, if you need 4 independent subs, you should probably get a much better AVR with dedicated amps that can do 9.4.6 or 7.4.6 for an all up home theater setup. AURO3D is like ATMOS. It's basically all the same. And if you are in the USA, I'm not even sure you can get AURO3D content normally so really not much of a factor. Now paying another $250 to add DIRAC on the X3800H in 2023 is BS considering how the RZ50 already has it. Getting the RZ50 right now at $1599, you save an overall $360 -> $100 price diff + $250 DIRAC add on later + $10 tax diff. This is assuming you can FIND an RZ50 in stock that is. It was like looking for a 4 leaf clover at the beginning of the year. I don't think it's changed. 2 minor things. RZ50 has 120 W "per channel" vs 105W on the Denon and RZ50 has Chromecast built-in. Quality of life thing. The built-in Chromecast is nice to have since I personally have a Pixel phone now and it can only Chromecast. So basically, your choice is saving $360 vs getting 4 independent subs, no Dirac now (pay for it later), AURO3D (basically same as ATMOS), 15 less watts "per channel" and no built in Chromecast. Easy choice isn't it? HAHA. I'd still recommend the RZ50. Saving money is saving money. Remember, if you want to run 4 independent subs, it costs 4 times more than 1 sub and you have to wait till DIRAC is available to calibrate them. If you are making a real home theater and prepared to spend a lot, get the X3800H or better yet, get into the world of separates. If for a regular living room, get the RZ50.
I ordered the 1800 . Although it’s a nice receiver , the remote controls access to subwoofer and base is a deal breaker . I find recordings are all over the place and I’d like to change the gain on the fly, not navigate menus . It’s unfortunate engineers don’t actually think of things like this, but I suspect they never use the product.
@@Josh-os2px but heard people saying pioneer 1x305 sounds fantastic for music aswell almost like a dedicated stereo receiver in comparison with Denon 3700h not sure about 3800h
Hey Shane, thanks for your effort on this review. I was looking forward to it. I have a question. How would you set up 4 up firing atmos speakers in a 5.1.4 configuration on this AVR? Would you use the "heights" configuration or is there actually a "up firing atmos" setting? Thanks 👍
Upside down on the ceiling or on-wall. :) Yes, I know you're asking about upfiring speakers. On a serious note, I believe, Denon Setup refers to upfiring speakers as "Dolby."
@@dextermorgan1 I know what you mean but unfortunately I have to work with the room I have (concrete construction) and the fact the misses would not approve down firing speakers. A man can dream though... 🙂
No such thing, nor is it even advertised. The 4800h is coming in early 2023. The flagship(A1h?) isn't coming out until the third or fourth quarter of 2023.
So it’s a Denon. Based upon the 2-channel review, it seems nothing has changed since the 4311 I owned and used until I moved the the Anthem MRX-1120. Like others, I am intrigued with the Dirac spatial room correction implementation in the Sound United products. Until then, standing by…
Yeah.. but at the price point of half the price of anthem.. you can buy separate amplifier and be about the same price and blow anthem out of the water.. and have osd..bug free.. all that. I'm not jacking to denon or "fan boy" just saying.
I get that you were trying to compare the amplifiers, but not using subwoofers to evaluate the overall sound quality of an AV receiver is a big mistake in my opinion. Of course it's not going to have as much mid-bass punch because it assumes you'll be using a sub. Also without running any room correction you're not getting anywhere near the best performance from the AVR. This is more likely to re-affirm pre-established biases. It would have been a fairer comparison to run the pre-outs to the other amp and compare the performance that way.
The pure mode exists for a reason. It's for the guys that want the cleanest sound for two channel production without altering it's characteristic. That's also why the sub is not an option in pure. Hence why the Hegel offers no such options either. Any why would I run it into the Hegel? I'm evaluating it's output as a whole package. Not with the help of a $6k amp.
It's sending the full range audio to the speakers in pure mode so it doesn't assume you have a subwoofer. The only time it ever assumes that is if you tell it your speakers are small, which you can't do in pure mode. Granted I'd rather listen to it with an EQ any day of the week, but IMO pure mode is good for testing different speakers once you get used to how that particular amp sounds.
I can't figure out why would Denon puts out a brand new receiver with NO direct live. and then? you have to pay an additional fee to get it activated. is there at least a price on the "new firmware update that will include DIRAC LIVE. which is insane considering this receiver is slightly more expensive than the Onkyo RZ50 which includes DIRAC LIVE. at $1.599 what's so special about the Denon x3800h? Thanks
