DenonAVR-X2800H (Black) Dolby Atmos and DTS:X AV Receiver

One of the best bits of kit I have owned. A pleasure to use. Phenominal sound quality in every mode (movie, music and gaming).I've got it paired with "Wharfdale 9.1"s (rear and center) and two frontal "Monoprice 133833 inc Dolby Atmos speakers" - Dolby Atmos is an absolute joy and the "enhanced sound profiles" for music provide great variation for different styles.I've not used the in-built Internet-Radio because I use Airplay - which is fabulously functional and gives amazing sound quality for lossless music. I've yet to setup my turntable and dig the vunyl from storage but am very confident that will sound even better.A fairly laborious setup is involved, but that's a one-time deal and all similar products seem roughly the same in that regard. The "microphone" setup does work very well, is easy to do but a bit time-consuming (and sensitive, you do need absolute quiet to get the balance correct).It is easy to tweak settings once it is initially setup, although changing your router (wifi network) and then redoing the wireless settings on the Denon is a VERY big hassle (I eventualy packed that in and now use RJ45 cable, which works tremendously well).While there's plenty of input-ports I knew I wasn't getting two HDMI-out when I bought it, and I was correct in thinking I'd miss that... but have bought a "llano 8K HDMI Switch" and am amazed at the "no loss in quality" and less hassle functionality that's bought when switching between 4k Monitor and Projector when the Denon is in pass-through mode.All in all I paid around £1100 for the Denon and the speakers and £-4-£ it is one of if not the best value for money tech purchases I've made. Very much highly recommended especially for a home-cinema setup - After six months (and an indecent number of movies) I am still amazed at the quality and the 3D sound-effects (the opening 15-minutes of Blade never got played so often!).

When someone says Denon you know they mean quality and I am not surprised in the least. This being my first Denon and possibly not the last one I am in love with it. Coming from a Sabaj A4 powering 2 bookshelf speakers and signalling a Jamo c910 subwoofer the sound is way different especially with the Audyssey calibration!Material - Made of black metal and has quite a nice finish all around, the front is marked up with the notorious certifications and compatibility labels, which are basically just a sticker except for the ones below the main volume knob all the rest can be easily removed.Connectors - There is 3 front ports 1 for the setup mic which is included in the box! Audyssey setup is highly recommended even for just a 2.1 system! a large headphone port and a USB port for local playback from an external drive. on the back oh god the back so many ports and so much goodness, full banana plug compatibility! (note I was not aware previously but you just need to use a flat head screwdriver to basically pry the plugs out of the black and red colored housing, don't be afraid to use a little force to get them to pop out).Networking - Has the capability to connect to WiFi, or the more stable way by using an Ethernet cable, the built in NIC is 100mb/s FE rated, which is plenty for music. Bluetooth is also available with the built in antennas. Has FM and AM antennas as well included in the box which is a nice to have on days when the internet cuts out. Otherwise you can just use Spotify to directly stream from it.Video - Now since this is a proper AVR with high bandwidth ports 48gbps hdmi 2.1, it easily does Dolby Vision, HDR10, Variable Refresh Rate, and G-Sync. As well as a combination of the before G-Sync + HDR10+ working perfectly on an LG C2 Oled. Set up the hdmi settings as bypass so you can always see the screen even if the AVR is off and you are good to go!Setup - The process takes some trial and error, as I have initially listened to a guy from a forum to use the Audyssey calibration only for 3 positions and that should be enough for near field listening, well was he/she wrong, use all the positions available from the setup so you get the best sound experience out of it! It makes a huge difference! Cross-over settings? forget about it the automatic calibration does it perfectly. Volume calibration? forget about it...yes the automatic calibration does it!Overall I am very satisfied with this AVR and will definitely get another when I need to expand to 9.1 in the future! currently just running it for a computer screen for music / movies and games all near-field. Drives my Elac Debut B5.2 bookshelf speakers super crisp and without distortion! I do like a little added bass though so I had to add a few db-s to the LFE output after the calibration but that is personal preference!

Upgraded from an 8yr old Denon X2300W so I notice and appreciate the changes, eARC providing higher quality audio and better lip sync, very easy to set up with a more modern interface. Saved £150 off the official Denon retail price, simple black look, connectivity for 4k and 8k (limited number of 8k HDMI ports) they can be used for 4k. Fair price for what you get. Offers all the functionality I require including 120Hz pass through for the PS5. Paired with 5.1 B&W speakers with the option to configure an additional two if you have them. Great upgrade purchase.

My Yamaha receiver gave up the ghost after twenty years of service. whilst thinking of either getting a soundbar or another receiver I tried a cheap soundbar we had for abedroom tv but it was c**p! a replacement Yamaha to replace my old one would cost about £1k and was out of my price range. I hunted round and this Denon had glowing reports and was a lot cheaper. I thought what the hell I'll try it and if it's no good I'll get the Yamaha. But I don't need to. There were enough sockets on the back to accomodate my 7 speakers and a connection for the sub woofer and enough Hdmi ports for all my extras. Set up was easy with the supplied microphone and stand and I was even able to link it to my phone to adjust speaker balence and volume. Only had it a couple of months so time will tell, but so far so good!!!