Denon AVR

If you’re in the market for a new A/V Receiver right now thechoices can be daunting. Do I get onewith Dolby Atmos? DTS:X? 4K ultra upscaling? Do I even need any of those things?When people ask me what receiver should I get, the first question I ask them is"What's your price point?" and then "What are you using it for?" If you’re inthe market for a sub $600 receiver, Denon's new AVR-S930H is packed with allthese features and more. The AVR-S930plays big brother to the slightly less powerful AVR-S730H which we recently previewed. The S930H has all the sameaudio and video features of the S730H, with the S930H having two extra HDMI inputs and a bit more power.Denon says that the AVR-S930H is their most advanced Denon S Series homeentertainment solution to date and comes with a complete set of next-generationaudio and video features. It may be the right receiver for you- even if you canspend more money!

The AVR-S930H features high current discrete power outputdevices on all channels and is rated at a maximum of 185 watts per channel (Read our editorial note about maximum WPC below). There's also an Auto Eco mode that adjusts the maximum power availableaccording to the volume level as well as an on-screen Eco meter that lets yousee the power consumption reduction in real time. The AVR-S930H is alsoequipped with low impedance drive capability that provides operationalstability with 4 ohm speakers. You can configure the AVR-S930H for a 7-channelhome theater surround system or you can choose to have a 5-channel surroundsystem in the main room with 2 of the amplifier channels dedicated to driveseparate stereo speakers in another room. The S930H front panel features 4 Quick Selectfunction buttons so you can quickly choose from the most popular sources andthe system remembers your preferred audio settings for each one.

On the back, the AVR features a horizontal row of colorcoded premium looking loudspeaker connectors, and it comes with a set of colorcoded speaker cable labels that help ensure correct speaker cable hookup thevery first time. The AVR-S930H evencomes with Denon's Setup Assistant to help to correctly connect and configureyour home theater system quickly and easily. The Setup Assistant features clearon-screen graphics and text that guides you through the setup process,optimizing critical system settings for the best possible sound quality. TheS930H also comes with 8 HDMI inputs, including 1 conveniently located on thefront panel.

Editorial Note about Power Ratings by Gene DellaSala:

If you glance at Denon's literature online, you can see a mighty 185 watts/ch rating, but realize that's only a max power rating with 1CH driven, at 1kHz and 6 ohms. We've been watching a trend by many of the mass market brands of inflating power in their latest Atmos/DTS:X receivers. The AVR-S930H actual continuous power rating is 90 watts/ch (2CH driven) which should be enough power for a modest speaker setup in a medium sized room especially if you bass manage all of your speakers and utilize dedicated subwoofer(s) to handle the bass duties.

On the audio side of home theater, the S930 comes with DolbyAtmos and DTS:X 3D surround sound decoders, and all the latest videotechnologies including Dolby Vision, HDR (High Dynamic Range) and 4K Scaling.With the second HDMI output, you can even enjoy AV sources in another room. TheS930 supports full 4K Ultra HD, HDCP 2.2, HDR (High Dymanic Range), BT.2020,Wide Color Gamut and 4:4:4 Pure Color sub-sampling. It is even ready for DolbyVision and HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma; via future firmware update), and owns anadvanced video processor to upscale existing lower resolution video to true 4Kand with the two HDMI outputs, you can even connect a TV and a projector inparallel.

The AVR-S930H features high resolution audio decoding withmultiple lossless file types including ALAC, FLAC and WAV at up to24-bit/196-kHz along with compatibility for 2.8/5.6-MHz DSD files (DSD is theaudio coding format of SACD). You can play them from memory devices via thefront panel USB, or from network sources. Of course, the AVR-S930H will alsoplay lossy file types such as MP3 and WMA.

Each audio company has its own version of delivering wirelessmusic to your system. Denon's version isHEOS wireless technology. Like other wireless streaming options from othercompanies, with HEOS you can stream and control all your local or online music fromanywhere in your home, in this case with the HEOS App.

Denon's HEOS technology enables the AVR-S930H to become partof the HEOS wireless multi-room system, allowing you to enjoy your favoritemusic anywhere around your home. Share music stored on your home network,Internet radio or streaming services with HEOS wireless speakers, or even otherHEOS-capable receivers, throughout the house, all controlled by the HEOS app. The HEOS app puts multiple streaming servicesin the palm of your hand, ready to play on your AVR or any devices on your HEOSnetwork. You can stream music from Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Internet radio,Amazon Prime Music, iHeart Radio, Sirius XM, Sound Cloud, Tidal, Rhapsody orDeezer, or use the HEOS app to stream tunes or whole albums from your phone,USB stick, or computers and NAS drives on your home network. The AVR-S930H isequipped with an advanced dual diversity antenna RF transceiver system for streaming,wireless content. You can connect to the internet through your home Wi-Finetwork (or with a hard-wired connection via the RJ-45 Ethernet LAN port) andenjoy all the music options the HEOS technology offers, including thousands ofinternet radio stations around the world.

If you’re invested in the Apple Environment, the S930H alsoallows you to stream through Apple AirPlay. With Airplay, you can enjoylistening to your favorite tracks wirelessly from your favorite iOS deviceincluding the iPod touch, iPhone and iPad.

If you don't like the included remote, you could evendownload the Denon 2016 AVR Remote for iOS, Android and Kindle Fire. With the app remote, you can control thereceiver's operation, as well as accessing its set-up menu, from a smartphoneor tablet. The app also gives you quick access to the receiver's statusdisplay, option menus, Denon Blu-ray player control, and an online owner'smanual for your convenience. Inside the app, you can switch instantly to theHEOS App to access control over your music contents and streaming services.

Every listening room has its own characteristics andacoustical problems. The AVR-S930H is equipped with the Audyssey MultEQautomatic room acoustic correction system. By using the supplied measuringmicrophone and mic stand, Audyssey MultEQ measures all the speakers in yourhome theater during setup, including the subwoofer, and then generates multiplehigh precision DSP room acoustic correction filters which together help toprovide smooth and natural tonal balance, regardless of the brand or model ofthe various speakers. Audyssey Dynamic Volume is designed to smooths outannoying jumps in volume (such as TV commercials). For you control freaks, you can also downloadthe Audyssey MultEQ Editor app which allows you to view and adjust settings fordetailed tuning letting you customize the sound more precisely to the specificproblems in your room, and tailor the sound to your personal preferences. Withthis comprehensive app, you can harness the power of Audyssey MultEQ to taketotal control of the way your home cinema sounds. Check out our preview of the Audyssey Editor App.

The AVR-S930H does have a ton of features for under $600including both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X encoding and upscaling to 4K ultra foryour super high definition displays. For slightly smaller rooms, you can save$100 and go with the S730H which has all the same features as the S930H albeitwith slightly less power. If you’re in the market for a budget receiver thereis the extremely affordable, 5.2 channel AVR-S530BTpriced at a mere $279. As you might guess by the model number, the 530BTdoesn't feature HEOS and it won't include Dolby Atmos either. Although theultra-affordable 530BT will provide Bluetooth connectivity for your wirelessmusic fix. Whichever one of thesereceivers you choose you’re definitely getting a lot of bang for your buck.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.

Tony is our resident expert for lifestyle and wireless products including soundbars. He does most of the reviews for wireless and streaming loudspeakers and often compares soundbars in round ups and helps us cover the trade shows.

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