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Denon AVR-X3800H Review

Rate this AVR

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 83 18.9%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 206 47.0%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 118 26.9%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 31 7.1%

  • Total voters
    438

Beershaun

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Well I'm pretty sure they dont test to this level. They do audio test in the real world and I'd bet no one on this board can hear the difference. Not to knock on the science aspect of it but if the difference is inaudible who really cares?
What makes the difference inaudible? What do you consider an audible difference threshold?
 

hmt

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Well, 87db down for distortion means that you can turn this up to 105 db and have distortion at 18 db. While it is difficult to say where exactly audibility begins it is pretty easy to say that 87 db SINAD driven by distortion is inaudible.

Just consider your setup. Your Elac DBR and MA speakers easily are the weak link in your chain (modulo room accoustics). It does not matter ab bit we her you use a Topping dac or this AVR.
 

Prolix

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And this got a 5 star review on What HiFi

They quote:

"Streaming SBTRKT’s Trials Of The Past, the AVC-X3800H delivers a surprisingly nuanced musical performance with an assured attack at the start of each synth note and the envelope of each reverb tail given space to breathe. The hefty bass is solidly controlled, while at the top end of the spectrum, the shakers are nicely defined and spread wide"

:facepalm:
None of the disappointing measurements affect that kind of subjective experience.
 
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jimroge

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Question from now member here, still trying to learn all of the technical language and meaning but does the distortion of the DAC alone matter if you're just going to use the internal amps anyway? It seems to me as long as the DAC has a better SINAID then the amps it is a bit of a moot point. I understand you can use these AVR as preamps but the vast majority of customers won't use it as such. Therefore is the old model 3700 really better when just considering HDMI input to speaker output?
 

Hart

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And this got a 5 star review on What HiFi

They quote:

"Streaming SBTRKT’s Trials Of The Past, the AVC-X3800H delivers a surprisingly nuanced musical performance with an assured attack at the start of each synth note and the envelope of each reverb tail given space to breathe. The hefty bass is solidly controlled, while at the top end of the spectrum, the shakers are nicely defined and spread wide"

:facepalm:
Given space to breath? Are they laughing as they write this stuff or do they really believe this?
 

Music707

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They have good reasons. The older DACS were not readily available in the supply chain. Yes, you could stamp with your feet and complain about some measurement with little relevance.

Even after the unavailability of the AKM chips there were more alternatives. ESS might have had better measuring chips on offer. Just as an example remember RME.
 

oivavoi

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Ok, this is a comment on the whole thread and the near-universal "oh noooo Denon why did you kill my grandmother" reactions: I believe we have reached the point where "objectivism" in audio has become just as stupid as subjectivism. The thing is that noone - not one single human being - will be able to perceive a difference between this unit and the predecessor due to the SINAD numbers. Noone. The audible differences between contemporary AVRs have to do with a) how eq/correction/algorithms are applied to the sound (huge difference), b) sufficient power to avoid clipping (possible differences), c) possibilities to integrate subwoofers well (huge difference). That's it. If a unit delivers improvements here it is an improvement, otherwise it's not.

Sure, one may appreciate excellence in engineering. But to the point where one dismisses a product which by all accounts is audibly transparent and delivers functional improvements? Come on guys. Time for a reality check.
 

hmt

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Question from now member here, still trying to learn all of the technical language and meaning but does the distortion of the DAC alone matter if you're just going to use the internal amps anyway? It seems to me as long as the DAC has a better SINAID then the amps it is a bit of a moot point. I understand you can use these AVR as preamps but the vast majority of customers won't use it as such. Therefore is the old model 3700 really better when just considering HDMI input to speaker output?

Yes, the differences are zero when the Amps are used. And btw the Amps still are pretty nice for such an integrated device.
 

eduardw

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Amir, thanks for the review. I'm disappointed about the results of the 3800 but also happy I now do not have to upgrade my 3700h :)

Eduard
 

buz

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The X3800 or the X3700. Depending on wether you want dirac or stick with audyssey.
In fairness, the x3800h complete with Dirac ends up nearly twice the price... Thinking of getting a a 3700h, really.
 

prerich

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HI Andrea,

FYI - 8 channel SOTA performance is available by combining a Topping D70 DAC with a Buckeye 8 x Hypex NC252MP, all for US$2,350 total.


However....would this be able to decode DTS-HD or Dolby TrueHD (not to mention immersive codecs)? This is the receivers trump card. If there was a way to decode (in another thread we're discussing this) those codecs it would be a wonderful thing. The PC showed promise at one time but when the new codecs required bitstreaming - you're locked down to using a substandard AVR/AVP or paying the price of a good used car for a Trinnov. Wouldn't it be cool if PC's could see more than 8 channels....but PC's have their own noise issues.
The issue is movies....we can get along without multi-channel when it comes down to music...but movies, not many of us want to listen in stereo. We're hooked, and until someone (Topping, SMSL, Gustard) pays for the licenses - we won't have affordable SOTA for movies and we will be stuck with what we have. :(
 

Haint

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It was but 2 - 3 years ago that I paid $500 for an X3500 and $900 for an X4500, brand new from authorized dealers. Today that seems like 20 - 30 years ago based on pricing. I question who exactly is paying this much for mainstream AVRs and wonder what they did with all that manufacturing capacity, volume must be a fraction of a fraction of what it was just 3 or 4 years ago.

It's a shame to see home audio pretty much entirely ceded to middling soundbars and TV speakers. You could quite literally never recommend an AVR and loudspeakers to the average joe when the non-shit-tier entry level AVR alone starts at $1700, and then requires $300+ license fees on top of that to really justify why you spent $1700 in the first place. They've priced the industry into irrelevance and effective extinction.
 
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MacCali

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Really curious to know how the 3700 with the new replacement DAC would stack up. Given this poor showing one has to be sceptical.
They changed dacs? I didn't get the memo, on the 3700H? how do you distinguish between the old model and the new one o.o
 

Music707

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The X3800 or the X3700. Depending on wether you want dirac or stick with audyssey.

Quote from Amir's review: It is with much sadness that I cannot recommend the Denon AVR-X3800H.

And the 3700 is not new in 2022 (which was asked by @Toroid).
 

Vacceo

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It was but 2 - 3 years ago that I paid $500 for an X3500 and $900 for an X4500, brand new from authorized dealers. Today that seems like 20 - 30 years ago based on pricing. I question who exactly is paying this much for mainstream AVRs and wonder what they did with all that manufacturing capacity, volume must be a fraction of a fraction of what it was just 3 or 4 years ago.

It's a shame to see home audio pretty much entirely ceded to middling soundbars and TV speakers. You could quite literally never recommend an AVR and loudspeakers to the average joe when the non-shit-tier entry level AVR alone starts at $1700, and then requires $300+ license fees on top of that to really justify why you spent $1700 in the first place. They've priced the industry into irrelevance and effective extinction.
It would be nice if more manufacturers capitalized on that trend and follow the steps on Meridian allowing us to use a "boxless" or "mini box" solution, Dynaudio style. If the AVR manufacturers overprice their products, perhaps the speaker manufacturers may take the mantle.

So what? Just read the review and understand the impifications of the measurements instead of just following recommendations.
To me, the issue is in the comments we got in other threads about HDMI 2.1 not being fully proofed. Dirac in the future is another issue, but that´s just my natural skepticism for anything under the lines of "future compatibility". I honestly think Sound United was not really tight pushing the compatibility for future upgrades.
 
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