AVR upgrade from new HT

[Noosub]

Hello everyone,
Quick question from my side and I am open to explore others as well.

Just upgraded my current setting and now it is :

- Q acoustics Concept 50 as front
- Concept 90 as center
- Concept 30 as surround back.
- SVS SV 1000 pro for Sub.

It is time to upgrade my Denon 1700.
I have in mind going for :

- Denon X3800H + Emotiva basx a3
- Going a bit over budget and take the Anthem 740 8k.

Do my choices make sense for an upgrade or i won't feel any improvement moving forward?

Thanks

 

[yelloguy]

What are you hoping to get from the new AVR?

 

[Noosub]

What are you hoping to get from the new AVR?

Better room correction and Sound optimization, a bit of power output as well and upgrade on sound quality if possible

 

[madrac]

The new Anthems (x40/70/90) sound great and ARC is a very good room correction program. The 740 would be a good choice if within budget. If you only need 5.1, the 540 might fit your needs.

 

[Noosub]

The new Anthems (x40/70/90) sound great and ARC is a very good room correction program. The 740 would be a good choice if within budget. If you only need 5.1, the 540 might fit your needs.

Thanks a lot 540 could be a great option didn't think about it as I don't think I will going more than 5.1.

 

[madrac]

You're welcome. If open to 2nd hand, sometimes a newer generation Anthem shows up on usaudiomart or other such sites. Sometimes Anthem also has 20% off sales if you aren't in a hurry - typically one in the spring and one in the late fall/winter... as I recall, I got my 90 on sale in December 2023.

 

[kyuu]

Only issue with the 540 is it is "only" rated to 100W/ch, rather than 140W with the 740. Much larger upgrade over the 80W/ch of the Denon X1700H.

Though I think you'll be more than fine with "only" 100W/ch.

 

[Noosub]

Only issue with the 540 is it is "only" rated to 100W/ch, rather than 140W with the 740. Much larger upgrade over the 80W/ch of the Denon X1700H.

Though I think you'll be more than fine with "only" 100W/ch.

Great point my only concern is that The 740 where I live (Spain) is a bit out of budget

 

[ban25]

Don't bother with the Emotiva. The internal amp in the Denon is superior.

 

[Noosub]

Don't bother with the Emotiva. The internal amp in the Denon is superior.

Thanks for your feedback! Compare to Anthem noticeable difference with the Denon?

 

[Spkrdctr]

Unless you want hearing damage, 100 watts per channel will be fine. Enjoy!

 

[peng]

Great point my only concern is that The 740 where I live (Spain) is a bit out of budget

Stick with Denon, or Marantz Cinema50 if the cost difference is less than USD200 than the AVR-X3800H.

In my experience, even Audyssey XT32 SubEQHT is better than Anthem ARC based on objective measurements. Anthem MRX740 has basically one subout, the 2nd one is just a duplucate of the first one. The Denon and Marantz models have 4 discrete subouts. Even if you are in Canada, aI would still recommend Denon, but not Marantz only because of the huge price difference here, but not the case in Europe.

For power amps, Emotiva's lower models won't make much difference vs the AVR, so why bother..

 

[Noosub]

Stick with Denon, or Marantz Cinema50 if the cost difference is less than USD200 than the AVR-X3800H.

In my experience, even Audyssey XT32 SubEQHT is better than Anthem ARC based on objective measurements. Anthem MRX740 has basically one subout, the 2nd one is just a duplucate of the first one. The Denon and Marantz models have 4 discrete subouts. Even if you are in Canada, aI would still recommend Denon, but not Marantz only because of the huge price difference here, but not the case in Europe.

For power amps, Emotiva's lower models won't make much difference vs the AVR, so why bother..

Thank you for the detailed answer! I will have a look on the Denon and Marantz and save some money. In Europe 700€ difference between the X3800H and the Cinema 50

 

[Oddball]

Just to add a bit to what Dr. Peng noted - XT32 on 3800H should give you better resolution in room correction and implementation of XT32 starts with this model.

How much better it will be will depend on tools used to manage it. Minimum is $20 D&M app and better solution is $200 Audy X app, but really depends on your perception of value. With more speakers and subs potentially there is more value in Audy app. There is also paid upgrade to Dirac for 3800H if you don’t like the Audy option.

 

[Noosub]

Just to add a bit to what Dr. Peng noted - XT32 on 3800H should give you better resolution in room correction and implementation of XT32 starts with this model.

How much better it will be will depend on tools used to manage it. Minimum is $20 D&M app and better solution is $200 Audy X app, but really depends on your perception of value. With more speakers and subs potentially there is more value in Audy app. There is also paid upgrade to Dirac for 3800H if you don’t like the Audy option.

Thanks a lot for your feedback, checking current deal on X3800H or the Cinema 50

 

[Noosub]

Wow, not in France, UK and Germany, so Spain is an exception. I referred to list prices only, so street prices can be very different especiallly uf we compare specials when they are on sale.

Need to go to France soon thanks for the information!

 

[peng]

Thank you for the detailed answer! I will have a look on the Denon and Marantz and save some money. In Europe 700€ difference between the X3800H and the Cinema 50

Sounds like Spain is an exception then, though I am using manufacturers list prices. Street prices, especially if on sale prices are used, the stories could be very different.

Following are again, based on list prices, I last checked months ago, the differences were less than 300 Euro, just checked again seems still the same. I believe in Germany and the UK, the differences were similar, around 200 to 300 €. In the USA and Canada, we have too pay 700 to 1,000 € for the Marantz.

AVC-X3800H - Ampli-tuner AV 180W 8K à 9.4 canaux avec HEOS Built-in | Denon - Europe

With 9 channels of amplification, up to 4 independent subwoofers, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, plus IMAX Enhanced and Auro-3D, the AVC-X3800H envelops larger living spaces in theatre-quality sound. Enjoy amazing 8K video quality and with HEOS® Built-in, wirelessly stream and share online music between...

www.denon.com

1.700,00 €

CINEMA 50 - Premium Amplificateur AV 9.4 canaux avec Dolby Atmos, 110 W, 8K et 6 entrées HDMI | Marantz - Europe

Equipped with the latest immersive audio formats, CINEMA 50 is equally ideal for a dedicated home theater space or multi-use living room. Its thoughtfully selected connectivity options, flexible speaker arrangement, and fine-tuning ability allow you to make CINEMA 50 your own.

www.marantz.com

2.000,00 €

Anyway, so it seems like in Spain where you are, the AVR-X3800H is a good deal.

Dirac Live does go on sale for around 30% off so that's another good reason to go with Denon, or Marantz. Even in full price, lots of people would pay for the Dirac Live options. Room correction has much more impact on sound quality, than the hardware itself, especially when you get the midrange level, Anthem, Arcam, NAD, Yamaha, Denon, Marantz all will sound very similar if the listeners do not know which one/brand they are listening to, in other words, when they are not under the "influence, bias, Placebo etc.", when no processing is in use, such as listening in direct, pure direct, straight mode etc.

Just take your time, do your research before spending the big dollars, and good luck in your search, and decision making process.

 

[emptygreat]

Hello everyone,
Quick question from my side and I am open to explore others as well.

Just upgraded my current setting and now it is :

- Q acoustics Concept 50 as front
- Concept 90 as center
- Concept 30 as surround back.
- SVS SV 1000 pro for Sub.

It is time to upgrade my Denon 1700.
I have in mind going for :

- Denon X3800H + Emotiva basx a3
- Going a bit over budget and take the Anthem 740 8k.

Do my choices make sense for an upgrade or i won't feel any improvement moving forward?

Thanks

Recently upgraded from X1700h to X3800 to run a 5.1 system.
Being completely honest, barely noticed any differences using Audyssey Calibration + app, yet I managed a good deal and wanted XT32 + pre outs, in case I decide to change some things in the future.
I did notice a huge difference in sound reproduction using Supreme Audyssey Calibration by @OCA . Can't compare OCAs calibration on the 3800 vs 1700, as I've only tried on the new AVR, in which it made a massive difference, for the better.
Still haven't found the time to recalibrate Audyssey with A1 Evo, yet looking very much forward to try it.
As far as power is concerned, I haven't ever felt the need for external amplification, as depending on content, highest volume I listen to is around -16 db (on the receivers scale) and only for movies, as for music it's usually way below that mark. Listening distance is around 2.5 meters. Running ELAC dbr front 3 and polk es surrounds + svs sb1000.

 

[Oddball]

This is comparison of technical capabilities. As I noted, with more speakers and more complex setup, the benefits might be more pronounced.

Difficult to asses on real scientific basis without a real REW charts for both on same setup (which again might fare differently in a different room with different gear), but below is a good indication of the additional XT32 technical capabilities.

 

[emptygreat]

This is comparison of technical capabilities. As I noted, with more speakers and more complex setup, the benefits might be more pronounced.

Difficult to asses on real scientific basis without a real REW charts for both on same setup (which again might fare differently in a different room with different gear), but below is a good indication of the additional XT32 technical capabilities.

Completely agree! Thank you for adding this chart to the conversation.
Upgrading to XT32, as in better room correction, was my main reason to upgrade from x1700 to x3800.

My previous comment was directed to the OP, sharing my experience on the same AVR upgrade, with very unscientific impressions.
Without comparing both calibrations with REW measurements, the points being suggested to the OP were:
1. In my use case, I haven't experienced the need for external amplification, and 2. OCA's audyssey calibration methods did subjectively made my system more enjoyable, and therefore, I suggest giving it a try (possibly even before the upgrade).