Denon AVR-X3600H AV Receiver Review

[peng]

Yes, you are perfectly right.
FOUND IT!
....after 1.5 hours of reading the whole SM and looking for the DACs on the PCB drawings...found it!
Now I can go to sleep.
They are very hidden, they cannot be physically seen. It is a card approximately 15x15cm in vertical position (Side).
I can probably get all the signals above the connectors.
When I see them physically...I kiss them!

In reality I may not even have to see them.
I'm sure I'll find everything directly on the connectors between the akm board and the digital main board, without dismantling anything.
Greetings! and goodnight!

The information about the AK4458 used in the X3400H through X6500H (and the early X6700H) were all over the Denon website at the time, and the service manuals. Until the AKM factory fire, there was never any doubt so I don't know why you were doubting that and wanted to see them physically. The 3600's measured SINAD was in the neighborhood of 98 to 100 dB, if it had the TI dac chip that the current models have, it would have never achieved such good results. So, don't waste time tearing down, just enjoy the very nice product!

 

[Taso]

Hi, thanks for the replies. I created the digital output...at the end! Works well! ))

 

[Jlm86]

Q. Zone 2 and 2 channel?
Have ext amp connected to preouts.

To listen to 2.1 channel ( with sub) , do I have to switch to zone 2 and turn off main?

Thank you

 

[seanhyatt]

Like the 4300, 4400, and 4500, you can only disconnect the front left and right channel amplifiers from the pre outs. If you want to disconnect all of the internal amplifiers you have go with the 3700, 4700 or newer models.

Or you can disconnect the amps internally simply by unplugging the power to them as I have.

 

[Taso]

Hi, I noticed that the firmware on my x3600h was updated a few days ago.
Where can I check what the contents of the new updates are, i.e. what changes/optimizations have been made?
Thank you

 

[heboil]

Can anyone explain the concept of 'all channels being driven externally'? I get the concept of 11.1 and disconnecting the mains with pre-out. But what I don't get is why for all channels if the AVR is still powering other channels.

Example 1: listening to stereo with the mains disabled. Only signal is being sent to the sub? The crossover is still in effect with everything over the threshold being sent to your external amp?

Example 2: watching a movie/listening to multichannel audio. Mains are disabled, but full signal is being sent to center and surrounds (however many you have running).

Example 3: watching a movie/listening to multichannel audio with all five channels being driven with external amplification. Mains are disabled, you are not using center or surrounds for your own power, but all channels (except mains) are still being driven by the AVR since you cannot disable them.

OK. I think I have all that (unless I am told otherwise). What I don't get, is why did so many people run to get additional external amplification? I get the concept of powering the mains and disabling them for SINAD reasons, but why the additional channels? From what I have read on the forum, it seems that the additional power will not be very noticeable in sound quality. If you have a very challenging set of speakers to drive, OK, I can get that. But for the average 8-ohm speakers, why? I have read that people write that they get external power to alleviate the burden on the main system, but what burden is being alleviated? The Denon will still be sending full power to all channels (except disabled mains), but then the sound will be driven by the external amp. Across the front, is it a case of the same sonic signature?

Just trying to retroactively make sense of all of this. Thanks.

 

[peng]

I have read that people write that they get external power to alleviate the burden on the main system, but what burden is being alleviated? The Denon will still be sending full power to all channels (except disabled mains), but then the sound will be driven by the external amp. Across the front, is it a case of the same sonic signature?

Just trying to retroactively make sense of all of this. Thanks.

If you use external amp to power all channels then the Denon AVR will not have to "power" any of the channels. It will still consume some power because the Denon's own power amps will still be connected to the so called "power rail" so there will be bias currents, and the amps (Denon's) will still be amplifying the input signal voltage, but it won't be delivering currents to the speakers as the speakers will be powered by the external amp. I hope that clears it, if not, just tell us what are your remaining questions.

 

[heboil]

OK... next question :

If I am using the pre-outs to an external amp, but my fronts are set to SMALL with a x-over at 60hz, does the pre-out send a full range signal to the amp, or just the signal over 60hz?

Thanks.

 

[HarmonicTHD]

OK... next question :

If I am using the pre-outs to an external amp, but my fronts are set to SMALL with a x-over at 60hz, does the pre-out send a full range signal to the amp, or just the signal over 60hz?

Thanks.

The preouts send the highpassed signal according to your xover as it should be.

 

[heboil]

The preouts send the highpassed signal according to your xover as it should be.

Thx... I assumed that... but was just double-checking.

 

[Taso]

Hi, I have an x3600h. I'm inputting it into digit coax from an A/D D/A converter + master clock.
I use the Denon for room correction. At what frequency does it work natively?
Should I go in at 96Khz or do I have to go down to 48Khz so that the Denon doesn't perform frequency conversions?
Thank you

 

[peng]

Hi, I have an x3600h. I'm inputting it into digit coax from an A/D D/A converter + master clock.
I use the Denon for room correction. At what frequency does it work natively?
Should I go in at 96Khz or do I have to go down to 48Khz so that the Denon doesn't perform frequency conversions?
Thank you

When Audyssey is in use, sampling freq will be 48 kHz.

Audyssey MultEQ Room Correction Interview With Chris Kyriakakis

The Audioholics interview Chris Kyriakakis in order to learn the ins and outs of Audyssey's MultEQ room correction / auto-calibration system. Bass management, calibration, EQ and more.

www.audioholics.com

 

[Taso]

Isn't there a possibility to make it work at 96khz? if it only works at 48khz should I give it an input signal at 48khz? or am I wrong? so at least I avoid conversions... maybe. thanks for the link. Thank you

 

[peng]

Isn't there a possibility to make it work at 96khz? if it only works at 48khz should I give it an input signal at 48khz? or am I wrong? so at least I avoid conversions... maybe. thanks for the link. Thank you

If the input signal is already sampling at 48 kHz then there won't be any need to convert. You can ask Denon if you want a second, more authoritative answer. By the way, why are you concern about down converting 96 kHz or higher to 48 kHz?

Regardless, if you are interested on whether down conversion introduces audible issues, there are some links in the following:

Does sample rate conversion affect sound quality?

I've been wondering if sample rate conversion will affect sound quality. For example, if you're using a Denon receiver with Audyssey enabled, any digital music being streamed through the Denon with a sample rate > 48 khz will be down sampled to 48 khz. Will this affect how it sounds? Also...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Like most things in audio, it depends..., the thing is, once dsp is used, I doubt it matters whether down convert or not as the dsp involves a lot more than simply down converting from a fixed sampling rate (44.1, 88.2, 96, 192 kHz etc.).

 

[Taso]

Se il segnale di ingresso sta già campionando a 48 kHz, non sarà necessario convertire. Puoi chiedere a Denon se vuoi una seconda risposta, più autorevole. A proposito, perché ti preoccupi di convertire 96 kHz o più a 48 kHz?

Indipendentemente da ciò, se sei interessato a sapere se la conversione verso il basso introduce problemi udibili, ci sono alcuni collegamenti nei seguenti:

Does sample rate conversion affect sound quality?

I've been wondering if sample rate conversion will affect sound quality. For example, if you're using a Denon receiver with Audyssey enabled, any digital music being streamed through the Denon with a sample rate > 48 khz will be down sampled to 48 khz. Will this affect how it sounds? Also...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Come la maggior parte delle cose nell'audio, dipende..., il fatto è che, una volta che dsp è usato, dubito che importi se convertire verso il basso o meno poiché il dsp comporta molto di più della semplice conversione verso il basso da una frequenza di campionamento fissa (44.1, 88.2, 96, 192 kHz ecc.).

THANK YOU, you're right, sorry. Thanks for the informations.

 

[Jlm86]

2 channel configuration...?
Schiit DAC from CD transport
Using preouts to Aragon 4004 amp.
And using HSU vtf15 sub.

Mainly listening to 2 channel music...
Q. Speaker configuration?
>>Large vs. Small
>>Bass settings?
>>Run Audyssey?


Thank you