Denon AVR-X3700H AVR Review

[oupee]

If you like Atmos, play the 10 most popular movies in Atmos and physically turn off the 5.1 / 7.1 lower speaker (turn off the subwoofer, pull out the speaker cables ...) so that only the upper speakers play (only the decoded sound must play). Of the ten films, about 2 minutes will make sense. You will laugh at what Atmos is for. I only saw one film where Atmos was fantastic, and that was in A Quiet Place, which is paradoxically a quiet film. I'll just add that I also have Atmos (top fron, top rear) so don't take it provocatively. For Atmos concerts, it doesn't make sense at all.

 

[TomekNet]

But be careful 3.1 leads to 5.1, 7.1 and 7.2.4.

That is so true! I started with 5.1 and now I'm on 7.2.4 with x3700

 

[Artsfols]

Can you write what you use on a stereo? If you do not want to come here into a private message.

My complete equipment list is in the opening post on the following thread:

https://audiosciencereview.com/foru...-avr-effective-or-add-a-centre-channel.22406/

 

[eduardw]

I just turned on my 3700 and got a messages that there was a firmware update. I updated the denon does anyone have the release note for this update. I will google for it.

 

[amper42]

I just turned on my 3700 and got a messages that there was a firmware update. I updated the denon does anyone have the release note for this update. I will google for it.

The new firmware says it will take 25 minutes to update and once I started it said 30minutes. Mine updated in about 10 minutes. My Denon 4700 updated without any issues. It's the same version for the Denon 3700. The new firmware is dated April 21, 2021 and offers the following bug fixes.

■ 2021/04/21
[Version: 7160-9003-7161-3085]
(1) Fixed a bug that sound is not output when switching between LPCM and HD Audio signals on certain eARC compatible TVs.
(2) Fixed a bug that ARC audio may be interrupted due to the characteristics of the connected TV / HDMI cable.
(3) Fixed the display of Dolby Digital + on the GUI.

 

[Artsfols]

The new firmware says it will take 25 minutes to update and once I started it said 30minutes. Mine updated in about 10 minutes. My Denon 4700 updated without any issues. It's the same version for the Denon 3700. The new firmware is dated April 21, 2021 and offers the following bug fixes.

■ 2021/04/21
[Version: 7160-9003-7161-3085]
(1) Fixed a bug that sound is not output when switching between LPCM and HD Audio signals on certain eARC compatible TVs.
(2) Fixed a bug that ARC audio may be interrupted due to the characteristics of the connected TV / HDMI cable.
(3) Fixed the display of Dolby Digital + on the GUI.

View attachment 126011

Interesting. Problems with ARC. Is there any reason I should use eARC when connecting the AVR to my TV? All HDMI sources are being routed directly to the X3700H and I don't use broadcast TV. Seems like using the eARC port is just asking for trouble.

 

[Andrius]

Hi, with my 3700 I've noticed that it makes a humming like sound. I usually watch movies late in the evenings at low levels and at the very quiet scenes I can hear that humming which is super annoying. Humming comes from avr itself and yes I even tried disconnecting everything from it, even tried different outlets around the house. Noise floor at night in my living room is ~25dB and when I just turn on the avr it suddenly jumps to ~34-35dB (measured like 10cm from avr). I also tried switching it to pre-amp only mode, which resulted in no change of the noise. I sit less than 3 meters away from avr and that sound is really audible and very tiring. Is this normal for 3700? Or is it defective?
P.S. measurements are definitely not accurate as I done it with my mobile, but it still captures the difference when avr is on and off.

 

[amper42]

Hi, with my 3700 I've noticed that it makes a humming like sound. I usually watch movies late in the evenings at low levels and at the very quiet scenes I can hear that humming which is super annoying. Humming comes from avr itself and yes I even tried disconnecting everything from it, even tried different outlets around the house. Noise floor at night in my living room is ~25dB and when I just turn on the avr it suddenly jumps to ~34-35dB (measured like 10cm from avr). I also tried switching it to pre-amp only mode, which resulted in no change of the noise. I sit less than 3 meters away from avr and that sound is really audible and very tiring. Is this normal for 3700? Or is it defective?
P.S. measurements are definitely not accurate as I done it with my mobile, but it still captures the difference when avr is on and off.

I have two USB fans on top of my Denon receiver set at the lowest setting.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLV4BWC/

Besides the very faint purr the fans create I don't hear anything from the receiver or the external amps. Is it possible you have a ground loop?

Are you using a trigger off the Denon to turn on an external amp? If so, disconnect the trigger cable to see if the hum issue disappears.

 

[Andrius]

I have two USB fans on top of my Denon receiver set at the lowest setting.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLV4BWC/

Besides the very faint purr the fans create I don't hear anything from the receiver or the external amps. Is it possible you have a ground loop?

Are you using a trigger off the Denon to turn on an external amp? If so, disconnect the trigger cable to see if the hum issue disappears.

I've tried it with absolutely everything disconnected from avr. Just power cable connected. The moment I turn it on this low frequency humming appears. Also checked internal fans and they are not spinning as there's no load on avr and it's not even warm. Could it be a power supply? Later I'll try to upload some photos or even a video.

 

[oupee]

I've tried it with absolutely everything disconnected from avr. Just power cable connected. The moment I turn it on this low frequency humming appears. Also checked internal fans and they are not spinning as there's no load on avr and it's not even warm. Could it be a power supply? Later I'll try to upload some photos or even a video.

There are still some problems with Denon. I think that someone also solved the hum in the Denon 6700 thread, there is also a video.

 

[peng]

I've tried it with absolutely everything disconnected from avr. Just power cable connected. The moment I turn it on this low frequency humming appears. Also checked internal fans and they are not spinning as there's no load on avr and it's not even warm. Could it be a power supply? Later I'll try to upload some photos or even a video.

I have never had a Denon or Marantz that would hum that loud. In fact they were the quietest I have ever had including separate power amps. If the hum is from the unit itself with only the power cord connected than it is either a noisy transformer or you its you power line, likely excessive dc.

You should return it for a replacement. You can also try plug it into another outlet that is fed by a different circuit and see what happens.

 

[peng]

There are still some problems with Denon. I think that someone also solved the hum in the Denon 6700 thread, there is also a video.

Its not a "Denon problem" as such in general, even if someone did have a noisy 6700. Transformer hums have been reported by many, and not unique to a specific make/models.

 

[amper42]

I have two Denon 4700 models. None of them hum. They are dead quiet. It is very unusual to have a Hum noise described by Andrius with a Denon receiver. I would return the unit. Especially, if none of your other amps or receivers hum while plugged into the same electric circuits.

 

[Andrius]

I have never had a Denon or Marantz that would hum that loud. In fact they were the quietest I have ever had including separate power amps. If the hum is from the unit itself with only the power cord connected than it is either a noisy transformer or you its you power line, likely excessive dc.

You should return it for a replacement. You can also try plug it into another outlet that is fed by a different circuit and see what happens.

I already tried different outlets on different phases, no difference. But still haven't checked the voltage. I have 9kW of solar panels on my roof but all the tests/measurements were done at night when inverter was off so it shouldn't have had any impact. I guess I'll just try returning it or worst case I'll have to sell it and buy some other avr as I really cannot enjoy the system in the evenings. During the day when the noise floor is much higher it's not that noticeable.

 

[peng]

I already tried different outlets on different phases, no difference. But still haven't checked the voltage. I have 9kW of solar panels on my roof but all the tests/measurements were done at night when inverter was off so it shouldn't have had any impact. I guess I'll just try returning it or worst case I'll have to sell it and buy some other avr as I really cannot enjoy the system in the evenings. During the day when the noise floor is much higher it's not that noticeable.

Converters, if not mitigated could certainly be the culprit but if you are sure they were off then the transformer is humming for other reason. One typical reason is, as mentioned, too much dc offset in your mains but it this issue is new and you have no such issue with your other amps/AVRs of similar size then you definitely should return it while within the window. For Denon and Marantz AVRs, you should be able to hear the transformer with you ears within a few inches or even closer if the room is really quiet.

 

[-pekr-]

Forgive me if I missed an earlier post, but what's your reference point for saying the stereo sound is not as good. Did you replace an earlier model stereo amp? What was it?
And also did you recently add or change the television? I'll relate an experience I had. Replaced an 'on the wall' plasma display with an new 65 inch LG OLED panel sitting on cabinet between the speakers. After about a year I put that new panel back on the wall. (There were reasons for the delay but I won't bore you with that). The stereo imaging with the panel on the wall compared to on the cabinet is like night and day ... way, way better. The panel on the cabinet was killing the backsplash on the speakers, some of the highs and the imaging in general. Of course, this situation is not universally applicable but it's something to consider.

In general, I would be looking at other factors than the amp. Did you have surrounds and/or centre before? And how would those changes play into what looks like a bright room with lots of reflective surfaces.

Your situation has made me curious because I've just ordered a new X3700H AVR and a centre channel to upgrade my "purist" stereo set up. I'm not actually a purist, but I do like the stereo sound I have now and don't want to spend $X,000 for a step backwards. If I can keep the same sound quality playing SACDs and CDs, I'll be a happy camper. The AVR purchase is to provide better handling of digital streaming sources.

Well, my reference point to judge my Denon AVR x3500h experience, might not be fair at all, but pretty much subjective. Listening to musinc in my car has already better clarity than my AVR and then - maybe hundreds of hours of Sennheiser Momentum earbuds ruined my expectations of what I was expecting to hear.

But once again - my room needs some treatment (might related to how you moved your TV), I should probably play my Denon at higher volumes than 30-35 to open-up, my music source, most of the time, is the Spotify Connect, not universally sure about its quality. Bought Denon 600 CD player few weeks ago, need to dig-up my CD collection.

But - I am also not sure I agree with a general notion, that amp is just a power and SINAD graphs . Generally, I can see many ppl suggesting Marantz for better musicality and / or even Yamaha Aventage being suggested by those, who left Denon. But it really varies, as e.g. my MA S200 are brighter and two users already warned me to pair them with the Sabre DAC of the Yamaha

 

[peng]

But - I am also not sure I agree with a general notion, that amp is just a power and SINAD graphs . Generally, I can see many ppl suggesting Marantz for better musicality and / or even Yamaha Aventage being suggested by those, who left Denon. But it really varies, as e.g. my MA S200 are brighter and two users already warned me to pair them with the Sabre DAC of the Yamaha

Not for all amps as such, but for the comparable models to the AAVR-X3000H series such as Yamaha's RX-A1080, and especially Marantz, they will sound the same to most (say 9% or more) people if they don't know which one they are listening to, and if direct mode, ie. with no EQ, no DSP, analog even better, are used. What you heard from those who keep talking about musicality, Sabre DAC etc., are just hearsay, BS to be blunt.. The sad fact is, something get repeated enough, will be believed as facts eventually, someone just have to start the BS for whatever reasons, sometimes for good reasons and could have been intended but misunderstood too. One good example of such audio BS, Yamaha's DACs are bright and Monitor Audio S200s are bright too? That's just pure BS if made as a general statement. Take a look of the measurements again, and ask those people to check their hearing lol.. The FR looks quite nice and neutral, and neutrality should be what you can expect to hear if your room is kind to you, relative to some speakers that could indeed be considered "bright" such as the Paradigm Cinema 100 Amir just measured:

To be fair, may be those people did not give the Silver 200 the current they need, for the SPL they need from their mlp, and in that case, then its based on science, not BS..

So I suggest you just enjoy those nice looking and sounding speakers for ignore any hearsay, trust science, just make sure your amp has the current capability for your application.


SoundStageNetwork.com | SoundStage.com - NRC Measurements: Monitor Audio Silver 200 Loudspeakers

Listening window frequency response:

(3) Paradigm Cinema 100 Review (home theater speakers) | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum

 

[Andrius]

Converters, if not mitigated could certainly be the culprit but if you are sure they were off then the transformer is humming for other reason. One typical reason is, as mentioned, too much dc offset in your mains but it this issue is new and you have no such issue with your other amps/AVRs of similar size then you definitely should return it while within the window. For Denon and Marantz AVRs, you should be able to hear the transformer with you ears within a few inches or even closer if the room is really quiet.

Finally found the reason for all that noise! Found it by accident. Was reconnecting everything and when receiver was connected I had to lift it and move it a bit. And to my surprise the moment I lifted it that low frequency humming was gone. So it came out to be just resonance which resulted in this very annoying ~100Hz noise. When I tried powering receiver from different outlets around the house I've always put it on hard flat surface and that's why I didn't see any difference. So took some foam from original packaging and put it under the receiver and the problem was gone!

Here some measurements from my mobile. Used Sound Meter and Spectroid apps.

Receiver on hard surface:

On foam:

(in this pic some higher frequency noises were made by my wife)

Measurements were done by placing mobile on top of receiver. And now I cannot even see any changes in noise floor when receiver is on or off.

These measurements are not accurate but still captures the difference quite nicely.
Now just need to find more elegant solution than foam or at least cut it nicely not block any vents at the bottom.
Also I'm still interested if it's the chassis that resonates or just some separate parts inside. Either way I'm happy that I found the reason and can finally enjoy some late night movies without any additional annoying sounds.

 

[Bernard 54]

Good morning all.

An avid reader of ASR (and limit addicted, I admit), I have just taken the plunge by registering and supporting (with a modest donation) Amir whom I would like to thank for his work.
To sum up, I'm currently hesitating between the Denon AVC-X3700H and the Denon PMA-1600NE HI-FI amp.
Here are the reasons.
My current configuration is as follows: LG OLED 65C8PLA, NODE 2I, CAMBRIDGE CXA81, JM LAB 706 OPALE (bought in 1985 and which are still excellent…)
I am targeting in the near future, thanks to the wise advice of all, a configuration with GENELEC 8351B (or 8361A) + sub SAM (I plan a direct link toslink + toslink> toslink> AES).

Why a DENON amp you would say?

For the past year, I have not been able to eliminate the problems of micro cuts encountered via Toslink between my CAMBRIDGE amplifier and my LG OLED (as well as with my NODE2I, but more occasionally). Changing and updating the optical card of my CAMBRIDGE did not solve the problem (as well as changing the sound card of my LG)
A test was done with a DENON AVR S650H amplifier (still via a Toslink link), and the problem was eliminated.
I therefore agreed with my seller to return my CAMBRIDGE for a credit.

My first idea was to go back to a HI-FI type amp like the DENON PMA-1600NE (Price 1590 €). But reading the very positive data available with the AVC-X3700H (Price 1147 €), I said to myself that this might be a better option (Toslink and HDMI connections, power, DAC)
Especially since its recent release would allow me, if necessary, to resell it better when I switch to Genelecs.
The AVC would only work in Stereo version, so I'm not worried about temperature issues.
Would you possibly have another option than these DENON amps in this price range to solve my micro-cuts problems (my salesman offers a large number of consumer brands like MARANTZ, NAD, NAIM, ROKSAN, ROTEL, TECHNICS, YAMAHA but of course, no professional brand like GENELEC)

Your help is welcome and I thank you in advance.

Thanks again to Amir.

 

[peng]

Finally found the reason for all that noise! Found it by accident. Was reconnecting everything and when receiver was connected I had to lift it and move it a bit. And to my surprise the moment I lifted it that low frequency humming was gone. So it came out to be just resonance which resulted in this very annoying ~100Hz noise. When I tried powering receiver from different outlets around the house I've always put it on hard flat surface and that's why I didn't see any difference. So took some foam from original packaging and put it under the receiver and the problem was gone!

Here some measurements from my mobile. Used Sound Meter and Spectroid apps.

Receiver on hard surface:
View attachment 126336
View attachment 126337

On foam:
View attachment 126338
View attachment 126339
(in this pic some higher frequency noises were made by my wife)

Measurements were done by placing mobile on top of receiver. And now I cannot even see any changes in noise floor when receiver is on or off.

These measurements are not accurate but still captures the difference quite nicely.
Now just need to find more elegant solution than foam or at least cut it nicely not block any vents at the bottom.
Also I'm still interested if it's the chassis that resonates or just some separate parts inside. Either way I'm happy that I found the reason and can finally enjoy some late night movies without any additional annoying sounds.

Thank you for the feedback but this is really weird, never heard anything like that before.