Denon AVR-X3800H Review

[peng]

After reading G-Can's, I took a quick look of the reviews here:

Audyssey MultEQ Editor app - Apps on Google Play

Audyssey MultEQ Editor app for Denon Marantz AV Receiver products

play.google.com

I got the impression that most of the issues were to do with connections, that could be mostly due to people's network connections. I don't have such issues, might have been a few in the beginning but not the later versions after multiple updates that must have fixed a lot of the early bugs. However, I had my Denon, and Marantz prior, hardwired, so that might have helped.

Regardless, the Android app store shows +10K downloads, not sure how many on the Apple IOS side, so there bound to be a lot of issues reported when there are so many users, and again, most probably were from the early days before the first several bug fix updates.

 

[NainSG]

I bought it on my ipad and it was a really good investment. And you can use it with every compatible amp as it's not linked to your amp.
I've bought Dirac Full Bandwith licence (15x more expensive and only for my actual x3800h) and yet I use Audyssey everytime thanks to the 20€ App

 

[G-Can]

I bought it on my ipad and it was a really good investment. And you can use it with every compatible amp as it's not linked to your amp.
I've bought Dirac Full Bandwith licence (15x more expensive and only for my actual x3800h) and yet I use Audyssey everytime thanks to the 20€ App

thats great then, I will definitelly get it, 20 is few coffees, I am quite excited to get this AVR going, just havent had a chance to hook it up yet, I was busy building ceiling speakers enclosures, turned out fantastic, change in sound is night and day.

 

[EWL5]

Got a 30% off DLBC via email. Anyone think this might be overkill if I only have one subwoofer?

 

[ban25]

Got a 30% off DLBC via email. Anyone think this might be overkill if I only have one subwoofer?

30% off is a good deal. I would take it. It's handy being able to adjust crossovers in DLBC and assign to different slots for quick A/B tests.

 

[EWL5]

30% off is a good deal. I would take it. It's handy being able to adjust crossovers in DLBC and assign to different slots for quick A/B tests.

The only thing that gives me pause is do I really want to sink so much cost in a device that will easily be outdated in 5 years and possibly sooner if it fails out of warranty?

 

[HarmonicTHD]

The only thing that gives me pause is do I really want to sink so much cost in a device that will easily be outdated in 5 years and possibly sooner if it fails out of warranty?

That will always be the case with AVRs. If you want to save, get the 3800 without Dirac and see how far Audyssey will get you.

I use it with REW and UMK1 (100usd) and it does what I want with admittedly more tinkering and less nice of a UI.

 

[EWL5]

That will always be the case with AVRs. If you want to save, get the 3800 without Dirac and see how far Audyssey will get you.

I use it with REW and UMK1 (100usd) and it does what I want with admittedly more tinkering and less nice of a UI.

Audyssey alone = garbage
Audyssey plus $20 app = not garbage but still subjectively "worse" than prior Pioneer SC-LX701 using MCACC (at least I got rid of the 2k mid-range dip)

My prior AVR was definitely at least 1 tier higher than the current 3800 but that's what happens when you get tricked by the elevated MSRP (inflation is only part of the reason).

I picked up DL during Black Friday but have yet to have the time to use it (can't wait for holiday break!). I just want something that requires less tinkering by me (don't have time) so I may have to bite the bullet and pick up DLBC as well if it'll make everything stupid easy!

 

[HarmonicTHD]

Audyssey alone = garbage
Audyssey plus $20 app = not garbage but still subjectively "worse" than prior Pioneer SC-LX701 using MCACC (at least I got rid of the 2k mid-range dip)

My prior AVR was definitely at least 1 tier higher than the current 3800 but that's what happens when you get tricked by the elevated MSRP (inflation is only part of the reason).

I picked up DL during Black Friday but have yet to have the time to use it (can't wait for holiday break!). I just want something that requires less tinkering by me (don't have time) so I may have to bite the bullet and pick up DLBC as well if it'll make everything stupid easy!

I have MultiEQX.

If garbage then bring facts.

 

[EWL5]

I have MultiEQX.

If garbage then bring facts.

The only thing I can tell you is I seemed to have lost some detail w/the 3800 compared to the LX701. The Denon appears to be "polite" whereas the Pioneer was more "forward". If after DL calibration the system maintains "politeness", I'll accept that the Pioneer was not properly calibrated and will finally know what the baseline should be.

 

[ExPerfectionist]

I cap my Audyssey at 500~1000Hz anyway for my front/mains.

 

[EWL5]

I cap my Audyssey at 500~1000Hz anyway for my front/mains.

Is this to maintain a "warm" sound?

 

[HarmonicTHD]

The only thing I can tell you is I seemed to have lost some detail w/the 3800 compared to the LX701. The Denon appears to be "polite" whereas the Pioneer was more "forward". If after DL calibration the system maintains "politeness", I'll accept that the Pioneer was not properly calibrated and will finally know what the baseline should be.

Once you know how to operate either system in detail you can get any sound you want. Just a matter of the „preference curve“ you define.

But of course it is very likely that the default results from the automated adjustment differ. And even that would be measurable and could be compared to either prove or disprove the listening impression.

 

[ExPerfectionist]

Is this to maintain a "warm" sound?

I don't want excessive correction, I think correction can introduce time-based issues, I like the existing tonality of my speakers (Ascend Sierra-LX), in-room frequency response is already very good (200-15kHz = +/- 3dB at 1/6 smoothing, +/- 2dB at 1/3 smoothing - albeit from a single mic location), I have plenty of furniture and treatment in the room, and it's a common practice to only EQ up to room mode or slightly higher (200~300Hz) to leave speaker tonality intact and only address frequencies that are greatly affected by the room acoustics.

 

[phn]

30% off is a good deal. I would take it. It's handy being able to adjust crossovers in DLBC and assign to different slots for quick A/B tests.

It is. I have a 5.1.0 setup, I now have MultEQ-X and am quite happy how I was able to set the room compensation there.

I guess I won't find out unless I try this, too. I have a small listening room with concrete walls, floor, ceiling, some of the modes I just can't do anything about as there's no space for the required amount of bass traps etc. And rather than buying more bass traps this would seem a better way to approach the issue.

Something to thing about for sure. This offer was until end of December, was it?

 

[napfkuchen]

The only thing that gives me pause is do I really want to sink so much cost in a device that will easily be outdated in 5 years and possibly sooner if it fails out of warranty?

I don't see that as a legitimate argument. When it comes to surround formats, 5.1/7.1 is still the standard. According to my impressions, there are only a few good Dolby Atmos demo trailers and Blurays. I also have a few new versions of older films that were extensively mixed in Auro3D which are impressive.
But most of the time, what is advertised to consumers as an immersive 3D sound experience rarely lives up to the marketing-bs due to sloppy/lazy work in recording and mixing. Compression in streaming doesn't make it any better. This is of course also due to the widespread 11.1 or whatever soundbars that have numerous logos slapped onto them without any real meaning.
Thanks to the combination of Auro3D and Dirac, the X3800H will not be obsolete in 5 years, regardless of the introduction of new surround standards or the usual marketing speak.

 

[wad0]

It is. I have a 5.1.0 setup, I now have MultEQ-X and am quite happy how I was able to set the room compensation there.

I guess I won't find out unless I try this, too. I have a small listening room with concrete walls, floor, ceiling, some of the modes I just can't do anything about as there's no space for the required amount of bass traps etc. And rather than buying more bass traps this would seem a better way to approach the issue.

Something to thing about for sure. This offer was until end of December, was it?

From the "Launch Offer - 30% off Bass Control for Denon AVR/AVC-X3800H" email I received: "Launch offer valid until January 15th 2024"

 

[EWL5]

Thanks to the combination of Auro3D and Dirac, the X3800H will not be obsolete in 5 years, regardless of the introduction of new surround standards or the usual marketing speak.

Newer surround standards is usually what makes older AVRs obsolete.

My previous 5 year old receiver already had Dolby Atmos so I'm on my 2nd Atmos receiver w/barely anything new other than a newer HDMI spec. Do we still expect Atmos to be king in yet another 5 years?

Honestly, I do expect Dirac Live to get some competition down the road from other machine learning/AI brethren that will probably do it for cheaper. With the pace of AI these days, 5 years is probably a good bet for this type of RC to be the norm down the road.

 

[peng]

Newer surround standards is usually what makes older AVRs obsolete.

My previous 5 year old receiver already had Dolby Atmos so I'm on my 2nd Atmos receiver w/barely anything new other than a newer HDMI spec. Do we still expect Atmos to be king in yet another 5 years?

Honestly, I do expect Dirac Live to get some competition down the road from other machine learning/AI brethren that will probably do it for cheaper. With the pace of AI these days, 5 years is probably a good bet for this type of RC to be the norm down the road.

I think you are right, but it may take a long time because each of the major players (Audyssey, Dirac Live, Trinnov, Anthem, Yamaha, Sony etc.) seem to be doing a great job guarding their proprietary information. That means everyone is going to have to work hard on R&D on their own. I know that is the right way, for business, but in terms of academic research, I can imagine if some of them would collaborate without worry about competition, how much better such software would have been by now.

 

[EWL5]

I think you are right, but it may take a long time because each of the major players (Audyssey, Dirac Live, Trinnov, Anthem, Yamaha, Sony etc.) seem to be doing a great job guarding their proprietary information. That means everyone is going to have to work hard on R&D on their own. I know that is the right way, for business, but in terms of academic research, I can imagine if some of them would collaborate without worry about competition, how much better such software would have been by now.

I remembered when an upstart named Oppo entered the A/V world and rocked the industry and offered great products and low cost for the masses!
I'm not saying it will happen again, but the "old guard" shouldn't be sleeping well knowing someone out there might offer a compelling product that can do it better for less!