Denon AVR-X3800H Review

[delta76]

Here my comments:

Denon AVR-X3800H Review

But "7.07*7.07*8 = 400 W into 8 ohms" would only be achievable if the maximum output voltage from your simplified numerical example were doubled (i.e. 56.56 V). That is correct. The rail voltage of the avr-x4400, x4500H are >60 Vrms so I don't consider it volltage limited, but current...

www.audiosciencereview.com

It was over 2 years ago, maybe Denon has improved firmware.

HDMI is pretty funky. If you have one device sure it will work pretty reliable. But once you have multiple devices, and switching sources, chances of running into handshake problems will be much better. CEC will make problem worse. It's just the nature of it (due to different implementations between manufacturers and devices)

 

[popej]

HDMI is pretty funky. If you have one device sure it will work pretty reliable. But once you have multiple devices, and switching sources, chances of running into handshake problems will be much better. CEC will make problem worse. It's just the nature of it (due to different implementations between manufacturers and devices)

I agree, but the simple observation is, that this set of components cooperated well enough with Yamaha AVR and Pioneer AVR, but not with Denon AVR. Today I use different components, maybe Denon would fit.

 

[sahil fardeen]

Congratulations and thank you for the feed back on this value king AVR that is so feature rich, and price is still great even if you factor in a full Dirac License that includes ART, though in that case, it will be good to wait for the discounts they have been offering seemingly every few months. Based on our helpful members such as @Oddball and @kawauso (and others) who posted plenty of tips and graphs, almost like our resident tech support on ART. With ART, I am confident probably most people (always depend on their use cases) will be able to hear clearer sound quality overall. So, while it sounds good to you now, just keep in mind that you still have an upgrade path, one that is quite affordable when it is on sale.

I was confident the X3800H would sound as good as any AVRs for most use cases because I briefly owned the X1800H for a few months, and when used as preamp/dac it sounded really great. I sold it only because I wanted two independent sub outs for that two channel stereo system. The X3800H for some reasons, did not measure as good as the Cinema 50 and the X4800H, that is a "first" for a equivalent M model to beat the D model but I have a strong feeling that it was an just an outlier, or it might have been due to the way he did it that one time, wish Amir would have a chance to test a second sample as it might help to make SINAD chasers feel better if the second sample could do better. Regardless, even based on the lesser performance of the bench for that one sample, it is just a relative thing, as in absolute sense, the numbers would still indicate transparency.

Audyssey works wonders for my setup. And this 3800h has everything one can expect from an avr. They really nailed it with this.

For the heating part, the hdmi section stays very cool, but the amplifier side (the heatsink area) does get very warm… even with high sensitivity speakers in my setup…

Again, nothing extreme

 

[Geertidow]

Audyssey works wonders for my setup. And this 3800h has everything one can expect from an avr. They really nailed it with this.

For the heating part, the hdmi section stays very cool, but the amplifier side (the heatsink area) does get very warm… even with high sensitivity speakers in my setup…

Again, nothing extreme

Would the amp get less hot when using subwoofers? I crossover at 100 hz.
It's either this or waiting what Wiim has in store for us.

 

[EWL5]

Would the amp get less hot when using subwoofers? I crossover at 100 hz.
It's either this or waiting what Wiim has in store for us.

Of course! The higher the crossover, the less work the Denon has to do.

 

[peng]

Audyssey works wonders for my setup. And this 3800h has everything one can expect from an avr. They really nailed it with this.

For the heating part, the hdmi section stays very cool, but the amplifier side (the heatsink area) does get very warm… even with high sensitivity speakers in my setup…

Again, nothing extreme

I always recommend using a $20-$30 fan, $30 if you need one that is virtually silent (i.e. the Noctua one). The 3800 may be relatively inexpensive, but is still a substantial investment that one would want it to last for years. I actually don't feel bad that the D+M AVRs seem to run a little warmer than others like Yamaha's, based on forum hearsay, because it could be an indicator that they are probably biased a little higher, for lower crossover distortions; and that could mean better sound quality can be expected, at very low listening level. The penalty is, more heat..

 

[Geertidow]

Of course! The higher the crossover, the less work the Denon has to do.

Cool thanks.
And finally if a hdmi source starts inputting sound, would it start playing automatically? I love it when everything can be remoteless

 

[sahil fardeen]

Would the amp get less hot when using subwoofers? I crossover at 100 hz.
It's either this or waiting what Wiim has in store for us.

i am already using a 100hz crossover for all of my speakers

 

[dlaloum]

The poor sinad, is probably inaudible. Is that true?
Given my two sub setup. Looking at x3800 or x4700.

The "poor sinad" is actually among the better performers!

It is highly unlikely to be audible.

I would take the X3800, and invest in ART... Dirac ART will make a bigger difference than pretty much any other upgrade.

 

[dlaloum]

Just speculation I've read online at AVS and other forums about why a lot of the Denon 3800/4800 lineup seem to prematurely get the red light of death, a lot of users indicate their receivers were running extremely hot before they went into permanent protection mode. Could be from a different reason certainly, but the low profile nature of these receivers, light amount heatsinks in these models and fans almost never turning on seems to be intuitively a possible cause.

How hot they run was one of the first things I considered - having had two previous generation AVR's fail due to heat!

However my X4800 runs remarkably cool ... very happy with that!

In terms of setup it is in a completely open area with space on all sides, and circa 25cm of clear space above it as well - no fans have been deployed, and touching the top after several hours of use, has it merely slightly warm to the touch.

Having said that, I listen at typically 75db @ MLP, with my 86db/wm speakers - and basically the AVR idles along at around 1W output, with occasional dramatic periods of up to around 3W, peaks would never reach 16W... (95db peaks assuming 20db headroom)

Someone who tends to listen at 85db average with 105db peaks might well have a different situation to report!

My old Onkyo SR876 or Integra DTR 70.4 used to run so hot you could literally fry an egg on top of them... the top was too hot to touch... - that is not the case for my current Denon X4800 (and was not the case for my previous Integra DRX3.4).

Yes they do need plentiful air access for natural convection cooling to do its thing... and if located in a more enclosed space/cabinet, you may need to provide an engineered alternative (ie: fans!)

 

[dlaloum]

Really? I thought it was only my LX305, which I bought extra cheap. I have reduced supply voltage to get rid of transformer noise.

Nothing noticeable here in Australia on my Integra DRX3.4... but we are on 230V/50Hz - which may make a difference.
(It has been noted that in some cases noise/grunge on the power line can result in transformer noise... I don't know whether these are subject to that type of phenomenon, but I have not experienced it)

 

[sahil fardeen]

I always recommend using a $20-$30 fan, $30 if you need one that is virtually silent (i.e. the Noctua one). The 3800 may be relatively inexpensive, but is still a substantial investment that one would want it to last for years. I actually don't feel bad that the D+M AVRs seem to run a little warmer than others like Yamaha's, based on forum hearsay, because it could be an indicator that they are probably biased a little higher, for lower crossover distortions; and that could mean better sound quality can be expected, at very low listening level. The penalty is, more heat..

Is the fan pumping air into the avr or taking the heat away? wont blowing air into the avr cause trouble? condensation?

 

[delta76]

Is the fan pumping air into the avr or taking the heat away? wont blowing air into the avr cause trouble? condensation?

you should have two fans, in the best set up, one push and one pull. if you can only have one fan then better to have it pulling away air than pushing air in
the temp inside avr is hotter than outside by a few degrees so it's unlikely causing condensation

 

[peng]

Is the fan pumping air into the avr or taking the heat away? wont blowing air into the avr cause trouble? condensation?

I have tried different ways and they all worked fine without issue, it does seem to me that blow air across the top from the back to the front might work best in terms of avoiding adding dust load into the unit but otherwise sucking air upward should be the second best way, in my opinion/experience.

There shouldn't be condensation issue if air is moving, you can set it to the lowest speed and leave the fan running all the time. They will last for a long time and if you have to replace it even every couple of years, at $20-$30 a piece it is still cheap insurance.

Yes the unit has build in fans but in my experience they never turn on so I have to think that they are only there to pass their internal standards and/or to safeguard against warranty claims within their warranty period typically 3 years, but not for purpose of longevity. To me, an external fan is not so much for prevent premature failures due to overheating but to prolong the useful life of the unit.

 

[peng]

you should have two fans, in the best set up, one push and one pull. if you can only have one fan then better to have it pulling away air than pushing air in
the temp inside avr is hotter than outside by a few degrees so it's unlikely causing condensation

I would think that it depends, I started with two but found that one, even at the lowest speed was adequate. In some use cases, two may be good for sure.

 

[delta76]

I would think that it depends, I started with two but found that one, even at the lowest speed was adequate. In some use cases, two may be good for sure.

of course it depends. if you have enough space for air circulation then no fan is needed. If you can only have one fan then pulling is better. two fans are the best

 

[sahil fardeen]

Issue is, the air(atmosphere) is very humid and “moisturous” so when i am blowing it inside, it actually lets the moisture inside with the air, doing more harm than good. As suggested by people in my area with experience.

Any inputs on this?

 

[peng]

Issue is, the air(atmosphere) is very humid and “moisturous” so when i am blowing it inside, it actually lets the moisture inside with the air, doing more harm than good. As suggested by people in my area with experience.

Any inputs on this?

I would still say as long as the fan is running you will be fine but if the environment is so humid then you probably should use a dehumidifier, obviously place it far enough to avoid audible noise. Keep in mind the inside of the unit will still be warmer when the unit is on standby, unless you power it down completely.

 

[peng]

of course it depends. if you have enough space for air circulation then no fan is needed. If you can only have one fan then pulling is better. two fans are the best

I guess I won't argue that two not better than one haha.. I prefer one to minimize noise, though with the silent one I am using it really makes little difference.

 

[delta76]

I guess I won't argue that two not better than one haha.. I prefer one to minimize noise, though with the silent one I am using it really makes little difference.

try noctua fan - they are usually the best in performance and noise. price is high but compared to x3800h and the speakers that go with it basically nothing