Denon AVR-X3800H Review

[EWL5]

Because I had the feeling getting my money back wasn't an option anymore.

In the States, often the manufacturer will want to know where you purchased the item from and whether it came from an authorized retailer. There have been many cases where warranty service was denied because the item was purchased from a "grey market", of which I suspect Doublepoint definitely was!

Often sites like Doublepoint will declare bankruptcy, escape their creditors, and come back as another entity with a new name to pull the same scam all over again. I hope this was a lesson learned and hope the open box works well for you. However, the consequences are to be expected after multiple warnings.

 

[delta76]

after all the lessons - use credit cards if you can. in theory it's bank money you're borrowing, so you're much more protected if things go wrong.

 

[B-Flow]

Well, my 3800 arrived yesterday. At 20% off it still felt like I was overpaying (given the price history over the past 4 years) but I couldn't take it anymore. I had to get something into the house (we've been without a functional AVR for almost 2 months).

Had a bit of a funny moment when I could not for the life of me get it to do anything Dolby Surround'esque (ie Pro-Logic type decoding) on 2 channel material from the AppleTV (via HDMI). Only choices seemed to be Stereo and Multi-Channel Stereo (which soooooo dont work for soundtracks). Then I figured out the Apple TV defaults of Atmos:On, and Continuous Audio Connection:On produces a wrapper the Denon does not want to further process. By changing those I suddenly got Dolby Surround options. Whew! We watch a LOT of 2 channel movies. lol

I do find it odd that some settings are obfuscated unless an affected format is allready playing. Maybe someone at Denon thought this make things less overwhelming for neophytes but this thing, good or bad, is priced squarly in enthousiast teritory.

Power seems ok. I'm driving a mix of 4ohm/91dB and 8ohm/85dB speakers (all high passed) in a small room and it seemed to have no issue even up arround -10dB reference. Got quite warm, but not uncomfortable to touch.

Why oh why Denon did you think it was a good idea to use a KC Daylighter for the power LED?!? Honestly, even with two layers of tape over it its still too bright! It should dim at the same rate as the front panel display.

Tonight's project: Audyssey....

 

[amper42]

Denon Audyssey configuration makes all the difference. Its a totally different sounding animal when setup correctly...

 

[delta76]

Denon Odyssey configuration makes all the difference. Its a totally different sounding animal when setup correctly...

Suppose you meant Audyssey

But consider https://www.avsforum.com/threads/a1-evo-neuron-room-eq-by-oca.3316571/ also
I'm still waiting for my Center and surround speakers to actually run this

 

[B-Flow]

Does anyone know how the two amplifier boards/heatsinks break down in terms of channel? I know its 5 channels on one and 4 on the other, but I'm wondering it its like L/C/R/LS/RS on one, and the rears/heights on the other, or is it all the left sides on one, and all the rights plus center on the other.

 

[peng]

Does anyone know how the two amplifier boards/heatsinks break down in terms of channel? I know its 5 channels on one and 4 on the other, but I'm wondering it its like L/C/R/LS/RS on one, and the rears/heights on the other, or is it all the left sides on one, and all the rights plus center on the other.

Yes, the 5Ch amps are the FL,FR,C,SL,SR.

 

[popej]

Yes, the 5Ch amps are the FL,FR,C,SL,SR.

All mostly used channels on one heatsink. I would rather expect, they would spread the load.

 

[peng]

All mostly used channels on one heatsink. I would rather expect, they would spread the load.

Yeah, but its the X3800H, I guess the X4800H, being the so called monolithic layout would likely do that for you.

 

[B-Flow]

Yea, the 4800 having all channels on a single larger heat sink is undoubtedly better than having them split over two comparatively smaller ones (in terms of mass). With the 3800, if for example one is running a 5.1 setup, those channels have to share the mass of just one heatsink, the other going to waste. I'd have thought an L/R split for the two boards would have made more sense but the the 3x00 series have been doing it this way for a while so I guess not an issue in practice. There is a metal plate on either end of the two heat-sinks which sort of connects them but thats more structural and probably too thin to make any meaningful thermal conduit.

 

[B-Flow]

I just had a brain fart: If one is running 5.1 (or 7.1), you could set the fronts for Bi-amp, but not actually connect the front speakers as such: just connect them to the assigned HL/HR channels. That way they would run off the second board/heatsink while the LS/C/RS run off the first one. Even though signal is going to the actual L/R amps, with nothing connected they shouldnt actually draw any more power than idle (which all channels are doing regardless). Probably wouldnt make much, if any, difference but an interesting idea nonetheless.

 

[Oddball]

Had a bit of a funny moment when I could not for the life of me get it to do anything Dolby Surround'esque (ie Pro-Logic type decoding) on 2 channel material from the AppleTV (via HDMI). Only choices seemed to be Stereo and Multi-Channel Stereo (which soooooo dont work for soundtracks). Then I figured out the Apple TV defaults of Atmos:On, and Continuous Audio Connection:On produces a wrapper the Denon does not want to further process. By changing those I suddenly got Dolby Surround options. Whew! We watch a LOT of 2 channel movies. lol

Multi-channel input upmixing from ATV4K was working properly until the latest update of TV OS when the "Continuous Audio Connection" was introduced. Perhaps D&M will address that in their next firmware update, if possible. For now the solution is not to use ATV4K Auto option but to force 5.1 output without CAC, which will enable upmixing.

I don't watch 2 channel movies, so my comments are based on experience with 5.1 movies.

 

[Oddball]

I just had a brain fart: If one is running 5.1 (or 7.1), you could set the fronts for Bi-amp, but not actually connect the front speakers as such: just connect them to the assigned HL/HR channels. That way they would run off the second board/heatsink while the LS/C/RS run off the first one. Even though signal is going to the actual L/R amps, with nothing connected they shouldnt actually draw any more power than idle (which all channels are doing regardless). Probably wouldnt make much, if any, difference but an interesting idea nonetheless.

As you say - probably won't make much difference, if any. Probably best to focus on room calibration and EQ.