Denon AVR-X4700 AVR Review (Updated)

[hutt132]

I don't have Spotify. But, I do not perceive a difference using Amazon Music HD or my NAS with HEOS vs. other routes.

I believe Amir used HEOS to stream his test tone at one point and found it to be as clean a TOSLINK or SPDIF.

It must just be the Spotify Connect app on the receiver itself. It's a very noticeable quality reduction with distortion on the higher frequencies.
I made sure the quality setting on Spotify on my phone was set to the highest (even though I read the receiver automatically uses the highest).

If you compare yourself, you can hear it at the end of each extended word starting at 0:33 on this track:

Spotify Connect: End of each lines sounds very harsh and distorted
Spotify on HTPC over HDMI: No distortion, not harsh

Spotify from my phone over Bluetooth is a little bit better than Connect, but there's still some distortion.

 

[Neodave64]

Hi guys,

I have to change my "old" Denon AVR-3312.
The AVC-X4700H seems to fill all of my needs.

I'm actually using the AVR in 5.1 with the front PRE OUT connected to the "MAIN IN" of a Linn Majik DSM (with RCA).
The Majik is configured in "unity gain" (internal vol set to 80 of 100).
The Majik as the possibility to choose between 1V, 2V or 4V input (actually set on 1V).
The Majik PRE OUT (RCA) are connected to two mono power AMP (Apollon NCMP270) with RCA TO XLR (The Chord Company Clearway).

I have actually a sort of sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep very low but very disappointing.
All good power cables, plugs and iFi AC purifier.

Question 1: is this due to an incompatibility of the PRE IN and OUT voltage or simply a problem with the AVR-3312?
Question 2: The AVC-X4700H could be the solution or will it be worse/better?

Thanks for help.

 

[peng]

Hi guys,

I have to change my "old" Denon AVR-3312.
The AVC-X4700H seems to fill all of my needs.

I'm actually using the AVR in 5.1 with the front PRE OUT connected to the "MAIN IN" of a Linn Majik DSM (with RCA).
The Majik is configured in "unity gain" (internal vol set to 80 of 100).
The Majik as the possibility to choose between 1V, 2V or 4V input (actually set on 1V).
The Majik PRE OUT (RCA) are connected to two mono power AMP (Apollon NCMP270) with RCA TO XLR (The Chord Company Clearway).

I have actually a sort of sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep very low but very disappointing.
All good power cables, plugs and iFi AC purifier.

Question 1: is this due to an incompatibility of the PRE IN and OUT voltage or simply a problem with the AVR-3312?
Question 2: The AVC-X4700H could be the solution or will it be worse/better?

Thanks for help.

The 3312 should have no trouble outputting 1 V with THD below the threshold of audibility. I assume you are using the 3312's volume control, so what's the volume set to when you are listening to music? If it is well below -15 then I doubt it is a pre out vs the Linn's input sensitivity issue.

Did it sound much better if you just use the Linn? Keep in mind that sighted listening tests don't count much though.

The AVC-X4700H's pre out for sure should perform much better on paper, but again, audibility is a different story. Knowing that is is better on paper based on measurements should help regardless.

I just don't see the logic of using the 3312 with the Linn. HT bypass is only good if it is necessary. In this case I am pretty sure the Linn's class D power amp is no better than the 3312's (I bet no difference could be heard in a blind test if set up right) regardless what Linn's marketing information may suggest, but that's just me.. People, especially audiophiles continue to believe the otherwise, and I can understand why..

 

[Neodave64]

Yes the Linn sounds much much better.
I use it for Hi-Fi listening only (with the two mono power amp Hypex NC500MP).
So the problem appears only when waching films with the AVR + the Linn + the two mono amps (and it also appears before I had the two mono amps).
In Hi-Fi mode with the Linn + the two mono amps, there's no problem.
I guess I'll have to try with AVC-X4700H (when I will be able to buy it).
Thanks for help.

 

[Pars]

Hi everyone, I am need advice on using a 7 channel Amplifier on this receiver for my 9.2.2 system.

My system has 3 front speakers, 2 surround, 2 atmos and 2 front height speakers and 2 subs. How would you recommend connecting these speakers to my 7 channel amplifier and to this avr?

 

[Corock]

Hi everyone, I am need advice on using a 7 channel Amplifier on this receiver for my 9.2.2 system.

My system has 3 front speakers, 2 surround, 2 atmos and 2 front height speakers and 2 subs. How would you recommend connecting these speakers to my 7 channel amplifier and to this avr?

use the receiver to power the Atmos speakers and pre-out to the rest

 

[Pars]

use the receiver to power the Atmos speakers and pre-out to the rest

Thanks for your advice. I am not sure however, how to assign /set this configuration in the receiver! My understanding is that the receiver only allows the fronts to be configured as pre-amp. Please advise...

 

[Corock]

Thanks for your advice. I am not sure however, how to assign /set this configuration in the receiver! My understanding is that the receiver only allows the fronts to be configured as pre-amp. Please advise...

You shouldn't use pre-amp in the receiver; that receiver does not have the ability to shut off only some of the internal amps. Configure the receiver speakers settings to your setup, that way all the pre-outs and speakers terminals will be hot. Just use the pre-outs to connect all the speakers except Atmos to your external amp, then connect your Atmos speakers to the terminals indicated in the check terminal setting.

 

[peng]

Thanks for your advice. I am not sure however, how to assign /set this configuration in the receiver! My understanding is that the receiver only allows the fronts to be configured as pre-amp. Please advise...

Assuming you have the AVR-X4700H, you can either set the front left and front right to pre-out so that you can still use the 9 internal amp channels for any channels except the front left and right that have been assigned away, or you can use the preamp mode but in that case all 9 internal amp channels will be "disconnected" from the pre outs and you will then need to power all your speakers with external amp (s).

To summarize:
Option one - Do not assign the front left/right to pre out, in this case all 11 channels pre outs will be "live" and can be used to drive external amp(s). The internal amps will also be 'live".
Option two - Assign front left/right to pre out. In this case you will use the front left/right pre out to drive an external amp, all the other pre out channels will be "live" and all 9 internal amps will also be "live" but the front left/right channel internal amps could/would have been assigned, such as to the Atmos channels.
Option three - Use preamp mode, in that case, all internal amps will be disconnected from the pre outs, they will remain connected to the power supply and will still be "biased", but since they are disconnected from the pre outs, they will not be "amplifying" anything.
Below is the link to the post with screen shots that you may find helpful.

Denon AVR-X4700 AVR Review (Updated) | Page 66 | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum

 

[Pars]

Thanks Peng for your comment.

I really want to use the receiver's internal amp to run the Atmos speakers and the rest of the speakers to run by my 7 channel external amp. Any suggestions for the set up in the receiver?

 

[peng]

Thanks Peng for your comment.

I really want to use the receiver's internal amp to run the Atmos speakers and the rest of the speakers to run by my 7 channel external amp. Any suggestions for the set up in the receiver?

For better clarity, I just edited my post.

Assuming you want to 7.1.4, you can certainly do what @Steve Dallas did as shown in his post I linked earlier. If you run into any difficulties, it is best to ask him directly because the set up of my AVR-X4400H is very similar but not exactly the same.

 

[Pupalei]

I tested mine, and I can do the same. It is a kluge-y way to turn off the front pair, however. I hope this is improved in a future firmware update.

To recap for future readers, if you want to turn off the front L+R amps, the procedure is:

Registered just to thank you for this.

 

[Weeb Labs]

Frequency response is identical in all CD modes which surprised me:

Maybe it never digitizes this input? Anyway, it is good to see such wide bandwidth and dead flat response in audible band.

The analog inputs are selected through an NJU72750 and then routed alongside the DAC outputs to an NJU72343, which handles both the volume attenuation and final switching to the amplifiers. Depending upon AVR settings, the analog inputs can either be switched directly to the amplifiers or sent over to the AD stage for DSP.

The NJUs are not particularly high performance devices, so I would expect a noteworthy improvement to SINAD if we were to inject the AP signal downstream of them.

 

[Steve Dallas]

Yes. There are some bugs.

When I turn mine on, I am sometimes greeted by a screen full of snow, and sometimes by a screen washed in green. Both are corrected by switching inputs, then switching back. This happens roughly 20% of the time. Weird.

I do not have any issue with sub output. My volume controls are set to ~20%, and Audyssey still sets the sub levels to -4.5dB.

View attachment 90728

Since the recent firmware update, the green screen has not happened again.

However, the turn-on volume setting does not register changes. I had it set to 32 before the update. I recently changed it to 34, but it still starts up at 32. The menu shows 34. I have futzed with all the settings in that menu, and 32 remains burned into its "memory". I have not tried a factory reset for obvious reasons.

 

[bigguyca]

The analog inputs are selected through an NJU72750 and then routed alongside the DAC outputs to an NJU72343, which handles both the volume attenuation and final switching to the amplifiers. Depending upon AVR settings, the analog inputs can either be switched directly to the amplifiers or sent over to the AD stage for DSP.

The NJUs are not particularly high performance devices, so I would expect a noteworthy improvement to SINAD if we were to inject the AP signal downstream of them.

View attachment 105488

Which Denon product are describing? The block diagram you have attached is for which product? The diagram isn't for an X4700H.

 

[Weeb Labs]

Which Denon product are describing? The block diagram you have attached is for which product? The diagram isn't for an X4700H.

The block diagram is for the X3500H but is also applicable to the X4700H. They are all share the same fundamental layout, as far back as 2006 or so.

 

[Perish]

@amirm,

do you have for any AVR the frequency response measured at full power?

 

[CoolHandDuke]

I own the 2600H and just learned about this down mixing bug. My setup is 2.1. A lot of my streaming is thru PS4 via HDMI. I normally have Denon set to AUTO. Should I be setting this up differently? I'm not sure if I'm understanding the thread correctly, but sounds like you need to set speaker configuration to 7.1. I'm not sure, but think i can only configure to 5.1 on my 2600. For now I'm just using optical, but with PS5 upgrade, optical isn't an option. I am not sure if the PS5 audio output can be forced to stereo. I'm considering upgrading to 3700 or 4500 (on sale for same price), but concerned since I do all my listening in 2.1.

 

[echoecho]

I'm looking at using this with my Outlaw Audio M2200's for LCR. The outlaw's have an input sensitivity of 1.7v. Does this mean they aren't compatible, or a good match with the pre-outs on this receiver? In the review the quality at 1.4v decreases and it's recommended to stay at 1.1v.

 

[CoolHandDuke]

I'm looking at using this with my Outlaw Audio M2200's for LCR. The outlaw's have an input sensitivity of 1.7v. Does this mean they aren't compatible, or a good match with the pre-outs on this receiver? In the review the quality at 1.4v decreases and it's recommended to stay at 1.1v.

If I'm not mistaken, it depends if you are using the internal amps as well. If you aren't, SINAD seems to be pretty decent up to 1.7V. With amps on, things go downhill quicker.