Denon AVR-X4800H AVR Review

[Robert-Hifi]

In theory both the NR906 and the SR876 (I owned the latter) - had Audyssey XT32... as do the Denon's - so they should be the same.

However, there was no way of disabling MRC on these... or of adjusting the target curve... you got the Audyssey target and that was that.

The Onkyo TX-NR906 only had Audyssey MultEQ XT, not MultEQ XT32 like the Denon.
Are you sure MRC was a feature back then? I thought it was introduced later when the MultEQ Editor App came out.

I'm still curious what the target curve was Audyssey used back then.

 

[Jost Buergi]

For those who bought their X4800H recently, could you please tell me the 4 digits of the serial # (right after the 4 letters). This is mine: DBYJ1222 which means it was manufactured in December 2022.

FWIW: Last weekend I attended an audio trade fair where one of the bigger dealers displayed a stack of 6 or 8 Denon X4800H for sale, still sitting in their boxes. According to the stickers on the boxes they were all „0624“. ;-)

 

[anioq]

@amirm So we now know that Denon cheats when it detects test signals with AL24/AL32. See https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ds/denon-dcd-sa1-review-cd-sacd-player.56929/

"the Denon (its AL24 filter) recognizes the typical test tones and switches to a sharp filter in that case, which would make people like me (theoretically) happy. Fail
To counter the test detection by the filter, it is enough to add a third test tone with this standard CCIF test. So adding a 9kHz test tone defeats the detection of the AL24 filter"

Can we re-measure to defeat the cheating?

 

[AdamG]

Can we re-measure to defeat the cheating?

As this unit was sent in by a Member over 20 months ago I am relatively confident Amir has already shipped it back to the owner. Best method forward is to remind Amir about this testing conflict next time he posts a review of a Denon Product. Keep your eyes peeled and jump in with a reminder as quickly as you can before he removes the AVR from his test bench. Or you could send in a unit to be tested as an option to the “wait for the next opportunity”.

 

[peng]

I don't

@amirm So we now know that Denon cheats when it detects test signals with AL24/AL32. See https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ds/denon-dcd-sa1-review-cd-sacd-player.56929/

"the Denon (its AL24 filter) recognizes the typical test tones and switches to a sharp filter in that case, which would make people like me (theoretically) happy. Fail
To counter the test detection by the filter, it is enough to add a third test tone with this standard CCIF test. So adding a 9kHz test tone defeats the detection of the AL24 filter"

Can we re-measure to defeat the cheating?

That' the SACD player. I don't think it would apply to the AVRs that have no choices of dac filters. If they did do it, cost would likely go up so I hope they wouldn't.

 

[Des Esseintes]

Assuming there is no price difference, any reason to go with the AVR-X4800H over the AVR-X6700H ?

 

[CapMan]

Dirac if that's important to you...

 

[PHD]

Assuming there is no price difference, any reason to go with the AVR-X4800H over the AVR-X6700H ?

I'd definitely go with the X6700H if you don't need more than one 8k HDMI input because using OCA's A1 EVO or A1 Nexus will guaranty better performance than Dirac + DLBC according to many reports at the AVS forum. And it's 100% free.

 

[CapMan]

because using OCA's A1 EVO or A1 Nexus will guaranty better performance than Dirac + DLBC

Not saying this is wrong or right , but it's a pretty bold statement. Any objective way to substantiate it?

 

[CapMan]

The 6700 has 2 sub outs vs 4 on the 4800 - again if that matters to you

 

[pogo]

better performance than Dirac + DLBC according to many reports at the AVS forum.

Funny. And when DLART is rolled out next year, people will switch to an x800 or newer.

 

[Des Esseintes]

Hmm. And if I reverse the question, any reason to go with the AVR-X6700H over the AVR-X4800H? In terms of pure audio performances? (like, the AVR-X6700H is ever so slightly more expensive, surely there must be something to justify the price?)

I'm never going to use 4 subs or an 8k HDMI input. The OCA's A1 EVO or A1 Nexus vs. Dirac + DLBC debate goes WAY over my head (and will my ears even be able to tell the difference?)

 

[ban25]

Hmm. And if I reverse the question, any reason to go with the AVR-X6700H over the AVR-X4800H? In terms of pure audio performances? (like, the AVR-X6700H is ever so slightly more expensive, surely there must be something to justify the price?)

I'm never going to use 4 subs or an 8k HDMI input. The OCA's A1 EVO or A1 Nexus vs. Dirac + DLBC debate goes WAY over my head (and will my ears even be able to tell the difference?)

It's only more expensive because it has two more channels of processing and two more channels of amplification. If you're looking to build a 13.2 system, that's meaningful, but if you are building a smaller system, then the X6700H provides no benefit.

The X6700H is a nearly four year old AVR. It's out of warranty. It is a legacy product from D+M with an ugly 480p OSD. It has a first-generation HDMI 2.1 implementation that can only manage 4K120 on a single port. If it's an early model, it has a broken HDMI implementation that requires an external adapter box to function correctly (one that D+M stopped manufacturing awhile ago).

TL;DR:

Get the X4800H.

 

[PHD]

Not saying this is wrong or right , but it's a pretty bold statement. Any objective way to substantiate it?

From Gene Delasala:

Dirac and Denon is a very bad combo and ART simply don't work as expected and only makes things worse. You can check out the comments on the A1 EVO and Nexus threads on AVS forum.

 

[CapMan]

From Gene Delasala:

View attachment 405038

Dirac and Denon is a very bad combo and ART simply don't work as expected and only makes things worse. You can check out the comments on the A1 EVO and Nexus threads on AVS forum.

What's your point exactly. Measurements please? ART isn't available on the 4800. How have you demonstrated your assertion. My opinion is that Dirac works just brilliantly on my 4800 - touché

 

[EWL5]

From Gene Delasala:

View attachment 405038

Dirac and Denon is a very bad combo and ART simply don't work as expected and only makes things worse. You can check out the comments on the A1 EVO and Nexus threads on AVS forum.

Gene is a font of the industry but he’s wrong. No issues using Dirac on my 3800 (including DLBM, which is not working properly at the moment on the RZ50 after the new firmware).

 

[PHD]

What's your point exactly. Measurements please? ART isn't available on the 4800. How have you demonstrated your assertion. My opinion is that Dirac works just brilliantly on my 4800 - touché

This is based on ART reports on the Storm processors and Dirac on D&M. It may work well for some, but all I see at AVS are mostly complaints. Have a look here:

https://www.avsforum.com/threads/dirac-live.3137722/?post_id=59508402#post-59508402

 

[ban25]

This is based on ART reports on the Storm processors and Dirac on D&M. It may work well for some, but all I see at AVS are mostly complaints. Have a look here:

https://www.avsforum.com/threads/dirac-live.3137722/?post_id=59508402#post-59508402

Sorry, but this is BS. Measurements or GTFO.

 

[EWL5]

This is based on ART reports on the Storm processors and Dirac on D&M. It may work well for some, but all I see at AVS are mostly complaints. Have a look here:

https://www.avsforum.com/threads/dirac-live.3137722/?post_id=59508402#post-59508402

I’m in the Dirac thread and 2800/3800/4800 owner’s thread over at AVS. There are no issues that can’t be rectified by following the instructions on the mehlau.net website!

 

[dlaloum]

From Gene Delasala:

View attachment 405038

Dirac and Denon is a very bad combo and ART simply don't work as expected and only makes things worse. You can check out the comments on the A1 EVO and Nexus threads on AVS forum.

If you read Gene's other postings where he goes into more detail, his problem with ART is in systems (like his) with full range base layer speakers - it works fine with a standard Sat/Sub based setup where the Base layer is crossed over to the subs, but the rarer (and therefore less tested!) configuration where the base layer has full range speakers that do not require crossover (and where a crossover is undersirable!), this configuration exposes some ART bugs... which they are working on.

He has had no complaints with regards to more standard ART setups, but has delayed his detailed analysis / review of ART pending the resolution of those bugs.