Denon AVR-X4800H AVR Review

[fzst]

A question to the 4800 owners: Can the AVR save two different presets with different Audyssey settings? So that you can switch between two different profiles that have different speaker distance values via the remote?

 

[rvsixer]

A question to the 4800 owners: Can the AVR save two different presets with different Audyssey settings? So that you can switch between two different profiles that have different speaker distance values via the remote?

User manual under "Speaker Presets" and "Quick Select", yes.

 

[steveoat87]

It does mention 5.1:

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As mentioned before, it depends on the type of input, for Mult-channel DSD, use HDMI.

I tried to play a multichannel flac file using the usb input of the Denon 4800h. However when you play a usb file, it seems to default to HEOS. When I play the file, it describes the input as only 2 channel, where it is clearly a multichannel. Do files using the USB always default to HEOS, or is there a way around this. From the chart you show above, it looks like usb should recognize the multichannel file and play it back as such.

 

[Snoopy]

So it's actually built into the AVR and into Roon. From Roon, if you go to Settings -> Audio and scroll down to "Other network devices", you should see your AVR listed twice, once with "via AirPlay" and again with "via Chromecast streaming". Choosing Chromecast should get you higher resolution.

AirPlay2 is not lossless..so you get aac256.

 

[peng]

I tried to play a multichannel flac file using the usb input of the Denon 4800h. However when you play a usb file, it seems to default to HEOS. When I play the file, it describes the input as only 2 channel, where it is clearly a multichannel. Do files using the USB always default to HEOS, or is there a way around this. From the chart you show above, it looks like usb should recognize the multichannel file and play it back as such.

That chart is applicable to HDMI input, not USB input.

For USB input, you can play DSD up to 5.6 MHz' that is DSD128, 2 channel.

 

[rocketroberto]

AirPlay2 is not lossless..so you get aac256.

Howdy....that's what I read as well. Could you advise about the simplest way to stream lossless audio with the x4800h?

Currently I only have an apple music account and am willing to switch to Spotify HiFi. Do you know if songs streamed when using the Spotify iOS app will be uncompressed? (16bit is fine for me) Edit: i see that Spotify HiFi isn't release yet. Sigh.

So, I guess best option is to get a Tidal account, or maybe Amazon Music HD? I assume that using these, they would connect directly to the Denon over WiFi ? (and so Airplay2 isn't even in the equation)

 

[dave999z]

Howdy....that's what I read as well. Could you advise about the simplest way to stream lossless audio with the x4800h?

Currently I only have an apple music account and am willing to switch to Spotify HiFi. Do you know if songs streamed when using the Spotify iOS app will be uncompressed? (16bit is fine for me)

Apple Music over AirPlay is lossless up to 16 bit / 44.1 kHz. If you want hi-res lossless, then you need to connect an external DAC to a Mac or iOS device (iPhone or iPad) via USB.

Spotify HiFi does not exist yet, right?

 

[popej]

Do you know if songs streamed when using the Spotify iOS app will be uncompressed?

Denon supports Spotify Connect. Music is not streamed from phone but played directly by AVR, phone is only a controller. Spotify Connect is still lossy, 320kbps Ogg Vorbis. IMHO nothing to be worry about.

 

[CapMan]

Denon supports Spotify Connect. Music is not streamed from phone but played directly by AVR, phone is only a controller. Spotify Connect is still lossy, 320kbps Ogg Vorbis. IMHO nothing to be worry about.

Could use a wiim pro

 

[rocketroberto]

Apple Music over AirPlay is lossless up to 16 bit / 44.1 kHz. If you want hi-res lossless, then you need to connect an external DAC to a Mac or iOS device (iPhone or iPad) via USB.

Spotify HiFi does not exist yet, right?

Denon supports Spotify Connect. Music is not streamed from phone but played directly by AVR, phone is only a controller. Spotify Connect is still lossy, 320kbps Ogg Vorbis. IMHO nothing to be worry about.

ok. But Tidal HiFi should work, right? (It's 16bit. Tidal HiFi plus is 24bit) Also it seems Amazon Ultra HD is 16bit lossless or higher.

 

[Snoopy]

Apple Music over AirPlay is lossless up to 16 bit / 44.1 kHz. If you want hi-res lossless, then you need to connect an external DAC to a Mac or iOS device (iPhone or iPad) via USB.

Spotify HiFi does not exist yet, right?

AirPlay2 is AAC only.

 

[rocketroberto]

AirPlay2 is AAC only.

right....I realized my best path is to get an AppleTV ($130), connect that to my AVR. As apple music played on the AppleTV is lossless (24bit/48khz). And there's an appletv remote-app for iphone and ipad. That way I can stick with my apple music subscription, instead of also adding on Tidal, etc...

 

[peng]

Howdy....that's what I read as well. Could you advise about the simplest way to stream lossless audio with the x4800h?

Currently I only have an apple music account and am willing to switch to Spotify HiFi. Do you know if songs streamed when using the Spotify iOS app will be uncompressed? (16bit is fine for me) Edit: i see that Spotify HiFi isn't release yet. Sigh.

So, I guess best option is to get a Tidal account, or maybe Amazon Music HD? I assume that using these, they would connect directly to the Denon over WiFi ? (and so Airplay2 isn't even in the equation)

I tried Tidal, but I prefer Qobuz and Amazon HD that seems more trouble free, better quality, interface, and better support(Qobuz).

 

[rocketroberto]

I tried Tidal, but I prefer Qobuz and Amazon HD that seems more trouble free, better quality, interface, and better support(Qobuz).

thx. since I have an apple music family account, I decided I'd go the route of getting a AppleTV (which supports 24-bit lossless), and connecting it to the DVR And there's an appleTV app, so....

 

[dave999z]

AirPlay2 is AAC only.

Interesting, seems per the Internet that Apple Music lossless is transcoded to 256kbps AAC over Airplay. That's lame.

On the Apple TV I think 44.1 is resampled to 48, which could have its own drawbacks.

 

[phn]

thx. since I have an apple music family account, I decided I'd go the route of getting a AppleTV (which supports 24-bit lossless), and connecting it to the DVR And there's an appleTV app, so....

This is what I've got as well. Also, using an ethernet cable to connect the box to house 1000mbits lan, just to be certain.

 

[phn]

^ Also recycled all my old HDMI cables while at it, HDMI 2.1 8K cables only so there will be no confusion. Despite having only 4K or HD sources, such as my old Bluray player and Sat box.

 

[NoCoYeti]

DEQ and DV do different things.

DEQ adjusts the frequency response of the system to compensate for how our hearing works at different volume levels. Hence why (at reference level) it does nothing at all.

And you can adjust the reference level offset so you can tune what level of DEQ works best for your content. For example, for me, FBI we watch with no DEQ. But S.W.A.T. with DEQ at RLO of 10dB.

DV reduces the dynamics of the sound. Great if you need to hear the doorbell. But effectively, in my opinion, the whole point in having HC equipment in my lounge instead of just TV sound is for DYNAMICS and IMPACT.

Sadly, someone who I won't call my friend somewhere decided that DEQ would also boost surround channels. This ruins the feature and means having to be more clever about its usage profile.

Hey @Dobbyisfree

I submitted this ticket to Audyssey in Oct 2022 asking...

Will you be adding the option to not boost the surrounds to DEQ?

They replied:

"Yes, in the next MultEQ-X release, we will be giving users an option to not boost the surrounds while using DEQ."

Then just last month I followed up and got this response:

Customer Support Team, Aug 11, 2023, 10:17 AM PDT:
We have given to the solution to Denon but it is up to them to implement it. Please put in a word with them so that they know how important it is.
Best Regards,
Audyssey Support


Does anyone know the appropriate method to contact Denon to get them to roll this out?

 

[CapMan]

Hoping the 4800 is good - just pulled the trigger on one. Extra discount code at Richer Sounds in the UK took the price to £1399 which seems the best out there.

 

[peng]

Hey @Dobbyisfree

I submitted this ticket to Audyssey in Oct 2022 asking...

Will you be adding the option to not boost the surrounds to DEQ?

They replied:

"Yes, in the next MultEQ-X release, we will be giving users an option to not boost the surrounds while using DEQ."

Then just last month I followed up and got this response:

Customer Support Team, Aug 11, 2023, 10:17 AM PDT:
We have given to the solution to Denon but it is up to them to implement it. Please put in a word with them so that they know how important it is.
Best Regards,
Audyssey Support


Does anyone know the appropriate method to contact Denon to get them to roll this out?

I may be wrong, as I am going by memory only, but if I am right, Denon's $20 app seemed to have reduced the boost already. That' because I felt the boost when I first got the AV8801 and X4400H, but not so much by the time I traded them in. Now I felt my Anthem boosted the surround noticeabley more than the X4400H did. Again, I can be wrong, it's subjective, and by momory only.

To contact Denon, I would think the first step is to contact customer support and ask them the same question. I understand they do provide a phone number so that nay be a better option. Waiting on the phone will still be quicker than waiting for their reply email.

Also, if you are keen on this issue, make the same request on Marantz as well, just let them know you are considering their avr, but want to know if they will fix the surround channel overboost issue.