Denon AVR-X4800H AVR Review

[abdo123]

EUR300 difference for me. Would have pulled the trigger with that difference. Not too unhappy about X3800H though, that was a good deal at the time as well. Now of course even better prices available.

This fall is turning out to be a great time to upgrade, at least with Denon AV amplifiers.

With some smart couponing got my 3800 for like 800 euros

 

[techsamurai]

Audyssy’s Dynamic EQ is FUNDEMENTAL to a Hi-Fi experience once you get the tonality of your system just right.

Can’t think that Dirac can compete with it. I had it before with a miniDSP and while correction wise it’s better it will sound perfect on only sound level. And you never listen at only one sound level.

Is that how it behaves? Does it just increase the volume of the surrounds and subs? I expected it to match the Fletcher-Munson curves and change volumes for frequencies for al channels.

It also seems to screw up the measurements if you have it ON and OFF during the calibration. Turning it on and off requires a new profile.

https://www.avsforum.com/threads/set-dynamic-volume-and-dynamic-eq-to-on-or-off.3206488/

 

[abdo123]

Is that how it behaves? Does it just increase the volume of the surrounds and subs? I expected it to match the Fletcher-Munson curves and change volumes for frequencies for al channels.

It also seems to screw up the measurements if you have it ON and OFF during the calibration. Turning it on and off requires a new profile.

https://www.avsforum.com/threads/set-dynamic-volume-and-dynamic-eq-to-on-or-off.3206488/

This guy is using C weighting so he can’t measure the increase in bass in the front speakers below 100Hz as the level gets lower. The biggest facepalm moment of my life.

 

[abdo123]

Is that how it behaves? Does it just increase the volume of the surrounds and subs? I expected it to match the Fletcher-Munson curves and change volumes for frequencies for al channels.

It also seems to screw up the measurements if you have it ON and OFF during the calibration. Turning it on and off requires a new profile.

https://www.avsforum.com/threads/set-dynamic-volume-and-dynamic-eq-to-on-or-off.3206488/

Also the first few comments in that thread says that it doesn’t make any difference whether you have it on/off during calibration. The system turns it off (and all processing) for test tones.

 

[abdo123]

Check out this thread for how Dynamic EQ behaves

The problem with Audyssey Dynamic EQ

Overall I'm quite happy with what DEQ does to the frequency response (boosting bass and the high end); but I don't like what it does to the surround channel levels. I just made some measurements with different Dynamic EQ settings to confirm my impression that it boosts the surround channels too...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[techsamurai]

Check out this thread for how Dynamic EQ behaves

The problem with Audyssey Dynamic EQ

Overall I'm quite happy with what DEQ does to the frequency response (boosting bass and the high end); but I don't like what it does to the surround channel levels. I just made some measurements with different Dynamic EQ settings to confirm my impression that it boosts the surround channels too...

www.audiosciencereview.com

It seems to do 2 things then - follow the Fletcher-Munson curve but also augment the surrounds. They should have broken that up into boosted surround sound as it screws up the balance at -15 to -20db loudness that almost everyone listens to.

Why is there a DEQ 0, -5, -10, -15 with -30? Does DEQ allow levels?

I better find out as I just ordered a 4800h - the deal was too good to pass.

 

[abdo123]

It seems to do 2 things then - follow the Fletcher-Munson curve but also augment the surrounds. They should have broken that up into boosted surround sound as it screws up the balance at -15 to -20db loudness that almost everyone listens to.

Why is there a DEQ 0, -5, -10, -15 with -30? Does DEQ allow levels?

I better find out as I just ordered a 4800h - the deal was too good to pass.

This generation not only allow you to control how strong you want the effect in general to be (that’s what the difference levels are, you choose a “reference” point for DEQ).

But it also allow you to tune the surround boost independently (the problem the the thread i shared complained about).

I’m very happy with Audyssey tbh.

 

[techsamurai]

This generation not only allow you to control how strong you want the effect in general to be (that’s what the difference levels are, you choose a “reference” point for DEQ).

But it also allow you to tune the surround boost independently (the problem the the thread i shared complained about).

I’m very happy with Audyssey tbh.

Well, I'll be upgrading to XT32 from MultEq and have use of the app with the 4800H so I'll be better off than I am now. But DEQ sounds interesting - is there a tutorial on DEQ I can read about before I receive the 4800H?

 

[abdo123]

Well, I'll be upgrading to XT32 from MultEq and have use of the app with the 4800H so I'll be better off than I am now. But DEQ sounds interesting - is there a tutorial on DEQ I can read about before I receive the 4800H?

You already have XT32, what you’re looking for is MultiEQX

 

[techsamurai]

You already have XT32, what you’re looking for is MultiEQX

No, my old SR8002s have MultEQ which is below XT and XT32. Marantz still offers it on the Cinema 70.

XT and XT32 yield almost identical results at least in a REW measurement by someone. I don't think the MultEq is that far off either but I'll find out soon enough.

 

[popej]

This guy is using C weighting so he can’t measure the increase in bass in the front speakers below 100Hz as the level gets lower. The biggest facepalm moment of my life.

Yes, this is quite stupid way to measure subwoofer, but still boost looks reasonable. This is what you would expect from loudness correction.
Surround boost is more or less as measurement I have already seen. My guess is, that it could work, unless you turn your head. And when you turn and notice the boost, it starts to be annoying.

To sum up the video: the observations are correct, the conclusions are irrational.

 

[abdo123]

No, my old SR8002s have MultEQ which is below XT and XT32. Marantz still offers it on the Cinema 70.

XT and XT32 yield almost identical results at least in a REW measurement by someone. I don't think the MultEq is that far off either but I'll find out soon enough.

I meant you don’t have to pay extra for XT32

 

[techsamurai]

This guy is using C weighting so he can’t measure the increase in bass in the front speakers below 100Hz as the level gets lower. The biggest facepalm moment of my life.

How do you know it's C weighted?

 

[peng]

Is that how it behaves? Does it just increase the volume of the surrounds and subs? I expected it to match the Fletcher-Munson curves and change volumes for frequencies for al channels.

It also seems to screw up the measurements if you have it ON and OFF during the calibration. Turning it on and off requires a new profile.

https://www.avsforum.com/threads/set-dynamic-volume-and-dynamic-eq-to-on-or-off.3206488/

You should read Ausyssey's own description of how DEQ works.

 

[techsamurai]

You should read Ausyssey's own description of how DEQ works.

Does Dirac Live have DEQ?

 

[abdo123]

How do you know it's C weighted?

You can see the big C on the SPL meter.

 

[abdo123]

Does Dirac Live have DEQ?

I haven’t bought it but I’ve read from other members that when you stop using Audyssey you lose DEQ.

 

[peng]

I haven’t bought it but I’ve read from other members that when you stop using Audyssey you lose DEQ.

Dirac Live does not offer DEQ, not yet anyway.

 

[peng]

Is that how it behaves? Does it just increase the volume of the surrounds and subs? I expected it to match the Fletcher-Munson curves and change volumes for frequencies for al channels.


It also seems to screw up the measurements if you have it ON and OFF during the calibration. Turning it on and off requires a new profile.

There are tons of Youtubers posting things that they don't understand well themselves, this one is a good example. As you probably suspected, he seems to miss the point that DEQ is not about increasing "spl" at lower "volume", but about increasing spl of the low, and high frequency bands at lower volume bass to some extent on the so called "loudness curve/Fletcher Munson curve", though Audyssey emphasized that theirs are more accurate their the old Fletcher Munson, in various ways.

I happen to have saved some of the original write-ups by Audyssey, from years ago, those articles would be very difficult to find now on the internet. Below is from one of such old articles:

So, that Youtuber missed the point about frequency response versus volume. That's why using his Radio Shack meter the way he did prove nothing! Just read the specs of that meter and you will see the obvious reasons.

In the MultEQ-X user guide, they included a whole page on "Audyssey Recommended Demos". For those who are serious about understanding how DEQ might work for them, should probably try it.

Audyssey DEQ is, like a lot of things, not perfect but it is a little more sophisticated than what a lot of people assume it to be "just" like loudness control, based on Fletcher and Munson's.

 

[evert]

Just made an order for one of these.
I don't suppose it can run 5.1.4 in my living room and power zone 2 in my kitchen without external amps?