Denon AVR-X4800H AVR Review

[techsamurai]

What version of Audyssey do I need to change target curves? If getting the mobile app for IOS and Android, is it easier to use an iPad compared to a phone? I don't mind spending $20 but $200 seems a bit high when you can get DIRAC for a little bit more.

 

[rocketroberto]

Trying to decide to go with x4800, or if the x3800 is just fine for my situation and I can put that saved 1k to another day on a heli skip trip...or 2 rounds at pebble beach..or...hahh... I'm going to be using external amps for a 2 zone system (a 3.1 zone for tv/movies, and a 2.1 for music. I'll be playing music from a MacMini and so I can have that run Dirac for at least the music listening). I have a pair of KEF R7s for the music.

While the x3800h didn't have a strong review, would it be fine for my situation given the usage of external amplification? I can't quite make heads or tails of these testing graphs. Put another way, did the x3800h test fine when using external amps, and primarily fell short when using it's internal amps?

If the x3800h doesn't quite cut it, I'll go for the x4800. (I was looking at an Anthem MRX740 but it sounds like it's just too flaky overall. Should I put that out of my mind once and for all? ;-) )

thx for any ideas!

 

[peng]

Trying to decide to go with x4800, or if the x3800 is just fine for my situation and I can put that saved 1k to another day on a heli skip trip...or 2 rounds at pebble beach..or...hahh... I'm going to be using external amps for a 2 zone system (a 3.1 zone for tv/movies, and a 2.1 for music. I'll be playing music from a MacMini and so I can have that run Dirac for at least the music listening). I have a pair of KEF R7s for the music.

While the x3800h didn't have a strong review, would it be fine for my situation given the usage of external amplification? I can't quite make heads or tails of these testing graphs. Put another way, did the x3800h test fine when using external amps, and primarily fell short when using it's internal amps?

If the x3800h doesn't quite cut it, I'll go for the x4800. (I was looking at an Anthem MRX740 but it sounds like it's just too flaky overall. Should I put that out of my mind once and for all? ;-) )

thx for any ideas!

I prefer the 4800, will pay $300 more for it, but for $1000 more, the 3800 will win, use the money saved for the Dirac Live licences.

 

[peng]

What version of Audyssey do I need to change target curves? If getting the mobile app for IOS and Android, is it easier to use an iPad compared to a phone? I don't mind spending $20 but $200 seems a bit high when you can get DIRAC for a little bit more.

The $20 App is good, but hard to customize the target curve by drawing it with fingers. Use Rabuddyssey instead, I posted links many times before.

 

[techsamurai]

I prefer the 4800, will pay $300 more for it, but for $1000 more, the 3800 will win, use the money saved for the Dirac Live licences.

This is an interesting review of the 4800H vs the 3800H talking about the change in boards and adding discrete channel amplification (like my Marantz which is impressive).
The 4800H has AL32 processing and a Clock Jitter Reducer. It also offers Dynamic Discrete Surround Circuit which higher models also offer.

Denon AVR-X4800H Review (9.4 CH 8K AV Receiver)

Cheapest Places to Buy : *We are a reader-supported website. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Home Media Entertainment

h-m-entertainment.com

 

[enricoclaudio]

I personally own both, X4800H in my bedroom setup and X3800H in my living room setup. To my ears, they sound identical. Get the cheapest one and save the money for the Dirac license.

 

[EWL5]

This is an interesting review of the 4800H vs the 3800H talking about the change in boards and adding discrete channel amplification (like my Marantz which is impressive).
The 4800H has AL32 processing and a Clock Jitter Reducer. It also offers Dynamic Discrete Surround Circuit which higher models also offer.

Denon AVR-X4800H Review (9.4 CH 8K AV Receiver)

Cheapest Places to Buy : *We are a reader-supported website. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Home Media Entertainment

h-m-entertainment.com

Yes, points I would have clearly made known to you as a way of differentiating the "superior" product and upselling you to the 4800 (had I still been working for Magnolia HT).
You have to be well versed in HDAM, jitter reduction, etc. to be able to move product and extract nearly $1k more from the customer (at least in the States).

 

[techsamurai]

Yes, points I would have clearly made known to you as a way of differentiating the "superior" product and upselling you to the 4800 (had I still been working for Magnolia HT).
You have to be well versed in HDAM, jitter reduction, etc. to be able to move product and extract nearly $1k more from the customer (at least in the States).

Well, I'm getting the Denon today. I'm very excited and curious to see how Denon has progressed. I can't speak about the 3800h but if it matches the SR8002 in musicality, I'll be doing cartwheels.

 

[peng]

Well, I'm getting the Denon today. I'm very excited and curious to see how Denon has progressed. I can't speak about the 3800h but if it matches the SR8002 in musicality, I'll be doing cartwheels.

Just keep an open mind, try to forget all marketing info, play your favorite tracks and use direct mode first. And, keep your expectation low.

 

[SCG]

$1,399 X4800 arrived today

 

[jtatknox]

$1,399 X4800 arrived today

Got the same killer deal. This is my Dirac ART insurance policy against MiniDSP blowing it.

 

[teknoraver]

Hi people,

I have question about how amplifiers works.
It's said that the X4800H has a shared power source for all the output channels, but I found a teardown of the unit on a japanese website, and it translates to "The AVR-X4800H is the same independent amplifier board for each channel as the AVC-X6700H and AVC-X8500HA", picture below.

This is the teardown website:

【横浜店】DENON AVR-X4800H展示開始！旧機種と外観は同じ、中身は刷新。全面的な性能向上は「小さな上位アンプ」です。 – 株式会社アバック

横浜店　渡邉です。今回はDENONの新型アンプ「AVR-X4800H」をご紹介します。型番や外観からは前機種の改良機のように見えるのですが、内部構造は完全に別物です。

corp.avac.co.jp

If the power source is shared, what are the separate amplifier boards?

 

[jtatknox]

Not an expert, have only built a few old amps. I think it means that they share the same electrical power source which is generally of the topology: incoming power cord, fuse, huge transformer, rectifier, filter capacitors, DC power bus. This is the source of clean DC power. Each individual board is powered by that shared bus, but amplifies a separate audio channel. I believe that below is the power supply board for an A1H. The X4800H has filter caps that are 1/2 the capacitance.

 

[techsamurai]

Got mine, set it up - what is the best way to set it up for music?

I haven't run audyssey so everything is ootb pure direct and stereo.

There's a 2 channel playback setup section which is great. It has the option to set the fronts to small and large giving you the option to make them small for movies but large for music. I set my towers to Large for both..

For the Subwoofer, it's a bit confusing because there's a LFE + Main which has the following description:

The subwoofer outputs receive the LFE track, plus redirected bass, and a copy of the low frequency signals from all large speakers.

I understand the LFE and redirected bass (essentially frequencies under crossovers).

What does a copy of the low frequency signals from all large speakers mean? I set the crossover to 40hz, does that mean the fronts play frequencies to 40hz and the sub plays frequencies under 40hz? I guess that's the only explanation but it's a bit superfluous.

Also the crossovers drop by increments of 20hz which is not ideal for towers as 40 and 60 are a bit different speakers... I would have preferred 50hz.

 

[SCG]

It's said that the X4800H has a shared power source for all the output channels, but I found a teardown of the unit on a japanese website, and it translates to "The AVR-X4800H is the same independent amplifier board for each channel as the AVC-X6700H and AVC-X8500HA", picture below. If the power source is shared, what are the separate amplifier boards?

Not an expert, have only built a few old amps. I think it means that they share the same electrical power source which is generally of the topology: incoming power cord, fuse, huge transformer, rectifier, filter capacitors, DC power bus. This is the source of clean DC power. Each individual board is powered by that shared bus, but amplifies a separate audio channel.

That's correct and it's why when people test multi-channels amps the power is higher testing 2 channels vs 5 channels all-channels driven. Because although all channels might have separate power amps/board, they all share the same power supply (transformer, filter caps, etc). Of course some stereo amps run full dual everything (including dual PS) and you see this more in Class D amps where the overall PS is generally smaller.

Alcoholics tested the $7,000 class D Marantz amp and it had full power all-channels driven which might be useful for Dirac ART where all channels could be driven at the same time, between the main channels and the support channels.

 

[EWL5]

That's correct and it's why when people test multi-channels amps the power is higher testing 2 channels vs 5 channels all-channels driven. Because although all channels might have separate power amps/board, they all share the same power supply (transformer, filter caps, etc). Of course some stereo amps run full dual everything (including dual PS) and you see this more in Class D amps where the overall PS is generally smaller.

Alcoholics tested the $7,000 class D Marantz amp and it had full power all-channels driven which might be useful for Dirac ART where all channels could be driven at the same time, between the main channels and the support channels.

Audioholics?

 

[SCG]

For the Subwoofer, it's a bit confusing because there's a LFE + Main which has the following description:

I understand the LFE and redirected bass (essentially frequencies under crossovers).

What does a copy of the low frequency signals from all large speakers mean? I set the crossover to 40hz, does that mean the fronts play frequencies to 40hz and the sub plays frequencies under 40hz? I guess that's the only explanation but it's a bit superfluous.

Also the crossovers drop by increments of 20hz which is not ideal for towers as 40 and 60 are a bit different speakers... I would have preferred 50hz.

Yea it's kind of confusing, Denon lets the subs receive LFE info and lets you set crossovers for a small speakers to send to the subs (like normal LFE). LFE + Main does all that but also sends all the low frequencies that your larger speakers receive above their crossover point.

Meaning the sub gets LFE + low frequency from small speakers + the low frequency the main speakers receive and it's up to the sub to lowpass that signal. So sub gets normal bass + all full range (large) speakers' bass.

Try it, but it's almost always Not recommended, especially for stereo.

Yea Denon only allows 20hz increments on the amp for crossovers but I can't remember if the App gives more flexibility or not, as it's been over a year since i used it, and I haven't setup the X4800 yet.

 

[SCG]

Audioholics?

 

[jtatknox]

That's correct and it's why when people test multi-channels amps the power is higher testing 2 channels vs 5 channels all-channels driven. Because although all channels might have separate power amps/board, they all share the same power supply (transformer, filter caps, etc). Of course some stereo amps run full dual everything (including dual PS) and you see this more in Class D amps where the overall PS is generally smaller.

Alcoholics tested the $7,000 class D Marantz amp and it had full power all-channels driven which might be useful for Dirac ART where all channels could be driven at the same time, between the main channels and the support channels.

Also please correct me but I believe that the most taxing frequencies on the power supply come from the low end, so if you are running a steep crossover at 80 Hz the filter capacitance shared by all channels stretches a lot further than if you are running full-range towers with a wide open crossover or trying to run passive subs.

I speculate that with ART, which doesn't use traditional crossovers and might use more bass energy than a traditional crossover setup might have slightly different power requirements. Interested in being educated on this point, because if so it would argue for separate amps for the mains if you plan on very high volume listening. For reference, my Phase Linear 300 Series II amplifiers are stereo and share 20,000 µF vs 30,000 µF for the X4800H.

 

[SCG]

Yes low frequencies are more taxing on a PS in general so that why most of us crossover at 80hz to an active subwoofer with it's own dedicated power supply. So it's not just the caps that are taxed (or relieved from work) it's the entire power supply.

And it does appear that in general ART will use more amp power as each speaker in the system can be playing it's dedicated signal while also playing it's 'supporting signal' for other speakers and all those supporting signals are 150hz and below, down to the capability of the supporting speakers/subs F3 point (unless you raise it).

Also a speaker might not 'normally' have any dedicated signal (quite surround speaker scene) but with ART it could now be playing a support signal for one of the main speakers, again at 150hz and below. So if you're listening to movies at reference or near reference levels with ART this could increase the power requirements from all your amps.