Denon DRA-800H Review (Stereo Receiver)

[Blaireau]

The DRA is rated 100 W 8 ohm, 120 W 6 ohm but at higher THD. It is only 4 ohm compatible if you use the 4 ohm impedance setting. If you use that setting, the output will be limited, likely to well below 100 W. If you leave the setting at 8 ohm, it will likely give you the 140-150 w that you seem to be expecting, based on bench test results, but at that output level, it can't sustain for too long.

So, it is up to you to accept certain risk. If you don't listen loud, such as at 10 dB or more below reference level, you may be fine, just not something I can recommend. It is better to get a real 4 ohm rated power amp.

The truth is, I can't hear it too loud because my neighbor is an asshole. Volume scale vol.: 0-98 (dB.:-79 - +18).
So usually vol.40(-40dB).
Sometimes vol.50(-30dB)
Very rarely and for a short time vol.60(-20dB)
I once tried vol.80 (0dB) for a few seconds, it's very, very loud and it's not even full volume, so maybe I'll never listen to it at full volume. I don't know how many watts that was, or how many dB, but if the DRA800 can send 100W RMS to 4Ω JBL subwoofers with a 6Ω or 8Ω setting without a problem, I'll be happy. I think that's more than enough.

 

[peng]

The truth is, I can't hear it too loud because my neighbor is an asshole. Volume scale vol.: 0-98 (dB.:-79 - +18).
So usually vol.40(-40dB).
Sometimes vol.50(-30dB)
Very rarely and for a short time vol.60(-20dB)
I once tried vol.80 (0dB) for a few seconds, it's very, very loud and it's not even full volume, so maybe I'll never listen to it at full volume. I don't know how many watts that was, or how many dB, but if the DRA800 can send 100W RMS to 4Ω JBL subwoofers with a 6Ω or 8Ω setting without a problem, I'll be happy. I think that's more than enough.

Sounds good, you answered your own question. If you listen at -30 the DRA amp will do fine.

 

[Blaireau]

Sounds good, you answered your own question. If you listen at -30 the DRA amp will do fine.

I hope so. The X3500H is surprisingly loud even at -30 dB with the Indiana Line DJ 310 speakers. I will only listen to music on it, I just need to get a DRA800H for subwoofers at a good price. I hope the DRA has enough power.

 

[peng]

I hope so. The X3500H is surprisingly loud even at -30 dB with the Indiana Line DJ 310 speakers. I will only listen to music on it, I just need to get a DRA800H for subwoofers at a good price. I hope the DRA has enough power.

I thought you already have a DRA amp so want to put it to use. If you have to buy one, it does not make sense to me because there are much better values for an amp just for that JBL subwoofer. I remember the look of such an amp has to match your 3500, in that case that would be a good choice for you, but I have to wonder if you can just grab a more powerful amp so that you don't have to second guess, and hid it from sight. An amp such as the Crown XLS runs cool so you have lots of option to place it out of sight.

Again, volume -30 does not challenge any amps that can output 100 W into 8/4 ohms. It is when you occasionally crank it up, and during the music peaks, that will drive the amp pass its clipping point. Even then, there is no danger and it it becomes a concern, a $20 infinity usb fan will fix it.

 

[Blaireau]

I thought you already have a DRA amp so want to put it to use. If you have to buy one, it does not make sense to me because there are much better values for an amp just for that JBL subwoofer. I remember the look of such an amp has to match your 3500, in that case that would be a good choice for you, but I have to wonder if you can just grab a more powerful amp so that you don't have to second guess, and hid it from sight. An amp such as the Crown XLS runs cool so you have lots of option to place it out of sight.

Again, volume -30 does not challenge any amps that can output 100 W into 8/4 ohms. It is when you occasionally crank it up, and during the music peaks, that will drive the amp pass its clipping point. Even then, there is no danger and it it becomes a concern, a $20 infinity usb fan will fix it.

I could buy the Crown xls 1002 for 400-500€, which is stronger and cheaper than the DRA. DRA, on the other hand, is more beautiful, but weaker and more expensive. I don't know what to do.

 

[peng]

I could buy the Crown xls 1002 for 400-500€, which is stronger and cheaper than the DRA. DRA, on the other hand, is more beautiful, but weaker and more expensive. I don't know what to do.

How about a monoblock amp, if you only have 1 sub to power? Is it available in Europe? Its look may be more acceptable to you.

Model 2220

Mono? Mini? Micro? Magnificent? Whatever that M is, this is one UNREAL little single-channel amp. 200 Watts (conservatively!) into a 3-inch chassis with balanced input stage to offer Common Mode Rejection! MANUAL See Front Panel Huge See Rear Panel Huge

outlawaudio.com

or an used previous model M2200

 

[Blaireau]

How about a monoblock amp, if you only have 1 sub to power? Is it available in Europe? Its look may be more acceptable to you.

Model 2220

Mono? Mini? Micro? Magnificent? Whatever that M is, this is one UNREAL little single-channel amp. 200 Watts (conservatively!) into a 3-inch chassis with balanced input stage to offer Common Mode Rejection! MANUAL See Front Panel Huge See Rear Panel Huge

outlawaudio.com

or an used previous model M2200

200W 1 channel? There should be 2 of them, or split with a Y cable.

 

[peng]

200W 1 channel? There should be 2 of them, or split with a Y cable.

Yes, 300 W 4 ohms. Why do you need 2 of them if you only have 1 subwoofer, are you planning on getting a second one?

For one subwoofer only, from the 3500 subouts, you only need to use subwoofer 1 to drive the M2220, or use a Y if you want to use both (not really necessarily).

 

[Blaireau]

Yes, 300 W 4 ohms. Why do you need 2 of them if you only have 1 subwoofer, are you planning on getting a second one?

For one subwoofer only, from the 3500 subouts, you only need to use subwoofer 1 to drive the M2220, or use a Y if you want to use both (not really necessarily).

I have two subwoofers. I use the x3500h's 1-2 subwoofer outputs.

 

[peng]

I have two subwoofers. I use the x3500h's 1-2 subwoofer outputs.

Then get 2, or 1 Outlaw 5000.

 

[Blaireau]

Now I use it like this: On the x3500h, sub out +6dB, the homemade sub power amplifier goes at full volume, there is no volume control. If I'm not mistaken, the input sensitivity of the homemade amplifier is 650mV. If I'm not mistaken, the DRA has an input sensitivity of 200mV. I would like to achieve that the sub out signal level on the x3500h does not have to be set to +6dB, because with this setting I limit the maximum volume of the x3500h. So the more dB I increase the sub out signal level, the x3500h's maximum volume decreases. With the current settings, the maximum volume is -10dB. If I set the sub out signal level from +6dB to 0dB, the maximum volume increases to -4dB and so on. So if with the DRA I achieve that the sub output on the x3500h will be 0dB and the sub speakers will be as loud as with the current sub amplifier, then it will be perfect.

 

[peng]

Now I use it like this: On the x3500h, sub out +6dB, the homemade sub power amplifier goes at full volume, there is no volume control. If I'm not mistaken, the input sensitivity of the homemade amplifier is 650mV. If I'm not mistaken, the DRA has an input sensitivity of 200mV. I would like to achieve that the sub out signal level on the x3500h does not have to be set to +6dB, because with this setting I limit the maximum volume of the x3500h. So the more dB I increase the sub out signal level, the x3500h's maximum volume decreases. With the current settings, the maximum volume is -10dB. If I set the sub out signal level from +6dB to 0dB, the maximum volume increases to -4dB and so on. So if with the DRA I achieve that the sub output on the x3500h will be 0dB and the sub speakers will be as loud as with the current sub amplifier, then it will be perfect.

The DRA has volume control too, with no HTbypass provision. So you will end up having two volume controls to deal with, and you should do your calculations properly, in order to get good results.

Seems like you are set on using the DRA integrated amp that is not meant for such use. Not a good idea, but its your decision.

 

[Blaireau]

The DRA has volume control too, with no HTbypass provision. So you will end up having two volume controls to deal with, and you should do your calculations properly, in order to get good results.

Seems like you are set on using the DRA integrated amp that is not meant for such use. Not a good idea, but its your decision.

The 2 volume controls are not a problem, in fact, there are more options for setting the appropriate volume. Example: on the x3500h I set the sub output signal level to 0dB, and on the DRA I set the appropriate volume. If I'm not mistaken, the sensitivity of the input signal can also be controlled on the DRA, if necessary.

 

[peng]

The 2 volume controls are not a problem, in fact, there are more options for setting the appropriate volume. Example: on the x3500h I set the sub output signal level to 0dB, and on the DRA I set the appropriate volume. If I'm not mistaken, the sensitivity of the input signal can also be controlled on the DRA, if necessary.

I never said it was a problem. Just said what I said, that's all. You seem like you know what you are doing anyway so I wish you luck and move on..

 

[GiBo61]

The JBL Stage 1210 cost less than $60 each in US and a little bit more in other countries. The Denon DRA-800 costs about $600. It's much simpler and clean to invest that money to buy either one or two active subwoofer (like the 12" Klipsh Reference R-12SW).

 

[Blaireau]

The JBL Stage 1210 cost less than $60 each in US and a little bit more in other countries. The Denon DRA-800 costs about $600. It's much simpler and clean to invest that money to buy either one or two active subwoofer (like the 12" Klipsh Reference R-12SW).

Yes, this is very nice and good, the only problem is that my JBL Stage 1210 subwoofers are already ready. I made it, there's a lot of work involved and I think it's very well done and sounds nice.

 

[Blaireau]

Peng
Why do you think that with a 4Ω setting the output will be limited, likely to well below 100 W?

 

[peng]

Peng
Why do you think that with a 4Ω setting the output will be limited, likely to well below 100 W?
View attachment 263892

Because the typical schemes they use to limit the current into a 4 ohm would lower the rail voltage.

Setting the A/V Receiver Impedance Selector Switch

This article explores the purpose and function of the impedance switch found on some A/V receivers. Tradeoffs of following manufacturers recommended settings are also discussed. YouTube video inside.

www.audioholics.com

Below is link to a real world example, please pay attention to the Editorial note.

Marantz SR8015 11CH 8K DTS:X Pro AV Receiver Review

The Marantz SR8015 11.2CH Atmos/DTS:X Pro HDMI 2.1 AV receiver is built on a very solid platform with benchmark measured performance. Is this the best AVR for 2020? Read our review to find out.

www.audioholics.com

Editorial Note: Impedance Selector Switch - No matter how tempted you may be to do so, DO NOT change the default "8 ohm min" impedance setting of ANY AV receiver. All this does is starve your speakers of power, simply so Marantz could get 4-ohm certification (at a reduced power level) without making the receiver get too hot during their power tests. We have tested this 'feature' on virtually every receiver that offered it in the past and the results were always the same: the low impedance setting robs your speakers of power.

The latest Yamaha AVR appeared to have made some improvements, such that under two channel driven conditions, using the 4 ohm setting did not limit the output much, but under 4 channel driven condition it limit the output to about 1/3 of that if the 8 ohm setting is used!!

Yamaha RX-A6A 9.2CH 8K AV Receiver Bench Test Results!

We bench tested the Yamaha RX-A6A 9.2CH 8K 150watt/ch Atmos/DTS:X Receiver to gauge power output and uncover performance issues we discovered. We discuss the proper settings for best power delivery.

www.audioholics.com

So far the Low Z setting doesn’t look that bad….or does it?

​

Yamaha RX-A6A Power Test vs Low Z - 4CH, 8 ohms

The Low Z setting completely neutered the power with 4CH driven from 152 watts/ch to 54 watts/ch at 1% THD+N. With 7CH driven, in the Low Z setting, the power drops to a measly 24 watts/CH. Keep the switch on the default high setting!

By comparison, leaving the receiver in the high Z setting but turning Eco On didn’t drop the power much in this case since the Yamaha already power limits with 7 channels driven to about 50 watts/ch anyway.

Bottom line: Keep the impedance setting at the default "8 ohms min" regardless of speaker impedance and keep Eco to "OFF".

 

[Blaireau]

Because the typical schemes they use to limit the current into a 4 ohm would lower the rail voltage.

Setting the A/V Receiver Impedance Selector Switch

This article explores the purpose and function of the impedance switch found on some A/V receivers. Tradeoffs of following manufacturers recommended settings are also discussed. YouTube video inside.

www.audioholics.com

Below is link to a real world example, please pay attention to the Editorial note.

Marantz SR8015 11CH 8K DTS:X Pro AV Receiver Review

The Marantz SR8015 11.2CH Atmos/DTS:X Pro HDMI 2.1 AV receiver is built on a very solid platform with benchmark measured performance. Is this the best AVR for 2020? Read our review to find out.

www.audioholics.com

The latest Yamaha AVR appeared to have made some improvements, such that under two channel driven conditions, using the 4 ohm setting did not limit the output much, but under 4 channel driven condition it limit the output to about 1/3 of that if the 8 ohm setting is used!!

Yamaha RX-A6A 9.2CH 8K AV Receiver Bench Test Results!

We bench tested the Yamaha RX-A6A 9.2CH 8K 150watt/ch Atmos/DTS:X Receiver to gauge power output and uncover performance issues we discovered. We discuss the proper settings for best power delivery.

www.audioholics.com

So far the Low Z setting doesn’t look that bad….or does it?

​

Yamaha RX-A6A Power Test vs Low Z - 4CH, 8 ohms

The Low Z setting completely neutered the power with 4CH driven from 152 watts/ch to 54 watts/ch at 1% THD+N. With 7CH driven, in the Low Z setting, the power drops to a measly 24 watts/CH. Keep the switch on the default high setting!

By comparison, leaving the receiver in the high Z setting but turning Eco On didn’t drop the power much in this case since the Yamaha already power limits with 7 channels driven to about 50 watts/ch anyway.

Bottom line: Keep the impedance setting at the default "8 ohms min" regardless of speaker impedance and keep Eco to "OFF".

Thank you very much for the description, it helps me a lot.

 

[GiBo61]

The 4 Ω setting power limitation is also described in this test of the Denon DRA 800H:
"Denon promises 100 W at 8 Ω in the specification, and on the packaging there is information about 145 W - but without specifying the impedance. Maybe on 4 ohms?...
In fact, 8 Ω delivers as much as 162 W with one channel and 2 x 141 W with two. Great, but connecting 4 Ω, unfortunately, not only does not increase the power, but also leads to its significant decrease (provided that we select the appropriate operating mode in the so-called impedance selector according to the manufacturer's recommendations).
Then we will squeeze only 57 W (2 x 57 W) out of the DRA-800H, which is similar to the behavior of Denon multi-channel receivers, calibrated so that when connected to 4 Ω, the temperature limits are not exceeded, defined either by EU consumer safety standards or the specificity of the device itself. devices.
In many cases, however, we will connect 4-ohm speakers with the belief that they are 8-ohm (so many of them are presented by manufacturers). What will happen then? Usually nothing bad, just a little warmer..."