Sound improvement from old Denon-3808 to new AVR?

[j_carrabar]

Would it make sense to upgrade my AV receiver from a Denon-3808 to something like a denon X3800, for watching films?

My current setup is as follows:
LG C2 tv
Q-acoustics 3010 5.1 speaker set with subwoofer
Denon AVR-3808

The denon receives sound from the TV through the optical cable and is set to dolby prologic II.
The tv handles the picture (tv box to hdmi on tv, playstation to hdmi on tv, neflix etc on apps on tv).

My room is L shaped and therefore a bit awkward. The lounge area is around 25m2/250sq feet.
I've set the Denon up as best i can manually in the cluncky denon menu sytem. So without the use of a microphone and only entering distances to speakers.

Reasons for upgrading:
I would upgrade if a would notice a substantial difference in sound when watching movies with a newer AV. I'm thinking this could be the case with the newer dolby format, and because the new AV could setup the speakers automatically using the microphone.

Secondary benefits are that i can stream music directly to a new AV and that i'd hopefully only have to deal with 1 remote (the TV remote), i really hate the denon remote. I wouldn't upgrade only for the latter 2 reasons though.

So the main question i have: is it reasonable to expect to a noticeable upgrade in sound if i spend up to about 1000 euros on a X3800 (or something similar).

 

[Golfx]

Aha the desire have new stuff is very powerful.

Regarding sound improvement well, hmmm, I have never been impressed with the fixed-placed Dolby Atmos from Apps delivering Netflix or Disney + versions.

Atmos from Blu Ray discs is an impressive improvement however.

The EQ from the 3800 would be an improvement but is it worth 1K that is up to you.

I would invest in an Apple TV 4K (gen2 or gen3) connected to either your current Denon or the new Denon.

 

[j_carrabar]

So you're saying Netflix through Apple TV is better quality that through the onboard LG TV app?
How would i connect the Apple TV to my current setup though?

If i connect it straight to the Denon then it can't pass 4k through to the TV so i expect TV quality to be worse.
But if i connect it straight to the TV then i'm still passing the sound through the optical cable to the AV.

 

[Golfx]

I am saying your sound will not really improve because of newer Dolby (&Atmos) streamed from Apps with either Denon.

You are correct your video pass through will not improve using the old Denon.

Because you have a 5.1 system there will be no “missing” sound you are not receiving currently.

I suggested the Apple TV because it has audio and video options and more frequent updates than the LG app. But the Apple TV would mainly be for the newer Denon.

 

[Chromatischism]

So the main question i have: is it reasonable to expect to a noticeable upgrade in sound if i spend up to about 1000 euros on a X3800 (or something similar).

I would say yes.

Not only will you unlock access to the current immersive audio formats (Dolby Atmos, DTS:X), you would gain Audyssey XT32. Both of which are a big boon if you take advantage of them.

But that is the key. You will need to upgrade to HDMI cabling and consider your speaker layout. You can always upmix from streaming apps if shows don't natively contain any top channel information but consider a Blu-ray player if you want to hear what the format can really offer.