Yamaha launched two new AVRs recently – the RX500A and RX300A. They have a lot in common with each other – like Dolby Atmos support for one – but there are also some key differences to be aware of.

What exactly are those? And which is best for your needs? That's what we're here to find out.

We haven't tested either AV receiver yet, so this is based purely on specifications, as well as our expert knowledge.

Yamaha RX500A vs RX300A: price

The RX500A is the more premium offering of the two, with better specs, but at the moment, we don't know how much it will cost. Expect a price to arrive closer to its on-sale date of September.

We do have a price for the RX300A, which is set to retail for £349 (around $475 / AU$650). It launches in August.

** Winner: TBC **

Yamaha RX500A vs RX300A: design

Looks-wise, there's really not much to choose between these two. They're both discreet black boxes designed to fade into the scenery rather than take centre stage. Which is exactly how an AVR should be, in our opinion.

Their dimensions are even identical (157 x 434 x 319mm), although the RX500A is a little heavier, at 8kg to the RX300A's 7.6kg.

There are some slight differences around the back. The RX500A has two height speaker outputs to go with the two surround, two front and one centre, making a total of seven speaker ports to the RX300A's five. The RX500A also has an Ethernet port, which its sibling lacks.

But one design feature is common to both: Yamaha's Anti-Resonance Technology (A.R.T.) Wedge. This centre-mounted fifth foot works with the four outer feet to keep the unit stable and disperse vibrations. It's usually only found on Yamaha's high-end models, so it's a boon to see it on these more affordable AVRs.

** Winner: Draw **

Yamaha RX500A vs RX300A: features

In terms of features, both models have a lot in common. They both offer Dolby Atmos, although the RX500A's 7.2 channels should create a more engrossing sound than the RX300A's 5.2 channels.

They both have 70W of power too, and have the same range of sound modes for different situations or content (Music, Movie, Night etc). Room correction comes as standard, allowing both to optimise the sound depending on your room layout.

They both have four HDMI inputs – all of which support 4K/120Hz (and 8K/60Hz), VRR and ALLM – and support passthrough of Dolby Vision and HDR10+ signals.

HDMI eARC functionality brings audio and video from your TV to the receiver in one cable, and both AVRs support all four of the major HDR formats (Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG).

One of the biggest differences between them is that the RX500A has network capabilities. It plays nice with streaming services like Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect and Qobuz Connect, as well as AirPlay 2 and Google Cast wireless tech.

It can also wirelessly unlock digital music stored locally within your home. And it's compatible with the Audio Connect app, which the RX300A isn't.

** Winner: Yamaha RX500A **

Yamaha RX500A vs RX300A: sound

We haven't tested either of these AV receivers, so we can't comment on the sound at the moment. But while it doesn't currently feature in our list of best AV receivers, Yamaha does make some very good AVRs.

The RX-A6A picked up five stars thanks to its exhaustive features and expansive sound. It's a few years old now, but still a doozy, with a "clean, crisp and dynamic performance", we noted in our Yamaha RX-A6A review. Its presentation is spacious yet authoritative, with a keen sense of balance.

Costing in the region of £2000, the RX-A6A is much pricier than the RX300A, and likely the RX500A, so we're not really comparing like with like. But it shows what Yamaha can do in the AVR space. Consider our expectations raised.

** Winner: TBC **

Yamaha RX500A vs RX300A: early verdict

The Yamaha RX500A and RX300A look like very promising AV receivers. While they share a lot of features, the RX500A adds networking skills to the mix, which will give you more playback options.

As ever, the proof will be in the listening. We'll update this article once we've reviewed these AVRs to reach a definitive verdict.

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Read our review of the Denon AVC-X6700H

Also consider the Arcam AVR5

These are the best AV receivers you can buy

Can you believe it’s been four years since Denon released the hugely talented AVR-X2800H? That model stormed our test room to deliver a superb cinematic sound at a reasonable price, earning a rightful spot on our best AV receivers list and a What Hi-Fi? Award.

But 2022 was a long time ago, and things have certainly changed. The Product of the Year-winning Sony TA-AN1000 emerged to dethrone the AVR-X2800H, and we’ve been waiting for Denon to bite back against its Japanese AV opponent since.

Our patience has, as you can probably tell by the headline of this hands-on review, paid off. The AVR-X2900H is a direct sequel to the beloved X2800H, and Denon has made a handful of key upgrades to make it the Kryptonite to Sony’s Superman.

As this is a hands-on review based on a brief introduction to the new amplifier we had at Denon’s offices in Tokyo, we won’t be attaching a star rating yet – that’ll have to wait until we get the new amplifier into our dedicated home cinema testing facility. As for now, here are our initial impressions of the X2900H.

Price

Denon has officially revealed pricing for the AVR-X2900H, and it’s surprisingly pleasant news.

Despite significant global economic instability since 2022, the same £899 price tag applies here in the UK, meaning we’ve avoided a dreaded price hike. While that is good news indeed, there’s still the competition to be mindful of.

Crucially, Denon is positioning this as a direct rival to the TA-AN1000, so the price needs to remain competitive with that amplifier; which in itself may be a big ask as the TA-AN1000 has been on the market for a few year and, as such, is now subject to nearly constant price decreases.

While Sony launched that AV amplifier at a higher £999 price, we’ve seen it widely available for £899, and it can drop to as low as £699 during major sales events.

Build

Consistency is key with Denon’s AVR range, and truth be told, the X2900H looks like it’s long lineage of predecessors.

The genes run strong with the X2900H; this is another angular black box with a brushed metal finish and a rectangular display placed atop a tidy line of on-device buttons.

Denon has made a couple of changes, though. These buttons are now angled slightly upwards, making them easier to press if you have this AVR placed at shin-height in a media unit, and the volume and source select knobs look slightly different.

Subtle upgrades aside, this AVR remains functional-looking rather than particularly eye-catching. Denon’s sister company, Marantz, wins the AVR beauty contest – just look at the Cinema 30 and tell us you disagree…

Features

But beauty is merely skin deep; it’s what the Denon offers in terms of features and sound that is more compelling to us.

Much like its predecessor, the AVR-X2900H offers seven channels of amplification, supporting up to a 5.1.2 or 7.1 surround sound system. Denon claims that this amp can output 95W per channel, though that’s with only two of the seven available channels driven.

The mention of 5.1.2 support might give away that this AVR supports Dolby Atmos, and DTS:X is also supported. Audyssey MultEQ XT also makes a return for straightforward room correction, including automated speaker level and distance settings.

On the subject of calibration, Denon has added the basic version of Dirac Live Room Correction this year, although it’s an optional extra that requires additional equipment to set up.

In terms of connectivity, the AVR-X2900H sports six HDMI inputs, three of which support signals up to 8K resolution, and Denon has added 1440p video pass-through and AMD FreeSync this year for better PC gaming support. There are also dual HDMI outputs, one of which is HDMI eARC, while the other supports Zone 2 functionality.

Denon has made direct reference to this AVR supporting HDR10+, but Dolby Vision hasn’t been mentioned yet. Considering the AVR-X2800H supported the dynamic HDR format, we’d be very surprised to see this missing in the new model.

Wireless connectivity is also solid, with streaming supported over wi-fi, AirPlay 2, Bluetooth and Denon’s HEOs application, which also provides access to countless music streaming apps, including Tidal, Qobuz and more.

Internally, Denon says it’s made a few changes in pursuit of improved sound performance, too. It says that it’s implemented an upgraded 32-bit multi-channel DAC architecture for “improved imaging, clearer high-frequency detail and more confident low-frequency energy across every channel”.

Sound

So, have these improvements made a noticeable change to how this amplifier sounds? It’s far too early to say, but we did get a chance to listen to a very familiar test scene from Dune: Part One on both the existing AVR-2800H and new AVR-X2900H, to get a flavour of what the new model is capable of.

The AVR-X2900H was hooked up to a totally overkill speaker package comprising Bowers & Wilkins 801 Diamond speakers; far too high-end to match a mid-range AVR such as this, but fun to listen to nonetheless.

The scene in which the Atreides clan boards an Ornithopter to see the spice fields of Arrakis sounded noticeably richer and larger in scale on the new model, while also remaining agile and exciting in an impressive display of cinematic balance.

Everything felt more layered and detailed, with voices in particular carrying more character and tonality. This helped to convey more natural and emotive dialogue, aiding immersion and allowing us to get sucked into the tense conversation had within the cockpit of the Ornithopter.

Bass and dynamics, two areas that we appreciated on the Sony competitor, also appear to have improved on the X2900H. Bass goes deeper when the tribal drums of Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack burst into life, and it’s a snappier and punchier affair too.

It remains controlled, but it felt like the low end had more attack, resulting in a more engaging and exciting experience.

Early verdict

It’s taken a while, but our early impressions of the Denon AVR-X2900H lead us to believe that our patience has paid off.

After having its confidence knocked by Sony, we’d like to say that Denon is back with a vengeance, but in reality, it seems like the changes made here are both subtle and considered.

That seems like the right move to us, as the AVR-X2900H has made a strong first impression; now all it has to do is live up to expectations in our AV testing room…

MORE:

Read our full Denon AVR-X2800H review

As well as our Denon AVC-X3800H review

And check out our picks for the best AV receivers

It has been only a month since Denon announced the arrival of its new AVR-S980H AV receiver, but the Japanese audio giant has clearly earmarked 2026 as a big year for home cinema. It has just taken the wraps off a further two new models!

Designed and tuned at Denon’s Shirakawa Audio Works in Japan, the new AVRs seem to have sound quality high on the agenda, promising as they do “improved imaging, clearer high‑frequency detail and more confident low‑frequency energy across every channel”.

Key to the audio improvements are the inclusion of a new 32-bit, eight-channel DAC, plus upgraded components and mechanical improvements across both models, many of which are designed to reduce the effects of noise and vibrations.

The Denon AVR-X2900H (£899/€1000/$1349) is a 7.2-channel AVR with 95W per channel, while the step-up AVC-X3900H (£1299/€1499/$1849) is a 9.4-channel AVR with 11.4 channels of processing and 105W per channel.

Both AV receivers feature a refreshed front-panel design and include Denon HEOS multiroom audio and support for Bluetooth (including LE Audio), Apple AirPlay 2 and online streaming services including TuneIn Internet Radio, Spotify and Qobuz.

Movie fans can take advantage of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks through both amps, with the AVC-X3900H adding IMAX Enhanced, Auro 3D, and 360 Reality Audio to its specification sheet.

• Hands on: Denon AVR-X2900H review

HDMI connectivity is, as you would expect, high on the agenda. The AVR-X2900H features six inputs and two outputs, while its pricier sibling gets an extra output. Both amps offer 1440p passthrough and AMD FreeSync.

They will also be compatible with Denon’s Home 200, 400 and 600 wireless speakers via a future firmware update, should you want to use those models as surrounds in a speaker package.

Another promised future update will allow the amps to support Dolby Atmos music via AirPlay 2.

To help get the AVRs set up for your room layout, they each support Audyssey (you get a calibration mic in the box). Should you want to delve deeper into their settings, there is also optional Dirac Live Room Correction support, plus Bass Control and Active Room Treatment (ART) if you opt for the more premium model.

With Denon, Arcam and Yamaha all announcing new AVRs in recent months, 2026 looks set to be a strong year for home cinema enthusiasts. We can’t wait to get all of these new offerings into our test rooms for review.

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Yamaha’s two new Dolby Atmos AV receivers borrow one feature from their high-end siblings

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Yamaha has announced two affordable new AV receivers, both featuring Dolby Atmos and an anti-resonance feature from the brand's high-end models.

The 7.2-channel RX500A and 5.2-channel RX300A should please gamers – while each model has just four HDMI inputs (a relatively small number by AVR standards), they all support 4K/120Hz (and 8K/60Hz), VRR and ALLM.

Passthrough of Dolby Vision and HDR10+ signals is also supported.

We're promised "exceptionally stable and reliable high-quality playback", garnered from Yamaha's years in AV receiver development.

You also get Yamaha's Anti-Resonance Technology (A.R.T.) Wedge, which is usually only found on Yamaha's high-end models.

This centre-mounted fifth foot works with the four outer feet to disperse vibrations – Yamaha says this creates "exceptional stability, with focused, accurate sound."

Room correction comes as standard, so you can get decent sound no matter how oddly shaped your room is. There are also buttons for Quick Guide (which walks you through setup) and Scene (i.e. custom presets).

The RX500A is network compatible, giving you access to all the big streaming services – Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect and Qobuz Connect – as well as AirPlay 2 and Google Cast wireless tech. It can also unlock digital music stored locally within your home.

The Atmos delivery will be interesting to test, particularly in the case of the 5.2-channel RX300A, which can be switched to a 3.1.2-channel configuration to deliver the 3D audio format. In other words, the surround channels are sacrificed in the name of height channels.

The RX500A can be configured in a 5.1.2-channel arrangement, which is much more common for entry-level Atmos setups.

A heatsink above the HDMI circuitry keeps the heat under control, and HDMI eARC functionality brings audio and video from your TV to the receiver in one cable.

There are Sound Modes to tailor the sound to what you're listening to. Musical purist? You'll want Pure Direct and Stereo modes. Cinephile? Movie mode is for you, as it gives you "maximum cinematic impact". Watching at night? Night mode reduces volume while maintaining the balance, so it won't wake the kids or ruin your enjoyment.

The Yamaha RX300A is out in August for £349 (around $475 / AU$650), and the RX500A is out in September, price TBC.

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There’s a new AV receiver on the block: meet the Denon AVR-S980H, which is set to go toe-to-toe with one of our current Award-winners.

The new unit is being pitched as a scalable option that can run everything from basic stereo setups, all the way up to a 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos or 7.2-channel system with 90 watts of muscle per channel.

Lyle Smith, president of Sound United at Harman, added: “With the AVR-S980H, we’re giving families an easy way to make every day experiences feel more engaging and far more enjoyable.”

Audyssey room calibration is onboard, adding to its "no hassle" setup and usage chops.

For people looking to cut the cord, the receiver supports Denon's Home speakers as rears, namely the new 200, 400 and 600 models.

The company says this is ideal for those wanting to create a “fuller home theatre experience in spaces where running wires isn’t practical.”

For music fans, the system supports Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and HEOS (Denon’s multi-room music streaming technology).

In terms of gaming, Denon has included support for 1440p pass-through and AMD FreeSync, which it says delivers “smoother visuals and more responsive gameplay.”

To tinker with the settings of the AVR, you can use the TV’s on-screen menu, the remote app, or a web-based interface from your smartphone or PC.

It's available now on Amazon for £799, although the retailer states it will ship "within three to seven months".

At that price, it has tough competition against our current best overall AVR – the Sony TA-AN1000. Although the Sony model launched at a higher price, it is now regularly available for around £699.

In our review, we praised the TA-AN1000 for its precise sound and impressive dynamics, ultimately earning it a What Hi-Fi? Award.

We will have to wait until we get the Denon model into our test room to deliver a verdict, but its impressive specifications have caught our eye. Hopefully, we'll get one in for review soon.

MORE:

Here is our review of the Sony TA-AN1000

These are the best AVRs we have tested

Check out the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Swiss hi-fi manufacturer Goldmund has revealed its latest high-end home cinema processor, and it has its sights set on powering "the world’s most ambitious private cinemas and reference listening rooms".

The Ouranos Excellence is, on paper, as prestigious as its name suggests. It's being billed as a "no-compromise" 16-channel acoustic processor featuring Goldmund's next-generation DSP architecture, proprietary room-optimisation technology, and a fully redesigned user interface.

Goldmund aims to set "a new benchmark in high-performance immersive audio and seamless configurability for both integrators and end users" with these features, and it's not stopping there.

The Swiss audio company has affirmed that this isn't merely a spec bump over the existing Ouranos Signature, as it has outfitted the Excellence with a completely new electronic system built from the ground up.

This integrates Goldmund's Proteus HT multichannel algorithm, which allows for advanced room correction through the processor by generating optimal sound configurations and uploading them directly to the processor's DSP.

Furthermore, the Ouranos Excellence is compatible with Goldmund's range of active speakers, which features the brand's Leonardo time-correction technology built into each speaker unit.

If you plan on using this pricey processor with a passive speaker package, perhaps the Rhea Passive or Thea Passive speakers, for example, then you'll be pleased to hear that it also has this timing feature built in for optimal performance regardless of your preferred pairing.

Remember that this is a home cinema audio processor that only houses the brains of your home cinema setup, and you'll need to provide your own amplification to power said speakers.

As referenced by the fact that this is destined for the most exclusive private cinemas in the world, the Ouranos Excellence carries quite the price tag. It's launching at 60,000 CHF, which is around £58,000/$78,000.

While we're yet to try Goldmund's high-end AV range, we were very impressed by its latest hi-fi entry to grace our listening rooms; that being the five-star Telos 690.

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best AV receivers

As well as our full Marantz Cinema 30 review

And the best surround sound speaker systems

Home cinema amplifiers are a personal favourite category of mine. Despite being one of the most awkward products to set up and test in our home cinema room, the cinematic sound payoff is, more often than not, a total joy to experience.

It's been far too long since we've had an AVR to test in our home cinema room, which is a shame considering we've had a handful of impressive surround sound speaker packages from the likes of KEF and Fyne Audio.

In fact, 2025 was a pretty disappointing year for new AVRs, as new reveals were slim to none. Sony, Denon, JBL, Arcam and Yamaha were all suspiciously quiet, whereas Marantz did show off a high-end pre-amp and power amp duo, but that's about it.

Thankfully, 2026 immediately seems to be off to a better start, and we have an inkling that it could be the start of a much bigger year for the product category.

This confidence has been inspired by the announcement of Arcam's absolutely stunning-looking Radia AV range, which includes no less than three new AVRs and a processor/power amp combo. If these AVRs sound as good as they look, we're in for a total treat.

Arcam seems to be targeting the upper-mid-range AVR market with its new AVA15 (£2599 / €2999 / $3000), whereas its two more premium models – the AVA25 (£4499 / €4999 / $5000) and AVA35 (£5999 / €6999 / $7000) – look to covering the upper price range and, most importantly, challenge the Award-winning Marantz Cinema 30.

With a plethora of HDMI 2.1 sockets, a 6.5-inch glass-bonded full colour display, and between 12 and 16 channels of amplification depending on the model you choose, this new AVR range already has me on the edge of my seat.

While it's great to see Arcam take the first step in launching new AVRs in 2026, what I'm really hoping for is that this new range of AVRs will be a sign of things to come from other manufacturers for later this year.

I've already mentioned that many AV amplifier brands have been suspiciously quiet for over a year. Denon unveiled its last AVR, the exceptional AVC-X6800H, back in 2023, whereas Yamaha has remained tight-lipped regarding new AVRs since its last launch in 2021.

The less said about Sony, the better; I'm still waiting for another model to accompany the repeat Award-winning TA-AN1000 after it hit the market back in 2023.

While I won't get my hopes up for Sony currently, as it has bigger fish to fry with its new home entertainment partner, TCL, I do hope that Denon, Yamaha and JBL are priming new models as we speak.

We're overdue for new ranges from all of those mentioned above, and I think that my patience will be rewarded later this year. An AVR renaissance is on the cards for 2026; I just hope that it comes to fruition.

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Read our full Marantz Cinema 30 review

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We have seen (and heard) plenty from Arcam’s Radia range of two-channel hi-fi electronics in recent months. At the same time, we have been patiently waiting for any morsel of news about a new home cinema amplifier.

That time has finally arrived. Arcam has just unveiled a trio of new AVRs and a processor/power amp pairing that, on paper at least, look the business.

The Radia AV range kicks off with the Arcam AVA15 (£2599 / € 2999 / $3000 / AU$6,995), which is being billed as a successor to the old AVR11, and is the most affordable option in Arcam’s new line-up.

The step-up AVA25 (£4499 / € 4999 / $5000 / AU$9,995) comes next, and the receiver range tops out with the AVA35 (£5999 / € 6999 / $7000 / AU$13,995). As you should expect, moving up the price points adds more to the mix in terms of features and performance.

All three AVRs boast the trademark design cues of Radia, so expect a deep black finish with yellow highlights, including a backlit halo around the volume dial.

Each model has a 6.5in glass-bonded full colour display, multiple HDMI 2.1a, (and 8K compatible) HDMI inputs and at least two HDMI outputs, one of which supports eARC.

You also get several analogue and digital inputs, streaming support for Spotify, hi-res for Tidal, Amazon, Qobuz, plus UPnP, digitally controlled analogue volume controls, and internal wi-fi and Bluetooth antennas.

There’s two-way Bluetooth, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support and Dirac Live Bass Control and Active Room Treatment (ART)

Stepping up from the AVA15 to the AVA25 adds a third HDMI output (including Zone 2 functionality), Auro-3D support and more channels of processing power (up from 12-ch to 16-ch).

Processing in the AVA15 and AVA25 is handled by an ESS Hyperstream IV DAC chipset.

Power switches from 9x100W of Class D amplification on the entry-level model to 9x100W of Class A amplification on the AVA25.

The AVA25 is deeper and heavier than the AVA15, and Arcam claims its sound quality isn’t a million miles away from the performance you get from its Award-winning A15+ stereo amplifier.

The jump up to AVA35 introduces the more advanced ESS Hyperstream IV DAC Pro, which the company already uses in its five-star SA45 streaming system. Power is once again rated at 9x100W, but this time it’s Class G amplification – this is the first time Arcam has used Class G for nine channels in one box.

You also get what Arcam calls ‘matrix channel assignment’. This new feature allows you to use any of the amplified channels for any channel you like. So, you could go into the menus and swap all the channels for use as height and rear channels if you wanted, so you could run another amplifier for the main channels.

Want a serious two-box home cinema solution? Arcam also has an option for you in the shape of the Radia AVP45 processor (£5299 / €5999 / $6000 / AU$11,995) and a matching Radia PA9 power amp (£3499 / €3999 / $5000).

The AVP45 boasts all the processing power and features of the AVA35 in a slightly shorter box, while the matching Radia PA9 power amplifier features the same Class G amplification as AVA35.

Last but by no means least, Arcam has even introduced a smaller, wall-mountable four-channel power amp called Radia PA4 (£899 / €999 / $1499). This could come in handy if you want to drive more than 9 channels and it boasts 4x50W of Class D amplification.

Arcam is also promising big improvements where the software is concerned, including its Radia app, with changes designed to make the amplifiers more intuitive for users and easier to install.

A new AVR range from Arcam is just what we’ve been waiting for, especially since it has produced some of the most musical AVRs we have tested over the years – even if they perhaps weren’t the most advanced in terms of features.

We are extremely excited to see how these new models perform in our test rooms when they go on sale in Q3 later this year.

MORE:

Arcam's new Radia loudspeaker range could be the perfect match for its Award-winning electronics

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Marantz has announced the newest additions to its home cinema range: the AV 30 Preamplifier and AMP 30 Power Amplifier.

They are taking a page from the Award-winning Marantz Cinema 30's design, featuring an "iconic porthole" screen and stylish illumination on the side. The remote controls for each model also feature backlighting to “ensure an effortless user experience in darkened rooms".

Taking a closer look at the AV 30, the 11.4-channel preamplifier is deploying “state-of-the-art processing” and “comprehensive features”, according to the brand.

The AV processor comes with the "latest and most powerful" Analogue Devices SHARC dual-core DSP chipset, which is paired with 32-bit two-channel DACs.

Marantz claims the AV 30 will be able to decode and process "all forms of incoming audio", including Dolby Atmos, IMAX Enhanced, DTS:X and AURO-3D.

And, with 11.4 channels supported by the discrete HDAM SA-2 preamplifier stage (via either RCA or XLR), it seems promising that the AV 30 will be able to deliver an immersive audio experience.

The brand is offering an impressive seven HDMI 2.1 inputs, which can support up to 8K/60Hz or 4K/120Hz video.

On top of that, the AV 30 is powered by the HEOS platform to give you access to a range of music streaming services. That includes Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Qobuz Connect for hi-res tunes, as well as AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth.

You can fine-tune the product to your space with the help of Audyssey MultEQ XT32 advanced room optimisation, which automatically calibrates based on speaker size and distance via the included microphone.

Moving onto the AMP 30, Marantz has dubbed the entry “powerful and versatile”.

It delivers six channels of amplification, rated at 200W per channel, which Marantz claims is ideal for "multiple different system configurations".

It also provides the option of reconfiguring pairs of 200W amp channels into bridged-tied-load (BTL) outputs, with up to a maximum of three channels of 400W available if the chosen speaker system requires it. You can also choose to bi-amp up to three speakers.

Having 'just' six channels of amplification means that a single AMP 30 can't take full advantage of the AV 30's 14 channels of processing, but buyers can, of course, partner the AV 30 with the 12-channel AMP 20 or 16-channel AMP 10 if they prefer.

The AV 30 and AMP 30 will be available this month from select retailers, with each priced at £3500 / $4000 (around AU$7105).

MORE:

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To celebrate its grand 80th anniversary, Onkyo has already announced a whole range of new hi-fi products, including the Muse Y-40 and Y-50 streaming stereo amplifiers.

But there's home cinema news, too: the Japan-based brand has also teased a new generation of TX and RZ Series AV receivers at CES 2026, which it claims combine "cinematic immersion, musical fidelity, and seamless connectivity".

Onkyo are keeping fairly schtum on what we can expect from these new models, but it says they are "engineered for monstrous multi-channel and multi-room performance". They can also support up to 15-channel processing and have up to 11 channels of power.

The new AVRs include a thorough set-up procedure, courtesy of Dirac Live, which optimises the sound to suit your particular room layout and listening conditions. Also available is Dirac's Active Room Treatment, which uses multi-speaker processing to reduce room reflections in your listening space.

We don't know how much the new AVRs will set you back, and there's no word on the rest of the specifications, but it's great to see one of the sector's historically big players looking to make a return and challenge the dominance of Denon and Marantz in our best AV receiver guide.

There’s a bit of a catch, though – we won’t see the new models hit the market until 2027. Stay tuned for more news as we get it.

MORE:

Here are the best AV receivers

Onkyo celebrates its 80th anniversary with all-new Muse streaming amplifiers

Check out our review of the Denon AVC-X6800H

Christmas has come (slightly) early for home cinema fans, as one of the best AV receivers that we've tested is currently subjected to a deal that knocks thousands from the price tag.

The JBL Synthesis SDR-38 is an enthusiast option for dedicated cinephiles with deep pockets, and we awarded it five stars at its launch price of £7300.

That is an unquestionably steep asking price, and we highlighted that in our full review of this amplifier. Thankfully, Richer Sounds has come to the rescue, as a deal has surfaced that makes this AVR a must-buy for anyone looking to get serious about home cinema sound.

It's being offered for just £3999 at Richer Sounds currently; that's still a fair chunk of change; however, it's a meaty £3301 discount nonetheless.

The JBL Synthesis SDR-38 won't appeal to the masses thanks to its high price tag and enthusiast-leaning setup and operation, but the sound it provides is guaranteed to win over even the pickiest of audiophiles.

Beneath its stylish and premium chassis, the SDR-38 features 180W of Class G amplification with all seven channels driven, and seven HDMI 2.1 sockets which feature the full 48Gbps bandwidth. It also supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X for immersive home cinema sound.

Furthermore, it supports a plethora of wireless connectivity options, including Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Google Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth with the aptX HD codec.

Onto that all-important sound performance, and the Synthesis SDR-38 is an absolute dream thanks to its "excellent detail and clarity", alongside its impressive handling of big dynamic shifts. It delivers a sound with oodles of warmth and richness, and music is also handled with "rhythmic precision and a rich vocal presentation".

Despite it being nearly identical to the SDR-35 it replaced, we found that JBL improved the bass response on this upgraded model, meaning low-end effects are handled with extra low-end oomph and sensational control.

It's seriously difficult to pick holes in the SDR-38's sound performance, hence why we were so complimentary towards it in our full five-star review. It excels at everything from large dynamic shifts (such as explosions or soundtrack crescendos) to hushed conversations, making it a top-notch choice for home cinema aficionados.

It's undoubtedly still a pricey option, but at a £3301 discount at Richer Sounds, it becomes an even more enticing AVR. Be sure to sign up for Richer Sounds' VIP Membership to access the full savings; it's a free and easy process that's well worth doing to score this huge saving.

MORE:

Read our full JBL Synthesis SDR-38 review

As well as our Denon AVC-X6800H review

And check out our picks for the best AV receivers

Choosing the right AV receiver for your home cinema set-up can be a difficult choice, especially when looking at the premium end of the market. As the price tag increases, it becomes all the more essential to make the best decision for you.

But, luckily, we have spotted a great discount on Marantz's Award-winning Cinema 30 that could well be the ideal addition to your system. It's still very much at the pricey end of the market, but this Black Friday deal has seen its price drop by just over £800.

You can grab the Marantz Cinema 30 for £3199 at Peter Tyson. To get this impressive saving, you will need to apply the code TRADEIN300 at the checkout. Offering excellent audio and oodles of connectivity options, this AVR is simply the best choice for those who can afford it.

So what makes this model so special? Well, in our review, we called the Marantz Cinema 30 an AVR of "rare ability" because of its sensational sound performance.

We continue: "It has the promised richness, smoothness and control, but it also delivers all of the scale and punch that one could hope for – and it’s talented with music, too."

As you expect for an AVR at this price point, there are plenty of connectivity options to choose from. That includes seven HDMI 2.1 inputs, all of which support up to 4K/120Hz or 8K/60Hz with VRR, ALLM and QMS. HDR is also supported in all of the major formats, including Dolby Vision and HDR10+.

There are lots of choices when it comes to wireless connections as well. With support for Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Apple AirPlay 2, Amazon Music HD and HEOS, you can beam music directly to the amplifier from a smartphone or tablet.

Its design will be a draw for many, too. Featuring subtle golden highlights, textured metal accents, and tasteful side lighting, it's hard to deny that this AVR receiver looks sleek and stunning.

All of that good stuff means that it has earned a What Hi-Fi? Award not once but twice in a row, and is the current reigning champ in the 'best home cinema amplifier over £1500' category.

It's also sitting pretty in our guide to the best AV receivers as the best high-end model.

With all of this in mind, this £800 saving at Peter Tyson is a great find this Black Friday for those with the cash to splash. Just don't forget that discount code at checkout!

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
• LG C5 55-inch: lowest-ever price at Richer Sounds
• JBL soundbar: now better than half price
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• Sony headphones: now just £29
• Stereo amplifier: Cambridge Audio now £299
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals
• Vinyl: 3 for £66 at Amazon
• Wireless earbuds: Award winners now £75

It's been an unfortunately quiet year for home cinema amplifiers. The key players in the market, namely Denon, Marantz, Sony, Yamaha, JBL and Arcam, have all been suspiciously quiet, leaving us to choose from an existing cohort of five-star AVRs when it comes to appointing this year's Award-winners.

It should, therefore, come as no surprise that we settled on the exact same winners as last year, and for good reason, too.

Kicking off with the previous Product of the Year-winner, the Sony TA-AN1000. This (frustratingly) remains the only home cinema amplifier in Sony's lineup here in the UK, so we're thankful that it performs exceptionally when it comes to delivering cinematic audio.

We first reviewed the TA-AN1000 back in 2022, when it dethroned the Denon AVR-X2800H as our pick for the best-value AVR, though both now live harmoniously on our best AV receivers list.

The Sony made an incredibly strong first impression with its sleek design and easy set-up, and it happened to sound exceptional too. We complimented its punchy, agile sound that was bursting with life and detail, and it happened to be an absolute champion when it came to dynamics, too.

While a couple more HDMI 2.1 sockets wouldn't have gone amiss, the Sony TA-AN1000 is a practically flawless home cinema amplifier, and that's why we continue to use it in our reference home cinema set-up to this very day.

However, we think it's always best to have two AVRs on hand, and that's where the Award-winning Marantz Cinema 30 comes in...

The Marantz Cinema 30 looks as good as it sounds

The devilishly handsome Marantz Cinema 30 defends its title for another year, making it the "Best home cinema amplifier over £1500". This suave AVR serves up a rich, powerful and engaging surround sound experience, all in a price that undercuts its more expensive peers, such as the Arcam AVR31 and JBL Synthesis SDR-38.

It also happens to support more amplification channels than its rivals, with 11 channels supporting up to a 7.4.4 system, thanks to its four subwoofer outputs. There are seven HDMI 2.1 inputs, all of which support up to 4K/120Hz or 8K/60Hz signals with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ included. Add to all that the Audyssey set-up system, which calibrates this AVR with minimal effort required, and it's hard to argue that this AVR is anything but feature-packed.

It’s all wrapped up in a stunningly designed chassis, embellished with a textured metal faceplate, an adorable port-hole display, and a touch of tasteful ambient lighting that allows the AVR to shine in dark home cinema rooms.

And it impresses where sound is concerned, too. Punchy, powerful and dynamic, yet totally controlled and capable of digging up subtle detail, the Marantz Cinema 30 will appease even the pickiest audiophiles when it comes to delivering cinematic audio.

It's no wonder that we continue to use it in our reference set-up as our go-to AVR for testing home cinema speaker packages, and it happens to match the Award-winning KEF Q Concerto Meta 5.1 system rather nicely.

It's a two-horse race here, but you'll have to wait until the 14th of November to find out which AVR takes home the coveted Product of the Year title.

MORE:

Find all of the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025 winners here

Check out our picks for the best AV receivers

How to set up your AV receiver and get the best sound

• We rank the best home cinema amplifiers

Marantz struck gold when it launched the Cinema 30, a premium Dolby Atmos-touting AVR that looks as good as it sounds.

While we acknowledged in our full review that it is a pricey piece of home cinema equipment, we couldn't resist its smooth, rich, and powerful cinematic sound, which is why it found its way onto our best AV receivers list and earned a coveted What Hi-Fi? Award.

Thankfully, our sticking point regarding the price of this home cinema amp has been addressed, as it's just seen a major discount at Peter Tyson, which drops the price from £3999 to £3499.

We deemed the Cinema 30 to be an AVR of "rare ability", due to its sensational cinematic sound. Rich, punchy, dynamic, detailed; this AVR has it all, and it's the perfect amplifier to take your home cinema to the next level if you've been thinking of upgrading.

With 11 channels of amplification and a claimed 140W of power when two channels are driven, the Cinema 30 can easily drive a 7.2.2 channel Dolby Atmos system. DTS:X and Auro-3D are also on board, and you can easily configure and calibrate your system with the included Audyssey microphone.

And it's the perfect hub for all of your connected devices, thanks to its seven HDMI 2.1 inputs, all of which support up to 4K/120Hz or 8K/60Hz with VRR, ALLM and QMS. HDR is also supported in all of the major formats, including Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG.

Wireless streaming is also a key component of this AVR, with a wide range of services supported. Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Apple AirPlay 2, Amazon Music HD, and HEOS are all available, allowing you to beam music directly to the amplifier from a smartphone or tablet.

We also have to give Marantz credit for how this AVR looks. Available in two finishes – Black and Silver Gold – the Cinema 30 is a handsome piece of home cinema kit, with Marantz's iconic circular display up front and sleek accent lighting which accentuates the textured metal finish; this AVR is easily the best-looking home cinema amplifier that we've tested.

Having all of these features and good looks to match is all well and good, but sound performance is paramount. Thankfully, the Cinema 30 delivers a smooth and refined sound that can balance huge scale and control without breaking a sweat.

This AVR has earned its spot as our reference amplifier in our AV testing room, which should serve as a testament to its performance. I've been using it to test the capabilities of the latest speaker packages from Fyne and KEF, so keep your eyes peeled for reviews of those 5.1 speaker systems coming soon.

The on-screen setup menus and easy calibration have made this process refreshingly simple, and its reference-worthy sound has ensured that these speakers are performing at their very best.

If you've been considering an AVR upgrade for your home cinema setup, the Marantz Cinema 30 is simply the best around. While it costs quite a lot more than our current pick for the best AV receiver – that being the Sony TA-AN1000 – its stellar sound (and looks) make it a worthy consideration if you have extra cash to spend.

This deal at Peter Tyson will, of course, soften the blow to your wallet, and we assure you that you won't regret the purchase once you hear it in action.

MORE:

Read our full Maratnz Cinema 30 review

Here are the reference home cinema products we use every single day

How to set up your AV receiver and get the best sound

The perennial AVR or separates question has always had AV enthusiasts scratching their heads.

The same conundrum faces hi-fi aficionados in the two-channel world. But for the purposes of this article, we will focus on home cinema and multi-channel audio devices.

So, is it enough to install an AV receiver in your home cinema? Or should you plump for separates, namely an AV processor (AVP) plus power amplifier(s)?

Your final decision will likely come down to budget and other practicalities. But there are clear advantages and disadvantages to each solution.

First, let’s look at what AVRs, AVPs and power amplifiers do. Then we’ll examine some of the benefits and drawbacks of AVRs vs separates.

What is an AV Receiver (AVR)?

An AV receiver, or AVR, is a one-box audiovisual solution for a home cinema. It is not only the intelligent hub or ‘brains’ of an AV system, it also includes a set of amplifiers to power your loudspeakers.

The term ‘receiver’ can be something of a misnomer. It’s an overhang from when most stereo and multi-channel integrated amplifiers sold in the US market included an AM/FM tuner. That’s not always the case nowadays, although the term has stuck.

An AVR handles input switching – sometimes with multiple connection options – for both video and audio sources. The latter include Blu-ray players, turntables, CD players, gaming consoles and streaming devices.

It can process audio signals for surround sound and immersive multi-channel audio codecs, like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. You can choose to let an AVR handle video processing and image upscaling too, if you prefer not to use the features built into a media player or display device.

AVRs usually also come with an automated built-in room calibration system, like Audyssey, YPAO or Dirac Live. These optimise the performance of your loudspeakers in any given acoustical environment.

Some AVRs also support a second or third zone of audio for other rooms in the house.

Finally, an AVR includes amplifiers inside the enclosure to power your loudspeakers. There could be as many as 12 or more amps on board for complex immersive audio set-ups.

What is an AV Processor (AVP)?

An AV processor (AVP) might be referred to as an AV controller (AVC). You might also see them described as a preamplifier, pre-amp or pre/pro.

Whatever you call it, the unit acts as the nerve centre of a home cinema, like an AVR. All the features and functionality outlined above and built into AVRs are often found inside AVPs as well.

However, they differ in one key respect in that they do not include onboard power amplifiers.

The rear connection panel of AVPs carry a bank of RCA line-level or balanced XLR outputs designed to transmit audio signals directly to an external multi-channel amplifier.

What is a Power Amplifier?

A power amplifier for home cinema is a device capable of driving multiple loudspeakers. It boosts the low-voltage signals inbound from a processor or preamplifier to produce sound for each channel/loudspeaker.

It will usually contain any number of discrete amplifiers, typically ranging from three to 16, all built into one enclosure.

A single monoblock amplifier can be used for each channel. But it’s most common to find, say, two, five, seven or eight channel amplifiers in high-end home cinema installations.

What are the upsides and downsides of an AVR in a home cinema?

There are some obvious advantages to buying an AVR instead of separates.

An AVR, as mentioned, includes all the switching, control, audio/video processing and room calibration features, as found in an AVP.

However, as an AVR has power amplifiers onboard, it will usually take up less space on a shelf or on your rack. An AVP plus, say, an 11-channel power amplifier will often need at least twice as much real estate.

There’s also the issue of wires. An 11-channel home cinema will need 11 line-level or XLR cables snaking their way from an AVP to the power amp(s). An AVR does away with all that spaghetti.

AVRs typically use less power than an AVP/power amp combo for those concerned about energy consumption.

Perhaps critical to most, though, will be budgetary concerns. You can buy an excellent AVR for around £1,500 (US $2k, AU $3k). A fine AVP plus 11-channel amplifier could easily set you back £6,000 (US $8k, AU $12k).

But AVRs are usually suitable for small to midsize rooms, rather than large, dedicated home cinemas. They typically have less powerful amplifiers onboard than dedicated power amp enclosures.

An AVR may claim 100 watts per channel. But read the fine print in the spec sheet, and you may find that the figure only applies with ‘two channels driven’. The all-channel power figure is rarely quoted because it is usually far more modest.

This relative reduction in amp power can result in less dynamic sound and sometimes less clear placement of discrete audio cues across an array of loudspeakers. You might also perceive less ‘weight’ or ‘grunt’ than a pre/power combo might produce.

Because so much more circuitry needs to be contained within the one enclosure, an AVR also tends to suffer from reduced transparency, dynamics and detail resolution compared to a separates set-up. This is due to the sensitive processing and preamp circuits sharing a power supply with the current-hungry power amps, which leads to a degradation of the signal. Heat build-up is also an issue, limiting how hard those power amplifier channels can be driven.

The concentration of PCBs and sometimes lesser quality components inside an AVR also means that there can be a corresponding increase in the noise floor. Furthermore, there can be heightened electromagnetic interference between components. Both phenomena can affect the quality of the sound.

What are the upsides and downsides of using separates: AVPs plus power amplifiers?

In many cases, separates are used for larger dedicated rooms. Multi-channel power amplifiers usually support higher power ratings per channel and incorporate separate power supplies to each amplifier module.

These qualities result in a more consistent power delivery across all outputs, even when driving the most demanding loudspeakers.

Opting for an AV processor and separate power amplifiers provides future redundancy. If you decide you need more power or more independently powered channels, you can always upgrade the amplifier components down the line.

Likewise, if the surround-sound codecs or the channel processing count of your present AVP gets superseded in a later model, you might decide just to upgrade the processor section.

Most manufacturers select higher-quality components inside dedicated AVPs and power amplifiers. These include power supplies, transistors and capacitors, which can promote a cleaner signal path and more accurate sound.

So, those are the pros of using separates. What about the cons?

Partly due to the last point about higher quality circuit boards and components, separate pre/pros and power amplifiers tend to be much more expensive (as mentioned above).

You will also need more space for an AVP plus power amps. If you decide to buy, say, eight two-channel power amplifiers for an immersive audio set-up, they will take up a lot of rack space!

All those 11 or more balanced or unbalanced interconnect cables from an AVP to the corresponding amplifiers will also need a careful cable management system.

Keep in mind that high-end pre/pros often have less streaming features, multiple zone functionality and/or inputs than the mass-produced AVRs from the well-known manufacturers. This is usually because the makers of luxury devices plough more development resources into the sound quality, rather than the features per se.

So which is it to be? An AVR or separates?

In the end, it comes down to your budget, personal preferences and what is right for your room.

Also note that there are no hard and fast rules. Some of the best AVRs sound so good, they are almost indistinguishable from pre/pro and power amp combos.

The Marantz Cinema 30 is a blinder of a receiver for £4,000 (US $4,800, AU $8,000), for example.

And StormAudio’s 20-channel ISR Fusion 20 at £20k (US $20k, AU $33k) – while embodying completely isolated processor and amp sections in one enclosure – is considered ‘separates in one box’.

What’s more, there are multi-channel power amplifiers out there which would not be considered optimal for home cinema.

So, it’s best to keep an eye out for our equipment reviews at What Hi-Fi?, chat to your dealer, and make your decisions wisely!

MORE:

These are the best AV receivers we've tested

Our picks of the best surround sound systems

We rate the best projectors

Amazon Prime Day is beginning to feel like a distant memory, but there are still some deals lingering in its wake, and this one might just be our favourite.

The Sony TA-AN1000, the Award-winning home cinema amplifier that you've surely heard us fawn over countless times at this point, is still on sale at Peter Tyson. It's officially priced at £999; however, you can currently snag it for £799 – that's a saving of £200.

Admittedly, this isn't the best price we've seen it at; in fact, it dropped to £699 last week, but if you missed out on that deal and deeply regret it, then this deal provides a pretty solid saving to help you rectify your mistake.

If you're shopping for an AVR and haven't considered the Sony TA-AN1000, then now is the time to change that. It's an amplifier that packs fantastic sound and excellent features into an easy-to-use and, generally speaking, pretty affordable package.

We awarded it five stars and bestowed it with the Product of the Year title not once, but twice, which should affirm exactly how we feel about it.

But in case you still want to know more, we'll run through exactly why we think it's so good.

As you'd hope, the TA-AN1000 excels at delivering proper cinematic sound, with an open, detailed and dynamic performance that blew our socks off when we reviewed it back in 2023.

It's effective at delivering large and bold dynamic shifts with immediacy and impact, though its energetic characteristics don't come at the expense of subtler details.

Sony's Sound Field feature, which can also be found on its soundbars, is also featured. It opens up the sound to create a much bigger and immersive experience, but it does sacrifice some focus in the process. We certainly still think it has a place, but it will be up to you whether it's better switched on or off.

Features-wise, the Sony impresses yet again. Dolby Atmos is, of course, supported alongside DTS:X and Sony's 360 Degree Reality Audio, as is Dolby Vision HDR.

There are six HDMI inputs in total, three of which are the HDMI 2.1 standard, which can handle up to 4K/120Hz signals.

Pair that with an easy microphone-assisted setup process with an on-screen settings menu and a long list of wireless streaming options (including Apple AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect), and it's hard to argue that the Sony is anything less than feature-packed and user-friendly.

We have seen it drop lower in the past, but £799 is still a great price for this Award-winning AV amplifier. Peter Tyson currently has the best price, with the likes of Amazon, Richer Sounds, and Sevenoaks Sound & Vision all sticking closer to the RRP.

If you're feeling like you missed out on Prime Day, then this saving is one you definitely shouldn't miss.

MORE:

Read our full Sony TA-AN1000 review

Check out our picks for the best AV receivers

As well as the best surround sound systems

When JBL announced its latest range of home cinema AVRs, there was a collective sense of excitement throughout the What Hi-Fi? AV team.

Denon has ruled the roost with very little competition for a long while now, dominating the entry-level and mid-range markets with its excellent X-series of home cinema amplifiers.

JBL’s mission is simple; the Modern Audio series is an accessible line of AVRs aimed towards those looking to dabble in home cinema audio or graduate from a soundbar. Likewise, JBL hopes to entice seasoned cinematic audiophiles, which is a tricky balance, though the five-strong lineup of amplifiers should cover most bases.

We have the MA7100HP here today, which serves as the step-down model from the flagship, and it has a promising feature list on paper, too, but the most important factor is – no surprises here – sound quality. With a small yet talented cohort of competitors in this area, the MA7100HP must excel. So, does it?

Price

The JBL MA7100HP is priced at £1399 / $1199 / AU$2055, putting it into the mid-range sector of the AVR market, where the five-star Denon AVC-X3800H looms large.

Some notable alternatives undercut the MA7100HP too, including the Sony TA-AN1000 (£999 / around $1240 / AU$1850) and Denon AVR-X2800H (£869 / $1200 / AU$2399) – both of which are now heavily discounted at many retailers. Need we also remind you that both the Sony and Denon are previous What Hi-Fi? Award winners, so the competition is piping hot.

If we’re being honest, the JBL feels a touch overpriced for our liking – especially when we take the build quality and feature set into account compared to its aforementioned peers.

Build

We’re not entirely convinced by the JBL’s build as, while it's unique compared to the fairly uninspired-looking Denon models in our test room, we wouldn’t consider it to be to our collective taste.

We’ll start with the positives; the display on the front is a really nice touch – especially when you stream music to the AVR as it shows album artwork, track listing and a 'play bar' akin to a premium music streamer. It also makes navigating the system menus a breeze, though these menus are handily mirrored on your connected TV or projector.

Furthermore, the customisable LED light strip along the bottom of the unit adds a pop of colour, and it can be disabled if you have an aversion to ambient light.

Flipping the unit around, we appreciate how straightforward the set-up is; you’ll find neatly laid-out ports that are all clearly labelled. This should make set-up very easy, even for those not au fait with home cinema receivers.

The AVR is also available in two finishes – black and white – and the cheeky nod to This Is Spinal Tap that adorns the volume knob is also a fun Easter egg.

That all being said, we find that the MA7100HP doesn’t feel particularly premium to the touch.

At 7.6kg, the JBL is much lighter than the Sony TA-AN1000 or Denon AVR-X2800H; and while that isn’t necessarily an issue, it just makes the JBL feel slightly cheap despite it costing considerably more than both of those models.

And, while the edgy orange accents might suit some people’s taste, and we certainly can’t knock JBL’s effort to create something unique that’s not just another black cuboid, it certainly won’t appeal to everyone.

Features

This home cinema receiver features seven channels of Class D amplification and two subwoofer outputs, meaning it can support up to a 7.2 surround-sound system or 5.2.2 Dolby Atmos system.

This is on par with its Sony, Denon and Arcam competitors, and means you’ll need to step up to the JBL MA9100HP if you have a larger system such as a 7.2.2 speaker package with rear surrounds and height channels. Sound format support includes all of the usual suspects, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

JBL claims 125W of power output with two channels driven, which is considerably higher than the Sony and Denon (85W and 95W, respectively), and less than the Denon AVC-X3800H’s claimed 180W power output.

There are a total of six HDMI inputs, three of which are the 2.1 standard that support 8K/60Hz or 4K/120Hz sources with VRR and ALLM. All inputs support HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, too, while the dual outputs feature HDMI eARC connectivity and Zone 2 functionality.

There is also a built-in moving magnet phono connection for hooking this AVR up to a turntable, alongside coaxial, optical and USB digital audio inputs, and RCA line-level analogue inputs. Wireless connectivity is solid, with Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast and Bluetooth with support for the aptX Adaptive codec.

JBL has also taken an unconventional and, if we’re being brutally honest, frustrating approach to room correction.

You’ll need to download the EZ EQ app, which is different from the JBL Premium Audio app that’s required to stream music and connect devices via Bluetooth.

From there, the app requires you to correct each speaker individually (front, centre and surrounds) by walking around the room with your iPhone’s microphone (tough luck if you have an Android smartphone, as you’ll need to buy an external microphone).

There’s a catch to this process, however: it doesn’t set speaker distances or levels, you’ll need to do that yourself. The Sony and Denon receivers, on the other hand, have intuitive microphone-driven auto calibration systems that handle this for you.

It’s a strange omission considering that JBL is attempting to make this a user-friendly home cinema amp. This amplifier is Dirac Live Ready, though that process is a lot more involved and incurs additional costs.

Sound

This is the make-or-break category for any home cinema receiver, so does the JBL deliver? Unfortunately, we’re not entirely convinced it does. We’ve hooked the amplifier up to our reference speaker package – the PMC Twenty5.23 package in a 7.2 configuration – and raided our 4K Blu-ray shelf for a collection of reference discs including Interstellar, Blade Runner 2049, Oppenheimer and Dune: Part Two.

There are positive aspects to the MA7100HP, namely its big and bold sound characteristics. For scenes that require sheer brawn and scale, the JBL can deliver a punchy, room-filling sound with ease, which is shown off in the rip-roaring introduction montage of Top Gun: Maverick.

It also does a solid job of tracking the positions of the fighter jets as they speed down the aircraft carrier and soar into the sky, with effects passing seamlessly between channels.

Speaking of which, the MA7100HP manages to create a harmonious balance between each channel in a convincing surround-sound effect, with no noticeable gaps between the speakers to detract from the immersive bubble of sound.

Finally, it produces a solid, weighty kick of bass when needed, with plenty of punch and heft. We’d hesitate to compliment its bass control, but if you’re after sheer low-end rumble, then this JBL is capable of delivering.

Unfortunately, that’s really where the positives end, as elsewhere the JBL just misses the mark.

There is an overall sense that the 7100HP is lacking in subtlety, as the spacious sound comes at the expense of finer sonic details.

Low-level dynamics, for instance, are a notable weakness, which leads to flat and unengaging dialogue. The strained conversation between Cooper and Brand, as they realise that the minutes they’ve spent waiting for their waterlogged engines to reboot equate to years in Earth-time in Interstellar, should be conveyed with desperation and panic – but the JBL doesn’t quite capture this.

Sticking with Interstellar, we take issue with synthetic-sounding effects – specifically the waves that lap against the hull of the Endurance space shuttle. There is a metallic quality to the water that’s accentuated when a character steps through it, causing unnatural-sounding splashes.

Furthermore, the overall sound of this AVR can be best described as mushy, with a noticeable shortcoming when it comes to definition and detail.

There is a congested nature to the audio, which means that dialogue is often lost in scenes with many competing effects. The bustling Fremen party in Dune: Part Two, during which Paul Atriedes is granted the Muad’Dib title, is a prime example, as crucial pieces of dialogue are mixed up in the general hustle and bustle of the tent.

Switching to some music in stereo, the JBL’s issues persist, with Taylor Swift’s The 1 and Bombay Bicycle Club’s Luna both sounding fine, but by no means particularly engaging or inviting.

We pair the MA7100HP with JBL's own Stage 2 loudspeakers to see if the synergy between the AVR and speakers improves the experience.

While you don’t necessarily have to pair these together, they were developed in tandem to suit each other when it comes to sound characteristics. Ultimately, though, we find the issues to persist, with scale and punch presented at the expense of subtlety and detail.

While these sonic shortcomings are certainly an issue in isolation, they become even more apparent when we put the JBL side-by-side with the Award-winning Sony TA-AN1000.

Considering the Sony costs considerably less, there is no competition when it comes to sound quality. The Sony’s expert handling of dynamics and more detailed sound seal the deal, while the comparatively expansive soundstage makes it the obvious choice.

Verdict

The JBL MA7100HP isn’t a complete write-off, thanks to its big, bold and encompassing sound. However, it's not a home cinema receiver that we can really recommend.

The sub-par detail, weak dynamics and lack of sonic subtlety hinder its true potential, and it likely won’t be enough to tempt die-hard soundbar fans to join the world of true home cinema sound.

SCORES

• Sound 3
• Features 4
• Build 3

MORE:

Read our review of the Arcam AVR5

Also consider the Sony TA-AN1000

Read our Denon AVR-X2800H

Best AV receivers: the top home cinema amplifiers we've tested

If you’ve dipped your toes into home cinema at any time over the past 20 years, the chances are you’ve heard of Audyssey.

It’s a room correction system designed for AV and multi-channel audio systems, and it’s specifically built into Denon and Marantz receivers and processors, which frequently appear in our list of the best AV receivers.

Although the various versions of Audyssey MultEQ room correction are simple to use in their basic form, there’s also a chance for more experienced consumers to dig in with more advanced levels.

Getting a room to sound good can be a big challenge. But the prospect of hiring a sound professional to consult on your room’s environmental shortcomings isn’t at the top of most AV enthusiasts’ lists. Nor is buying pricey acoustic treatments such as absorbers, diffusers or bass traps.

Luckily, automated room correction systems such as Audyssey go some way to compensate for the worst acoustical quirks.

Let’s find out who Audyssey is, how many versions there are, and why you might need it.

Who is Audyssey?

Audyssey hails from the US. It’s a spin-off from the National Science Foundation, a research centre at the University of Southern California. Among its alumni is Professor Tomlinson Holman, famously the ‘TH’ of Lucasfilm’s original THX group.

The company specialises in the acoustical properties of audio equipment in different environments, including home cinemas, studios, cars and even professional cinemas.

The first technology to emerge from the company was the Audyssey MultEQ room correction system in 2004.

What are the different versions of Audyssey MultEQ room correction?

Before we get into how Audyssey room correction is set up at home, let’s look at the three layers of the software that might be built into your Denon or Marantz AVR or processor.

Audyssey MultEQ – also known as ‘Bronze Built-in’

This is the base level version of Audyssey room correction with adjustment of speaker levels and time delays. It includes Dynamic Volume and Dynamic EQ (more on these later). It is designed primarily for small rooms.

Audyssey MultEQ XT – also known as ‘Silver Built-in’

This mid-size room version provides more measurement positions and better equalisation filters than basic MultEQ. It allows for more precise adjustments with emphasis on low frequencies. MultEQ XT also includes Dynamic Volume and Dynamic EQ.

Audyssey MultEQ XT32 – also known as ‘Platinum Built-in’

This is the top level and latest version of MultEQ with yet more measurement positions and high-resolution filters available. MultEQ XT32 is suitable for large rooms with complex setups. With more than 10,000 control points, it supports 32 times the resolution of plain MultEQ. It includes Dynamic Volume and Dynamic EQ, as in the previous entries, along with SubEQ HT and LFC (also explained below).

How does Audyssey work?

The built-in versions of Audyssey MultEQ contain an easy walk-through as part of the Denon or Marantz on-screen menu interface.

Audyssey tries to correct for off-axis listening and room acoustics. An included microphone needs to be placed in the main listening position (MLP) as well as up to seven other locations, all from a tripod.

In doing so, the system looks for acoustical anomalies and attempts to fix them. The idea is to improve the sound for all seating positions while smoothing out the frequency response.

It can be a good idea to enter levels and distances manually (using a tape measure or laser distance meter, test tone generator and SPL meter). Audyssey tends to undercook the subwoofer and centre channel levels in the automated procedure.

MultEQ, in all its incarnations, works by analysing the acoustics of a room and applying digital signal processing to optimise the audio output.

Both frequency responses and time domains help the software to pick out reflections, standing waves and other acoustical anomalies. But the key difference between the versions of MultEQ lies in the increasing efficacy and resolution of the filters applied.

Are there software and hardware add-ons?

Yes. For £20 / $20 / AU$31, you can purchase the Audyssey MultEQ Editor app for Android or iOS, which allows for more fully fledged control of your room correction and offers customisation.

Because a phone or tablet has more processing power than a typical AVR, making adjustments in the app can create more detailed profiles and more accurate results. The app supports saving of profiles, target curve adjustments and subwoofer levels.

For those who wish to dig in even deeper, it costs $200 (around £145 / AU$300) for the Audyssey MultEQ-X software, which is compatible with a Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC.

This gives the user many more levels of flexibility and control, including detailed frequency responses of individual channels, an ‘advanced curve designer’ with targets for each channel and more sophisticated subwoofer level adjustments.

MultEQ-X is designed essentially for professionals or hardcore enthusiasts who want to tweak their system to perfection. (A Pro version of the software is more expensive and includes multiple licences.)

All Audyssey versions must use approved microphones, whether the basic model included with a receiver, or the more accurate ACM1-X (£80 / $80 / AU$140). You can also go for the MultEQ-X Calibrated Microphone kit with extender leads, particularly useful if the AVR is in a remote location in the house.

What are some of the other Audyssey MultEQ features?

Dynamic Volume

Applying to all versions of MultEQ, this feature protects against sudden volume peaks or troughs for a more consistent sonic level.

It tracks the volume in real time and optimises the dynamic range for the situation. This can be useful for late-night viewing, not startling the neighbours or recalibrating the output when loud adverts suddenly interrupt programme viewing.

Dynamic EQ

Also available on all MultEQ platforms, this feature optimises sound quality at lower volumes by boosting bass and treble responses.

Again, the adjustments are made in real time and account for the way humans perceive audio at varying levels. Dynamic EQ is also useful for late-night viewing by enhancing content at low levels.

SubEQ HT

This feature is found on the Audyssey MultEQ XT32 platform only. Designed to work with two or more subwoofers, SubEQ HT allows individual calibration of each bass enclosure. It also aligns their timing and levels, so that they should blend seamlessly.

SubEQ HT ensures that room correction filters are applied to all the subwoofers, as if they were a single unit.

LFC (Low Frequency Containment)

Also reserved for the XT32 version only, the LFC feature limits the transmission of low frequencies through walls to different rooms. It does so while maintaining the sound quality.

LFC is a great asset for shared living spaces or those with close proximity to neighbouring homes.

Verdict

While Audyssey in its basic forms promotes easy setup and operation, there’s plenty of scope for digging in and expanding your horizons with the MultEQ Editor app or MultEQ-X software.

With so many competing room correction systems, such as those from Yamaha (YPAO), Emotiva (Emo-Q), Lyngdorf (RoomPerfect), Trinnov (Trinnov Optimizer) and Anthem (ARC), you should read up on their potential advantages/disadvantages when compared to the Audyssey platform.

But because Audyssey is so simple to execute - with its delightful user interface and pleasing results – perhaps it’s not surprising that it’s still very much in contention after 20 years of great service to home cinema users.

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Check out our Marantz Cinema 30 review

Denon's X-series of home cinema receivers have been consistent hits in our AV testing room, with the AVR-X2800H, AVC-X3800H and AVC-X6800H all scoring top marks in their respective reviews.

As a whole, Denon has delivered some of the best AVRs on the market, despite competition from the likes of Sony, Arcam, JBL and even its sister brand, Marantz.

The only issue with the models mentioned above is that they can be quite pricey. The Denon X2800H has dropped in price plenty of times; however, the AVC-X6800H has stuck at a premium near-£3000 price point for the majority of its lifespan.

So, if you want a Denon AVR that delivers most of the features of the more premium models in the lineup, but are looking to spend well below £500, then we have the deal for you.

It's not a model that we've reviewed (yet); however, the entry-level AVR-X1800H is down to just £399 at Peter Tyson. That's down from the launch price of £699, meaning you're saving yourself £300.

You'll need to be a member of Peter Tyson's VIP programme; happily, that's a free and easy sign-up that's certainly worth doing to save yourself an additional £100.

Building a home cinema set-up on a budget doesn't mean that you have to compromise. The Denon AVR-X1800H is the smaller sibling of the excellent, Award-winning AVR-X2800H, and it shares many features with it.

These include support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X immersive audio formats, as well as up to 8K/60Hz or 4K/120Hz video with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision supported.

It's a 7.2 channel receiver with a claimed 120W per channel (with two channels driven), meaning it can support up to a 5.2.2 Dolby Atmos system.

With six HDMI inputs, three of which support the HDMI 2.1 specification with VRR and ALLM, this is also a great AVR for gamers.

It's also well suited for those looking for a wireless music streamer, as Denon's HEOS multi-room platform is featured here too, which supports a range of services including Tidal and Amazon Music HD. You'll also find AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and TuneIn internet radio, as well as Bluetooth.

On the subject of radio, this doesn't appear to be the version with DAB tuner capabilities built in, but we don't deem that to be a deal breaker.

While we haven't put this specific model through its paces in our AV testing room, the rest of this range has thoroughly impressed us.

If you're looking for a feature-rich AVR with major pedigree at a great price, this Denon £300 deal at Peter Tyson is looking like the early Prime Day deal to beat.

MORE:

Read our full Denon AVR-X2800H review

And check out the best surround sound speaker systems

As well as the best AV receivers

Marantz has unveiled its latest preamplifier and power amplifier duo, and they feature a medley of features derived from the Award-winning Cinema 30 AVR, as well as the company's flagship AV 10 series.

The AV 20 AV Preamplifier and AMP 20 Power Amplifier sport classy designs similar to the Cinema 30, with the stylish "porthole" screen and tasteful side illumination returning; two aspects we thoroughly approved of in our full review. Marantz's premium aluminium remote is also included, with backlit buttons ideal for operating these new amps in dark home cinema rooms.

While these amps certainly pass the style check, it's how they sound that's truly important. Starting with the AV 20 preamplifier, Marantz has outfitted this AV processor with the "latest and most powerful" Analogue Devices SHARC dual-core DSP chipset, which has been coupled with 32-bit two-channel DACs complete with dedicated jitter reduction.

It claims that this powerful digital platform will be able to "precisely decode" and "accurately process" a wide range of cinematic audio formats, including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X Pro and IMAX Enhanced. And, with 13.4 channels supported by the discrete HDAM SA-3 preamplifier stage (via either RCA or XLR), the AV 20 should have no trouble delivering a full immersive surround sound experience.

Connectivity seems strong in usual Marantz (and its sister company Denon, for that matter) fashion, with seven HDMI 2.1 inputs capable of supporting up to 8K/60Hz or 4K/120Hz signals. While Marantz hasn't explicitly confirmed which HDR formats the AV 20 will support, we'd be surprised if it wasn't the same HDR10, HLG, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision suite found on the five-star Cinema 30. The AV 20 also sports three HDMI outputs, two of which are labelled as supporting 4K signals.

Wireless connectivity appears equally strong, too. Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay 2, Tidal Connect, and the newly announced Qobuz Connect are all supported, alongside Bluetooth and Marantz's HEOS multiroom streaming platform.

There is also a robust suite of room correction technologies on board, including Audyssey MultEQ XT32 advanced room optimisation via the included microphone.

This will automatically measure speaker sizes, levels, distances and more via a simple setup process; in our experience, it has worked a treat on various Marantz and Denon AVRs. This is supported by an on-screen display, which should make setup even more of a breeze.

Furthermore, optional Dirac configurations are available, with Dirac Live Room Correction plus Dirac Live Bass Control for "fully optimised low-frequency integration" on up to four independent subwoofers.

Dirac Live Active Room Treatment (ART) is also supported, which will reportedly deliver the "most cohesive and tonally consistent listening experience" of any available room optimisation system. It's worth noting that this feature won't be supported at launch, but will be added with a firmware update down the line.

Moving onto the AMP 20, Marantz is positioning this as a powerful and versatile power amplifier. It delivers 12 channels of amplification, rated at 200W with two channels driven, which Marantz points out is enough to "drive multiple different speaker configurations and speaker layouts with ease".

If their speaker system requires more power, users can reconfigure the 12 channels into up to six 400W bridged-tied-load (BTL) outputs. Alternatively, if preferred, users can bi-amp up to six speakers.

The Marantz AV 20 and AMP 20 will be available starting today from selected retailers, and are both priced at £4750 / $6000. Therefore, the full system should cost £9500 / $12,000, though Marantz notes that these components are available to mix and match with other preamplifiers and power amplifiers in its range.

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best AV receivers

As well as our Marantz Cinema 30 review

And our JBL Synthesis SDR-38 review

On the hunt for a top-quality AV amplifier that is an excellent all-rounder? Luckily, we've found quite the deal for you. The What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Marantz Cinema 30 is down from £4000 to £3799 at Sevenoaks.

That's the lowest price we've seen our reference AVR drop down to, so if you have the cash to splash it's well worth considering.

We gave the Cinema 30 a five-star rating for its plentiful options when it comes to HDMI 2.1 connections, as well as its controlled performance. With £200 off, this is a deal worth your time.

We were impressed by the Marantz Cinema 30's sound quality during testing, describing its audio performance as smooth, refined and always in control. When we listen to Sleep Token’s The Summoning for our review, we said: "Rival amplifiers can sound slightly more attacking, but they regularly veer into unwanted aggression as they struggle to keep a grip on proceedings. The Marantz, though, is thrillingly agile and solid while also unfazed and refined, even at very high volumes."

In terms of set-up, the built-in calibration is through Audyssey and is very easy to get up and running. Using the included microphone, you take measurements from eight locations around your listening position. If you would like to further tinker with room correction, the Marantz Cinema 30 is compatible with the Audyssey MultEQ Editor app, but this will set you back £20 / $20 / AU$31.

All seven of the HDMI inputs and two of the outputs support 4K/120Hz (or 8K at 60Hz) and all other advanced gaming features.

It's quite the aesthetic piece of kit, too. The AVR is perfectly symmetrical with the 6.3mm headphone output on the right-hand side mirroring the identically sized power button on the left.

Of course, £3799 is by no means cheap. But if you are looking for an AVR to splash out on and are keen to save some precious cash with this deal, this could be the one for you.

MORE:

Here is our review of the Marantz Cinema 30

These are the best AV receivers

And check out the best soundbars we recommend

As soon as we heard about the five-channel MRX SLM receiver, we asked to borrow one. Our motives were two-fold. Firstly we loved the concept: a full AV receiver packed into a chassis far lower than the usual double-height beasts which dominate home cinema racks, lower even than the ‘slimline’ receivers on offer from some companies. And secondly the MRX SLM comes from Anthem in Canada, one of our favourite amplifier and receiver brands (and one of the best-selling in the States and Canada), which since 2019 has been back in the hands of founder Scott Bagby and son John Bagby.

In fact we had asked three times before the Australian distributor Audio Active finally sent one over, a delay perhaps due to robust early demand. Once installed, it didn’t disappoint. On the other hand, the shrink-to-fit approach does provide some limitations; the MRX SLM won’t suit everyone. But it will surely delight those into whose systems it does fit.

Build & features

The most obvious gift of the MRX SLM is its compactness. Where Anthem’s more traditional AV receivers can rise to heights of 16cm, the MRX SLM is 3.8cm high – that’s the height of, say, an AppleTV 4K media box: tiny. Width and length are 28cm, so it’s square from above, while less than 4cm high.

You can simply shelve it, using its stick-on rubber feet, or you could rack it. At 11 inches wide it’s far short of full rack-width, but there’s a 19-inch rack adaptor into which it fits neatly. Anthem has pics (see below) of multiple racked’n’stacked MRX SLMs.

It also comes with a mounting kit to put it vertically at the back of your TV, or on the wall, or between studs of the wall using a back box with full cable management, so it can be “out of sight, but not out of sound”, as Anthem neatly puts it.

It’s certainly worth considering your cable management options. AV receivers, of course, generally have an abundance of cable connections. Even with the reduced socket count of the SLM, hanging this amplifier vertically might, depending on your system, leave quite the collection of sidefacing or downhanging cables to accommodate, including five sets of speaker cables which are then required to spread somehow all over the room.

So if it’s neatness which attracts you to the MRX SLM, get your cable planning sorted well in advance of plugging it up. For our purposes we certainly found it easiest to keep the unit flat and horizontal.

Having said that, the MRX SLM’s socketry is certainly simplified over the profusion of inputs and outputs which appear on the back of one of Anthem’s full-sized receivers.

Here you get just two HDMI sockets: one input for a source, the other with HDMI eARC which both forwards any HDMI input on to your TV and also plays any sound from the TV if you’re using its tuner, streaming, or other sources plugged into the TV. The eARC channel should allow full Atmos playback from TVs which can provide it.

There is just one optical audio input and a single analogue input, with that disappointingly on a minijack socket – that’s how tight the space gets on the rear panel, with barely room to fit in the Ethernet input, dual antenna sockets for Bluetooth/Wi-FI, an essential IR extender input for those hiding the SLM away – and that’s about it, except for a subwoofer out and the speaker connections.

Oh, the speaker connections. One price to pay for the size here is the loss of proper speaker binding posts, and the substitution of a Euroblock-style Phoenix connector for all 10 speaker cables. Having recently struggled with the fiddliness of a mere stereo Phoenix connector, this five-channel expansion did rather fill us with dread; it also precluded the use of our usual thick front speaker cable with banana plugs. The Phoenix connector block here is capable of handling cable only up to about 1.5mm thick; you need each cable perfectly trimmed down to leave 5mm of bare wire. Phoenix connector blocks are usefully removable, so you can screw down 10 cables into the marked holes, taking great care with polarity, then slide the block into place carefully. We had a small short first time, from rogue cable strands splayed on entry, but with careful prep the connections weren’t quite the nightmare we had anticipated.

The five channels are another limitation of the MRX SLM. For most users this will be best configured as three channels at the front (LCR) and two at the rear, with an active subwoofer connected to the subwoofer output, delivering 5.1-channel surround. That leaves no height available for Atmos content there, and no pre-outs available for expansion.

But there is another option, which is to run in 3.1.2 – so having height, but no rears. While this is an unusual and certainly less immersive option, it might be worth considering if you’re in a scenario where there’s no way to run rear cables.

Otherwise there seems no way here to, say, reallocate spare channels to biamp the front L/R channels, or to play to a second zone, which are common options on receivers. Of course with only five amplifiers and no pre-outs, that would leave you listening in 3.1.

It is easy to make and implement any such configuration changes because despite its low-slung convenience, the MRX SLM comes equipped with pretty much the full control implementation of all Anthem receivers, including the Anthem Remote app for iOS and Android, and our favourite interface of all: Anthem’s marvellous web user interface. Once it’s networked, just type its IP address into any browser on your network, and you have full control over everything from general operation to level tweaks to full-on calibration.

Inputs & profiles

Having lived with most brands of AV receiver and become accustomed to their ways, we have little hesitation in proclaiming Anthem’s method of inputs and profiles to be among the simplest and most versatile in set-up, and particularly in allowing easy switching between different scenarios designed for different purposes and different inputs.

For example, we will listen to movies in full surround, so here that might be an Atmos soundtrack rendered to 5.1. But if we are listening to Atmos music, rather than movies, we prefer to have a virtual centre, and so choose to listen in 4.1.2 if the channels are available, or here without our height channels in either 4.0 without subwoofer, or 4.1 for the extra welly deep down below (our usual choice).

On some receivers that would be a complicated bit of preset creation, potentially needing a tweak every time you wanted to move between modes. But Anthem allows you not only to set up different speaker profiles for such scenarios, but also to create virtual inputs for each individual situation.

So the HDMI input for our AppleTV 4K might be called just ‘AppleTV’ for movie and TV watching, using Profile 1 to listen in 5.1.

But we could make another input called ‘AppleTV music’, also using the same HDMI eARC as input, but auto-selecting Profile 2, which is configured for 4.1. Admittedly this input won’t be on the physical remote control, which offers the default inputs. But the virtual inputs will be on the app and the browser interface, making selection pretty easy.

We also love the ease with which you can sit in your seat and use the app to calibrate each channel by entering distances then listening for level with test tones. There is also Anthem’s ARC (Anthem Room Correction), and again we have tried many room correction systems to conclude that Anthem is one of the few which we sometimes (not always!) leave in circuit for actually improving the sound. Anthem ARC was created out of the famous Athena research at Canada’s National Research Centre dating back to 1988, co-funded by Canadian companies including Axiom, Paradigm and PSB Speakers.

“The goal of the Athena project was to design a ‘smart loudspeaker’, a speaker that could self-calibrate the frequency response in a room to fit a target curve determined by subjective double-blind screen listening tests, using DSP to do the room correction,” Paul Barton of PSB Speakers told us recently, and Athena’s room-correction research was later used, inter alia, to create the ARC correction in Anthem receivers, here in the latest Genesis version.

Even with this smaller receiver you get a calibrated USB microphone in the box to connect to your computer (the software runs on your computer, not the receiver), though not the full-sized mike stand that comes with Anthem’s larger models. You measure from at least five positions, these being where your head would normally be, then the front left and right or your couch, and a little behind the left and right of your couch. You can then store the results, turn the correction on or off, and choose to use it in your input definitions or not, as you prefer for different sources.

Control & streaming

We’ve already seen how useful the browser-based control interface can be; your other choice is the Anthem Control app (above). This not only speedily spots your networked device and connects quickly when required, its main screen has a big circular volume slider, its very size allowing finer and more precise control than buttons or horizontal sliders, although occasionally we did slip and engage rather high levels accidentally. (You can set a maximum volume if this happens too often!)

Marvellous further flexibility comes from a touch of the ‘Settings’ button in the app, bringing up individual sliders for bass, treble, and for each individual set of speakers, so there’s front L+R on one slider, centre on another, subwoofer, and rears (or height) together. This doesn’t mess with your overall calibrated settings within the Speaker Profiles, and adjustments are easily returned to their default positions, so this is great for perhaps hottening your rears temporarily for a soundtrack which benefits from this slight departure from reference, or to shove up the centre channel if dialogue is getting lost, and particularly, we found, to tweak the balance for surround and Atmos music, of which we are great fans.

You can also make more permanent adjustments by entering the Setup Menu and creating up to four speaker profiles, additional duplicate inputs with different treatments, as well as storing and loading user settings.

Besides surround material, there is also stereo music, of course, to which you can listen in straight L and R stereo, or you might set up a Profile and Input to play stereo in 2.1 with the subwoofer, or 3.0 or 3.1, or even ‘all-channel stereo’, which may not be strictly ‘hi-fi’ but which does make use of all your available amplification and can be just the thing when entertaining.

Your music can come from apps on your TV, from a plugged-in media player, or from the Anthem’s own streaming abilities. There is Google Cast streaming (good from Android devices) and Apple AirPlay (good but often limited in quality by Apple from iOS devices), while Spotify Connect lets you use the Spotify app on your phone to control a stream direct to the receiver. There’s no Tidal Connect, though, and the Bluetooth is limited to the SBC codec and perhaps AAC, with no higher third-party codecs available.

There’s one more control option: via the network from third-party integration solutions, including Savant, Crestron, Control4, URC, RTI and ELAN. In which case you’re likely leaving all the hard work to a professional installer, and can simply settle back to enjoy the results. As we now did.

Listening sessions

We began in stereo, and we figured that if the MRX SLM was going to reveal its limitations, it would be when running only two channels for critical stereo listening. But no apparent limitations were revealed. Perhaps the best compliment we can give this receiver was that it stayed in our music room for three weeks without us ever hankering to get our reference power amps back behind the music; we even had a music night with guests, and not only forgot to mention that it wasn’t our usual amps, we didn’t even remember that ourselves until after they had gone. The music flowed forth beautifully at whatever level we demanded.

But why listen to boring old two-channel when you can listen in five-channel? Got any old music DVDs? Check the soundtracks: some have not only 5.1 but high-res DTS 5.1, which is about as good as you can get – discs as common as Best of Bowie or Ladies & Gentleman George Michael have fantastic 5.1 mixes on the DVDs. Or treat yourself to a copy of the Beatles ‘Love’ CD+DVD 2-pack (commonly around on eBay); select the high-res DTS soundtrack and crank it.

That was our first post-warm-up surround treat; we never listen to anything less than the whole disc of ‘Love’, and by the time we’d reached Eleanor Rigby we’d established beyond doubt that both quality and power more than acquit themselves under the trial of surround music. The guitar in Julia panned lazily across the front soundstage while the rears whirled ambulance effects and atmosphere hinting at this tragedy in Lennon’s life, then in bursts the thrilling rip-it-up remix of I Am The Walrus, a full system work-out, and still no apparent limitations imposed by the size constraints of the MRX SLM.

So what are the amplifiers in here? Anthem’s bigger receivers use proper Class-AB power, but could they fit it five Class-AB amps in a box this size? We had guessed they had done so, given that after a good session the SLM could run quite hot, so that if you do hide it or rack it, we’d suggest giving it some surrounding air space, although Anthem’s racking image above shows several of them stacked pretty tight.

But no, these are Class-D amps (no word on whose), confirms Australian distributor Audio Active; they are rated at 50W each into 8 ohms. This made us even more impressed by the MRX SLM’s musical abilities.

Especially when from Blu-ray via HDMI we played the recent Atmos release of
‘Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars’, a magnificent remix by original engineer Ken Scott, and an exemplar of how a classic album can get an Atmos treatment. It truly surrounds you, and without the ‘effects’ of ‘Love’, just brilliantly mixed. If you’ve never liked surround music, try this one.

We also played a good bit of Atmos from Tidal (through an AppleTV 4K connected to the HDMI input); we only slightly missed the additional immersion of our usual height speakers; Atmos height is often mighty subtle.

We had already been running casual surround TV and movies, but we loaded up the Blu-ray of Oppenheimer. When played at the Cremorne Orpheum in Sydney this had been one of the loudest movie presentations we’d ever seen… and the home version doesn’t disappoint. In the opening scene Oppenheimer stares into a puddle; we set our levels on this pitter-patter of rain and the accompanying music, then seconds later a fireball bursts into the sky with an effect not only massive, tinglingly visceral indeed, but also sharply-etched and edged, with every sound in the following crescendo impeccably controlled, every angle of delivery accurate.

Ours is not a huge listening room, so perhaps a larger room would reach the power limits of the little MRX SLM, but our experience was unrestrained, full-on dramatic. Indeed such was the workout given to the Anthem plus Krix subwoofer during this brief scene that the missus came rushing from downstairs, informing us that Mr Oppenheimer was disturbing wildlife resting in the bathroom below. An impressive first for our system.

Jarhead, played from a mere 5.1-channel DVD, was another soundtrack to demonstrate the placement and impact of effects: the Gulf War battle sequences, one-sided as they were, hurled explosions all around the soundstage, with whip-crack transients and apparently no shortage in the reserves. It’s hard to imagine an Atmos delivery of this soundtrack being any more immersive even with added height.

From Netflix, playing via the HDMI eARC from the TV, we enjoyed a delightful combination of dramatic, atmospheric and musical surround in the cyber-thriller Leave The World Behind, the rears pumped up even through the Joey Bada$$ intro theme and nicly for the house-gazing sequence with a hip-hop soul soundtrack by Blackstreet.

Again the ability to tweak surround and subwoofer levels in the app made it so easy to achieve exactly the right balance. And more: with every movie we played, we were reminded how much more entertaining movies are when delivered with powerful sound, and surround. The ease of tucking this receiver away, even racking it elsewhere, could help bring surround sound back to rooms where it has been neglected since modern décor banned cables and boxes at the back of the room. With a bit of planning, the MRX SLM could operate with remarkable discretion, but to great effect.

If you do hide it, you should run an IR receiver on a cable to somewhere convenient, so that you can keep using the physical remote control, even though the phone app will still work over the network.

The smart app also helped overcome the only operational issue we encountered, which was when selecting an input with the remote control. We would select ‘analogue’ (our computer audio via DAC was connected this way), then start music playing, but we would invariably still need to select ‘analogue’ again before hearing the input. If we paused listening for a while we might need to select it again. The same happened when selecting the external HDMI input.

We think this may have been the MRX SRM switching automatically back to HDMI ARC, because the TV was active. We tried turning off HDMI CEC to prevent this, at the cost of losing additional volume control from the TV remote, but it persisted. So we just got used to doing it twice. One thing that might help enormously would be having a multicolour LED on the front panel to indicate the current input status.

The other things to consider carefully are the few specific limitations of the compact design: only five channels, limited physical inputs, the Phoenix speaker connections, and no pre-outs for left and right, which we normally use to feed superior power amps for stereo music listening. That last is a pity, as if Anthem did so, you might be able to reallocate the MRX SLM’s amps for everything else in a 5.1.2-channel system, thereby restoring height along with surround. Currently it’s a choice of either/or, when both would be more fun.

Verdict

But what a game changer. Anthem’s slimline receiver can fully power a five-channel surround sound system from a hideaway position, with high levels of performance and power for both movies and music.

The reduced physical size brings a few specific limitations, but if those don’t affect your particular situation, then the MRX SLM could change your whole idea of how an entertainment system is put together.

Equally importantly it shows how clever thinking can create a different and potentially better way of doing things.

• See all our Australian reviews from Sound+Image and Australian Hi-Fi magazines

• Showcase! - world-class Australian home theatres & smart homes

• Latest news on the April 2025 Australian Hi-fi Show

As we see out the end of Black Friday and welcome the short-lived dawn of Cyber Monday, it may seem that all of the best deals have been snapped up.

But all is not lost: we've found a massive price drop on a five-star AVR.

The Arcam AVR31 is down from its launch price of £5799 to £3699 at Sevenoaks – and a free pair of Sennheiser SPORT True wireless headphones is being thrown in for good measure.

With a price drop of £2550, this is definitely a deal worth considering.

The AVR31 earned the full five stars for its clear sound and oodles of options for connectivity.

It has seven channels of power amplification and up to 16 channels of decoding, making it capable of processing audio for systems with configurations up to 9.1.6.

It boasts wide-ranging audio format support, including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, IMAX Enhanced and Auro-3D, as well as Dolby Virtual Height, DTS Neural:X and DTS Virtual:X for systems without height speakers. It ticks all the boxes on the connections front too, with seven HDMI 2.1 inputs and three outputs, all capable of handling 8K video signals at 60fps and 4K at 120fps with support for VRR, ALLM, Dolby Vision and HDR10+. One of the outputs also supports eARC.

Other physical connections include six digital (four coaxials, two opticals) and six analogue RCA inputs, plus optical, analogue and preamp outputs. There’s an aerial connector for an FM/DAB tuner, a USB port and trigger outputs with IR extenders for two zones, along with an RS-232 serial connector and an Ethernet port. Streamers are well catered for as well, with AirPlay 2, Bluetooth aptX HD, Google Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Roon and Tidal Connect all supported.

Sonically, it offers an appreciable level of refinement, separation and articulation not often heard at this level. It certainly packs a punch during action scenes, but then there's a lightness of touch during quiet moments that is quite spellbinding. It sounds excellent streaming music too, putting in a buoyant and musical performance.

If you're looking to boost your home cinema set up with a top-notch amplifier, this could be the deal for you. Check it out while you can.

MORE:

Here is our in-depth review of the Arcam AVR31

Looking for more Cyber Monday deals? We've got you covered

Find out how to choose and set up your amplifier

We're getting into proper winter now, so it's high time you sorted out your home cinema. An amp is a key component to any set-up, and this Marantz model is now £800 off for Black Friday.

The Marantz Cinema 40 is just £1599 at Sevenoaks. It looks like a great deal, but there are a couple of caveats to be aware of...

Marantz Cinema 40 Black Friday deal

The first caveat is that we haven't tested it. We have reviewed its higher-end sibling, the Cinema 30, and we liked it very much too, bestowing on it a What Hi-Fi? Award this year. The Cinema 30 combines huge scale with spatial precision, so you get broad brush strokes as well as fine detail. But that's not necessarily to say the Cinema 40 will be as good.

Because without putting it through its paces in our test room, there's no way of us knowing. But it ticks most boxes in terms of specs, supporting the main sound formats from Dolby and DTS, 8K pictures at 60Hz (4K @ 120Hz), and ALLM for gaming.

It's also equipped with plenty of wireless technologies, including AirPlay 2, HEOS multi-room skills and Spotify Connect. Streaming services include Tidal, Amazon Music and Deezer, while it's upgradeable to room optimisation software Dirac Live (for a subscription fee).

But there's only so much you can tell from the spec sheet alone. We might not be able to vouch for the performance, but with this much money off, the Marantz Cinema 40 certainly looks worth exploring...

MORE:

Check out the best AVRs around

The best AVR deals

And the best home cinema systems

We've seen a handful of truly impressive AVRs this year, which really made deciding our favourite models a tricky process.

We've reviewed new offerings from Denon, JBL, Marantz, and (in a surprise comeback) Pioneer this year, putting each model through its paces with our intensive testing process. Ultimately, two models have risen above the competition to become the victors in the best AVR category of the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2024.

One of which is a returning model – the Sony TA-AN1000 – which was first awarded the "best home cinema amplifier under £1500" title last year. The second is a new model for 2024, the Marantz Cinema 30.

The big news this year is that the Marantz Cinema 30 claimed the title of "best home cinema amplifier over £1500" after fending off competition from the updated (and extremely pricey) JBL Synthesis SDR-38, long-running favourite Arcam AVR31, and even its Denon AVC-X6800H counterpart.

Right from the outset, we knew that the Cinema 30 was a special AVR thanks to its premium and stylish design. The metal chassis felt solid and premium, while the design aspects sprinkled throughout such as the circular display, accent lighting and etched design sealed the deal. However, while it was all well and good that the Cinema 30 looked good, it (more importantly) needed to sound good Thankfully, it delivered in this department too.

Put simply, the Marantz Cinema 30 has not left our testing room since we first got it out of the box, and every member of the team has been invited to the AV testing room to try it out – which should speak for how highly we regard this AVR. Its sound is rich, powerful and smooth, yet refined and controlled in equal measures, making it a truly talented home cinema receiver. Spatial audio, namely Dolby Atmos, is also delivered with immense scale without sacrificing precision, which is a balance we find other AVRs can struggle to hit.

Furthermore, the Cinema 30 has a practically flawless feature set, including seven HDMI 2.1 inputs which support up to 8K/60Hz signals with VRR, ALLM, QMS and HDR in all of the major supported formats including HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. It also features 11 channels of amplification, making it an ideal companion for those with a 7.4.4 speaker configuration who don't want to shell out for an additional power amplifier to drive their full system. It's even super simple to set up, with the included Audyssey calibration microphone in the box and an on-screen menu system which makes navigation a breeze.

Next up we have the now two-time Sony award-winner, TA-AN1000. Although we have already given it many plaudits, it certainly deserves another shout out. Its dynamic and expressive sound packs a punch, with plenty of detail and precision, while the simple setup, intuitive user interface and comprehensive feature set – including Dolby Vision HDR, 4K/120Hz gaming support with VRR and ALLM, and support for a wide variety of streaming platforms – the Sony TA-AN1000 remains the best AVR under £1500.

It's a small list, however both models here have truly earned their spot thanks to their top-notch home cinema sound. However, there can only be one Product of the Year winner, and only time will tell as to whether Marantz or Sony will reign supreme.

MORE:

Read our full Marantz Cinema 30 review

And our Sony TA-AN1000 review

As well as our list of the best AV receivers

• We rate the best AVRs for serious movie fans

Soundbars might be all the rage, but home cinema enthusiasts who can accommodate a full-blown surround sound speaker package are still being catered for, as Onkyo’s latest announcement goes to show.

Fresh for 2024 is the TX-RZ30. Costing $1199 and launching in October (it is scheduled to arrive in the UK by the end of the year, priced £1199), this feature-packed amplifier, with 100W of Class A/B amplification per channel, will doubtless be in the hunt for a spot on our list of the best AV receivers.

It’s fully equipped and includes a thorough set-up procedure, courtesy of Dirac Live Room Correction Full Bandwidth. Dirac’s tech will optimise the sound to suit your particular room layout and listening conditions. Also available, as an optional extra, is Dirac Live Bass Control, which sees machine learning and AI quickly optimise your subwoofer settings.

The Onkyo also supports IMAX Enhanced. This means you can experience enhanced movie soundtracks from compatible sources, such as 4K Blu-ray discs. An IMAX Enhanced soundtrack uses a special ‘signature’ version of the DTS:X audio format which IMAX claims helps to preserve the full dynamic range of the original movie mix.

Wifi and Bluetooth connectivity are both included and the Onkyo has one additional wireless trick up its sleeve which allows it to transmit and receive audio (including aptX HD) to compatible Bluetooth headphones. Perfect for a spot of late-night listening when you want to enjoy an action flick but don’t want to disturb anyone else in the house (or your neighbours).

On the rear are no fewer than six HDMI 2.1a inputs and a pair of outputs should you want to send pictures – and there is support for the pass-through of both 8K and 4K content.

Today’s home cinema receivers are more than just movie maestros, which means you get support for a wide range of music streaming platforms and apps. There is Google Cast built-in, AirPlay 2, Spotify, Amazon Music HD, Tidal, Deezer, Pandora (for US customers) and Tunein. It is also Roon Tested, should you want to use a Roon Core server over AirPlay or Chromecast. The Onkyo even has a Sonos port allowing you to distribute your audio through your Sonos wireless network.

Onkyo and Klipsch have teamed up to create a special audio mode designed to work with Klipsch’s Reference Premier speaker line. Admittedly, it’s a little niche, but nice to have if you happen to have a speaker package which uses speakers from this range.

MORE:

Our pick of the best AV receivers

IMAX Enhanced: what is it, how do you get it and is it any good?

6 mistakes to avoid with your AV receiver

I listened to two five-star AVRs – and it reminded me why home cinema should be fun

Denon has announced a new flagship AV receiver as part of its A-series lineup with the AVC-A10H joining the existing A1H in this flagship roster. Denon claims that this new model takes inspiration from the A1H, while also cramming it to the brim with features and new internal components.

The A10H is a 13.4-channel receiver capable of supporting up to 7.4.6 or 9.4.4 speaker configurations without needing an external power amplifier. It supports a wide range of sound formats, including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X Pro, IMAX Enhanced, Auro 3D, and Sony 360 Reality Audio. Denon touts 150W of power with two channels driven, which is the same as its predecessor, though the new hardware should reportedly deliver a "significant performance upgrade". 

Inside the beefed-up Denon's slick yet familiar-looking casework, you'll find an upgraded ESS DAC array consisting of nine audiophile-grade 2-channel DACs which Denon claims will "maximise the resolution of all 17 channels", alongside an OFC wound transformer. The chassis features a three-layer construction for enhanced rigidity which should subsequently reduce vibrations and unwanted noise. The AVR has also been hand-tuned by Denon's own Sound Master, Shinichi Yamauchi, which means that the A10H should retain the brand's signature “vivid and spacious” sound.

Denon has included Audyssey's MultEQ XT32, which it says will allow users to calibrate the system with a more accurate frequency response system in correlation with your environment to achieve a more balanced soundstage. It also claims that the new microphone (which we expect to be bundled in with the amplifier based on previous models) is more precise, which should result in an even better result post-calibration. If you'd like to delve deeper into calibrating the system to suit your room layout then Dirac Live is also on board, though that tends to require additional software and accessories.

As per usual with Denon AVRs, the A10H is very well equipped when it comes to wired and wireless connectivity. It features no less than seven HDMI 2.1 sockets with support for 8K, 4K/120Hz gaming, VRR, ALLM and QFT, and it supports HDR in all of the current formats including HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision HDR and HLG. Wireless connectivity comes in the form of Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music HD and Denon's own HEOS wireless streaming and multi-room platform. 

The AVC-A10H is set to go on sale in November of this year with an RRP of £3999 / $4,699 / AU$7999. 

MORE:

Read our full Denon AVC-X6800H review

And check out our picks for the best AV receivers

As well as the best surround sound speakers

McIntosh has unveiled its latest AV processor, the MX200, which promises to deliver a potent combination of high-end audio processing and room correction technology for discerning home cinema enthusiasts.

Set to hit authorised McIntosh dealers this month with a price tag of $6,000 (UK prices have yet to be released), the MX200 can process up to 11.2 channels of audio, making it suitable for a wide range of surround sound set-ups – from basic 5.1 configurations to more elaborate 7.2.4 Dolby Atmos arrangements, if that’s more your jam.

On the video front, the processor supports 8K/60fps and 4K/120fps passthrough, along with a smattering of HDR formats including Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and HLG. This futureproofs it for compatibility with the latest 8K TVs and next-gen gaming consoles, while rec.2020 colour space support should ensure vibrant, true-to-life visuals.

One of the MX200's standout features is the inclusion of Dirac Live Full Bandwidth room correction software – a notable upgrade from the Audyssey MultEQ XT32 found in its predecessor, the MX100. Dirac’s advanced audio processing tool analyses room acoustics and adjusts the audio output accordingly, promising clearer and more accurate sound reproduction, regardless of room characteristics. It’s a big selling point for those who want to squeeze the absolute best possible sound from their set-up, with as little hassle as possible. 

Under the hood, audiophiles will also appreciate the presence of seven discrete 32-bit DACs, which should ensure pristine audio quality for both stereo and multichannel content. The processor also supports immersive audio formats in the form of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, for a more immersive listening experience.

Connectivity-wise, the MX200 offers four HDMI inputs and one output with eARC support – a configuration that, while sufficient for most set-ups, might feel a tad limited for users with multiple source devices. On the plus side, it does include a range of analogue and digital inputs, including a dedicated phono input for turntable enthusiasts.

Aesthetically, the MX200 maintains McIntosh's signature design DNA, featuring an aluminium and glass front panel adorned with two silver-ringed control knobs. Its 2U rack-mountable form factor should appeal to custom installers, while built-in support for Control4 and Crestron systems makes it a versatile option for smart home integration.

While the $6,000 price point positions the MX200 firmly in higher-than-entry-level territory, it represents a compelling option for home cinema aficionados seeking top-tier audio processing and room correction capabilities in one package. The MX200 is set to land at McIntosh dealers later this month, with specific UK pricing and release dates to be confirmed.

MORE:

These are our picks for the best AV receivers

And the best surround sound speaker systems

Here are 24 of the best film scenes to test your surround sound system

Earlier this week, my fellow AV enthusiast Tom Parsons and I spent the day with JBL at their UK offices with an exclusive look at its new range of Modern Audio AV receivers and Stage 2 loudspeakers. Demoing the new systems was, of course, the focus of the day, and we have no complaints about testing out shiny new home cinema kit by watching some of our favourite film clips.

We listened to three systems in total; a 2.1 set-up driven by the cheapest AVR in the range, a mid-range 5.1 system using the MA510, and a flagship 5.1.4 system using the MA9100HP (hands-on review of that system coming very soon). While we'll reserve final judgment for when we get these AVRs and speakers into our own testing room, the bottom line is that we found plenty to like with all three systems.

While the speakers deserve their time in the spotlight, today we're here to discuss the new AVRs. JBL is putting a serious focus on ease of use, aesthetics and musicality with this new series, and from what we've seen so far, it appears to have met those criteria in most capacities. Clarity and spaciousness alongside good rhythmic drive were a few positive attributes that we identified, and we also have to commend how stylish the new units look in their transparent black and white finishes. 

Subtle style cues like the underglow light bar that can be set to a range of colours, the "safe to turn it up to eleven" easter egg on the volume knob that is a cheeky nod to This Is Spinal Tap, and the full-colour display on the two most expensive models are all appreciated design motifs. 

Moreover, JBL has positioned these AVRs in a rather sweet spot when it comes to pricing and features, which has me thinking that this new range could be a good competitor for the current AVR kings. Denon's range of X- and S-series amplifiers have models at a wide range of prices, with differing features to match, and while this new JBL range might not compete at every level, it should have Denon slightly worried at the very least.

JBL has priced these aggressively, with the range starting at just £499 / $399, which puts it in direct competition with the Denon AVR-X1800H, while the new flagship model goes toe-to-toe with the Denon AVC-X3800H at £1399 / $1199. There are options in between that target different price demographics, making this range practically the only competitor to Denon aside from its sister brand Marantz. 

While we haven't heard these new AVRs directly alongside the existing Denons (almost all of which we really like), I'm personally looking forward to pitting them against each other in some head-to-head comparisons. While sound is, of course, the most important factor, I feel like these AVRs have some character and are perhaps taking a more fun and light-hearted approach to home cinema sound. 

However, only time will tell if they are true competitors, but at least Denon finally has some direct competition for much of its dominant AVR lineup. 

MORE:

Read our full JBL Synthesis SDR-38 review 

As well as our picks for the best AVRs

And the best surround sound speaker systems

Denon’s X-series AV amplifiers and receivers have been hugely successful in terms of both reviews and sales. In fact, it’s probably fair to say that it completely dominates a big chunk of the AVR market.

That said, prices have risen with each new generation of X-series amps, and what once was entry-level is now firmly mid-market. That’s where Denon's S-series comes in. Designed to sit below the X-series and offer every core feature that someone new to home cinema amplifiers might need while stripping out some of the expensive elements that they probably don’t, the S-series is a tempting proposition.

This AVR-S670H model sits around the middle of the S-series and offers five channels of amplification, two subwoofer outputs, three HDMI 2.1 inputs (plus three standard HDMI inputs) and super-simple (by AVR standards) set-up and operation. That all seems perfectly promising, but there are a couple of issues.

Price

The first of those issues concerns pricing. The Denon AVR-S670H is priced at £599 / $549 / AU$699, which initially looks like good value – and arguably genuinely is in the US and Australia. However, the Award-winning AVR-X2800H, which launched at £869 / $1200 / AU$2399 in 2022 and has remained at that sort of level in the US and Australia, is regularly (and currently) available for just £599 in the UK. Not only is this a better-specified AVR, but it also sets a high benchmark in terms of sound quality.

The X-series AVR-X1800H, meanwhile, is available for £499 / $749 / AU$950. Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to review that particular model, but it enjoys a higher position in Denon’s lineup than the AVR-S670H we have here.

Finally, it’s worth noting that Denon also sells an AVC-S670H (note the 'C') which does without the AVR-S670H’s FM/AM tuner but is otherwise, we are told, identical. You can usually save a little bit of money by opting for the AVC model.

Design

The AVR-S670H is fairly compact by general receiver standards, no doubt at least partly due to it featuring just the five amplifiers. This compactness is really just in the depth measurement, though – the height and width are a roughly typical 15 x 43cm.

Higher-end X-series models tend to have buttons hidden below drop-down doors on the front, while the AVR-X2800H has slick, almost hidden buttons on the lip below the front display. The S670H, however, has a series of simple, round buttons on its face, which makes it look comparatively cluttered and old-fashioned. The display is good, though, and there’s a nice feel to the volume and input knobs.

The accompanying remote looks and feels a little basic, but its relatively stripped-back selection of buttons is good and the AVR is very responsive to inputs.

Features

Around the back of the AVR-S670H is a well-curated selection of inputs and outputs. There’s just one HDMI output, which makes sense at this level, and three of the six HDMI inputs are 4K/120Hz affairs that are labelled ‘8K’ but are more useful for their ability to handle 4K/120Hz signals. Gamers will also be pleased that all of the inputs can handle VRR and ALLM. And the receiver can, of course, pass through HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision signals.

The non-HDMI connections include two optical inputs, two standard stereo RCA inputs and a dedicated phono input for a turntable, which is a nice touch.

Despite its entry-level position in the range, the AVR-S670H benefits from the same ‘Setup Assistant’ featured on much higher-end AV receivers from Denon and Marantz, including the recently reviewed, premium Marantz Cinema 30. This assistant guides you through the initial installation and calibration of the AVR in a fabulously straightforward manner, complete with animated diagrams for various steps, including stripping and connecting speaker cables.

Towards the end of this process you will be guided through the mic-driven Audyssey calibration, which involves measuring the output from all of your speakers from six positions around the seating position. We find the results to be slightly less accurate than those from the more expensive Denon and Marantz AV receivers we’ve tested lately, so we recommend that you also manually adjust speaker distances and levels if you feel comfortable doing so.

Once you’ve calibrated the speakers, the amp offers to turn on Audyssey Dynamic EQ. This can be useful for late-night listening, but for serious stuff (such as testing) it’s best switched off.

Audyssey Dynamic Volume is automatically disabled if you select not to turn on Audyssey Dynamic EQ, but Audyssey MultEQ – essentially the room correction element – is enabled. This is the basic version of MultEQ; the AVR-X2800H features MultEQ XT.

Another setting to be aware of is Loudness Management, which is another form of dynamic compression specifically for Dolby signals. When you enable it, a dedicated ‘Dynamic Compression’ option becomes available, allowing you to choose how aggressive to make the compression. Again, any form of compression is bad for critical listening so we disable such settings for testing, but you may want to experiment with them for home use.

As this is a five-channel receiver, 3D audio formats such as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X are off the menu. If you want Atmos support now or feel you might in the future, you’re better off with the AVR-X1800H or AVR-X2800H.

Sound

As we’ve discussed many times before, music is actually great for testing an AV receiver, so we kick off with Polyphia’s James Franco. We’re immediately impressed by the energetic nature of the Denon’s delivery. The amp (which is playing in stereo in the Pure Direct mode) isn’t fazed by the quick, start-stop nature of the track. It sounds really crisp and direct and doesn’t struggle to maintain a hold of the frenetic, chaotic ensemble.

Unfortunately, though, while the delivery is lithe and energetic, it’s lacking weight and solidity. The initial strike of each note is crisp and fairly precise, but there’s little in the way of body behind it, making the whole track sound a bit lightweight. The choral swell that appears later in the track is also a little lost on account of the Denon’s lean tonal character.

Invincible by Tool again benefits from the AVR-S670H’s fast-paced delivery, and it highlights the amp’s solid spatial organisation and strong stereo focus. There’s decent detail and low-level dynamic resolution in the way it delivers Maynard James Keenan’s vocals, too. Again, though, we’re frustrated by a lack of weight and warmth. Keenan’s voice lacks some of its richness, and when the bass comes in it feels fairly inconsequential rather than the next important step in the track’s evolution.

We change pace with Cornflake Girl by Tori Amos, and the general lack of weight is evident once again. The lack of solidity behind each note combines with a fairly lacklustre approach to larger dynamic shifts to rob the track of some of its power and impact, making for an overall experience that is less engaging than it should be.

Switching to our first film – Deepwater Horizon – proves once again that the characteristics revealed by music are also present in movies. We are, of course, now listening to the full 5.2 speaker system and we opt for the Direct setting, which is far punchier than Movie.

The AVR-S670H’s energy and enthusiasm are present once more. The regular eruptions and explosions hit with exciting precision and there’s real zing to the debris as it pings around the drilling platform. There’s good dialogue clarity in all but the most sonically chaotic sections, too, so you rarely miss anything important. 

But again, we’re disappointed by a lack of weight behind each effect, and as water spews from a pipe we get lots of trebly hiss but miss out on much of the churning, glugging elements of the sound. There’s also a bit of a beaming quality to the delivery, with each speaker struggling to sonically blend with the one next to it, leading to a slightly gappy presentation that doesn’t have the natural cohesion necessary for full immersion.

During the sand cloud battle in Dune II, meanwhile, we find that the creeping steps of the Harkonnen troops are a little too subdued and that explosions and gunfire, while fizzily precise in terms of timing, struggle to stand out as they should in terms of volume and weight. These traits repeat as we run through many more of our test favourites, from Unbroken and The Batman to Blade Runner 2049 and Bohemian Rhapsody.

Verdict

The AVR-X2800H isn’t a hugely bassy performer, but it’s much weightier and richer than the AVR-S670H and still has the same energy and pace. It also supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, which, if you don’t want now, you might want to upgrade to in the future.

We fully appreciate that the AVR-X2800H is a higher-end receiver whose price might rise again in the future, but its price history suggests that the current discount in the UK is far from unusual and it’s quite simply a much better AV receiver.

More importantly, though, the AVR-S670H unfortunately just isn’t a great receiver in its own right. While its drive and enthusiasm are laudable, it’s too lightweight, dynamically limited and lacking in surround cohesion to provide a truly satisfying cinematic experience. Consider it a very rare miss from Denon.

SCORES

• Sound 3
• Build 4
• Features 4

MORE:

Read our review of the Denon AVR-X2800H

Also consider the Samsung Q990D

Best AV receivers: the top home cinema amplifiers we've tested

JBL has announced a brand new, five-strong range of AV receivers for 2024 with models ranging from affordable, entry-level to 8K, Dolby Atmos-equipped amplifiers. They join the new Stage 2 range of speakers which include new floorstanders and standmounters, a new centre channel, new Dolby Atmos height modules and two new subwoofers.

Back to the AVRs, JBL has opted to title this new range the Modern Audio AV Receivers (or MA for short).  JBL says that the aim with this new range of home cinema amplifiers is to "blend seamlessly into modern home interiors" and ensure they're "refreshingly simple to install, connect, and upgrade". As expected these new AVRs are designed to be partnered with the new Stage 2 speakers for maximum ease of use and compatibility, however, you should have no trouble pairing these AVRs with a surround sound system from another brand. 

With simplicity at the core, the MA series features a handful of useful features, including an app-based calibration system within the EZ Set EQ mobile app. This is a feature we usually see reserved for soundbars, however, JBL assures us that you can use your handset to accurately calibrate the sound to best suit the shape of your room. However, Dirac Live support is also on board which will likely be the more accurate method of calibrating these amps. These AVRs also feature wi-fi streaming and can be integrated into the Samsung SmartThings ecosystem – ideal if you have a lot of Samsung gear in your home.

While usability and sleek design are important, an AVR also has to sound good, and JBL assures us that its 75 years of audio expertise has played a part in the creation of these AVRs. JBL touts the use of its products in cinemas and recording studios alike and says that these new home cinema amplifiers were developed at the JBL Center of Acoustics Excellence in Northridge, California; so expectations are high. Each model features Class D amplification, although little has been shared as to what components are driving these new AVRs.

As previously mentioned, there are five new models within the MA range, each of which offers a different value proposition and feature set. Here's a quick breakdown of what each model offers; it's worth noting that power output is quoted, however that figure is for two channels driven.  

JBL MA AVR range breakdown:

• MA310 5.2-channels, 60W, 4K AV receiver – £499 / $399/ AU$TBC
• MA510 5.2-channels, 75W, 8K AV receiver – £699 / $599 / AU$TBC
• MA710 7.2-channels, 110W, 8K AV receiver – £999 / $799 / AU$TBC
• MA7100HP 7.2-channels, 125W, 8K (High Performance) AV receiver – £1399 / $1199 / AU$TBC
• MA9100HP 9.2 channels, 140W, AV receiver with Dolby Audio and DTS or Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support, low noise Class D amplification, and broad compatibility – £1899 / $1599 / AU$TBC

All models aside from the cheapest MA310 model include HDMI 2.1 passthrough for 4K/120Hz gaming with VRR and ALLM, as well as HDR support for all major formats including HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. However, on the three most expensive models, not all ports are rated at HDMI 2.1, with three of the total six supporting the latest specification. Interestingly, the second cheapest model (the MA510) gets the most HDMI 2.1 sockets with all four inputs supporting higher bandwidth signals.

As you can see, these models are more affordable than other JBL AVRs that we've reviewed as of late, such as the Synthesis SDR-38 (£7300 / $8550 / AU$16,999). In fact, we have a sneaking suspicion that JBL is targeting Denon with these new affordable, feature-rich amps, as these prices overlap with some of Denon's S-series entry-level amplifiers and even some of the X-series AVRs, including the AVR-X2800H. 

The new range of JBL MA AVRs is available to order now in either espresso (black) or latte (white) with both finishes costing the same. 

MORE:

Read our full Denon AVC-X6800H review

As well as the Marantz Cinema 30 review

And check out our picks for the best AV receiverss

Think of Denon and Marantz like two houses in Game Of Thrones; technically speaking they're separate entities, but they are deeply intertwined through family bonds. That being said, each company continues to develop their own respective AV receivers with their distinctive sound characteristics being the key differentiator. 

Both companies have recently launched premium AVRs, and coincidentally both scored five stars in our full reviews. The Denon AVC-X6800H and Marantz Cinema 30 are two eye-catching and, more importantly, great-sounding AVRs – but which one should you choose? 

Denon AVC-X6800H vs Marantz Cinema 30: price 

As we noted in our full review of the Denon AVC-X6800H, the latest model from Denon has launched at a higher price than its predecessor. At £2999 / $3500 / AU$5999, the X6800H is pricier than the X6700H which launched at £2299 / $2499 / AU$6190; however, it's worth noting that in the UK that price has already dropped to around £2799. Better still is that the Denon is much cheaper than the Marantz.

The Cinema 30 is £4000 / $4500 / AU$7900, which is a grand more in the UK and US, and nearly AU$2000 more Down Under. Unlike the Denon, the price of the Marantz is holding firm for now, so you had better be prepared to cough up the extra cash if you want the Marantz. Is the Marantz worth the extra money though? That's the question we're here to answer.

** Winner: Denon AVC-X6800H **

Denon AVC-X6800H vs Marantz Cinema 30: design

Sure, design is subjective – but come on, just look at that Marantz, it's a thing of beauty. Its subtle golden highlights, textured metal accents, tasteful side lighting and circular display in the centre cement it as the more visually appealing receiver. Even its remote is luxurious, with a metal finish and backlit buttons that are activated by a perfectly positioned side-mounted button. The Marantz's design is also a complete breath of fresh air compared to the model it replaces. It's a totally new design compared to the SR8015 which launched in 2020.

The Denon, on the other hand, looks like every other Denon AVR we've reviewed. Its brushed metal finish looks smart, while the sharp, boxy shape is functional if not remarkably attractive. Denon's signature styling is going nowhere, and while we don't have any concerns when it comes to functionality, it's by no means a stand-out performer in the looks department. 

While this factor may not wildly influence your decision, it's worth noting for style-conscious AV enthusiasts that the Marantz is the looker out of this pair.

** Winner: Marantz Cinema 30 **

Denon AVC-X6800H vs Marantz Cinema 30: features

Here is where things get slightly trickier to judge, as these AVRs have a practically identical feature-set on paper. Both support up to 11 channels of amplification, supporting a maximum speaker arrangement of 7.2.2. They also both support a wide range of audio formats, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X immersive audio alongside Dolby TrueHD, Neural:X and Auro-3D. Internally, both systems use the latest 32-bit ESS digital-to-analogue converters, as well as upgraded power supplies and transistors. The Marantz ever so slightly edges out the Denon here, as it features HDAMs (essentially amplifier modules that consist of discretely mounted components rather than an integrated circuit) which allows for greater fine-tuning by the Marantz engineers. 

Furthermore, they have a near-identical HDMI specification, with three outputs and seven inputs. All of the inputs are rated as HDMI 2.1 on both devices, meaning they are capable of handling up to 4K/120Hz or 8K/60Hz signals. However, they also carry a peculiar restriction of 40Gbps bandwidths, rather than the full 48Gbps we see on other HDMI 2.1 devices. We don't suspect this will be an issue, as neither AVR is missing any gaming features (both support VRR and ALLM), but it could potentially pose an issue further down the line if the next generation of consoles feature more advanced HDMI technology. That is, of course, a hypothetical, so don't let it bog down your buying decision too much.

Moving on to wireless connectivity, yet again, both of these amplifiers are once again practically identical. Both leverage the HEOS wireless streaming system, which can integrate with other HEOS devices for a multi-room set-up if you so desire. You can stream music from a mobile device via the HEOS app too, and connect multiple streaming services (such as Tidal and Amazon Music) to the HEOS app to use it as a hub of sorts. If you prefer a more direct approach, you can use AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect or Bluetooth to get streaming straight away. TuneIn is also on board for streaming radio over the internet, and both models are Roon Ready.

Moving onto HDR support and, stop us if you've heard this one before, both AVRs feature practically identical specs. Both support HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and HLG, meaning there should be no compatibility issues with hooking these up to certain TV or projector models that only support a limited set of HDR formats.

Rounding things off, both systems are a breeze to set up with on-screen directions and the microphone-assisted Audyseey system. Further refinements and calibration can be made via Dirac, although that incurs an additional cost. 

Essentially, these AVRs are uncannily similar to the extent that it's too close to call a clear winner, resulting in a draw.

** Winner: draw **

Denon AVC-X6800H vs Marantz Cinema 30: sound

This is, by all accounts, the most important category. Sound is everything when we judge an AVR, so how do these five-star amplifiers stack up? Let's start with the Denon, as it was the first of these two AVRs that we reviewed. It delivers a rich, powerful and well-rounded sound that is brilliantly immersive.

Not only does it nail the basics with a clear, rich and detailed sound, but it can also deliver a large-scale sound when required. During large-scale scenes found in the likes of Dune Part One, the Denon digs deep to provide a sound that is huge in scale and scope. It's effective at reproducing a sense of space, with everything from huge aircraft carriers and sprawling deserts presented just as effective as scenes set in medium-sized rooms.

It's also dynamically talented, adding the necessary punch to sudden explosions in Oppenheimer. That dynamism is reflected at lower levels too, with dialogue being rewarded with subtle tonal variation that really elevates vocal performances. In scenes with lots of background noise and dialogue at the same time, the Denon captures the atmosphere of the space without sacrificing clarity when dialogue is concerned, which is a major win for us. 

Furthermore, it excels in directionality and height presentation, making it a truly impressive performer in practically every respect. We could accuse the Denon of rolling off some effects in favour of its easygoing and rich characteristics, but overall the Denon is a stunning performer.

However, there is one problem that the Denon cannot escape... and that's that the Marantz is even better. Much like the Denon, it is rich and powerful with a smooth and rich sound; it also handles large-scale scenes with the necessary oomph. It's the Marantz's adeptness at handling spatial sound that really wins us over though, with pinpoint directionality when it comes to vocals and larger effects alike. 

The Cinema 30 also excels dynamically, with everything from the brash, metal-crunching crashes of Mad Max: Fury Road to the whisper-quiet ambushes that explode into all-out battle in Dune Part Two being handled with masterful dynamism. It also happens to be more musical than the Denon too, with a controlled yet delicate and considered performance that nails timing and isn't afraid to up the pace where required. 

Simply put, the Marantz steals the Denon's thunder, and while they're both five-star performers, we have to give it to the Marantz on sound quality alone.

** Winner: Marantz Cinema 30 **

Denon AVC-X6800H vs Marantz Cinema 30: verdict

We've said it once, but we'll say it again – these are two excellent home cinema amplifiers. If you opt for the cheaper Denon AVC-X6800H, we can promise you won't be disappointed as it sounds great and has a fully stocked feature set.

However, if money is no object, then the Marantz is worth spending extra on. Sound performance is the key attribute here, and the Cinema 30 is a step up in this regard. Its enhanced directionality and powerful dynamics make it more immersive and dig out intricacies in nearly every piece of dialogue or sound effect. 

** Overall winner: Marantz Cinema 30 **

Check out our picks for the best AV receivers

Here are 5 crucial tips to help you get the most out of your Denon AVR

And find the best surround sound systems to go with your new AVR

Have you recently bought a Denon AVR or home cinema amplifier? Perhaps you've had one for years and are yet to unlock its full potential? Either way, you may not have considered these key tips and tricks which will help you achieve the very best home cinema sound experience – but don't fret, we're here to share some nuggets of wisdom to squeeze every drop from your Denon.

Whether you have any of the Award-winning models such as the AVR-X2800H, AVC-X3800H or the AVC-X6700H, or perhaps you've treated yourself to the latest and greatest AVC-X6800H model, these tips should be relevant to you. 

Whether it's crucial setup procedures that will adapt the sound to best suit your room, or ensuring you've got the correct sound format selected, you'll want to check you have completed these steps to ensure you're getting the best home cinema sound possible. 

1. Calibrate your AVR with the included microphone

Denon includes a microphone in the box with your AVR and, no, it's not for karaoke – sorry to disappoint. It's actually used to complete the integrated Audyssey calibration system which Denon includes across its range of X-series AV receivers and amplifiers.

Audyssey is a calibration software used for a plethora of audio devices from across hi-fi, home cinema, and even in-car audio systems. It works as so: the AVR will send a set of test tones to each channel, which the connected microphone will pick up and measure in reference to the shape of your room in order to best adjust the sound. It will then set the speaker levels and distances according to these measurements, however, we recommend double-checking these values and tweaking if necessary. 

The setup process will ask you to set the microphone in three positions around your listening environment initially, however, we recommend that you continue the setup which includes moving the microphone to up to eight positions for more precise results. 

2. Let your AVR breathe 

A common mistake we see is people cramming their Denon (or any AVR for that matter) into cluttered entertainment units or, even worse, into cupboards and closing the door. While this may look neat, the truth is that your AVR will kick out quite a bit of heat in use, so ventilation is key to prevent overheating. 

We'd recommend not putting your Denon in an enclosed cupboard space in order to avoid this happening. Plenty of ventilation is required so opt for an open shelf or (if your space facilities it) a hi-fi rack if possible. The good news is that Denon's range of AVRs is gifted in the looks department, even if the design has been around for quite some time, so feel free to show it off in the open air.

3. Set the correct sound mode

Denon includes support of a range of different movie sound modes across its AVR lineup, so it's important to ensure you have the correct one selected. While content should in theory default to the correct sound format, it's worth checking nonetheless as you might not be getting the full Dolby Atmos or DTS:X experience. 

Press the button labelled "movie" on your Denon remote to bring up a menu of the available sound formats and ensure the system is in the correct sound mode for the content you're watching. 

This extends to music too, as if you're streaming tracks via HEOS, Spotify Connect or Amazon Music, the chances are you won't want the full cinematic Dolby Atmos sound profile activated. Clicking the "music" button and selecting stereo is your best bet for the most authentic performance, however, the all-channel stereo is certainly worth a shot if you're in the mood for a dramatic, encompassing experience.

4. Check you're plugged into the correct HDMI sockets

Denon has a solid track record of including plenty of HDMI 2.1 sockets on its receivers, with the latest AVC-X6800H featuring no less than seven HDMI 2.1 inputs, while the AVC-X3800H has a total of six. This is excellent news for gamers, as plugging a PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S or even a PC with a supported graphics card will allow you to take advantage of the latest gaming features such as VRR, ALLM and 4K/120Hz gameplay. These sockets also support 8K up to 60Hz, which isn't a revolutionary feature right now, but it's appreciated future-proofing nonetheless.

However, some models aren't as well equipped. Take the AVR-X2800H as an example – it has a total of six HDMI inputs but only three are rated as HDMI 2.1 up to 40gbps. The three remaining ports are the HDMI 2.0 standard, which means you'll max out at 4K/60Hz and won't get access to all of the aforementioned gaming features.

The good news is that Denon marks which sockets are HDMI 2.1 with a little "8K" tag, although that might not be obvious to all users. On the AVR-X2800H it's HDMI sockets 4 (Game), 5 (AUX 1) and 6 (AUX 2) which are the full bandwidth sockets that gamers will want to plug their consoles into, so beware of that when connecting your gear to your Denon receiver. 

5. Match your AVR with a complementary set of speakers

Denon amplifiers seem to share a consistent sound characteristic across the range, whether that's with the cheaper models like the aforementioned cheap AVR-X2800H model or the flagship AVC-X6800H. Each model we've tested delivers a smooth, rich and easygoing sound with plenty of warmth and oomph at the lower end.

Naturally, this means that they don't tend to offer quite the same level of agility and crispness as rivals from Sony and Arcam, but that isn't a knock to Denon as such. Personal preferences aside, you can pair your Denon with a surround sound speaker package that features a slightly leaner and more energetic presentation to create a better sense of balance. The Q Acoustics 5040 5.1 Home Cinema speaker package springs to mind here, as that set of speakers fits the above description perfectly.

Likewise, we'd recommend avoiding speakers that already deliver big, warm and rich sound, such as the Wharfedale Evo 4.4 HCP. Instead, they require an amplifier that offers a touch more energy and excitement into the mix, such as the Arcam AVR5 or Sony TA-AN1000.

MORE:

Read our full Denon AVC-X6800H review

And check out our picks for the best AV receivers

At What Hi-Fi? we are firm believers that the factors that make “good” sound are the same, regardless of whether you’re listening to music or watching movies.

Common factors we talk about in our test rooms include detail, rhythmic precision, transparency, low-end heft and more. But this week, while comparing the What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Arcam AVR31 with the new Denon AVC-X6800H, I was reminded of an incredibly important, but often overlooked ingredient for good sound: fun.

The reminder occurred when we were running the two AVRs head to head playing a scene in Dune using our reference PMC Twenty5.23 5.1 speakers – a package transparent enough to lay bare any audio hardware’s sonic character.

During the test, the Arcam was undeniably brilliant and delivered the same stellar performance that earned it an Award last year. 

The scene sounded wonderful, featuring a surprisingly gentle touch, that let the cast’s voices and quiet environmental details shine, with each holding a distinct audible spot over the booming background noise. This precision, clarity and control make the Arcam AVR31 a stellar home cinema amp I would 100 per cent welcome into my lounge.

But running the same test there was a key moment (don’t worry, I’ll avoid spoilers) where the Denon reminded me how magical a good sound system can be. The scene we used features an intense drumming soundtrack, that ends with a huge bass drop as a [redacted] rises out of the desert floor. This drop is where the magic happened, with the Denon's impactful delivery hitting the pit of my stomach and drawing me fully into the scene, despite having seen it 100 times over.

I wasn't the only one in the room to feel it either. All of us did. That's why we stated in our Denon AVC-X6800H review:

"The Arcam offers a more disciplined yet energetic approach, while the Denon’s powerful, gut-punching sound serves up Hans Zimmer’s score with goosebump-inducing flair. There is a greater sense of scale and authority through the Denon and that serves to pull us into the action with more conviction.”

The experience pulled me back to my childhood and the moments that made me fall in love with movies in general.

Feeling my adrenaline spike as Brian Blessed bellowed “Gordon’s alive!” in Flash Gordon while sitting in the sweet spot in my parent’s lounge. 

The hairs slowly standing on the back of my neck as Darth Vader’s raspy breath crept ever closer watching Star Wars. 

The bombastic joy I felt listening to jet engines thundering over Kenny Loggins' iconic Danger Zone while watching Top Gun (the first one) with my friends.

These are the experiences that made me love movies and the title's stellar sound is a big reason they have remained cemented in my brain for the past 30-plus years.

And that's why I was delighted to feel that excitement listening to the Denon, which once again reminded me how important the “fun” factor is, even at the top-end of home cinema hardware. 

MORE:

These are the best AV receivers we have tested

We detail the best surround sound systems we have reviewed

Our picks of the best projectors 

Anyone with even a passing interest in home cinema sound will know that a new Denon AV amplifier is exciting news indeed. The AVC-X6800H is the sequel to the What Hi-Fi? Award-winning AVC-X6700H which was released back in 2020; so what has changed in the past (nearly) four years?

While you might not be able to tell much from the outside, Denon is touting an assortment of upgrades under the hood, which means this AVR should outperform its predecessor while also delivering a smoother user experience and enhanced gaming specifications. 

That all sounds like a winning combination to us, but can this amplifier deliver the goods in the most important category – sound performance?

Price

Without diving into the intricacies of the global markets, we regret to inform prospective buyers that this year’s iteration of Denon’s flagship X-series AV amplifier is a fair bit more expensive than the previous model. It costs £2999 / $3500 / AU$5999, a considerable leap up from the £2299 / $2499 / AU$6190 that we reviewed the Denon AVC-6700H at in the UK and US. Australia, at least, gets a modest discount. 

The good news is that we are already seeing the price drop to around £2800 in the UK. Still, the price of the AVC-X6800H is in line with rival models on the market now. The four-star Pioneer VSA-LX805, for example, offers a comparable feature set for £3099 (around $3900 / AU$6000). 

For our testing purposes, however, we are using the Arcam AVR5 for comparison. This amp undercuts the Denon by a fair margin – you can buy it for £1999 / $2000 / AU$3995 at the time of writing. That, though, doesn’t tell the full story; if you want to match the Denon in terms of amplification channels via the Arcam, you will need to purchase the separate Arcam PA410 power amplifier for £1249 / $1650 / AU$3495. Which brings the Arcam package total to a rather more Denon-comparable £3248 / $3650 / AU$7490. 

It’s worth noting that in the US this model is an AV receiver (with the model name Denon AVR-6800H), meaning it has a built-in FM tuner. In the UK and Australia it forgoes this feature and is, therefore, an AV amplifier. All other features remain the same, as does – according to Denon – the sound.

Build

If you have seen any Denon AVR released in the past 10 years, this design will be familiar to you. The brushed black metal finish we have in our test room looks neat and understated, although the AVC-X6800H also comes in a dazzling “Premium Silver” finish that looks equally dapper. It measures just 17 x 44 x 38cm (hwd) without the antennae attached, which is pleasingly compact as premium AV amps go. It also weighs just 15.6kg, which is noticeably lighter than the aforementioned Pioneer and Arcam AVR models.

In terms of notable build features, the AVC-X6800H bears the staple asymmetrical source select and master volume knobs as seen on many other Denon models. They glide with just the right amount of resistance to make finding pinpoint volume levels easy without overshooting. There is also a selection of on-device controls tucked neatly behind a premium-feeling cover that folds down with a satisfyingly weighty motion. Behind this cover, you’ll find quick source select buttons, key navigation buttons, zone power controls and a socket to plug the included calibration set-up mic into, as well as a USB socket.

The remote control is nothing to write home about, but it is functional and responsive – although there is no backlighting, as you find in the Arcam, which would have been useful.

Features

The AVC-X6800H is crammed full of features, as are the step-down AVR-X2800H and AVC-X3800H amplifiers in the current range. Denon claims that this amp can deliver 140W per channel at 8 ohms, or 175W at 6 ohms with two channels driven – the same figures given for the previous generation model. We have no exact figure for power output with all channels driven, but Denon says that all amps in its current range should deliver 70 per cent of the claimed two-channel related power output when running five channels. 

The AVC-X6800H features support for 11.4 channels, with preamplifier processing up to 13.4 channels. This means you can use this amplifier with a full 7.4.4 Dolby Atmos surround sound speaker system without the need for an external power amplifier. 

Denon has also upgraded connectivity with this new model, making it a better choice for gamers over the AVC-X6700H. You will now find seven full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 inputs on the rear of the unit (up from just one on the previous model), with three HDMI outputs – one main-zone eARC connector and two additional zones to power speakers in other rooms if you wish to repurpose the assignable surround back and height channels. You’ll also find phono, dual coaxial and dual optical inputs too, as well as a wired network connection and two terminals to screw on the Bluetooth and wi-fi antennae – which takes us nicely onto wireless connectivity. 

HEOS (Denon's in-house developed wireless multi-room system) is, of course, included here, accompanied by a handy app to set up the system and play music. Denon is touting an upgraded HEOS AIOS 6.5 module, although it's not entirely clear what that upgrade entails. You’ll also find Spotify Connect and Amazon Music HD connectivity support on the AVC-X6800H, which makes streaming music from either service an absolute breeze. Tidal is also supported via the HEOS app as a connected music service for those wanting to tap into high-resolution music streaming. While it’s not included yet, the AVC-X6800H is also expected to receive Roon Ready certification in an upcoming update.

The seven HDMI inputs are capable of delivering 8K/60Hz or 4K/120Hz video passthrough with VRR, ALLM and the lesser-seen Quick Media Switching feature, making this an ideal amplifier for gamers with a PS5 or Xbox Series X. Movie enthusiasts are also treated to a full suite of HDR format support, with HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and HLG all on board, as well as the IMAX Enhanced picture mode. Sound format compatibility is equally well serviced, with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Auro 3D immersive formats all supported, as well as the more conventional Dolby and DTS surround formats.

Internally, Denon has made several upgrades. It features a monoblock design with upgraded power transistors and a new copper plate for enhanced heat dissipation, as well as a new Griffin Lite XP digital sound processing unit that can also be found in the step-down AVC-X4800H model. Denon has also included a new DAC system, incorporating two ESS Sabre DACs on a dedicated PCB. 

Finally, we are pleased to find how easy this AV amplifier is to set up and use thanks to Denon’s intuitive new on-screen menus. The new system menus are clear, easy to read and simple to navigate; most importantly, they put the Arcam’s awkward on-unit display to shame in comparison. 

Setting up the Denon involves a quick log-in process and connecting the included microphone to begin the Audyssey calibration process. This is a slightly more involved process than some other AV amp calibration systems as it requires us to move the microphone into different positions around our seating position in order to tailor the sound. The Denon walks us through each step clearly, though. This amplifier also supports Dirac Live for extended room calibration, but that requires both an additional fee and hardware that isn’t included in the box.

Sound

While the Denon looks the part and is packed to the brim with features, it has to sound good in order to earn our seal of approval. We pair the AVC-X6800H with our usual home cinema reference kit, namely the PMC Twenty5.23 and KEF Dolby Atmos toppers in a 7.2.4 arrangement, alongside our Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player. We are also using a selection of test discs from our library of 4K Blu-rays, including Dune Part One, Oppenheimer and No Time To Die, to test the sonic capabilities.

As soon as the Denon fires up, we are met with a sound that’s akin to coming home to a fresh mug of hot chocolate on a cold winter night – that’s to say it's comforting, rich and warm, but also wholly familiar. Truthfully this bears the markings of Denon's usual sound characteristics so precisely that we could probably stop listening here and tell you practically everything you need to know about how this AV amplifier sounds; but where’s the fun in that?

Starting with Oppenheimer, we learn a great deal about how this amplifier handles dialogue in a scene between the titular scientist and government official Lewis Strauss (played masterfully by Robert Downey Jr.). This Denon delivers vocal performances with excellent clarity while ensuring the character and tonality of each subject are preserved. The rich and detailed performance of the Denon does well to capture subtleties within the actors’ performances, while a bustling party scene later in the film features an encompassing murmur of background voices while keeping the main characters’ dialogue clearly audible. 

Moving on to a pulse-pounding scene from the latest Bond that begins in a destructive car chase between Bond and a pair of Range Rovers, the Denon certainly ups the energy – but perhaps not quite as much as its Arcam rival. The Arcam feels more agile as the cars veer and make daring high-speed turns, but the weightier Denon offers enhanced punch when said vehicles are tossed off the dirt road and smashed to pieces in a ditch. 

As this scene transitions into a tense chase through a forest with Bond being hunted by henchmen on dirt bikes, we are treated to a seamless surround experience. As the bikes zip by, the rattling of their engines travels organically around our seating position and towards the rear channels in a swift and consistent manner. There are no noticeable gaps in the sound as it makes the move from the front to surround channels, and we can practically pinpoint the sound as it shifts around our AV testing room. The helicopter that soars in during this sequence is also presented with a convincing spatial effect thanks to the Dolby Atmos height channels.

We round out our movie testing with Dune Part One, and this is where the most noticeable differences between the Denon and the Arcam become apparent. The Arcam is the more natural and accurate sounding of the two thanks to its more articulate and balanced nature. It doesn’t sound as warm or rich as the Denon, but it keeps pace with the dramatic worm-attack scene well. The thumping tribal drums that accompany the Atreides’ family outing on the barren planet of Arrakis sound snappy and controlled on the Arcam, with efficiently punchy dynamics; the Denon, however, delivers deeper, more guttural bass, while still remaining composed.

Both amplifiers do an excellent job of building tension within this scene too, with due attention given to low-level dynamics that allows for the slow-building score to develop. When the frantic evacuation of the spice harvester does start, the Arcam offers a more disciplined yet energetic approach, while the Denon’s powerful, gut-punching sound serves up Hans Zimmer’s score with goosebump-inducing flair. There is a greater sense of scale and authority through the Denon and that serves to pull us into the action with more conviction.

We also have the previous Denon model on hand to compare directly with this new version. There are certainly some generational improvements, as the AVC-X6700H is not quite as clear or dynamically punchy as the new AVC-X6800H. However, unless you require the upgraded HDMI sockets, there is no real need to upgrade if you have the X6700H – it is still an excellent home cinema amplifier. 

We play some music through the AVC-X6800H using Tidal over Bluetooth and also directly via Spotify Connect, and the results are as to be expected based on the film performance. Everything from Taylor Swift’s yearning Champagne Problems to Fred Again’s thumping electronic hit Delilah (Pull Me Out of This) is delivered with crisp, rich vocals and punchy dynamics. While the timing could be slightly better, the Denon delivers an engaging performance nonetheless. 

Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar soundtrack is a prime example of how the warm and rich presentation works in the Denon’s favour. The sweeping orchestral arrangement builds delicately, while the organ bellows with necessary impact. 

Denon includes an all-channel stereo mode on this amplifier, and while purists will perhaps want to steer clear, we can appreciate the encompassing, cohesive and bold performance it delivers, even if it sacrifices a touch of attack. 

Verdict

Denon has delivered yet another home cinema amplifier that ticks all of our checkboxes. Its bountiful feature set is backed by an intuitive user experience, enhanced HDMI specification for gamers and, most importantly, an impressive sound experience.

This one-box solution for home cinema sound is a product we have no trouble recommending if you want a fuss-free solution to driving your Dolby Atmos home cinema speaker system. 

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 4
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Arcam AVR5 

Also consider the Denon AVC-X6700H

Read our Denon AVC-X3800H review

Best AV receivers: the top home cinema amplifiers we've tested

If you're looking to upgrade your home cinema setup, Pioneer's two new AVRs should fit the bill nicely. Both the VSX-835 and VSX-535 support Dolby Atmos, HDMI 2.1, Bluetooth and 4K/120, making them a boon or gamers. They both play nice with 8K content too – not that useful now, admittedly, but it means they're future-proofed.

They both support Dolby Surround sound, and are compatible with the HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision and BT.2020 formats of HDR.

The VSX-835 is the more premium of the two, supporting either 7.2 or 5.2.2 arrangements (the VSX-535 supports 3.2 or 3.2.2 setups). It has IMAX Enhanced Certification, and supports DTS Virtual:X and 4:4:4 colour space as well as its previously mentioned skills.

Pioneer's IMAX Enhanced Mode is optimised to meet strict performance standards concerning colour, brightness, contrast and audio fidelity, and aims to deliver content exactly as the director intended. 

With both Dolby Atmos and its DTS:X rival, the VSX-835 is better equipped for immersive sound. DTS:X automatically adapts the audio to the existing channels and speaker setups, so you don't need to follow a specific layout. And if you don't have upwards-firing or rear speakers, DTS Virtual:X will create the effect virtually (though it's never quite as good as the real thing). Atmos does this too – with Dolby Atmos Height Virtualiser – so you should get enveloping audio whatever your media formats or speaker arrangement.

Both receivers use Pioneer's auto-tuning tech to calibrate to your room. A custom microphone compensates for differences in speaker size, level and distance, and equalises the response. They restore details lost from compressed audio formats like MP3 and AAC, too, and both have 4x HDMI 2.1 in and 1x HDMI eARC. All terminals are HDCP 2.2 compliant.

Both are available now – the VSX-835 for $499 (around £390 / AU$755) and the VSX-535 for $379 (around £300 / AU$574). UK and Australian pricing is still TBC.

MORE:

These are the best AVRs around

And the best surround sound systems

Then check out the best film scenes to test surround sound

February 2024 is over which means it’s time for yet another entry into What Hi-Fi?’s Pick of the Month column.

This month, despite an influx of devices passing through our test rooms, only two products impressed our experts enough to earn perfect marks. That makes this month’s entry one of our shortest Pick of the Month to date.

Without further delay, here are the top products we tested in February 2024.

 Philips OLED908 (65OLED908)  

The Philips OLED908 was first unveiled back in January 2023. But delays getting it into stores meant it went on sale only at the end of last year, which is why our review  went live only this month.

This is the first flagship OLED TV from Philips to feature LG Display’s What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Micro Lens Array (MLA) tech. This is the same brightness-boosting technology we saw on the LG G3 and Panasonic MZ2000. 

It is set to be replaced by the Philips OLED909 later this year, which was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January, but it’s a fantastic option for any home cinema enthusiast.

This is largely due to the fact Philips has aggressively priced the set to be in line with the LG G3, making it considerably cheaper than most competing flagships. The Sony A95L costs more than a thousand more, by comparison.

But it’s also because this is an incredible performer. When we put it through its paces in our dedicated test rooms, it performed admirably, delivering a bright, punchy, but suitably accurate picture in nearly all our checks. 

On top of that, its speaker system, designed by Bowers and Wilkins, offers brilliantly punchy audio, earning it a place as the second-best sounding TV we have yet tested. The Sony A95L retains its top spot thanks to its slightly more controlled, wider audio.

This led our testers to conclude: 

“The Philips OLED908 is due to be replaced by the newer Philips OLED909 in a few  months, but at its current price, it’s one of the best-value next-generation OLED TVs around. As an added perk, it’s also the second-best-sounding TV we have tested, only being beaten by the more expensive Sony A95L.”

Score: 5/5

Read our Philips OLED908 review

JBL Synthesis SDR-38

The JBL Synthesis SDR-38 is the follow-up to the What Hi-Fi? Award-winning SDR-35 home cinema amplifier. And, at first glance, it’s a bit of a hard sell. This is largely because the only real upgrade is a new HDMI board.

On top of that,  if you want to connect surround-back speakers and Dolby Atmos channels at the same time, then you will need to invest in additional power, such as the Synthesis SDA-7120 AV Power Amplifier, which currently retails for £3800 / $3849 / AU$8999. 

This makes it a very expensive proposition, especially when compared with our current recommended home cinema amplifier the Sony TA-AN1000. 

Why did it get five stars then? There’s one simple reason – it sounds fantastic. Getting it into our test rooms and pairing it with our reference  PMC Twenty5.23 home cinema package in a 7.1 surround arrangement it wowed us in all our audio checks. 

Whether it was playing Dune in Dolby Atmos, The Batman’s excellent car chase scene or Taylor Swift’s Ivy, the JBL Synthesis delivered wonderfully detailed audio that was full of low-end heft.

This led our testers to conclude: 

“JBL’s latest flagship AVR is a costly spec bump, but we can’t deny how good it sounds. The Synthesis SDR-38 is a home cinema amplifier for those who want to take home cinema audio seriously, and its performance proves that.”

Score: 5/5

Read our JBL Synthesis SDR-38 review 

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We detail the best home cinema amps we've reviewed

No, you’re not having a severe episode of déjà vu – this is a new AVR from JBL that just so happens to look exactly like its predecessor. The Synthesis SDR-38 is a follow-up to the magnificent (and Award-winning) SDR-35 home cinema amplifier, complete with a handful of meaningful, but admittedly limited, updates.

In fact, JBL has hinted to us that this is practically the same AVR, just with a new HDMI board, meaning it should sound the same. Of course, we’ll be the judge of that. 

Price

However, one thing that hasn’t remained from last year is the price. A steep increase for a board upgrade isn’t something we’re often receptive to and, at £7300 / $8550 / AU$16,999, it really is a lot more expensive than the model it’s replacing, which we reviewed at £6000 / $7500 / AU$15,000. 

The spending doesn’t end there unfortunately, as if you’d like to hook up surround back speakers and Dolby Atmos channels at the same time, you’ll have to invest in an additional power amplifier. JBL makes a companion to this amplifier in the form of the Synthesis SDA-7120 AV Power Amplifier, although that retails for £3800 / $3849 / AU$8999, and so would take the total price of the set-up to £11,100 / $12,399 / AU$25,998.

The Arcam AVR31 which, along with the outgoing SDR-35, we’re using as our reference for sonic performance, was initially priced at £5799 / $5250 / AU$11,495; although that’s recently dropped to £5499 in the UK. Arcam and JBL are sister brands and, in truth, these two amplifiers are uncannily similar.

Build

Speaking of uncannily similar, the Synthesis SDR-38 is visually almost identical to the SDR-35 it replaces. We have them side by side, and we can honestly say that if it weren’t for the name being printed on the front of each device, we’d have no idea which one was which.

Luckily, the SDR-35 was already one of the more eye-catching AVRs on the market, and so the SDR-38 continues that legacy. The matte gunmetal grey front panel is still a smart look, and it is contrasted nicely with the glossy section that houses the OLED display. You’ll also find a selection of on-device controls that can be used to adjust volume, switch to Direct Stereo and access the settings menu. 

Unfortunately, the settings menu only shows in full on the small display on the unit itself, with no option for an on-screen setup for the connected TV or projector. This can be frustrating as we often find ourselves going back to tweak levels or rifle through settings to check things for our review.

On the right-hand side of the unit, you’ll find a volume wheel that glides with a smooth rotating motion that feels appropriately premium. The build quality is certainly up to scratch, but at 18kg and 17 x 43 x 43cm (hwd), this is not a dainty unit by any means. Make sure you have a rack that can support this AVR, while giving it ample ventilation, and you might want to leave some space for that power amplifier depending on your speaker system.

Features

The SDR-38 features seven channels of Class G amplification, with up to 180W of power per channel with all seven channels driven. This can be used in either a 7.1 or 5.1.2 configuration, depending on whether you’d prefer two rear speakers or two Dolby Atmos height speakers. Alternatives from Denon and Pioneer offer 11 channels of amplification for less than half of the price. 

The headlining feature on this new JBL is the upgrade to full bandwidth HDMI 2.1 spec on all seven of the HDMI inputs. These support up to 4K/120Hz from the latest gaming consoles, and even 8K/60Hz, should you ever end up with a device that outputs such a format. Elsewhere you’ll find two optical connectors and six stereo RCA connections. On the output front, you’ll find three HDMI sockets, one of which is designated as eARC, while the others are labelled as Output 2 and Zone 2; the latter being used for feeding a system in a second room if you don’t plan on using all amplification channels in one area.

The JBL also boasts a comprehensive set of wireless connectivity features, with hi-res and MQA support via Roon, as well as Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Google Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth with the aptX HD codec supported.

Moving on from connectivity, the JBL supports all of the video and audio formats we’d expect from an amplifier at this price. That includes HDR in the HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and HLG formats, as well as Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Auro 3D and IMAX Enhanced on the audio format side.

There also some pro-oriented features for those who want to get stuck into them, such as Dirac Live room calibration – JBL kindly includes the necessary microphone for this. This is a much more involved process that requires additional computer software to set up; unlike other AVRs from the likes of Denon, Pioneer and Sony that feature fully automated set-ups by including a microphone that attaches directly to the amp. In our experience, the results from Dirac Live can be convincing but need to be done by an experienced user (the selling dealer, ideally) to get optimal results.

As was the case with the SDR-35, the SDR-38 also features Logic 16 processing, which is used to create a more convincing 3D soundscape. This process can upmix all signals, including mono, to 15.1 channels. 

Finally, we make our way to the remote. It’s practically identical to both the SDR-35’s remote and that of the Arcam AVR31, which is no issue for us. The remote’s backlight kicks in at the press of a button, making it an ideal accessory for our dark home cinema testing room, and we can’t spot any shortcomings when it comes to the selection of buttons.

Sound

JBL assures us that this AVR sounds practically the same as the unit it's replacing, and that's more or less true, although we have identified one difference between these two home cinema amplifiers. For today’s testing, we’ve paired the JBL with our reference speaker system – the PMC Twenty5.23 home cinema package – in a 7.1 surround arrangement. 

Starting with Dune in Dolby Atmos, we opt for the scene in which the Atreides clan ventures out in an Ornithopter to scope out the spice fields of Arrakis. Immediately we are struck by the clarity and spatial effect that this AVR produces, as evidenced by the conversation between Dr Liet Kynes and the members of House Atreides. The spacious, echoey environment of the aircraft hangar is reproduced with a grand and expansive sense of scale, while the conversation that takes place regarding the Stillsuits is packed with a tangible low-level dynamic flair that incorporates warmth, subtlety and (most importantly) character to each voice.

As the scene transitions to the titular dunes of the desert planet, we identify a key difference between this AVR and its predecessor. Despite being set up in exactly the same way (regarding speaker distances and levels), the newer JBL features a little extra bass oomph, allowing for a slightly more guttural and dynamic low-end. This is evident with the thunderous drum ensemble that accompanies the scene, which is delivered with a touch more punch and weight on the newer JBL. This helps to build tension in the worm attack scene, adding a greater sense of impact.

Switching to The Batman’s excellent car chase scene, we’re reminded of the best qualities from the previous Award-winning iteration of this home cinema amplifier. Everything from the cascade of bullets that The Penguin unleashes onto the car that he thinks Catwoman is hiding behind, to the snarl of the Batmobile’s engine, is delivered with excellent detail and clarity. The SDR-38 is wonderfully revealing, digging out all of the finer details we’d hope to hear from an AVR of this stature, making it well-suited to our reference speaker system. 

Michael Giacchino’s formidable score kicks into life with vigour, as the dynamic punch of the brass section elicits goosebumps, handled masterfully by the JBL in this instance. As the car chase tears along the Gotham motorway, we experience an immersive surround spectacle, as the titular hero weaves between cars and lorries. The surround effect is solid throughout all channels, leaving no obvious gaps between each speaker, while simultaneously ensuring that no speaker sticks out disproportionately.

Rounding out our film test with something slightly quieter, we switch to Interstellar, specifically the scene in which the team discovers Mann and awakens him from cryosleep. Here we can decipher how the JBL handles quieter and more emotive moments, as the team discusses the possibility of bringing humanity to the frozen planet. The earnest nature of the discussion is delivered with gravitas and a sprinkle of optimism and hope through the subtleties within the characters’ delivery. 

The SDR-38 transfers its sonic talents to music playback well. We described its predecessor as “about as hi-fi as home cinema products get”, and that's a statement we’re more than willing to repeat for this latest model. Switching to stereo for Taylor Swift’s Ivy, we’re rewarded with rhythmic precision and a rich vocal presentation, with plenty of detail to be found in the intricate string section that underpins the track.

The big question is: does this JBL outperform its Arcam counterpart? The answer is yes, but the differences certainly aren’t night and day. The JBL is a touch more powerful, and it shows with the enhanced dynamic control and punchier low end. If you’re looking for value for money, we certainly wouldn’t blame you for opting for the Arcam, but where performance is concerned, the JBL is the better amplifier.

Verdict

JBL’s latest flagship AVR is a costly spec bump, but we can’t deny how good it sounds. The Synthesis SDR-38 is a home cinema amplifier for those who want to take home cinema audio seriously, and its performance proves that.

That being said, we’re not thrilled by the fact that HDMI 2.1 compatibility has been added this late and at such a premium, and the existence of the Arcam AVR31 is a thorn in the JBL’s side. Nonetheless, the SDR-38 is a mighty fine-sounding home cinema amplifier, with undeniably impressive sonic chops. 

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 4
• Build 4

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Best AV receivers: the top home cinema amplifiers we've tested

Since a recent reinvention as the 'Cinema' series, the numbering of the AV receiver range from Marantz has become a convergent sequence. It starts up high, with the ‘slimline’ Cinema ‘70s’ model down at $2000, then rises through the increasingly less slimline Cinemas 60, 50 and 40, rising now to this new and definitely full-fat Cinema 30.

These ever-lower numbers indicate ever-higher models, and those models have been arriving on the market roughly in order of complexity. And with only two lower/higher slots left before they zero out, the Japanese AV team must be trying to cram it all in before they run out of numbers.

But in fact the ‘10’ was taken early, by the AV10 processor and AMP10 (but 16-channel) amplifier, the toppermost (but separates) solution in Marantz’s multichannel world. And there’s no word of a Cinema 20, even of a roadmap, we gather. The Cinema 30 is the ‘replacement’ for the previous range-topping SR8015 integrated AV receiver, and we note that Marantz refers to this Cinema 30 as being a ‘Reference’ receiver, something only generally applied to its top of the range.

They say 'receiver', and we'll say 'receiver', but under old-school definitions this is really an amplifier, because it doesn't receive radio through the air using an antenna. (Although the documentation on the Australian website currently says that it does, appearing to relate to the US model.) But in any case, there's web radio available via the internet anyway, so isn't that simply a 21st-century receiver?

However you pigeon-hole it, it seems safe to assume that this latest Cinema 30 is to be the highest all-round integrated entertainment machine on offer from Marantz in its current cycle, short of breaking things into two boxes and going AV10 and AMP 10. But those are £12,400 ($14,000 / A$25,600) the pair – and the amp uses Class-D modules for its 16 channels of power, rather than the more traditional (and for some folks also preferred) Class-AB circuits that are used here.

With the Cinema 30 fresh to market, we looked forward to all the latest tweaks, together with its vast selection of inputs and abilities. Let’s take a deep breath and dive aboard.

Power, and plenty of it

Interestingly, in a market often defined by power and channel count, Marantz calls the Cinema 30 “the most refined AVR Marantz has created”. But of course refinement is what we want, in home cinema as much as in stereo operation, remembering that this vasty tower of power will be servicing us for delicate music as much as space-ship explosions, and that it must handle the intricacies of dialogue delivery, not to mention the processing that splits a single Dolby Atmos data package into all those separate channels.

In the old days of surround, every channel of sound arrived separately within a soundtrack, each getting a channel of power to push it into the room. That is no longer the case. Dolby Atmos changed the game (along with other immersive formats, should you ever now find any, for they are utterly dominated by the double-D). Atmos delivers a stream which is broken into individual channels only when it reaches the receiver’s own processing. That allows a bespoke Atmos output to match exactly the channels you have available, whether that be stereo, mono, or the glorious spread of 11 to 13 channels available here.

We say “11 to 13” because there are 11 channels of power, but with 13-channel processing onboard, so there are two additional pre-outs which could be used to expand on the 11 channels of power. Add the ability to supply four subwoofers independently with genuinely variegated bass content, and you can run a system of 13.4 channels by adding power for those two pre-outs, or more likely for most users, 11.4 channels using the receiver alone.

So this might be, say, a 7.2.4 home cinema, using seven floor channels of conventional surround, four ceiling speakers to deliver the height element of Atmos signals, and perhaps two subwoofers of the available four.

Or, as we were to listen to it, in 5.3.6, with five channels of front and surround from Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series architectural speakers, a generous six ceiling-mounted height speakers, plus three massive (really massive, 15-inch) Definitive Technology Descend subwoofers, all gathered to entertainment us in the Sydney cinema room of Masimo Consumer (formerly Sound United, formerly Bowers & Wilkins Australia, etc).

On the Cinema 30, all the speaker outputs are assignable, so you can use the channels for whatever configuration of system you prefer, and the Marantz will process accordingly. You might need only five surround channels and two for height, leaving channels of power free to do other things, such as drive a whole second room of entertainment independently in stereo – there’s an HDMI out for an independent video stream as well. There are even pre-outs for a third zone.

You could use spare amp channels to biamplify your main front speakers, driving bass and treble separately, and so with additional power for stereo music as well as soundtracks.

Once you’ve decided how to use your power, how easy is it to tell the Cinema 30 what to do? Here we were well-prepared by having already spent time in our listening rooms with two of the lower receivers in the series, Cinemas 40 and 60. So we knew not to spend too much time studying the immense product manual, which can be confusing, both because Marantz doesn’t follow the conventional way of describing systems (so instead of 5.1.4 it will say just 9.1, which is more ambiguous); the manual also bounces you around between sections until you’re thoroughly befuddled.

No, we’ve learnt before just to get on with it, because Marantz has an excellent wizard built into the receiver itself, which uses your TV screen to walk you through everything, including wiring everything up. Obviously you’ll need to connect the receiver to the TV and to power them up to get this far, but we hope even a newbie might get there OK, if they don’t panic at the sheer number of cables you’ll be preparing to insert into those closely-spaced speaker terminals while trying not to invert or short anything as you channel your power to the correct locations.

How much power? That depends where you look and also how you measure: the headline spec used on Marantz’s websites is 140W per channel, so it’s pleasing to find that is a fairly hi-fi spec: it’s measured with only two channels driven, but full frequency range (20Hz-20kHz) into 8 ohms allowing for a maximum 0.05% THD+N distortion. But relax the parameters to one channel, six ohms and a whacking 10% distortion, and you can call it 230W a channel. This is why comparing watts between manufacturers can be a tricky exercise. You can, however, more reliably compare within a brand, noting here that power levels drop with channel count all down the range – the Cinema 50 has 9 x 110W, the Cinema 70s has 7 x 50W. So here you’re not only getting more channels, you’re getting more power per channel.

And it’s solid Marantz power technology, including HDAM-SA2 amplifier modules. What’s an HDAM? The original Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Module arrived in 1992 inside the PM-99SE integrated amplifier, and they are basically just an amplifier circuit of discrete components carefully arranged and put in a box, evolving over the years in search of higher slew rates and higher signal-to-noise.

The HDAM-SA variant arrived in 2002, and was a unity-gain buffer design for preamplification use with current feedback loop amplifiers; we may perhaps presume the HDAM-SA2 modules here, 20 years on, play a similar role, given that the company says the HDAMs "ensure the characteristic warmth and musicality expected from any Marantz audio product", while the power devices in the Cinema 30 are current-doubling Darlington transistors (type BL15N15A).

• Class A, Class A/B and Class D amplification: what does it mean for amplifiers?

Inputs & processing

Anyone in the know could identify the Cinema 30 from a distance as being a Marantz product, not because of the new company livery with its trippy swirly fascia patterns, but because it has that circular ‘porthole’ on the front, a defining design characteristic with which the company persists even though it’s clearly a fairly ridiculous place to put a detailed LED display. ‘See the TV’ is its most sensible message, early on during set-up, as if admitting its own inadequacy for displaying information.

This admission gets a doubling down by Marantz putting a second far larger display (they call it a ‘sub-display’) on the front panel, hidden under an old-style front flap, something missing from the lowest models in the range.

But we must say that this flap keeps the Cinema 30 looking much neater than the flap-less Cinema 60 we tested about a year ago. It hides an assortment of buttonry and socketry, including menu controls, zone source selection, the ever-wonderful ‘Pure Direct’ button, the don’t-touch-it M-DAX button, a handy spare USB-A slot, and the mike socket for the supplied room-calibration microphone.

Meanwhile the back panel is enough to warm the cockles of an AV aficionado, or alternately ignite technofear in a newbie, though we imagine most such owners would elicit at least friendly if not actual dealer assistance before setting up a complex entity like this, making all the connections and allocating all the socketry. But as noted, if facing such a task alone, the set-up wizard is a fairly faithful friend in getting you through the whole process.

So sockets a-plenty. It has seven HDMI inputs, or eight if you count the middle of three outputs, usefully highlighted, since this carries HDMI eARC (Audio Return Channel, the ‘enhanced’ Atmos-compatible version) to play audio back from the connected TV.

All HDMI inputs and the three outputs are marked as 8K compatible, so you’re future-proofed for the next generation of video, if it ever comes.

The receiver’s audio circuits can decode and handle Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, IMAX Enhanced (Atmos or DTS:X), and Auro 3D, also having the Atmos and DTS upscalers which can expand lesser content across your full speaker set, should you approve the manner in which it does so.

There are plenty of separate stereo and digital audio inputs, of course, nearly all of which can be assigned to the video of any given HDMI input, or to the three legacy video inputs: two composite and one component. Some socket types aren’t extravagantly provided: only two optical and two coaxial digital inputs, for example, just one USB-A and that on the front panel (the rear one is only for power), and we might consider the lack of USB-B to be a curious and disappointing omission.

The only input you can’t tie to a video input is the moving-magnet turntable phono input. But there are six line-level inputs on RCA sockets, and enormous future flexibility is gifted by a complete set of pre-out sockets, allowing you to use external amplification to upgrade any or all channels – more, in fact, because there are 13, given those extra two channels of processing.

There’s Ethernet and Wi-Fi to get you networked; there are separate antenna inputs (and supplied antennas) for FM, AM and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth. The inward Bluetooth connection appears to support only the base-level SBC codec, so we’d suggest you find a different way to stream, such as HEOS playback from your device.

Because yes there’s the huge bonus of HEOS here, a full wireless and multiroom platform compatible with any number of other Denon, Marantz and HEOS-branded products. This gives app-controlled access to streaming music services, podcasts and internet radio, as well as general remote control of the Cinema 30, and the ability to stream Bluetooth out to headphones, and to share any input except AirPlay with any other HEOS product in the home.

As for the speaker connections on the Cinema 30, there are more pairs of binding posts than there are amplification channels available. The main group is labelled for 7.x.4 (where the ‘x’ is the number of subwoofers, up to four). But additional sockets allow you to connect two different speaker scenarios at the same time, and then switch between them.

Let's calibrate!

Room calibration is available, and some would say essential as the channel count rises this high. Calibration can rankle if you’ve spent time perfecting your room, but few are the rooms which are genuinely perfect, and many are the resonant modes that room correction can root out and adjust.

It’s getting a bit out of hand here, perhaps, with five upgrades available above the included Audyssey XT32: there's a US$20 Audyssey app which allows you to adjust the curve, or a US$200 Audyssey MultEQ-X licence, for which you also might like to buy the dedicated Audyssey ACM1-X microphone at $176 on Amazon. But the Cinema 30 can also respond to the machinations of Dirac – either Dirac Live Limited Bandwidth or Dirac Live Full Bandwidth, alongside Dirac Bass Management.

The Cinema 30 we were listening to was calibrated using the included Audyssey XT32 and packaged microphone; this requires making measurements at some eight different positions to calibrate the room for multiple listening positions (we’re rather selfish and would prefer to calibrate to just one seat, but the option is not available).

We confess to finding calibration a wildly tedious process, though we always try it, so we were delighted when Adam Prangell of the local Marantz team offered to do that for us prior to arrival. We had headed to Masimo Manor in leafy Chatswood for this listening session primarily because our own listening room is wired for 5.1.2; it has previously hosted both the Cinema 60 and Cinema 40 for full testing, but the room's channel count is too low to take the Marantz 30 to its limits. So in Masimo's cavernous Chatswood chambers we met with Adam Prangell, who was ready to introduce us to, and then leave us alone with, the Cinema 30.

Listening sessions

We warmed up our ears with a bit of stereo and surround listening. Adam had the Audyssey correction already completed and saved to the first of two available speaker scenario presets (rather more of these might be useful for variations), so we were able to easily switch to the raw sound for comparison. We quickly decided that the Audyssey had here done its job well, in particular with regards to the bass management of the three individually-fed subwoofers.

We did enter the speaker set-up menus, however (see screen grab two pics above); we’re familiar with these from our previous reviews of the Cinema 40 and Cinema 60. Here we entered the menus and tweaked the Audyssey speaker levels just a little to hotten the rears and height to achieve a fully in-your-head sound for two very different test discs: the opening of Mad Max: Fury Road and the high-res surround mixes of Peter Gabriel’s ‘Play’ DVD. Both of these have a voice track which comes at equal level from all sides, so if you tweak until the voice is in your head, things are about right. (If it’s clearly centralised then you’ve got impressive tonal matching as well.)

Movies first. For our money, movies are relatively easy to deliver compared with music; it’s as much about the ability to deliver shifts of power as it is for tonal accuracy, which is hard to judge on a soundtrack unless you know your references well. We do know the intro of Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis well from our own 5.1.2 system, so were pleased to hear it upscaled to the higher speaker count here by the Marantz with an even wilder exuberance of surround elements, yet locked centrally with solid LCR and dialogue legibility. Bowed strings filled the room as the intensity ratcheted up the ‘Zarathustra’ build to his Vegas show snippet of An American Trilogy... it’s a symphony of surround, this intro sequence from the UHD Blu-ray, and the Cinema 30 threw every element into the required corner.

On to the marvellous mix of atmospherics and action in Alita: Battle Angel (UHD Blu-ray again), where the monumental subwoofer rumble in the opening minute charged the room fully with bass. The busy streetscape in scene 4 showed the Cinema 30’s ability to simultaneously deliver atmosphere – both an ongoing the street rumble and a series of pocket effects in the rears – while having plenty in reserve to blast out the dynamics and depth on the arrival of the Centurion police robot.

A big early tick for the movies, then. But music is perhaps the greater challenge for a surround system, requiring accuracy as well as allure.

We loaded one of producer Morten Lindberg’s latest masterworks on 2L Records, ‘An Old Hall Ladymass’, recorded which blew us away on first hearing as you can read here. Lindberg’s multiGrammy-nominated releases offer high-res stereo, Atmos to 48kHz and interestingly, Auro-3D to 96kHz. There’s not much Auro-3D source material available, nor too many receivers that include it as standard (though more of them recently, as a 'NewAuro' brand is rising).

But the Marantz 30 is one that does include Auro-3D as standard.

We had only previous heard the Atmos version. Morten’s recordings are made using a high multichannel mike array, and they are not merely immersive but experiential. When your system is right they knit your speakers into the high vaulted cathedrals in which they were recorded, and more importantly you are impeccably placed in the middle of the performance. This recording features some particularly divine vocals but also an extraordinary portable organetto courtesy of Catalina Vicens, with which and with whom we have fallen quite in love. We played it through the Cinema 30 in Atmos, It was a joy to hear it in an even bigger room, on more expensive kit, though the sense of space was the same, equally thrilling: the organ tone and the sense of high acoustic on Stella celi was outstanding.

We switched to the Auro-3D option on this disc, but the Marantz didn’t recognise it, outputting something less. We later asked Adam Prangell back in and he solved it; you have to use the ‘Movie’ sound mode button and select Auro-3D from the onscreen menu – and then, yes, the additional resolution of the Auro-3D version was instantly obvious in a still greater sense of space delivered from the higher level cues, a real sign of the ability of the Marantz (and the whole system) to discern and deliver such delicacy. Almost sad, really, as we may never again hear it like this.

Mr Prangell also alerted us to a ‘CI’ engineering mode which can be accessed by holding down the ‘info’ key for five seconds to display the Cinema 30’s IP address, which you then type into a browser on your network. The secret menus there are passworded to protect against those who don’t know what they’re doing – but if you do, we gather the default password is ‘cinema30’.

More discs next: it might seem something of a downgrade then to start pulling out ye olde DVDs – but we have a DVD music collection which is loaded with hidden high-res surround mixes, many in high-res DTS 5.1. Our favourite, hands down, is The Beatles ‘Love’ (it sells as a CD/DVD pack for about A$30, lots out there). Of all Giles Martin’s surround remixes, this 5.1 set is still the most thrilling surround release: we started with Eleanor Rigby, where McCartney and string quartet sit up front, extra cellos to the rears, filling the room.

But we were finding, to our surprise, that the LCR Bowers & Wilkins speakers weren’t giving music the neutrality or sweetness required; they were coming over rather brash. Thankfully we remembered to try the ‘Pure Direct’ button on the Marantz remote (it shuttles between normal, merely ‘Direct’ and ‘Pure Direct’); the switch briefly interrupted things before fixing that brashness entirely, just in time for a reference level blast of the brilliant and bonkers I Am The Walrus mix on this disc.

The ‘original’ of I Am The Walrus has recently been freshly rendered into Atmos for the ‘Blue’ compilation album re-release, so we switched over to Apple Music on the Apple TV we’d brought with us… the immersive Atmos mix certainly sounded nicely spread across the system, but it lacked the sheer exuberance and freedom of the ‘Love’ DVD DTS high-res version.

Should you happen to be a Yes fan with a surround system, we heartily recommend Steven Wilson’s 5.1 mixes, especially in DTS-Master Audio. We loaded ‘Close To The Edge’ and – again with Pure Direct engaged for best results – played And You & I at something probably beyond reference level, and it was stunning in both dynamics and clarity. Being merely 5.1, we could press the Marantz’s Music mode button to invoke a variety of upscaling modes – we thought ‘DTS + Virtual X’ might be appropriate here to lift the sound into all speakers. Effective it was, but not pure; things were far more precisely positioned and crisp in the native high-res 5.1.

Our preference for Pure DIrect presents one dilemma – perhaps we weren't so keen on the Audyssey correction, as we later established that Pure Direct mode would have been turning that off. So was it the correction removal or other internal cleansing that made Pure Direct so good? With no way to invoke it but leave Audyssey on, there was no way to isolate exactly where the goodness and the brashness were coming from.

What we didn’t test in detail during this listening visit was the entire HEOS section, the multiple zoning, and anything to do with video quality.

But as with the set-up and calibration, we have been through all those in detail in our reviews of the Cinemas 40 and 60 previously and so can speak to their effectiveness; aside from zone count and the power behind it all, there’s little variation here with the higher model.

In terms of music access, of course HEOS brings all the streaming services, internet radio, file sharing from NAS drives, radio, internet radio – a huge wealth of entertainment so that you might not need to plug in any music sources… unless you want surround music, as the HEOS implementation doesn’t deliver Tidal’s Atmos tracks, nor is there support in HEOS, of course, for Apple Music with its large Atmos catalogue.

Which is why we had taken the Apple TV with us. We used it to try the new Atmos mixes of ‘Band On The Run’, streaming from Apple Music (oddly missing from Tidal)… it was OK, but we were perhaps adjusting to the quality of streaming after the immaculate immersion we’d been enjoying from discs playing in the Panasonic Ultra HD Blu-ray player of this set-up. For surround music, the discs easily beat the streaming services for clarity of delivery, but the streaming services have the ever-expanding Atmos catalogue of new and remastered immersive music.

Once we’d settled into the streaming, we ran through some modern Atmos mixes, rather than re-mixed classics. Olivia Rodrigo’s awesome bad idea right? was a bit disappointing, not using a lot of surround spread, though the Marantz still gave it a thrilling kick-arse energy to match its own exuberance.

Hot Chip’s Hard To Be Funky, by contrast, is an Atmos delight, blippy and clicky all around the place, and warming those giant DefTech subwoofers through nicely as it filled the full space with groove.

Boygenius’ $20 is another immersive goodie, especially the closing section, which wafted over us with waves of delight. AJR splits their The Dumb Song beautifully into front and rear sections, leaving you centred in exactly the ‘world of your own’ that immersive music promotes. If you have a real surround system and haven’t yet got into surround music, man, get streaming, or get some discs, and get cranking.

Verdict

It’s the top of the heap for Marantz’s integrated AV receivers, the latest range-topper in a long line of renowned AV products, providing both more channels and more power than any lower model, along with pretty much exhaustive socketry (bar the missing USB-B), full streaming and more than full multiroom (via any of HEOS, AirPlay or extra zones).

It’s solid and pretty attractive for such a beast, and one of its most recommendable traits is that while its full manual is something of a nightmare, it has an on-TV wizard which walks you through set-up beautifully, making this most complicated of audio-visual products remarkably easy to understand.

The Cinema 30 is a range-topper for good reason, backed by decades of leadership in amplification and AV receivers. We reckon you’ll get everything you could hope for here, including the essential fundamental sound quality, and with plenty of little surprise bonuses hidden away.

• See all our Australian reviews from Australian Hi-fi & Sound+Image magazines

• Latest news on the April 2024 Australian Hi-fi Show

It’s been quite some time since we’ve reviewed a Pioneer home cinema amplifier, seven years in fact, and a lot has changed since then. That Pioneer we tested back in 2017 cost just £250 – something we can only dream of nowadays, as a quality AVR launching under a grand is a rare sight indeed.

That being said, we’re happy to see a new Pioneer land in our AV testing room, especially because since our last review, Pioneer has been in a spot of bother. Onkyo, the parent company of Pioneer and a Japanese audio powerhouse in its own right, filed for bankruptcy in 2022 but was quickly saved by Premium Audio Company (PAC) and Sharp – phew.

So, with a reinvigorated spirit and cash flow, has Pioneer come back stronger than ever? The VSA-LX805 certainly looks the part, as it spearheads the brand’s latest endeavour in the home cinema market, but can it keep up with the competition when it comes to the all-important sound performance?  

Price

The Pioneer VSA-LX805 retails for £3099 here in the UK, which roughly translates to  $3900 / AU$6000 in the US and Australia respectively. The US does have a model that resembles this AVR in both appearance and name, called the VSX-LX805 which retails for $2999. However, we can’t confirm if these two AV amplifiers are the same under the hood and therefore can’t vouch for the US model's performance.

We are using the Arcam AVR5 as our main comparison. Its cheaper, at £1999 / $2000 / AU$3495, but to match the 11 channels of amplification featured on the Pioneer you would need to purchase the additional Arcam PA410 power amplifier for £1249 / $1650 / AU$3495, taking the total to a Pioneer-like £3248 / $3650 / AU$6990.

Build

This Pioneer AVR isn’t the most attractive unit we've ever seen. While we know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, we also do appreciate an AV amplifier with some visual appeal as it will likely be visible in a media unit arrangement. It’s worth noting that it's a fairly hefty unit, weighing in at 18kg.

It’s a fairly unremarkable black box with sharp edges and a brushed metal finish that we find looks a touch dated. Looking around our test room, we find various Sony, JBL and Arcam models that offer more in the way of aesthetic appeal and build quality. That being said, it does perfectly match the Pioneer 4K Blu-ray player we currently have on our reference rack, and who doesn’t like some design synergy?

One aspect of the Pioneer’s build that we are rather fond of is the folding cover that covers the controls and front-facing ports. It keeps the front of the device looking clean and tidy, although we would have preferred it to be metal like the rest of the unit, rather than plastic.

Features

We’d have to seriously nitpick to find faults in the Pioneer’s feature set. The VSA-LX805 offers 150W of Class A/B amplification across its 11.2 channels, with a maximum configuration of 7.2.4; that’s an impressive claim to fame especially when it's all in one convenient (if slightly heavy) package. If you don’t plan on using all of that power in one space, then you can split it into three zones in order to power speakers in other rooms.

Connectivity is also a key strength for this AVR with a smorgasbord of inputs and outputs to suit your needs. You’ll find seven total HDMI inputs, six of which are HDMI 2.1 on the rear fascia (capable of 4K/120Hz or 8K/60Hz) and another on the front panel labelled AUX HDMI, which Pioneer seems to think is best for connecting a video camera. You’ll also find three optical ports, two coax, four stereo RCA and an additional phono connection for hooking up a turntable.

In terms of outputs, you’ll find three HDMI outs. These are clearly labelled, with one designated as the main ARC/eARC output, another as Sub and the final one as Zone 2; the first and second of these connectors support 8K, while the third tops out at 4K.

Wireless connectivity is also top-notch, with support for Bluetooth and wi-fi streaming across a plethora of services including Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast, DTS Play-Fi, Deezer, Amazon Music HD, TuneIn radio; and it’s even Roon Ready. 

In terms of audio format support, the Pioneer claims another clean sweep, with support for Dolby Atmos, Dolby Surround, DTS:X, Neural:X and IMAX Enhanced audio. Auro 3D is also on board, however, you may have to complete a firmware update (via wi-fi, ethernet or USB) to access it. HDR format support is a similar situation, with support for HDR10, HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Vision.

The VSA-LX805 comes with a basic but very functional remote. It features a button to activate an orange backlight which we find to be useful in our dark testing environment when using a projector.

Rounding things out with the surprisingly intuitive on-screen set-up process. The mic-assisted MCACC room calibration (Pioneer’s proprietary automated set-up tool) is simple and thorough, and while it can take a while, we find it optimises the sound to the shape and layout of our AV testing room well. Patience is key here, as at times it looks like the system freezes and produces no sound, but this is all part of the process, and it results in very few additional adjustments being required (in our experience at least). The Pioneer also includes the option to calibrate with Dirac Live, which will compensate for room shape and acoustics for a more balanced and lifelike sound, although that is a much more involved process and requires additional software and equipment.  

Sound

It’s immediately obvious that Pioneer has opted for scale over subtlety with this AVR. While that’s not necessarily the wrong choice, it does highlight some sonic pitfalls in the VSA-LX805’s performance. We’re comparing it to the Arcam AVR5 with our PMC Twenty5.23 reference speaker package in a mostly 7.1 configuration.

Starting with Interstellar, we begin with the water planet sequence in DTS:X. As the space shuttle descends onto the treacherous planet, we’re struck by the sheer scale of the sound. The rushing wind and swooping effects of the shuttle, as Cooper initiates evasive manoeuvres to reach the planet’s surface in the quickest time possible, are impressive, with the sound travelling organically around our seating position thanks to the fluid and considered approach to the movement of sound.

This extends to the dramatic crescendo of the scene as the skyscraper-sized tidal wave strikes the crew’s spacecraft. As the score's organ punches through the soundtrack, there is an impressive sense of dynamics that helps to add a proper gut punch to this scene. The sound of rushing water as the spaceship is picked up and tossed around is once again cinematic in scale and mostly engaging too, making for a solid first impression for the Pioneer.

However, it's the slower and quieter aspects of this scene that highlight the issues we have with the Pioneer’s lack of subtlety. As Cooper urges his crew to hurry out of the ship (and subsequently hurry back to the ship) we’re left feeling puzzled by the lack of texture or expression in his voice. What should be a panicked and exasperated delivery is instead left feeling flat and unconvincing. 

While punchier displays of dynamics are rewarded on the Pioneer, low-level dynamics are not quite as refined: the ticking metronome that is used to build tension in this scene is too easy to ignore, for example. A switch to the Arcam delivers a polar opposite experience as the snappy metronome is reintroduced to sublime effect. This is the first hint that the Arcam is the more considered and refined amp of the pair. Not only that, but we find the Arcam quickly betters the Pioneer in the larger scale dynamics department too, with a punchier and more textured presentation of Zimmer’s sensational score.

Shifting over to the grungy streets of Gotham City, The Batman highlights more of the Pioneer's strengths and limitations, this time in Dolby Atmos. While there isn’t much depth or texture to dialogue, they are at least very audible and we have no problem hearing dialogue over scenes with loud gunshots or the Batmobile’s engine. As the car chase transitions onto the motorway, we’re reminded of the Pioneer’s ability to deliver the necessary scale of action set-pieces, as the sound of lurching trucks and screeching car tyres envelops us. 

However, there is an unavoidable sense that sound effects have a harsh, slightly bright sound to them, as evidenced by the gunshots fired off by The Penguin and his goons. There’s a hard leading edge to each effect with little in the way of dynamics in reserve to follow through with, leaving us wincing at some particularly harsh-sounding effects. 

Furthermore, the Arcam injects more energy into this scene, making for an enhanced sense of excitement and tension. It’s certainly more agile and precise than the Pioneer, which seems slightly vague and sluggish in comparison. This scene also highlights how the Pioneer can become clustered towards the centre of our surround package; which is odd considering how adept it is at providing a fairly spacious surround feel. Sound effects seem to compete for dominance over the centre, left and right channels, which creates a congested sound. It's worth noting that this is only really noticeable when there are lots of sound effects happening at once. 

We use Dune to affirm our thoughts and feelings towards the Pioneer, this time with our upward-firing Dolby Atmos speakers from KEF connected. The scene in which the Atreides clan are introduced to Dr Liet Kynes offers a decent sense of atmosphere, with the reverberation and echo caused by the large aircraft hangar being present. Moving out onto the golden sands of Arrakis, the performance is practically what we expected. There’s more in the way of height effects, and overall the already expansive soundfield is widened. The Ornithopter zips around with a convincingly fluid sound, contrasted by the punchy bass of the drums in the background, which remain fairly controlled and dynamic. The key strength here is that the Pioneer can add these additional Dolby Atmos channels with no additional power amp required, making for a convenient all-in-one solution. 

Rounding things off with a test of musical prowess for the Pioneer, it should be no surprise that the qualms we had with the vocal presentation of this amplifier are a hurdle here too. We listen to Bon Iver’s For Emma in Direct Stereo and are generally unenthused by the damp vocals. That slight congestion rears its head here too. That being said, it doesn’t get anything overly wrong, playing the song with good enough timing and acceptable detail.

Verdict

If you want a home cinema receiver capable of subtlety and nuance, then there are better choices than this Pioneer. Its talents are elsewhere and are focused on exciting those hankering after a big, cinematic sound. If that sounds like you, give this Pioneer a listen.

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 4
• Features 5

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Also consider the Denon AVC-X6700H

Read our Denon AVR-X3800H review

Best AV receivers: the top home cinema amplifiers we've tested

UPDATE 06/02/2024: Marantz has pushed back the release date of the Cinema 30 and increased the price. 

Originally scheduled to release on the 30th of January, the Cinema 30 will now go on sale in mid-March. The original announcement seems to have been timed to coincide with the launch of the home cinema amplifier, but this is no longer the case. 

We've also been informed that the Cinema 30 will retail for £100 more than the initially announced price. Marantz has changed the price from £3900 to £4000, which isn't an astronomical leap in price by any means, but still something that's worth noting. 

ORIGINAL STORY 31/01/2023: Marantz has unveiled its latest home cinema amplifier as part of its reference series. The Cinema 30 seems to check all the boxes, with an eye-catching design and an equally impressive set of sound features, but this all comes at a price. 

Design is at the forefront of the Cinema 30, which is certainly apparent in the images we've seen of it. Its suave, minimalist design sports either a black or silver/gold finish, with a smooth midsection adorned with a circular display, flanked by volume and input selection knobs. Below this is a fold-down panel that lowers to reveal a second display, as well as buttons to control various features and settings, which are likely mirrored on the equally sharp remote. 

You'll find textured side panels on either side of this interface, which contrasts the smooth finish on the front of this amp nicely; while the contrasting gold accents look particularly fetching on the black model. There's even lighting along the edge of the unit, which should add some ambience to your film night, although you'll want to turn that off if you're concerned with light pollution. First impressions of this amp are strong, however, beauty is only skin deep – so what's under the surface? 

The Cinema 30 is built around a symmetrical, monolithic amplifier, which it boldly claims to be the "most advanced amplifier layout available in the AVR category". The amplifier channel on this unit is mounted on a separate PCB opposite the power supply. This, unsurprisingly, was a move made to reduce distortion and Marantz states it has been successful in this mission, as this amp is set to deliver "remarkably clean and instantaneous low-distortion power".

It features 11 channels of 140W amplification, ideal for a full 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos speaker system, while the 13.4 channel onboard processing with pre-amp mode allows for compatibility with external power amplifiers. 

Marantz assures us that "all aspects of the power amplification, power supply and signal path have been carefully honed by the Marantz Sound Master"; our expectations are certainly high. All signals (digital and analogue) pass through the Marantz HDAM SA-2 pre-amplifier stage to deliver the "warmth and musicality" that the brand aims to deliver across its product lineup. 

The Cinema 30 uses the Analog Devices SHARC dual DSP chipset, alongside a 32-bit ESS Sabre DAC. This pairing is set to include jitter reduction, as well as having the ability to decode a plethora of audio sources and formats, including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X Pro, IMAX Enhanced and Auro 3D. 

It also has Audyssey's MultEQ XT32 advanced room optimisation calibration system on board, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of speakers and listening environments. This is paired with an optional Dirac Live Bass Control calibration system which will allow you to connect up to four independent subwoofers.

The Cinema 30 also appears to be well equipped in the connectivity department too; sporting seven HDMI sockets supporting up to 8K (we assume this covers 4K/120Hz too), as well as sporting a wide range of wireless connectivity. AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Bluetooth are paired with Marantz's (and Denon's) HEOS wireless streaming system. It can also be integrated with Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri-enabled smart speakers for voice control. 

The Marantz Cinema 30 is available now for £3900 / $4500 (around AU$7515).

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And our Sony TA-AN1000 review

As well as our Arcam AVR31 review

Denon's new AV amplifier, the AVC-X6800H, is set for sale in the UK and Europe during mid-February 2024.

The new amp looks to enter as Denon's third-from-top AV amp, below the A1H and the X8500HA.

The AVC-X6800H features 11.4 channels with 11 x 205 watts of amplification. It will also retain features from the preceding model, such as the premium MultEQ XT32 suite of Audyssey room-correction software, and support for immersive audio formats such as Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, IMAX Enhanced, and Auro-3D. It also offers DTS Neural:X and Auro-Matic upmixer, designed to optimise older content.

Denon's new AV amp supports a range of HDR formats such as Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, and Dynamic HDR. There's also eARC connectivity on one of the HDMI ports.

For those of you out there with an 8K TV, all seven HDMI inputs and two of the outputs support 8K pass-through as well as 8K upscaling of 4K content.

The AVC-X6800H also features HEOS built-in, which allows compatible hardware throughout your home to communicate and wirelessly stream audio in multiple rooms.

For those looking to integrate this unit into a wider setup, the X6800H can be set to Pre-Amplifier mode, which disconnects the internal amplifier and is said to give a cleaner signal path and allow for more tolerance in the clipping level. You can also disconnect select speaker channels and use external amplification to drive the channels of your choosing. 

Next-generation gaming features such as VRR (variable refresh rate), QFT (quick frame transport), and ALLM (auto low-latency mode) are supported with this amp, meaning any PS5 or Xbox Series X consoles will display visuals smoothly and with a clean frame rate.  

The AVC-X6800H AV amplifier will be available through authorised Denon retailers for £3000 / €3500 next month. 

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Sony's five-star TA-AN1000 home cinema amplifier is back down to £849 as part of the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days sales, the lowest price it's been since launch. It's not the first time that we've seen it drop this low as Richer Sounds featured it at that price in August this year, however, Amazon takes the gauntlet for the best price right now.

Home cinema deals aren't abundant this Prime Day, but there are plenty of good options; that being said this might be the best AVR deal out there right now, as you can save £150 on one of the best AV amps that we've tested in quite some time. 

Sony's glorious return to the AV amplifier game comes in the form of the TA-AN1000, a spiritual successor of sorts to the STR-DN1080, another five-star amplifier that went seven years without a successor. That streak ended earlier this year when Sony released the TA-AN1000, and we were immediately enamoured. 

With Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support across its 11 channels of amplification, you can power a 5.1.2 or 7.1 configuration based on if whether you plan on using height channels or surround back speakers. Sony has also equipped this amplifier with an excellent suite of wireless connectivity options including Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay 2, Chromecast built in and Works With Sonos support.

Sound performance is, of course, the most important aspect when it comes to any AV amplifier, and thankfully the Sony excels. Punchy, detailed, precise and dynamic sound emanates from the Sony, resulting in textured and insightful dialogue and snappy, guttural and impactful explosions  - this amplifier offers masterful dynamics. 

It's also pleasingly energetic and engaging, heightening moments of tension in films and offering the necessary timing when playing music; try as we might (and trust us we tried) we simply couldn't catch the Sony out during our testing process.

There are also plenty of picture features on offer with the TA-AN1000, with a total of six HDMI inputs, all technically labelled as HDMI 2.1,  but only two of them actually support 4K/120Hz or 8K/60Hz. They all support VRR and ALLM, however, meaning gamers should be well-serviced regardless. This amplifier also supports HDR in the HDR10, Dolby Vision and HLG formats, but not HDR10+.

As Prime Day deals go, this Sony TA-AN1000 sale is one of our favourites so far, and while we're always on the lookout for more home cinema deals, we're confident that this offer will be hard to beat.

MORE:

Check out the best Amazon Prime Big Deal Days offers

Read our full Sony TA-AN1000 review

And read our roundup of the best AV receivers

Denon’s AVR-X1700H has had a massive 30 per cent slashed off its price at Peter Tyson, marking the perfect opportunity for you to upgrade your home cinema experience.

The X1700H was announced back in late 2021 as a more affordable addition to the company’s existing premium X-range of home cinema amps. The saving means you can grab the AVR for a modest £399, which is a cracking bargain.

Denon’s X1700H can provide seven channels of amplification at 145W per channel, supporting a range of immersive audio formats such as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

For those of you with high or in-ceiling speakers, the 7.2 channel AVR-X1700H can also be configured to drive a 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos or DTS:X system. If not, however, you can take advantage of DTS Virtual:X and Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization Technologies. These formats aim to recreate 3D audio via a 7.1, 5.1, or 2.1 speaker configuration. 

The X1700H features six HDMI inputs and one output, with three inputs supporting 8K@60Hz and 4K@120Hz video pass-through, and also supports various HDR formats including HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG.

VRR, QFT, and ALLM are all on deck for anyone interested in a smooth next-gen gaming experience. There’s also 8K upscaling on all inputs and eARC capabilities on board to deliver uncompressed audio via a single HDMI channel. Finally, there's a phono input for those looking to listen to vinyl.

Alongside the physical connections mentioned, the X1700H can stream music from services such as Spotify and Tidal via Bluetooth. Or use Denon’s built-in HEOS technology which allows the X1700H to stream music wirelessly across other HEOS sources from anywhere in your home.

The X1700H was already an attractive product for the price, but with a new price of £399 (£180 discount) at Peter Tyson, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a feature and input-rich AVR for this little elsewhere.

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Denon has announced a new flagship AVR, the AVR-X6800H, slated for a 2024 release. 

Based on the model number and included features, we assume that this new model is set to replace Denon’s X6700H, which is currently the brand’s second-from-top receiver available. 

The previous model was prefixed with AVR globally, while in the UK and Europe, it was known as AVC, so we imagine that this naming trend will continue with the new X6800H. 

Designed and manufactured in Japan, the X6800H will also include a number of improved features, including an upgrade from 11.2 channels to 11.4, with 11 x 140 watts of amplification. It will also retain features from the previous model such as Audyssey room correction and support for Dolby Atmos alongside other immersive audio formats, such as DTS:X, IMAX Enhanced, and Auro-3D. 

On the video front, the X6800H supports the usual HDR formats such as Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, and Dynamic HDR, while all seven HDMI inputs and two of the outputs will support 8K video. There’s also ARC and eARC connectivity available on one of the HDMI outputs. 

As you’d expect from a flagship-level AV product, this new AVR supports next-gen gaming features such as VRR and ALLM, which help to make your PS5 or Xbox Series X consoles display visuals as smoothly as possible. 

HEOS is also built into the unit, allowing for communication and wireless streaming of music between compatible hardware throughout your house. 

While we know that the AVR-X6800H will retail for $3500 (approx £2790), an exact release date is not yet known with Denon's site stating that it will be ‘coming soon’. We’ll keep our ears to the ground for any new info and update you as it arrives. 

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If you like your home cinema kit to look and sound both beefy and sophisticated (and what self-respecting AV fan doesn't?), Rotel's new multi-channel power amps could be for you.

Measuring 24 x 43 x 46cm, these are undeniably hefty bits of kit, but thanks to Rotel's trademark brushed metal finish and a series of vents on the fascia, there's something very sci-fi monolith about the way they look – at least to these eyes.

You would of course hope for amplifiers as large as these to have the power to back it up, and these new Rotels certainly seem to deliver on that front. The seven-channel RMB-1587MKII is said to deliver 155 watts per channel at 8 ohms and 250 watts per channel at 4 ohms, while the five-channel RMB-1585MKII is even more powerful, delivering a claimed 210 watts per channel at 8 ohms and a massive 340 watts per channel at 4 ohms. In stereo, they can apparently deliver 335 watts and 440 watts per channel respectively.

Other than the number of channels and amount of power they deliver, the two amplifiers are pretty much the same. Both feature a Class AB amplifier design built around two apparently massive, in-house manufactured toroidal transformers that supply 'stable current' to eight high-efficiency capacitors.

It is generally the case that with great power comes great heat, but Rotel has equipped both the RMB-1587MKII and RMB-1585MKII with four 'thermostat-controlled, variable-speed ultra-low-noise fans'.

RCA and Balanced XLR inputs on the rear of each model give you options when it comes to sending them signals from your home cinema processor or AV receiver, and while the amps are huge, they are also designed to be rack-mounted, with rack 'ears' available separately.

The five-channel RMB-1585MKII is priced at £3599 / $4199 / AU$4999 and the seven-channel RMB-1587MKII is £3799 / $4399 / AU$5499. Both models will be available imminently.

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Chances are your home cinema amp will sit on show in your lounge, so it's natural to want one that looks as good as it sounds. That's just what Marantz promises with the Stereo 70s, its newest two-channel AV receiver.

It stands just 11cm tall, which is substantially shorter than other models in our list of the best AV receivers (which average 16.5cm tall). Marantz says the 70s is designed to perform like a full-sized amplifier, with the brand's signature warm, rich, detailed sound (we can't confirm this until we've tested it).

It's certainly a looker. The design is typically Marantz, with extras like a backlit remote control and built-in display promising to elevate the user experience.

It has it on the inside, too. Marantz claims that its Hyper-Dynamic Amplifier Modules (HDAMs) will outperform traditional chip-based op-amps found in rival products, while its six HDMI inputs give you plenty of usability options. Three of these support 8K, which should make it future-proof. There's also support for HDMI ARC, doing away with the need for a separate optical cable.

It plays nice with 192kHz 24-bit digital audio and DSD files, so will do your music proud as well as your movies. Plus it has Denon's HEOS Built-In tech for streaming and multi-room playback. Speaking of which, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music HD, Apple Airplay, Bluetooth, Tidal and TuneIn are all supported.

Sound good? It's available this month in black or silver-gold for £900 (US and Australian pricing is still TBC).

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See how it compares to the best AV receivers

Check out our guide on how to set up your home cinema speaker system

These are the best speaker packages to pair with your new AV amplifier

If you’ve headed to the ‘best home cinema amplifiers’ section of the What Hi-Fi? Awards site in the past nine months, you will have seen the Denon AVR-X2800H proudly sitting at the top of it, under the banner ‘Product of the year’. If you went on to buy it, good for you – you now own the best-value home cinema amplifier currently available at its mid-range price point. But if you didn’t, the reason being that it was above your budget, you might be pleased to know it now has a more affordable sibling.

The AVR-X1800H (which presumably succeeds the 2021-launched AVR-X1700H) has just been announced and will be available next month for €799* (or €849 if you want the version with DAB radio built-in). For its modest price, it has a surprising number of premium features, including support for 8K via three 8K-supporting HDMI inputs; a number of next-gen gaming technologies, including Variable Refresh Rate, Auto Low Latency Mode and 4K@120Hz; and network streaming up to 24-bit/192kHz via Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 and Denon’s comprehensive HEOS multi-room platform.

Where its affordability compared to many higher-end models shows is in its channel configuration support, as it tops out at 7.2 channels, or 5.2.2 in a Dolby Atmos/DTS:X set-up. Dolby and DTS technologies are integrated to add virtualized height and surround sound effects to stereo and surround content via the two company’s upmixing processing, too.

In addition to those three 8K/60Hz HDMI inputs (and single ARC/eARC output) are a further three HDMI connections, plus two pairs of RCAs, opticals and a single phono input for audio components and turntables. Bluetooth is on the menu for your wireless playback convenience, too.

The AVR-X1800H receiver also accommodates two-source/two-zone audio, as well as Audyssey’s MultEQ XT room-correction technology.  

Last but not least is an 80-watts-per-channel output across those seven channels, compared to the model-up AVR-X200H’s 90-watts-per-channel delivery across the same number of amplification channels. The pricier Award winner also adds extra RCA inputs, an HDMI output and HDMI 2.1 support, though otherwise there doesn’t appear to be too much else between the two models. If Denon has managed to be consistent in terms of performance, we could well have another excellent, affordable AV receiver on our hands here.

We're still waiting on US pricing and will update this story when we hear back from Denon. In the UK you can get the AVR-X1800H for £699 without a DAB radio or for £749 with one. In Europe, the non-DAB variant will retail for €799, while the DAB option will cost €849. Australia pricing has been confirmed at AU$1199.

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Our expert pick of the best AV receivers you can buy

14 of the best movie soundtracks to test your system

Oppenheimer in IMAX is so good that it might have ruined the film forever