Denon AVR-X2900H review

There was once a time when legendary Japanese AV manufacturer Denon would update its home cinema amplifier range every year. Those days are now long behind us, which is why we’ve waited almost four years for the AVR-X2900H.

In that time, the shoes that this highly anticipated mid-range AV amp has to fill have only grown larger and larger. Most notably, Sony swanned onto the scene with the serial Award-winning TA-AN1000, which knocked Denon off the top spot.

There has also been a fair amount of stagnation in the AVR market lately, which makes every new release all the more important.

So, saying that the AVR-X2900H has landed in our testing room in a particularly high-pressure environment is quite the understatement. With it replacing the AVR-X2800H – a staple of our AV testing room and best AV receivers list alike – the X2900H has to impress. So does it?

Price

The X2900H is officially priced at £899 / $1349 / AU$1799, making it more expensive than its predecessor in the UK and US, but more affordable in Australia. The X2800H launched at £869 / $1200 / AU$2399, for reference.

It’s worth noting here that the version of this AVR sold in the USA is slightly different to the one we’re testing. It adds some key custom installation features including front left and right speaker pre-outs, a 12V trigger and an RS-232C port.

Furthermore, the UK version of the X2900H is the only model to feature a DAB tuner, with all other regions dropping this radio standard.

That said, this AV receiver still sits within the mid-range sector of the market, and specifically in Denon’s lineup it sits between the X1800H and the X3900H, the latter of which is expected to launch soon.

At this level, Denon is facing a rematch with the AV amplifier that ejected its previous amplifiers from our Awards list. Yes, the TA-AN1000 trudges on for yet another year as the sole AV amplifier in Sony’s lineup, but with a couple of years now under its belt, it can be found for £899 here in the UK. Discounts are also frequent, and we’ve seen it drop to as low as £699.

Design

Denon hasn’t been particularly daring with its AVR design in recent years. Much like the Targaryans in Game Of Thrones, or the Weasleys in Harry Potter, some strong genetic characteristics immediately identify this black box as a Denon amplifier.

The X2900H is another angular, brushed metal box sporting a rectangular display flanked by volume and source selection knobs, and a neatly organised row of buttons below it. Denon has made some appreciated updates here by angling the buttons upwards, making them easier to press if your AVR sits on a low shelf in your TV cabinet.

Subtle upgrades aside, this AVR remains functional-looking rather than particularly eye-catching, which is no great shame to us. That said, Denon’s sister company, Marantz, wins the AVR beauty contest – just look at the (admittedly much more expensive) Cinema 30 and tell us you disagree.

Speaking of which, the Denon has taken some inspiration from the Marantz when it comes to the remote. This simple-to-use handset now sports a side-mounted button that activates a backlight, making it much easier to use in a dark home cinema room.

Features

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 into 8 ohms, or 125W into 6 ohms, although that’s with only two of the seven available channels driven. It hasn’t given an exact figure regarding what the power output is with all channels driven, but Denon reportedly guarantees at least 70 per cent of that power with five channels driven.

It’s worth noting that Denon has its fellow Japanese competitor beaten when it comes to power output (albeit not by much), as the Sony TA-AN1000 offers 120W into 6 ohms with two channels driven.

Internally, Denon has implemented an upgraded 32-bit eight-channel DAC architecture for “improved imaging, clearer high-frequency detail and more confident low-frequency energy across every channel”.

The X2900H has also inherited a set of redesigned power capacitors from the company’s higher-end models, while Denon claims that the addition of silicon steel plates aids more powerful low-end frequencies. It also reports that unwanted vibrations have been reduced thanks to a new transformer plate.

Audyssey MultEQ XT makes a return for straightforward room correction, including automated speaker level and distance settings. Denon has also added support for the basic version of Dirac Live Room Correction this year, although it’s an optional extra that requires additional equipment to set up.

Accessing the MultEQ XT calibration system is a breeze thanks to the intuitive high-definition on-screen interface. Being able to confidently adjust settings without having to peer at the modest onboard display makes things much easier, and this will be a godsend to home cinema novices who might be setting up an AVR for the first time.

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.

Gaming is capped at 4K/120Hz, however, which will be frustrating for PC gamers with more capable rigs, and possibly those with modern OLED TVs that can reach 165Hz. Denon makes up for this by including support for Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), which the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S both support, and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Quick Frame Transport (QFT) are both on board to reduce latency.

There’s also support for both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, alongside HDR10 and HLG, meaning the X2900H should pass video through to your TV or projector nicely regardless of the make or model.

Wired connectivity extends beyond your TV or projector too, as there is a moving magnet phono input included for hooking up a turntable; ideal for those who are looking for an all-in-one AV and hi-fi amplifier.

Wireless connectivity is also solid, with streaming supported over wi-fi, AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth. Denon’s HEOS platform is also on board, which grants access to countless music streaming apps, including Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon Music HD, TuneIn and Deezer.

HEOS also supports multi-room playback, meaning you can tie this AVR into a wider Denon speaker set-up if you have the brand’s wireless speakers dotted around your house. Interestingly, Denon also plans to release a software update that will allow users to use said wireless speakers as wireless surround channels for extra functionality.

Sound

Actually, Denon has two sets of oversized shoes to fill. The Denon AVR-X2800H has just ended an impressive run as both a previous What Hi-Fi? Award-winner, and as a longstanding entry on our best AV receivers list, while the Sony TA-AN1000’s reputation speaks for itself.

We’ve hooked the Denon AVR-X2900H up to our reference PMC speaker package, trying it in both a 5.1.2 and a 7.1 configuration, and we’ve raided our 4K reference library

The Denon DNA is immediately apparent when we fire up Civil War. The military base sequence in Charlottesville is a perfect exhibition of the X2900H’s strengths; this amplifier can provide a broad, bold and weighty cinematic audio experience with ease.

The general bustle of the military camp is presented with a broad, spacious sound, while the grumbling engines of trucks and the meaty rhythmic chopping of helicopter blades are realised with an appreciated sense of heft.

Sonic subtleties aren’t sacrificed entirely for brawn here, though. There is still plenty of detail to be gleaned from the X2900H, such as rippling water and the faint chirping of birds during the conversation between Lee and Jessie.

Its warmth and richness leave the Sony feeling slightly thin in comparison, and that’s paired with a sense of space and openness that ensures the Denon presents a cinematic sound that truly envelopes us.

This becomes more apparent when we switch to Marvel’s Thunderbolts, as the surround sound effect feels more cohesive compared with the Award-winning Sony.

Sound travels more fluidly between the front and surround channels; a particularly striking example of this is when a smoke grenade deploys, and the sound of smoke filling the room flows to reach all channels in our surround sound system.

The Denon also proves to be a dab hand at music. That rich, warm and smooth nature that we’ve already pointed out is well-suited to stereo content in Pure Direct.

Kacey Musgraves’ Butterflies features a superbly textured guitar melody and sweet-sounding vocals, while Bad Bunny’s NUEVAYoL takes advantage of the amplifier’s excellent sense of space to balance the rhythmic drumming, brass elements, electronic instrumentation, and range of vocal effects. In many ways, the Denon does more to draw us into the music than its Sony competitor.

However, it’s not all perfect. The Denon can lean into what we’d call over-indulgence at times. The immediacy and agility of the Sony result in a much more exciting presentation during tense moments such as the Thunderbolts sequence mentioned above. Its snappier, crisper and more direct sound also makes everything – especially dialogue – sound more natural.

Those warm, smooth and rich characteristics of the Denon that we’ve praised are sometimes taken a touch too far, resulting in somewhat dull-sounding vocals, and sudden dynamic shifts (think gunshots or explosions) don’t hit quite as hard as we’d like them to.

This takes us neatly onto the bass performance. Denon has clearly tried to one-up its competitor by raising the bass performance on the X2900H, and we certainly can’t deny that there is more low-end this time around.

Playing the famously challenging Blade Runner 2049 chapter two sequence, the X2900H digs deep and throws out swathes of bold bass. In many ways, Denon should be commended for how it's squeezed this much low-end power out of such a modest amplifier, but it also seems to have missed the point in doing so.

While there is more bass than we know what to do with, and it’s also polite enough to avoid distortion, it unfortunately also lacks definition, tonal variation, and dynamic expression. The rumbling drums in the soundtrack's Flight To The LAPD don’t build here in the way we expect, and it all feels one-note and ill-defined.

This ultimately impacts the steady building of tension in this sequence, and while the Sony doesn’t offer quite the same level of deep bass, its more deliberate handling of lower frequencies makes it the clear winner in this instance.

Verdict

The Denon AVR-X2900H is a feature-packed and, broadly speaking, very good-sounding home cinema amplifier.

It fills in a few sonic shortcomings of its Sony competitor, though in doing so it also makes some of its own flaws more apparent. While we approve of its warm, encompassing sound, it is also lacking some agility, and Denon’s approach to bass has missed the mark.

Nevertheless, this is a genuinely likeable and user-friendly amplifier, so is well worth serious consideration.

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Features 5
• Design 4

MORE:

Read our review of the Sony TA-AN1000

Also consider the Denon AVR-X2800H

Read our Denon AVC-X3800H review

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