Review: Denon AVR-X3800H - A market disruptor!!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.ย. 2024
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Crown XLS1002 - amzn.to/35nEL2w
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i bought my x3800h 4 days ago , i calibrated it my self , and wow it sounds amazing . im loving it , watching movies is awesome . its great review brother .
This might be the most relevant review I’ve seen yet, nice work. Nobody ever demos with and without external amps let alone within the same brand. Can’t stand when someone tries to compare an avr like this to a trinnov or something ridiculous
I recently purchased the 3800 for $1,271. It's perfect with pre outs for 11 channels and 4 subs !. I have 7 external amp channels and drive 4 Atmos speakers 1 sub and Buttkickers with this unit. I didn't need to spend $3,000 for 150w per channel which is limiting headroom. Inexpensive upgrade for 4-8k and Dolby Atmos, my main objective.
One of the honest reviews. Thanks mate, orderd one today. Coming from 1700 H.
Been anxiously waiting for this one. Thanks!
Hope you like it!
Been waiting for this one for quite a while. After one successful update, got the same firmware error you did on the second. Held the power button down for 3 secs which apparently is the same as unplugging it. Recovered to completion and good to go. Hopefully it's just this one update that needs a manual power cycle... time will tell. Very happy with it so far as well although would have preferred a metal bezel but perhaps that's to keep it cool to the touch.
Amazing how prices shot up on these receivers
The X4400 could be had for $800 new in 2018- the X4700 is currently $2100 on Bezosland!
I assume the x3400 was hundreds less than the x4400 at the time.
X3200>x3300>x3400>x3500, I think prices for new remained about the same or a couple hundred more the first 6 months of release.
Big jump with the Xx800 series
Yeah, its crazy. Dont look back, it's depressing 😆
Guess there are several factors for the increase in price. Inflation being one of them, however that still doesn't justify the steep increase in prices. The other factors could be the new ownership and the fact that competition in AVR space has shrunk. From what I recollect there are only 3 major players in this space now and the new owners of D&M are trying to test if the market tolerates this increase in price. I don't think Yamaha has increased the prices to the same extent as Denon & Marantz.
Just came across this as considering this unit. Have the 4700 running in preamp mode with my 5/7 channel amps and love. BUT, this one will allow me to just preamp the 7 bed layer, and use the 3800 for my heights. Love music, so will use the 5 channel amp with my seperate stereo receiver, which has preouts.
Other new items in the 3800, like dialog enhancer, transducer ability, and 360 audio appeal to me. Dirac good, not sure would make that investment.
Kudos on the review, covered important features!
My concern was downgrading from the 4700, but hey you came from 6700!
I think the ability to preamp all the bed layer speakers and use the 3800 to power just the height channels is what really makes this avr such a great option. You get all the benefits of separates without having to buy a external amp just for your heights.
Thank you so much for your great review. It was very informative and useful for me.
Glad it was helpful!
I was laying carpet when i was young and my older brother was station in germany he knew i loved stereo equipment. i got my handson some really nice stuff because i got a Sansui 9090DB receiver and a set of SP-X8900 speakers and i went ahead and got the reel to reel for like $ 1300.oo !! brother shipped them to me. i gave him my bike 750 honda !! still have the speakers!
Very cool!
I've read on Audioholics that beyond the differences between the x3800 and x4800 price, made in Vietnam vs Japan, plastic vs steel front, couple more inputs, larger transformer, 2 more 12v triggers and 20wpc more with a monolithic amplifier.
There is a much larger difference that I couldn't find anywhere else stated. The x3800 uses cheap soundbar DAC's in it, 93 db vs the AKM 107 db, which is a 14 db drop. Not only that, using the x3800 in preamp only, you'll never get close to 1v let alone 1.5v.
So something to consider, the x4800 might be worth the extra money if you plan to just use it as a preamp/processor, much better sound quality.
We won't bother discussing prices, because it's disgusting all across the board.
The 3800 can put out closer to 4v in preamp mode actually. Also, as I said in the video, I could hear no difference between this 3800 and the 6700 it replaced and the 6700 had the AKM DACs. But if the DAC's SINAD rating means more to you, that's cool. I am disappointed it doesn't measure as good as the last gen but I look at it from a complete package and overall use point of view. Thanks for watching!
@@hifihometheater Well I may just have to pull the pin on the 3800 with the prices being absolutely ridiculous. If I can get 11.4 channels of processing with all the surround modes I'ld need, audacity32 and a firmware upgrade to Dirac getting close to 4v out, it's worth it. My next purchase afterwards is the monolith 11x (when they are actually in stock).
So save the $2,000 of my monopoly money in the end verses going with 4800 or 6800. I don't like that they swapped the DAC's, nor do I like the internal layout of the 3800. But the inflation has made these decisions tougher.
I also prefer the warmer sound of Marantz, but mostly for music listening only. The Denon I prefer for movie watching.
I upgraded from marantz slimline with akm dacs. I like the denon sound a lot better. Marantz was too laid back for my tastes. The Atmos just came alive with the x3800h.
sweet intro! Thanks for sharing your experience with this. I subscribed hoping to see all the different ways the 4 subs can be used. Also, interested in auro 3d upconvert experience you have.
Adding a third or fourth sub is my next upgrade and I plan on doing a video for it. I will check out the Auro unmixed and report back. Thanks!
Hi there, I just want to ask did you make sure you switched of the internal amplifiers on the Denon when you hooked up the external amplifier. Because if you haven’t then you won’t get much change in sound quality as the Denon at the same time still is providing power to your speakers in use.
Many thanks.
Yes, I had those channels set to preamp only.
The Sony AZ3000ES has a 5 year warranty a bit more power and is heavier. I would assume the Sony has a much more beefier power supply in a larger case that may help with cooling. Sony’s spacial sound mapping also gets great reviews. Sony would probably be my choice. It is missing some features that the Denon has but if you don’t care for those features then I wouldn’t even consider them. My tv nor the type of tv I would be interested in buying does not support HDR10+ and I don’t have Spotify or Roon so those features just don’t matter to me.
Sonys new AVR's with their Spacial Mapping do look like a nice option! Thanks for your comment!
Thank you very much for the review! I have been waiting on this it seems like months. lol. One thing though. Only 360p quality? That's weird to me in 2022. Thanks again for the review though.
Its HD now. I guess TH-cam was still processing the HD resolution. Thanks for watching and commenting!
eARC keeps switching the Denon on and off. I have tried everything but cannot figure out why it does this. Sttings on the TV has disappeared as well
I just have svs bookshelf speakers svs center channel and sb 1000 subwoofer for this 3800h
On Andrew Robinson's channel, he mentioned that for music listening the highs start to sound a bit forward, strained and "crunchy" when the volume is turned up. He also did not care for this unit's 2 channel performance. On another channel the highs were called "edgy" and not as smooth as others.
Do you have any comments about this?
I think if you push the internal amps too hard they can probably start to sound harsh. As a processor, the sound is neutral and not warm like Marantz with their HDAM buffers.
Nice review Brian. Would love to hear your thoughts about Audyssey MultEQ-X software in another review.
I did want to make a video on it but I ended up selling the 3800 and went to a Anthem AVM 70. I do recommend MultEQ-X though, I was really happy with it functionally and the results it gave me.
Hi
After watched your video I bought new Denon 3800 yesterday. I am setting up now.
Past I was using Onkyo TXNR 636 + Firetv 4KMAX for Netflix, Prime and VLC player for downloaded 4K Atmos Content.
Now I am upgrading Receiver and adding 4 ceiling speakers for Auro3D
I need your suggestion do I need to upgrade VLC to PLEX and FireTV 4K MAX to NVidia Shield Pro to get Atmos and Auro3D ?
My confusion is When Denon AVR has all features VLC and FireTV pass through Audio then what is the need of Plex and Nvidia.
Im not familiar with using VLC/ FireTV for atmos playback. Plex with the Shield will do it. I personally use a Zidoo player for my stored movie files and dont use Auro3D so I dont think I will be much help with this, sorry. Congrats on the Denon 3800!
Thanks for the review. I've a Yamaha 3070 and i want to change. Do you think the Denon would bé a good choice ? I'm in 5.2.4 Dali Rubicon LCR on thé front and Klipsch for the atmos and surround. I've 2 atoll amplifier that i could change too if needed. Thanks for your work.
Im not familiar with that Yamaha so I can't really say if you would like the 3800 more but if the 3800 has the features you want, it is a great choice.
I have a DenonX4000. I need to upgrade soon. How does X3800 compare to Onkyo RZ50? Bang for buck $$$ it a hard one.....any suggestions cons pros.
I don't have any experience with that Onkyo but I think you know which one I would recommend based on my experience and the capabilities I need
3800 owner. Thanks for the review. Mic crackle from rubbing against your t-shirt is annoying.
Sorry about that. Yeah, i know. I didnt realize it till I was done recording. I will prevent it next time
I have a denon 6700 for my home theater, I was thinking of buying the denon 3800 or the Marantz cinema 50 for my home theater and using the 6700 for a whole home music solution . Any thoughts if this is a good idea?
If you need the additional subwoofer/transducer outputs and/or you want to use Dirac, I would say go for it. Otherwise, I would stay with the 6700.
Nice review. I use mine for both home theater and vinyl. Small room. I love my phono amp for vinyl so plan using that and I don’t have much space for a stereo or integrated for my vinyl at the moment so wondering what you think about using the Denon for vinyl playback? Sound wise. Thanks!
I think it will sound great as long as you are using your external phono preamp. I have not tested the phono on the 3800 but the one on the 6700 that this replaced was just OK at best. Even a cheap external like a Schiit Mani is much better
@@hifihometheater awesome. Thanks a lot!
Nice review, ty I did not like that u have to buy the Dirac. Are the channels frequency tweakable as a whole of separately?
with the $20 Audyseey app, You can tweak each channel. With the $200 PC Audysset X app, you can tweak individual and all together.
Excellent video! It helps a little in my dilemma. I'm seriously in between this one (for 1250€) and ONKYO TX-NR7100 (for 1100€) to pair with my new Monitor Audio bronze 5.1.2. HCP. which is better, music and video sound wise?
or should I be looking at an equivalent Marantz in the price range?
I’m not familiar with any Onkyo AVRs. I prefer the equivalent Denon model to Marantz. Don’t care for Marantz house sound
Just bought the denon 3800H after watching your video, my room is just 13 feet long , which 5.1 speakers do you recommend ? And also what size of sub do you recommend ( will 12 inch sub be an over kill)
Lots of speakers options. Just depends on
Your budget. Definitely consider at least two subs though for smoother response
Hi, I have a denon 930H….I run definitive bp9060’s, cs9080, svs pb2000, and 2 Def tech rears. Will my speakers sound better if I upgraded to this new receiver? Thanks.
That's hard to say. I have never heard the 930H. The 3800 has better room correction with XT32. From just a power and spl standpoint, you may not hear a huge difference. But, you should get better subwoofer equalization and the 3800 does have features the 930H does not. If either of those interests you, I would recommend giving the 3800 a test drive. Thanks for watching!
@@hifihometheater I also have a S930H and just purchased the x3800h! If you’d like, I can let you know what differences I detect once it comes in. Crazy thing is my additional height speakers will be here before it…just taunting me lol
What is the difference between the 4800 and the 3800?
PRICE! A few more watts, and one is made in Japan, the other in Vietnam.
also, the front on the 3800 is plastic with no drop down cover and controls. The 4800 front is metal and looks nicer. the nobs seem nicer as well
Hey, does the volume goes up and down erratically when you press and keep pressed the volume buttons like on the older models? I hate that the volume can jump very quickly from a lower volume to a much much higher volume on the older models like the X2600H.
yes. i hate it!
@@walterstrikes its still the same on the x3600h or do you have an older model like me?
hello what is the difference between the AVC and the AVR .... 3800h thank you very much likes 👍
I beleive the AVC models do not have a AM/FM tuner
@@hifihometheater ok thanks for messages good evening 👍
Hi. Just got the x3800h. I am trying to do a 7.1.4 set up but it would not allow me to do so without a pre-out to "Surrount Back, TOp Rear, or Front". Were you able to do 7.1.4 without a second amp?
it only has 9 internal amps so you will need a external amp to run 11 channels (7.1.4)
@@hifihometheater but you mentioned in your video that you were able to do 7.1.4 without an external amplifier?
@@gavinlim3143 Nowhere in the video did I say I did 7.1.4 without an amp. I said I ran all the channels off the 3800 "except the rear atmos channels". Any mention of not using an amp was in comparison to using an external amp.
@hifihometheater sorry i missed that. But i was able to run all 11 channels without external amplifier. 😀
You can do a 7.1.2 without an amp. Or a 7.4.2, I believe.
With the Audyssey X software, are you able to see what EQ it is applying to the subs and control that at all? I've had Audyssey do some wacky stuff to subwoofers, like try to boost giant nulls and eat all my headroom etc. Is it easy to put a Toole curve in and such?
It's very easy to add curves and you can see how your subs actually measure so you'll know if a null will get boosted
Just got this receiver and listening to music i wonder if there's a better option for 1000 to 1500 euro's. Movies sound great, clear, detailed sound but the dac in this amp seems to be the bottleneck for a better experience listening to music. Are the dacs in the Marantz 50 or pioneer 505 better for Tidal etc...? Maybe the Onkyo rz50 also is a better option?
The DAC in the 3800 is pretty much audibly transparent. Are you using Audyssey when listening to music? I havent heard those other AVR's.
@@hifihometheater i didn't run the calibration, all did it manual but tidal master and dolby atmos music still sounds not natural, bright or metal sounding is the best description i think, i have an arcam analog amp, maybe use fronts with the pre amp out is the way to get it better?....
@@joshNld Its pretty neutral sounding on its own. I would run calibration
@@hifihometheater i did run calibration and for movies it's beautiful but most don't advice it for music. I'm not convinced yet but i appreciate your feedback. It's also hard to find info on what dac every receiver uses.
@@joshNld I dont subscribe to the idea of turning off room correction for music. Every setup needs some form of room correction to sound best. This practice has never made sense to me. I usually make a bit different EQ profile for music but I never listen with EQ off.
Would you go with x3800h or x4700h?
Same question? What did u get?
The 3800
You don't really need to pay so much to get a good sound, but a better replacement for the X6700H would be the X4800H, which is also made in Japan with better components.
please I can't translate to portuguese
I can’t either. Sorry.
@@hifihometheater Could you describe in a few words what you think of Denon? Is it worth putting power on its pre-out outputs?
@@amigosdohometheater5140 With external amplification; I think its hard to beat at its price, especially when its on sale. I upgraded to the Anthem AVM70 which I feel is a noticeable step up but it's also more than double the cost.
Update with separates please!
A market disruptor? 😂😂😂
Can you name another avr or pre-pro with all the capabilities this has for near the same price?
it can't do proper Dolby 4.2.4 for laserdisc using traditional Dolby pro-logic which has been abandoned by so called Dolby labs . yeah , your all stuck with a lemon called Dolby dsu . there is easy hope . but why should i , point this out ? my home THX cinema is geared up for all sound formats ,
vhs
d-vhs d-theatre
laserdisc
dvd
hd-dvd
blu
uhd
mono
mono academy
stereo
Dolby Stereo 4.2.4 MP
Dolby EX
Dolby pro-logic II
Dolby pro-logic IIx
Dolby dsu
Dolby Atmos
dts
dts ES
dts x
auro3d
the overhead surrounds are modified beyond the common standard to do much far more sound excitement
plus a lot more besides all the above as ex retired cinema projectionist UCI and warner bros , i have few tricks up my sleeve
all i know though listening with Dolby dsu , i know it is bit flawed and the so called firmware that fixed that leakage of common centre leaking into the surrounds . well the centre itself is rather flawed it has a dreadful whooshy effect . when using proper Dolby pro-logic that is all analog it is night and day . too much stuffed onto these dsp chips got to expect some flaw . now the flaw maybe isolated to Denon AVC-X8500H ? i still have amarantz SR6012 if i can be bothered to set it up and compare the Dolby dsu to see if the flaw is still there in centre channel ? or if it leaks centre to surrounds as the SR6012 not had any firmware update since i got it around late 2018 ?
it makes no difference about dsu flaw . it can not do proper 4.2.4 with LCR and MS . so there is way . get pro-logic connect to the inputs on 8ch . is that in anyway unclear ? now do it . and throw that atmos discs in bin , rubbish near field mixes they are .
laserdisc uses theatrical dynamic range . blu/uhd is waste of time with movies to compare with old ones and atmos being used to cash cow milk for . overhead surround , how sad .
ASR review with measurements are now vailable. Perfprmance is far below previous Denon standards. Better to stay away of this AVR. I hope the X4800H will do better.
what "performance" are you speaking of? The measurement differences you are talking about are not even audible. People need to understand what they are reading before making decisions based on one persons opinion. Mine included
@@hifihometheater Scientific measurements are not opinions, they are facts. And the fact is that the x3800H has 20dB lower SINAD than the x3700H. It's not audible but a clear indication of an inferior product.
@@ebarbie5016 It is not an indication of an inferior product. It is operating exactly as intended. The fact is still that you cannot hear the difference. If you want to buy something else just so you can go on ASR and flex your inaudible SINAD score, go for it. But dont mislead others into choosing a product that doesn't have the features they want based on something they wont hear and dont care about
Here is some reading for you and anyone else dismissing this AVR based on its SINAD score
headphones.com/community/reviews-learning-and-news/evaluating-sinad-why-its-not-important
www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/audibility-thresholds-of-amp-and-dac-measurements.5734/
www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/what-matters-about-sinad-measurements.7375/
Thanks for joining the discussion
@@hifihometheater this “Barbie” guy trolls all enthusiast YT channels peddling himself as an authority on what your preferences should be and what you should value in AVR gear. The ASR group are engineers interested in measurements. That’s what they value, and that’s perfectly fine. But largely nobody cares about measurements unless you’re into bragging about that stuff. They don’t see the “forest from the trees”.
Great channel, and appreciate your thoughts on the unit!
@@cpg8000 Thanks for letting me know that. Im going to leave this post up anyway because I see a lot of this going on. I have no issue with people choosing not to buy something based on whatever reason they want. What I dont like to see is posts like this that wrongfully advise the purchasing decision of those who may not understand these measurements or the agenda of the site where they come from. If you want to poo poo something based on principle regardless if you can actually hear it or not, go right ahead, but it is disingenuous to go around pressuring others to do the same while cloaking your reasoning as something that will negatively effect them.
Great job, Brian!
Good luck with your channel.
Rgb@avs
Thank you!
Hai i am from India and am planning to buy the 3800H , your video gives me the confidence to go ahead ( yet to be launched in India ) as usual great informative video , so according to your video you are using the arandel 1723 monitor speakers for the front stage and as the side and rear surrounds , if i am not mistaken these are 4 OHMS speakers , so my question is have messed with the internal OHM selection ( 4 to 8 ohms ) on the AVR or are you running it as it is ? I find i hard to believe that an AVR with only 100 watts per channel ( 2 channel driven) is driving all these power hungry monsters with ease , can we do a video chat , if so please give me your email ID , keeping my fingers crossed 😊
always leave the avr in the 8 Ohm setting. setting it to 4 Ohms limits the power. Yes, the 3800 drives the 1723 S's well as long as you are not expecting reference level SPL. I would say 15 db below reference is very realistic. Adding an external amp with at least 200wpc does make a difference with these speakers
It's really looking like it will be great as a pre-pro, I'm half way considering it but it will be in the control room at the back of the theater and all the amps are behind the screen so I've got about 40' runs. So, I probably really need to stay with something that has balanced outputs. I'm just not sure what to get, I have an Anthem AVM60 but it's dead and I really don't like dealing with Anthem. If I can get them to repair it I'll try to get by with it for awhile until I find a better option.
CAN I BUY YOUR OLD DENON RECEIVER?
Its long gone, sorry!