Denon AVR-S960H AV receiver review: Heavy on features, light on innovation

Denon is probably the initial title that will come to mind when you believe of AV receivers, and with fantastic explanation. The model has been pumping out great designs with wonderful seem quality for yrs. Its rivals are slowing their receiver launch schedules — Sony hasn’t created a new design because 2017, and Onkyo will not have a comply with-up to its 2019 products and solutions until finally mid-2021 — but not Denon. The AVR-S960H is a latest new that delivers up to date options, including HDMI two.1 connectivity with eARC and 8K video compatibility, whilst protecting the overall performance Denon is known for.

While Yamaha seemingly went back to the drawing board for its futuristic RX-V6A, the Denon AVR-S960’s updates are a lot more incremental. Comparing the two receivers head-to-head, the Denon sounded smoother and yet it also lacked some of the dynamic heft. I discovered myself reaching for the Yamaha remote a lot more frequently than the Denon, and it was as much for the modern new design as for the seem quality. Overall the Yamaha is just a lot more exciting, and that, furthermore its decrease price tag, make it a improved alternative in general. 

With their new releases, Denon and Yamaha have demonstrated they are committed to the classification, and both equally of the products and solutions I have analyzed have been incredibly potent. If you don’t treatment for the Yamaha’s whizz-bangery and forward seem, the Denon AVR-S960H is a reliable alternative.

What’s in the huge black box?

The Denon AVR-S960H appears to be like fairly much the very same as each other receiver: black colour scheme, LED exhibit, selection/quantity knobs and a handful of shortcut buttons for the most-utilised inputs. It is wonderful, but it pales in comparison to the modern futurism of the Yamaha RX-V6A.

The Denon is a Dolby Atmos receiver whose main upgrade is the 8K-prepared, HDMI two.1 specification. Provided that mainstream 8K TVs are nevertheless a handful of yrs off, the receiver also provides a bunch of stuff that’s really practical now. The initial is eARC, which is the capability to transmit significant-quality audio streams (Atmos in specific) from your Television set to the receiver. The other HDMI two.1 options of note are the gaming-relevant Variable Refresh Amount (to lower frame tearing) and Car Minimal Latency Manner, both equally practical for players who want to get the most out of the PS5 and Xbox Series X. 

The receiver has 6 HDMI inputs (including 1 with 8K capacity) and two outputs (1 with eARC). The Denon is capable to decode Dolby Atmos and DTS:X in addition to upscaling systems like Dolby Atmos Top Virtualization Technological innovation and DTS Virtual:X. On the movie facet it also supports Dolby Eyesight and HDR As well as movie codecs.

7 channels of amplification are on faucet. The official ranking is 90 watts for every channel (stereo, 20Hz-20KHz) which tends to make it marginally significantly less potent than the Yamaha RX-V6A (a hundred watts for every channel) though the difference is indistinguishable in actual phrases. Doubling the electricity will only get you an excess 3db of quantity, which is barely obvious. The receiver delivers the firm’s own HEOS multiroom system (but no Chromecast built-in) and a 32-bit AKM DAC. There is also AirPlay two, Spotify Join and Bluetooth streaming and the receiver can be voice-managed with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Josh.ai and Apple Siri.

The remote control is a lot more or significantly less similar to the 1 Marantz and Denon have utilised for yrs. It is a jolly minimal clicker with effortless-to-read through buttons and handy shortcuts to all of your inputs at the major.

What does it seem like?

Denon and its stablemate Marantz have a “dwelling seem” when it will come to receivers, which tends to be a lot more comfortable than the Yamahas and Pioneers of the environment. While this commonly usually means they carry out improved with music, I discovered the Yamaha RX-V6A was a lot more easily capable to get the pulse racing without having tipping into harshness. In comparison the Denon presented a workmanlike solution to no matter what I was listening to — it did not gloss about some details or hype other individuals. It just offered me with my music or movie, which would make it a wonderful match for brighter speakers. 

I started with the fairly laid-back He Lays In the Reins from Iron and Wine and Calexico. The Denon presented a pleasingly well balanced seem, but with the Yamaha I was capable to decide up on a lot more hidden details in the song such as the percussive, clicking tongue noises in the course of the bridge. With the a lot more tough, tambourine-focused You Received Yr Cherry Bomb, the Yamaha again sounded fuller than the Denon, but the Denon arranged the components in a a lot more sensible purchase — reining in the thrashiness of the tambourine and firming down the bass to set my toes tapping.

It was with films that the Denon’s knack for placing a scene definitely came to the fore. Seeing Avatar, It offered the jungles of Pandora with plenty of spaciousness — each bug and breath of wind brought the dense ambiance alive. The footfalls of the monstrous fauna ended up felt fairly than read, and the bark of Jake’s gun reverberated all-around the listening house. The Yamaha wasn’t as keen with the details, favoring a a lot more bass-significant mix but it was just as (justification the pun) impactful. It is more challenging to different these two designs on films alone, as both equally did a sterling task. 

Should really you acquire it?

Yamaha went for something new, leaving Denon as the reliable alternative. Very minimal has modified from earlier yrs, but as the saying goes “if it ain’t broke, don’t take care of it.” The Denon delivers gutsy house theater seem, delicate musicality and chunky, huge receiver vitality. 

In the conclusion, even so, that’s not more than enough. The Yamaha is not only cheaper than the Denon, but it delivers improved specification — a lot more electricity and a lot more HDMI inputs — and sounded a lot more enjoyable as a complete. If you don’t have HEOS multiroom or have some other explanation to acquire Denon, the Yamaha is a improved guess for a modern-day 8K receiver.