Denon AVR-X4300H 9.2 Channel AV Receiver Review & Comments

Excellent review Steve - quick question though if you don't mind. I currently have the Denon AVR-X5200. Its a cracking AVR and I really like it....however its now lacking some key current and future proofing elements, namely HDMI 2.0/HDCP 2.2 compliance and the ability to decode DTS:X. I'm running a full 7.2.4 set up at the moment with a separate power amp, but am keen to know which would be a better match for the 5200 - this or the 6300? I don't need the two extra channels of amplification so I'm erring towards this (especially at that rather marvellous pricepoint), but would I be making a step backwards in terms of overall sound quality? Thanks in advance.
 
Cracking review, and matches my experiences. I don't have such demanding speakers, I use mine with Monitor Audio Bronze 5 package, and it is brilliant. I also really like is that unlike most of its competition it actually support HDCP2.2 on ALL HDMI inputs. And not just that, it's on-screen menu is capable of displaying on my 4K OLED screen. Considering the receiver is not that deep, it really allows for a neat and tidy installation.
 
Nice review Steve. So the Marantz SR7011 is another £150 over this even though they both share the same specs. Am I right in thinking that its only for music the 7011 is better and they should perform similar for movies? Thanks again
 
Thanks Steve, this is the AVR review I have been waiting for this year as it's on my shortened shortlist. You have not disappointed me and my only nagging issue is around hdmi 2.1. I will also be upgrading my display this year ( LG C7 front runner ) and want to make use of any Atmos soundtracks used by Netflix and Amazon Prime. Will 2.0 handle all the data via eARC in this instance? I'm not a gamer so all the other improvements offered by 2.1 do not bother me.
 
Cracking review, and matches my experiences. I don't have such demanding speakers, I use mine with Monitor Audio Bronze 5 package, and it is brilliant. I also really like is that unlike most of its competition it actually support HDCP2.2 on ALL HDMI inputs. And not just that, it's on-screen menu is capable of displaying on my 4K OLED screen. Considering the receiver is not that deep, it really allows for a neat and tidy installation.
Fancy writing your own review?
 
Nice review Steve. So the Marantz SR7011 is another £150 over this even though they both share the same specs. Am I right in thinking that its only for music the 7011 is better and they should perform similar for movies? Thanks again

The main differences are that the Marantz receiver includes HDAM analogue circuitry and has multichannel analogue inputs. Whether the HDAM circuit board makes a difference when compared to more conventional IC op amp boards is debatable, but you'd be hard pushed to distinguish between the AVRX4300 and the SR7011. It has even been suggested that D&M only continues to incorporate HDAM into their Marantz products by way of a marketing gimmick as opposed to it actually offering any benefits? While there may once have been an advantage to utilising HDAM, modern audio IC chips are now typically sonically perfect.
 
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Excellent review Steve - quick question though if you don't mind. I currently have the Denon AVR-X5200. Its a cracking AVR and I really like it....however its now lacking some key current and future proofing elements, namely HDMI 2.0/HDCP 2.2 compliance and the ability to decode DTS:X. I'm running a full 7.2.4 set up at the moment with a separate power amp, but am keen to know which would be a better match for the 5200 - this or the 6300? I don't need the two extra channels of amplification so I'm erring towards this (especially at that rather marvellous pricepoint), but would I be making a step backwards in terms of overall sound quality? Thanks in advance.
I think you've already answered your own question but I'd go for the X4300.
 
Nice review Steve. So the Marantz SR7011 is another £150 over this even though they both share the same specs. Am I right in thinking that its only for music the 7011 is better and they should perform similar for movies? Thanks again
I think Dante01 has already answered that one for me.
 
Thanks Steve, this is the AVR review I have been waiting for this year as it's on my shortened shortlist. You have not disappointed me and my only nagging issue is around hdmi 2.1. I will also be upgrading my display this year ( LG C7 front runner ) and want to make use of any Atmos soundtracks used by Netflix and Amazon Prime. Will 2.0 handle all the data via eARC in this instance? I'm not a gamer so all the other improvements offered by 2.1 do not bother me.
There's no definitive answer as far as HDMI 2.0 and 2.1 go, it will entirely depend on the chipset that D+M are using as to whether they can implement certain 2.1 features like eARC via HDMI 2.0 connections. I'm seeing D+M at the end of May, so it's something I inter to ask them about. Although it was too late for the review, I also notice that Audyssey app has finally been released for use with the X4300 and X6300.
 
I think you've already answered your own question but I'd go for the X4300.
Thanks Steve, much appreciated. Now.....who do you know who wants to buy a kidney? :cool:
 
Hi, am I right in thinking that the Marantz SR7011 has a little bit more power than the Denon X4300?
 
No, it has the exact same rated power output. THey both use the same amplification and PSU.
The review says the 7011 is better for Music, So whats the difference that provides this advantage?
 
The review says the 7011 is better for Music, So whats the difference that provides this advantage?

The only real thing that differentiates them is the use of proprietary Marantz HDAM chips on the receiver's analogue output board. AS to whether the receiver sounds better, this is a matter of opinion and I'd doubt you'd be able to differentiate between them in a blind test?

HDAM | Top
The HDAM (Hyper Dynamic amplifier module), introduced in 1992, is a key component of Marantz' high fidelity technology and cannot be left out of any discussion of Marantz Super Audio CD/CD players or amplifiers. Research and development of the HDAM has progressed since it was first used in the Marantz CD-15 (1992), which was also fitted with Philips Bitstream DAC "DAC 7" (TDA1547) blue star.

Around that same time, the same group of engineers also used HDAM in the high-grade integrated amplifier Marantz PM-99SE they developed.

The formal name for the HDAM is "hyper dynamic amplifier module". Newer analog circuits primarily use all-purpose op-amps with specifications that look fabulous. However, after careful repeated testing, the Marantz engineers, with their thorough knowledge of live sound and the timbre of live musical instruments, felt that there was a limit to the fidelity of audio circuits manufactured using conventional op-amps.

They confrontend their dissatisfaction in sound quality by developing a prototype modular analog circuit with highly efficient (not to mention great sounding) discrete elements. This module, incorporates FETs, superior chip parts, and has a quadruple layer substrate construction. Elaborate metal shielding prevents noise from entering the module.

The effect HDAMs have on sound quality is quite remarkable. They make the music sound fresh and alive, without the large amount of local feedback commonly found in all-purpose operational amplifiers, and provide an open, uninhibited, original sound. The first HDAM was manufactured at the Kumamoto factory, where the communications department is based.

The main features of the HDAM are that it is an extremely low noise single step amplifier with a folded cascade construction capable of 60 to 75dB of gain (amplification factor). In addition, its through rate is high at 70 to 80V/µ s, enabling high-speed response across all bands. Furthermore, the intermediate gain of the HDAM, which is difficult to achieve with standard op-amps, is optimized at the output stage of the CD player. The roomy construction of the HDAM makes it highly adaptable and permits modification of the internal elements and performance characteristics to suit a variety of applications. Further, since it has a high S/N ratio, it can also be applied to the main circuitry of phono equalizer amplifiers. The HDAM has also been used in filter amplifiers since the release of the Marantz CD-7 in 1998.

Although HDAM is the common name for all technology of this kind, the interior and circuit structure of each unit differs with each product. Recently, we have seen examples of HDAMs being directly incorporated into main audio circuit substrates without metal shielding (such as with the Marantz SA-14 ver.2 Super Audio CD/CD player) to improve sound quality as a result of listening tests. The method used in the Marantz SA-14 ver. 2, which also reduces the number of contact points and increases production efficiency, will probably be emplyed for a variety of purpose in the future.

http://www.dutchaudioclassics.nl/?strBrand=Various&strType=Highfidelity&strPage=Info
 
Although it was too late for the review, I also notice that Audyssey app has finally been released for use with the X4300 and X6300.

I hope you have better luck than me Steve. I downloaded it yesterday (£19.99!) and have been unsuccessfully trying ever since to get it to pair with my Denon X3300W despite it being visible on the same wifi network as my iPad. Grrrrrrrrr
 
What do you use to get the extra 2 channels of amplification? I don't want another big box sat next to my receiver. Do these feed back into the Denon and then out via the speaker outputs (as it's got 11 sets) or do you just run the speakers straight from the power amp?
 
What do you use to get the extra 2 channels of amplification? I don't want another big box sat next to my receiver. Do these feed back into the Denon and then out via the speaker outputs (as it's got 11 sets) or do you just run the speakers straight from the power amp?

You'd ideally use a 2 channel power amp. THis uses the receiver's pre outs which output the associated two channels of audio to the power amp to amplify. The 2 associated speakers are connected to the power amp's speaker terminals. A 2 channel power amp is typically the same size as a 2 channel integrated stereo amplifier although you can get models that are smaller or indeed substantially larger than this.
 
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Excellent review Steve. I've been stuck trying to make a decision for my new cinema room which I'm due to start building shortly. This has been pretty much top of the list with a few others thrown in.

I'll be using a 7 channel power amp in a 7.2.4 system, the main completion for this receiver has been the x6200 and the marantz 7011, your review has almost confirmed to me what I already knew, the x4300 should be plenty good enough at a bargain price!
 
Thanks for the review. Can this accept input through component video and pass it out through the HDMI outputs?
 
Can this accept input through component video and pass it out through the HDMI outputs?

Yes. All the Denon models above the AVRX2300 have inbuilt analogue to HDMI conversion. You'd not however be able to implement this in relation to output via the dedicated second HDMI zone output and it is only effective if used in relation to the main and the monitor 2 outputs.
 
So if you don't use any analogue audio sources there is no difference is that correct?

The HDAM circuitry is applicable regardless of the source. I believe that the remote for the SR7011 is programmable whilst that of the AVRX4300 isn't?
 
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Ah sorry I just spotted, the analogue output board, for some reason I read it as inputs....Ta
 

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