An AV receiver acts as the brain and interface between the various components in your home theater. It does not matter whether it is a television, surround system, record player or game console – all signals come together here and are centrally controlled. Denon has been a popular manufacturer here for years, offering the optimal balance between price and performance for many.
The entry-level model in the world of AV receivers is the Denon AVR-X1700H, which currently costs only 599.99 euros on Amazon and is therefore 100 euros cheaper than the suggested retail price. However, you must take into account a delivery time of one to two months. Media Markt* estimates 639.99 euros for the X1700H and delivers immediately. You have to decide if the time savings are worth $40 to you.
Denon AVR-X1700H: The perfect price-performance ratio
Although the X1700H is Denon’s “smallest” receiver, it has an edge over its 700 series big brothers: It offers three HDMI 2.1 connections, which even lets you bring 8K resolution to a compatible TV. In addition, you can, for example, operate a Playstation 5, an Xbox Series X and a media PC in parallel with a refresh rate of 120 Hertz.
Technically, the X1700H has everything you need for a powerful home cinema. You can connect up to seven speakers and two subwoofers. In addition to the three HDMI 2.1 inputs, there are four additional HDMI connections, but only one HDMI output – which is only important if you want to connect more than one television or projector to the receiver.
In addition, the X1700H is Dolby Atmos and DTS:X compatible, the HDMI connections support the highest HDR formats HDR10 + and Dolby Vision. There is an automatic room measurement, WLAN and LAN connections and the possibility to use various music streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music. In brief: With the X1700H you are well prepared for all current and future technical challenges.
Denon AVR-X2800H: If you want something more
Should it be a size bigger? No problem: the Denon AVR-X2800H is available at MediaMarkt and for the current low price of only 799.99 euros Saturn*. The next larger model in the range offers compared to the X1700H two HDMI outputs and a little more power when it comes to sound (500 watts instead of 440 watts for the X1700H). Otherwise, the two receivers are almost identical.
The X2800H is therefore worthwhile for you if, for example, you operate a television and a projector in your home cinema and want to avoid constantly changing HDMI connections. In addition, an upgrade is useful if you have a sound system with a lot of power. You have to decide for yourself whether the additional cost of 200 euros is worth it.