Denon AVR-X1400H, great budget and home theater receiver

From one of the leading specialists in home theater amplifiers, Denon, comes this affordable receiver. The recently introduced Denon AVR-X1400H is the entry point into the “X” series receiver range . With state-of-the-art features like 4K HDR video support or Dolby Atmos decoding.

But, one of the most interesting points of this receiver is that it works with the firm's multi-room music system. In other words, it  allows you to mount a musical thread on demand in combination with other HEOS equipment. All with seven channels of amplification with up to 145 Watts each, for 550 euros.

3D sound

The seven internal channels of amplification allow to feed a system of 7.2 or 5.2.2 speakers. In the first case, we would have the traditional configuration of three front, two side and two rear. In the second case, they would be the three front, two rear and two on the roof . And in both cases we can mount up to two active bass cajons.

AVR-X1400H rear panel

These sets of speakers will be able to immerse us in a truly three-dimensional sound scene. That, plus the Denon's ability to decode Dolby Atmos or DTS-X soundtracks . Even starting from a simpler soundtrack (stereo or traditional 5.1) and converting it into 3D sound. And if we don't use so many speakers, we can dedicate two internal stages to amplify boxes in another room (5.2 plus 2).

The ability to process sound is due to the use of an advanced 32-bit DSP processor with quad cores at 300MHz. Also thanks to him this AVR-X1400H can process stereo sound in high resolution . Supports ALAC, FLAC or WAV files up to 24 bits and 192 kHz as well as DSD formats up to 5.6 Mhz.

Amplification is, as always with Denon, another strong point. You get 80 Watts per channel at 8 Ohms ( up to 145 W peak at 6 Ohms ) with proprietary discrete circuits (not industrial integrated chips). With constant power delivery, 0.08 percent THD is not exceeded between 20 Hz and 20 kHz. The power management system stands out. We can activate an Eco mode that not only reduces consumption at rest but also avoids spending excessive current if we are not listening very loudly.

4K HDR images

The Denon AVR.X1400H has six HDMI inputs (one front) . All are compliant with the latest specification, HDCP 2.2. They support 4K UltraHD signals at 60 Hz, 4: 4: 4 color sampling, HDR and 21: 9 video. They work as gateways for the BT.2020 format, that is, they are compatible with the latest video sources and viewers. The HDMI output supports ARC (Audio Return Channel) with what we have TV sound without needing a separate cable.

As for the High Dynamic Range (HDR), the Denon supports all three types: Dolby Vision and HLG. The latter will be with an upcoming firmware update. As we know, this ensures that our fonts will be able to deliver the maximum brightness, contrast and the most vivid colors to our screen or projector .

Easy installation and control

Installing a home theater receiver is not easy. In addition to placing the speakers and their cables, there are adjustments for distances, sound levels and room acoustics. One of the strengths of Denon receivers is in the use of the Audyssey system for years. Simply place the included microphone at the main listening point, and then two (or up to seven) more. Thus the system not only measures distances and adjusts levels, but also measures acoustic problems in the room and corrects them.

In this case, the Audyssey MultEQ XT version is used, which until recently was exclusive to higher-end models. A novelty of this system is there is an Audyssey application (for sale for iOS and Android). With it it is possible to dive into the adjustable parameters and leave the room equalization even more optimized . The most expert fans are therefore in luck.

But there's more: Denon's free apps (“AVR Remote” and “HEOS”) let you control all the receiver's functions. This one comes with a remote control, but some functions need to go through menus or submenus, and with the application everything is easier . And in the case of the HEOS system, the use of the mobile or tablet will be essential to be able to send music to other rooms for example.

HEOS: multi-room by Denon

The Denon AVR-X1400H has very complete advanced connectivity: Ethernet, WiFi and Bluetooth. It is an AirPlay playback point, and it is also compatible with Spotify Connect. But the card up its sleeve is the HEOS system. This is the name of Denon's multi-room system, which allows you to send music to other speakers connected wirelessly to our network.

The system is very powerful and versatile. We can both send any source connected to the receiver to other speakers, as well as send music to the receiver in the living room from other points. Everything is controlled from the application , and it is compatible with the most popular music services: TuneIn for internet radio, Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, Napster, Deezer, etc.

Denon AVR-X1400H