Product review: Denon AVRX3400 Atmos AV Receiver

The Denon AVRX3400 is a 7.2 channel dedicated Dolby Atmos and DTS:X AV receiver with built in HEOS technology. But how does it improve on the highly-awarded AVRX2400? Read on…

For the past few years Denon have held quite the title as one of our bestselling AV receivers. Their simplicity, very competitive prices and incredible specifications are a sure winner for many people. The AVRX3400 sits in nicely at the mid-to-high end range, offering something special over some other mid-range receivers.

Denon’s Audyessy setup mic makes tuning your system a breeze.

At its heart, the 3400 is a more powerful version of the 2400. Coming in at a huge 105 Watts per channel over the still very impressive 95 watts per channel of its predecessor, it’s ideal for anyone with an extra large space to fill and may feel the need for added “oomph”. Those of you familiar with Denon AV receivers will know how much of a joy they are to use and that can play a huge factor in anyone’s decision. The Audyssey setup mic has you up and running in no time, and with the 3400 offering Audyssey LFC and Audyssey App support, getting set up is easier than ever.

With more and more people opting for multiroom systems over more traditional set-ups, it’s becoming increasingly popular to cram all these features in to one unit, which is what Denon have done by introducing HEOS to their range this year. Much like Sonos, HEOS offers the user the ability to send music to different parts of their home or workplace using multiple speakers via the dedicated HEOS App. Those of you interested in the AVRX3400 can still take advantage of this feature without the need for any separate boxes or speakers by sending the music via the application straight to the AV receiver, although that is not the only means of utilising wireless audio. It also features good old fashioned Bluetooth and of course Apple airplay and Spotify Connect. For the more hardcore music lovers, the receiver supports Hi-Res audio in ALAC, FLAC and WAV up to 24bit/196khz. Not only that, it also features advanced reference class 32bit AKA converters, offering an incredible sound stage.

I rigged the receiver up to our trusty Radius speakers in place of our existing RXA3070, and popped in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 in 4K Blu-ray, which we’ve just received in store. It looks incredible and should be added to everybody’s 4K watch list! I’ll be honest, I went in to this demo a little negative, as for me the extra power would be too much for my space and I wasn’t so sure I would hear the difference in our little demo room. But after a good half hour or so of basically sitting with my feet up getting in to the film, I certainly wasn’t unhappy with what I heard. Much like the 2400, I was very aware of the Atmos surrounds in a good way, and the unit did offer a fantastic sound stage, giving me that familiar feeling of the room being bigger than it actually is with the help of incredibly spatial sound.

As our demo room is small, I wasn’t able to test the unit at it’s full potential, but if the performance this receiver put on even at lower levels is any indication, it could be an amazing choice for larger spaces or big home cinema rooms.

Why not judge for yourself? Give your local Richer Sounds store a call and book in a demonstration of this fantastic receiver today.

Click to find out more about the Denon AVRX3400.

Author: Garrett, Plymouth store