Denon AVR-X4300H 9.2 Channel AV Receiver Review & Comments

Expertly done.

I've decided to put my 4300 in the centre column, where there is an adjustable section on the back panel.

Cutting through that should be fun/interesting!

If my handy work isnt too shoddy then I'll get a picture up.

Thank for taking the time to link to the photo's - very helpful.
 
I'm loving this receiver more and more. Quick test wiring in place, quick recalibration and it is sounding pretty good.
 
I too have been interested in this or the 7011, and even though they share the same spec, I can safely say there are quite a few differences. I wanted to compare the service manuals of both, but could only get my hands on the previous models (SR7010 vs x4100). So for those, here are the differences which should translate to the 4300 and the 7011, although these both now share a 4 and 5 power amp section:

Dedicated HDAM amps board
7.1 Analogue in
Gold plated connectors
Dedicated 2-Channel amp board - Page 172
Marantz uses different DACs: AK4458VN IC301/IC311, Denon uses PCM1690 for IC301/IC311
Larger SMPS PSU Caps: C9028 3300P 250v, Denon 2200P - Page 176
Additional circuitry around T9001 on PSU
Exploded view shows additional Heatsink + power amp + Fan
Different capacitors in the Amp section: Page 170/1
Both use PCM5100 DACs for Zone 2/3

SR7011 has a different 4 and 5 channel power amp section over the sr7010, which looks to be shared on the 4300H.
 
I too have been interested in this or the 7011, and even though they share the same spec, I can safely say there are quite a few differences. I wanted to compare the service manuals of both, but could only get my hands on the previous models (SR7010 vs x4100). So for those, here are the differences which should translate to the 4300 and the 7011, although these both now share a 4 and 5 power amp section:

Dedicated HDAM amps board
7.1 Analogue in
Gold plated connectors
Dedicated 2-Channel amp board - Page 172
Marantz uses different DACs: AK4458VN IC301/IC311, Denon uses PCM1690 for IC301/IC311
Larger SMPS PSU Caps: C9028 3300P 250v, Denon 2200P - Page 176
Additional circuitry around T9001 on PSU
Exploded view shows additional Heatsink + power amp + Fan
Different capacitors in the Amp section: Page 170/1
Both use PCM5100 DACs for Zone 2/3

SR7011 has a different 4 and 5 channel power amp section over the sr7010, which looks to be shared on the 4300H.
For me it comes down to price as well, you can get the 4300H for £749 or £779 with Heos speaker. The cheapest I've found the 7011 is £979
 
For me it comes down to price as well, you can get the 4300H for £749 or £779 with Heos speaker. The cheapest I've found the 7011 is £979
Can I ask who has it for £779 with the Heos speaker please.
 
I read all your posts, but I still have the dilemma of what would be a better choice for my mission m53, m51, m5c and m5as speakers. Yamaha RX-A1060 or DENON AVR-X4300H?
Can some advice?
 
Last edited:
I read all your posts, but I still have the dilemma of what would be a better choice for my mission m53, m51, m5c and m5as speakers. Yamaha RX-A1060 or DENON AVR-X4300H?
Can some advice?
Either receiver will drive your Missions with ease, indeed both are capable of powering the majority of speakers higher up in most manufacturing models, so no problem on that front. However with your speakers a 1060 will sound no better than a Denon 4300, so because of the difference in price I suggest the Denon, which is by far the better value for the Missions.
 
Just picked one of these up to replace my aging Pioneer SC-LX56; its light years apart! Understandable I suppose as they're a coupe of generations apart technically, but the Denon is stunning in every respect, currently have a 5.1.2 setup, love it.

The only issue I can't resolve at the minute seems to be some sort of hdmi handshake issue I'm guessing. As with the Pioneer I have an Amazon Firestick and Apple TV4 plugged in through the receiver. The Firestick will no longer allow me to set any resolution other than Auto, which seems to choose the lowest resolution possible, and the Apple TV keeps resetting its resolution output to Auto every time it turns off (which again selects 720x576 I think!) at least with that I can change the resolution back to 1080p 60Hz. Both worked perfectly through the Pioneer, so I'm assuming the Denon is having an effect somewhere.

I think I've tried everything possible, including switching the Denons video scaler off altogether on these two inputs just in case it was affecting things but no joy

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks
 
Can someone please tell me if I can configure the X4300H (with an external stereo amp) as 5.1.6 ...yes, not a typo.

I am not doing 7.1 because my couch is up against the back wall, and I will also have four in-ceiling speakers for atmos.

My front LCR will be below my projection screen though, so it would be nice to add to the 5.1.4, two small speakers at the top of the screen pointing at the listening position (what would have been called front Highs before Atmos came along.) This is specifically to help lift the front sound-stage up onto the screen.

Is it therefore possible to run what will be in effect six ceiling speakers with the 4300, by using channels 10 and 11 as front highs (through an external amp) at the same time as playing an Atmos track back? Probably more sensible though if possible to direct the main L/R out through a separate amp, and let the internal amp do the other 9 channels.

Many thanks
 
Can someone please tell me if I can configure the X4300H (with an external stereo amp) as 5.1.6 ...yes, not a typo.

I am not doing 7.1 because my couch is up against the back wall, and I will also have four in-ceiling speakers for atmos.

My front LCR will be below my projection screen though, so it would be nice to add to the 5.1.4, two small speakers at the top of the screen pointing at the listening position (what would have been called front Highs before Atmos came along.) This is specifically to help lift the front sound-stage up onto the screen.

Is it therefore possible to run what will be in effect six ceiling speakers with the 4300, by using channels 10 and 11 as front highs (through an external amp) at the same time as playing an Atmos track back? Probably more sensible though if possible to direct the main L/R out through a separate amp, and let the internal amp do the other 9 channels.

Many thanks

No. The receiver has no configuration that would equate to 5.1.6. There's currently no AV receiver that can provide additional processing for more than 4 additional Atmos speakers. The best you can do is a 5.1.4 or a 7.1.4 setup if you add an additional 2 channels of external amplification.
 
Thank you @dante01 I was just hoping that the extra two channels could be re-assigned from back surrounds to front highs.
Seemed logical to me, as my current (Non Atmos) receiver can drive highs or wides.
The Highs wouldn't have to decode Atmos objects, just lift the front sound stage. in fact even my old old old old old Yamaha from about 2002 had the ability to drive a couple of additional DSP-derived 'effect' speakers that would give increased ambience and space to the front sound-stage.
What A shame. Guess I've installed two too-many cables through my ceiling now then!
 
… even my old old old old old Yamaha from about 2002 had the ability to drive a couple of additional DSP-derived 'effect' speakers that would give increased ambience and space to the front sound-stage.
What A shame. Guess I've installed two too-many cables through my ceiling now then!

The same presence speakers are employed as the Atmos speakers with current Yamaha Atmos/DTS:X enabled receivers. They are not used as well as and are employed for both DSP and Atmos/DTS:X duties. ONly the flagship receiver allows DSP Programs to be applied to Atmos or DTS:X content. The lower tier models cease to apply the DSP processing while dealing with Atmos or DTS:X encoded content.

As said, no current AV receiver facilitates what you are seeking to do. It is technically feasible and Dolby themselves suggest you can have up to a 24.1.10 setup with the home implementation of Atmos, but this would require considerable processing and would not be possible with the receivers currently available.
 
Thanks @dante01 I get the gist. Real shame though! Guess I've got to figure out what to do with those extra two cables now ;-)
I hope my front sound stage is convincing enough with all three speakers being below the edge of the screen, otherwise I'll have to try an acoustically transparent one again.
 
@deleted member I suppose I should be thanking you for pointing me at that thread, but I started reading it at 23:30 last night, and was still reading at 02:00 Yawn!!!

Very fascinating read; people getting all Heath Robinson with daisy-chaining multiple receivers, using ProLogic II to drive additional multiplexed channels.

I could try it out, as I will have a couple of Receivers I can play with after I buy the 4300, but it seems like an awful lot of effort for (in my case) just driving two more overhead speakers.

If I had a lovely large dedicated cinema space with a dozen seats (like one of the lucky posters on that thread), then I'd be seriously tempted to try a 9.x.6 set-up in this manner... seems a great way of getting more advanced surround without spending over ten thousand on a Trinov or whatever that clever processor is called.

Coming straight back down to Earth for a moment though, I have a very very tiny space of a 9ft x 15ft converted single garage, in which the ceiling is now (after floor insulation) only 7ft high. It will need to do triple duty as cinema, a dining room, and a guest-bedroom, so I have a three-seater sofa-bed at one end, and the screen around three quarters of the way along the ceiling. This is so I can achieve a 40 degree horizontal viewing angle for an immersive experience, and also so that the dining table can be dragged behind the screen to give the home-cinema functionality. If I could have had the room dedicated for home cinema, I could have had the couch a quarter of the way along the room instead, and had a fixed, acoustically transparent screen at the other end... then I could have done 7.1.4 instead of 5.1.4... Dreams Dreams Dreams...
 
Last edited:
Lovely and neat set up.
Yes, really smart @dejongj. I've struggled with this sort of thing in the past to get sufficient cooling, and have ended up cutting square holes in the underside of a cabinet and mounting 12cm computer fans in there for when the receiver is on. I hope the temps stay manageable for you.

regards
 
Yes, really smart @dejongj. I've struggled with this sort of thing in the past to get sufficient cooling, and have ended up cutting square holes in the underside of a cabinet and mounting 12cm computer fans in there for when the receiver is on. I hope the temps stay manageable for you.

regards
That is a good tip; although mine is on the floor...But could possibly mount them higher if this becomes a problem. So far so good.
 
That is a good tip; although mine is on the floor...But could possibly mount them higher if this becomes a problem. So far so good.
luckily there was a void underneath my cabinet, so I used an automatic mains extension lead: When the receiver was switched on, the current draw through the extension would switch on the other sockets, one of which powered my sub, and another which powered a 12V power-brick for the fans. Was initially tempted to use my Receiver's 12V trigger out to drive the fans, but was worried about drawing too much current from the source.
My previous two Yamahas and Sony prior to that have all been completely convection cooled, but my Onkyo 818 has thermostatic fans in it for when things warm up... does the 4300?
 
I currently have a Denon 3805 receiver from way back when, and have been thinking about changing it for a while now. A few questions to the greater good:

I only have a 5.1 setup (with B&W S603s at the front and S600s at the back, and a REL Q150E sub), and am unlikely to change the speakers for at least a year. How much of a difference am I really going to notice - esp as i am planning on keeping the current speakers???

Music is routed via a Logitec Touch squeezebox (all rips are hosted on a Vortexbox linux machine/DLNA server, plus streaming is via the Spotify app in the LMS). Will the HEOS functionality negate the need to use the Touch as a front-end for music playback/Spotify? Asking this, as the Touch is now very temperamental (the remote doesn't work, keeps on re-booting, it doesn't even show on the iPeng or various Logitec apps anymore).

Finally, do any retailers p/x? My 3805 is in great nick (silver, still have the box, manual and the fancy remote).

Thanks in advance!
 
:D I'm in the same position! I have the silver 3805 but sadly my remote broke some time ago so I have to use a logitech remote to use it.

I'd be interested to see any replies to your post :)
 
Even before anything has happened, upgraditis is lurking as I've now spent the last hours looking at articles about 'atmos-enabled' upward firing speakers, like the PSB XAs...
 
Even before anything has happened, upgraditis is lurking as I've now spent the last hours looking at articles about 'atmos-enabled' upward firing speakers, like the PSB XAs...
They will make a big difference to your listening enjoyment, especially like me you are coming from a base 5.1. Easy to set up with any Denon, only thing to remember is that you have to have a flat ceiling with a good reflective surface.
 
Well, I'm about to pull the trigger on either this or the Marantz SR7011. I'm seeing a c£100 difference online at the moment, but noticed that Peter Tyson's have increased the price today of the Marantz...

My main question is about connections. At present for HD video, Virgin Tivo box, PS3 and Xbox One (which is the main BR/media player) are connected to my Panny VT50 plasma via HDMI (the PS3 is hardly used now, though).

Sound-wise, a Philips 5120 soundbar is used for day-to-day use, which is connected to the VT50 via Toslink/optical; and the Tivo and Xbox are connected to the 3805 via optical. A Harmony remote controls the inputs, volumes, etc. As you can gather, I don't use the 3805 for any switching/passthrough...

The 3805 is in a different stand, about 3m away, against a side wall (with the wi-fi router, Vortexbox and Squeezebox Touch); whilst the VT50, Xbox, PS3 and centre speaker are on a cantilever stand (with the soundbar 'hanging' under the tv).

From reading all through this - and the 7011 - owners' threads, I understand I will have to connect the Xbox to the new AV receiver with an HDMI cable to get full DD-HD/DTS-MA sound (and any Atmos-config i may do in the future). But how do i then get the picture back to the VT50? Especially as i am a bit confused as to what ARC can/cannot transport.

I'm OK with the Tivo remaining on an optical connection for sound, as not expecting more than 5.1 from it.

Any ideas/thoughts welcome...
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom