How To Change The Input Assignment On A Danon Avr X-2200

Nosotros don't envy Denon and the task fix before the AVR-X2300W. Designing a replacement for the excellent AVR-X2200W can't have been an easy task. This Honour-winner marked a return to form for a make that has struggled by its ain high standards in recent times.

The X2200W rolled back the years with a combination of excellent sound and a feature list no rival could ameliorate. And then how practice you replace an Accolade-winner? Judging by this new amplifier Denon's respond seems to exist, 'very advisedly'.

More: Denon AVR-X2200 review

Video Review

Build

At first glance, a comparing between the erstwhile and new models suggests little has changed. They look all-but identical, sharing a well thought out command layout and clear display.

Round the dorsum, the X2300 features slightly reorganised connections, but the visitor'south determined drive to brand its AV amps more approachable keeps things as simple every bit they can be without compromising usability.

Denon hasn't skimped on the connections. This amp has eight HDMI inputs, all capable of 4K 60Hz pass-through and HDCP 2.two certified.

Others include a sensible spread of optical digital and counterpart stereo inputs plus legacy counterpart video options such equally composite and component. While not a major omission, it's interesting to annotation that at that place isn't a digital coax bachelor.

MORE: 4K Ultra HD Goggle box: everything you lot need to know

Features

Elsewhere this amplifier is about equally loaded as these things get. It will decode all current domicile cinema audio formats from Dolby and DTS, including Dolby Atmos in 5.1.2 form. The ability to handle DTS:Ten is a software upgrade away, expected later this year.

Spotify Connect, Airplay, Bluetooth are all supported, every bit is Cyberspace radio and streaming from a NAS device on your home network. Denon has tried hard to make this amplifier stable when using wi-fi, even in electrically noisy environments, and it works well in our exam rooms.

Helping matters is a new-found ability to work in the 5GHz waveband forth with the ii.4GHz of its predecessor. Fifty-fifty so, given a option we would nevertheless stick to using an Ethernet cable for the extra stability it provides.

The 2300 will stream merely about every format beyond a network including 24-scrap/192kHz PCM and DSD in both single and double speed form. The latter, forth with the ability to stream AIFF files, is new for this model.

The X2300W'due south power output is unchanged from the last version and rated at seven x 150W per channel. Impressive, but it should be noted that – simply similar every other major AV amp manufacturer – Denon is quoting figures measured under very generous weather condition (six ohm load, 1kHz, 1% THD and just one aqueduct driven).

That output drops to a claimed 95W per aqueduct into an viii ohm load, measured across 20Hz-20kHz with distortion held at 0.08% and two channels driven. The latter is closer to the style measurements are taken with traditional two-aqueduct kit.

MORE: Dolby Atmos: What is it? How tin you get it?

While the headline features take hardly changed between this and the last model, it is clear that Denon has put in a lot of work at excursion level. Component quality has gone up and great attempt has been made to reduce dissonance levels, both electrical and mechanical.

Betoken paths have been shortened where possible, and components redesigned to optimise performance. The company has worked difficult on the digital section.

The DAC chip itself remains unchanged – it'south a Burr Brown PCM1690 – still redesigning the surrounding parts has improved its performance, as has the retuned power supply.

A new power supply for the on-board MW/FM radio tuner is designed to reduce any interference from the radio circuit, which also helps to enhance the overall sound quality.

MORE: Best DACs 2017

Gear up-up is equally easy as it gets. Denon has gone to a lot of trouble over recent years trying to simplify its AV amps without compromising features, and we think information technology has washed a fine job here. There are a few tweaks over its predecessor, only on the whole the experience is pretty much the aforementioned.

That is to say, really good indeed. The menus are simple and like shooting fish in a barrel to follow, while the congenital-in Audyssey automobile fix-up arrangement is accurate and fuss free.

The company not merely supplies a defended microphone for auto-set-upwardly purposes – par for the course – but as well a folded, adaptable paper-thin mic stand. Assembled from iii pieces, it holds the microphone at an appropriate meridian.

It'due south worth going to the trouble of doing this, as it will requite you more than authentic results. Go through the whole Audyssey process and you'll have to take multiple measurements. It's a flake tedious, simply you simply take to do information technology in one case.

MORE: How to set your Boob tube and get the best motion-picture show

Once all the readings are taken it'due south a good idea to check them for accuracy. In this case no correction was needed. For critical listening nosotros recommend keeping the various Audyssey processing modes off and sticking to the obviously vanilla set up-up. It works best in our experience.

The remote looks unchanged from last yr and is none the worse for that. Information technology's a neat unit with clearly labelled buttons and an intuitive layout. Nosotros like information technology.

We're far less taken with Denon's 2016 control app. Nosotros tried both iOS and Android versions and neither proved particularly stable, crashing on a regular ground.

MORE: Best home cinema deals – Blu-ray players, AV receivers, projectors and more than

Sound

Our reference organisation is made up of Cambridge's CXU Blu-ray player, the Panasonic DMP-UB900 4K Blu-ray player and PMC'south 20 23 seven.1 surround bundle, coupled to KEF R50 upward-firing Atmos speakers. Epson'due south EH-TW7200 projector carries out brandish duties.

Once up and running the X2300W sounds beautifully balanced. We use it in a variety of modes – 5.ane, seven.i, stereo and Dolby Atmos 5.1.2 – and it never fails to impress. We start off with a Blu-ray of Pixar's Brave and like what we hear.

Voices are rendered beautifully. There's weight, natural warmth and articulation in the midrange that leaves most rivals sounding mechanical in comparing. This amplifier is great at subtleties. Low-level dynamic shifts are delivered with skill and without overstatement. Information technology all helps to draw the viewer more than into the action on the screen.

As the picture show approaches its finale, the amp is happy to move up through the gears delivering a spacious soundfield packed with stable and precise movement of growls and screams.

The bear fight is delivered with plenty of enthusiasm and no shortage of punch. This Denon can play loudly also, certainly enough to make full all merely the largest of rooms.

Moving onto the ludicrous but fun San Andreas shows that this Denon lacks little in terms of scale or authority. We watch every bit building after building collapses and love the aural impact the amp produces.

There's plenty of attack and flooring-rumbling bass but likewise a good supply of detail, so nosotros're never left in any doubt every bit to what's happening.

Some rivals may deliver the sound with greater muscularity but the 2300'due south combination of insight, agility and refinement are difficult to look by. It'southward a polished performer that never fails to entertain.

The story remains positive with stereo music. Whether you lot listen through the line stages, HDMI, optical or Bluetooth, the Denon'south piece of cake-going remainder remains unchanged.

While no substitute for a decent stereo amp such every bit the Marantz PM6005 – no other similarly priced AV amp we've heard is either – the 2300 renders a cohesive and musical presentation that it's hard not to like.

Tonally, things are slightly on the polish side of neutral, just equally they are with multichannel soundtracks. But, it'southward nicely judged and just goes towards making less than perfect recordings (and sources) sound more adequate.

The big question is whether the 2300 is better than its predecessor. We unpack our reference sample of the AVR-X2200W to find out. Such things aren't always a given, but in this case we're pleased to report that the new amplifier is notably cleaner sounding.

Information technology picks up a greater corporeality of depression-level detail and is more than precise with information technology. Voices come through with improved clarity and precision.

One of the biggest upgrades is at bass frequencies where the 2300 sounds far tauter and more than agile, making the older model audio a tad soft and sick-defined in comparison.

MORE: Best domicile picture palace amplifiers 2017

Verdict

Where does that leave the X2300W? It's clearly meliorate than its talented predecessor, and delivers the same fuss-gratis user experience.

The price is unchanged, so that makes this new 1 even more of a bargain. Nosotros're awaiting new models from the likes of Yamaha, Onkyo, Pioneer and Sony, only equally things stand this is the finest £500 AV amp you can buy right now.

Encounter all our Denon reviews