The second most important decision for me after picking the right TV to buy is which receiver will power the sound in my home theater. Whichever one it will be, Dolby Atmos is a must have. What exactly is Dolby Atmos, other than this generation’s 5.1 surround sound?
From Dolby itself, the company who created the technology this is what it brings to the table:
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Moves sound all around you
Rather than being constrained to channels, sounds can be precisely placed and moved in three-dimensional space.
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Adds an overhead dimension
A new sensation of height immerses you in the action, creating a full audio atmosphere and realistically depicting objects moving overhead.
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Produces breathtaking sound quality
Dolby Atmos renders everything from dialogue to quiet scenes to whirlwind action with astonishing clarity, richness, detail, and depth.
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Creates a powerfully moving entertainment experience
It all comes together in sound that excites your senses and inspires your emotions to deliver the full impact of entertainment.
Sounds awesome right? And it achieves this, other than all the technical stuff which most of us would never understand, through adding one or two sets of additional “height” speakers to the traditional 7.1 (formerly 5.1) set up. Sound doesn’t just surround us now…it’s above, behind and completely inescapable.
Now the big question becomes, should I go 9.1 or 11.1? I’m looking at three possibilities ranging from full on 11.1 deliciousness to saving a fair amount of money on a “bargain” option. My three choices are:
Denon AVR-X6400H
Yamaha RX-A2070
Denon AVR-X4300H
Denon and Yamaha are two name brands I trust for home theater receivers and I have owned several of each over the years. The current receiver in my living room is a Yamaha. The Denon AVR-X6400H
The Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A2070
The other option I am considering is the Denon AVR-X4300H
Update: I just bought the AVR-X4300H for my living room and wrote about it here.
Basically three things separate these receivers and will ultimately determine which way I go. They are, the number of channels/Atmos height possibilities, power, and price. All three offer relatively equal surround processing capabilities and 8 HDMI inputs. All three are compatible with both HDR and Dolby Vision. Check out which of my favorite TVs work best with those technologies in my last write up: To OLED or QLED .
My choice…at least for now, is the Denon AVR-X6400H.
I plan to put a lot into this future basement home theater and I’ve been waiting for it for quite some time now. Settling for less than full immersive sound and room shaking power would not properly honor my quest.
Looking for some more budget friendly receivers?
Can i use an adcom amp with atmos speakers.
That shouldn’t be a problem, although I don’t personally use an amplifier. Both of the Denon’s come with preouts for all channels, don’t believe the Yamaha does for the height channels. So, it’s more about which receiver you have to pair with it that determines how you’ll use the amp.