Denon AVR-S960H Reviews – Hitting Sweet Spot

The Denon AVR-S960H is a powerful, 8K-ready amplifier that delivers immersive surround sound with Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization & DTS Virtual:X and crisp, clear picture with advanced video processing.

It's perfect for any home entertainment needs, from watching your favorite movie to gaming with friends. Plus, the AVR-S960H is 8K READY WHEN YOU ARE, meeting the most demanding entertainment needs with the latest technology available.

The Denon AVR-S960H is a 7.2 channel receiver that delivers incredible sound quality and advanced video technology. It features Dynamic HDR and HDR10+, which create an incredibly realistic viewing experience. The Quick Media Switching feature eliminates video delay, so you can enjoy your movies, TV shows, and games without any interruptions.

With eight HDMI ports (six in, two out), this receiver is perfect for connecting all of your HD and Ultra HD devices. And with built-in Wi-Fi, Airplay 2, and Bluetooth support, you can easily extend the reach of your music throughout your home.

Design

The 9.2-channel Denon AVR-S960H offers a generous variety of connections, putting it on par with competitors that cost much more. The receiver's brushed aluminum front panel is a handsome touch, but it's clearly been designed with aesthetics in mind. As such, some controls can be a bit fiddly to use.

Performance

The AVR-S960H uses Audyssey MultEQ XT32 room correction to adjust the frequency response of all channels to levels that will match your speaker system and acoustics of your room as closely as possible. In our testing, the Denon 930 produced smooth reproduction from even challenging musical selections, such as Rodrigo y Gabriela's "Tamac", with clear dialogue free from any hint of harshness.

Features

The Denon AVR-S960H's features are plentiful indeed, with the most important ones being built right into the receiver. The 9.2 channel device includes full 4K compatibility at 60Hz, 3D passthrough, Bluetooth connectivity, and six HDMI ports - one of which is dedicated to MHL input. It lacks streaming audio services like Spotify Connect or Bluetooth aptX codec support, but these services remain rare for mid-range receivers anyway.

The Denon AVR-S960H is a capable, well-rounded receiver that delivers on most counts. It may not be the most immersive solution available, but it provides plenty of connectivity and signal routing options, enough for many listeners to get lost in their music or movies.

Inputs

The AVR-S960H has eight HDMI inputs onboard, with support for 4K Ultra HD 60Hz video pass-through, HDR10 compatibility, and BT.2020 color space support. There are also three USB ports on the rear panel to keep mobile devices fully charged while you're watching movies or listening to music - though we would've liked front-mounted USB ports so you don't have to reach behind the unit every time you want to charge your phone or tablet.

Outputs

There are 8 discrete channels in this model, for a total output power of 100 watts per channel at 2 ohms and 1kHz with 0.09% THD (total harmonic distortion). The full complement of outputs includes six-speaker terminals for front left/right, center, and surround sound, as well as Zone speaker outs for Zones 2 and 3. You can also daisy-chain up to two additional AVRs to the receiver via its second set of Zone 2 preamp outputs for more surround sound speakers.

Sound Quality

While it was nothing to write home about, the AVR-S960H outputs pleasing sound across most of our tests. Watching "Star Trek Beyond" with 7.1 channels at reference level during a particularly thunderous scene, the receiver provided strong support for deep booms and sharp hisses that would be lost on many cheap models. The AVR-S960H didn't excel in every respect - some dialogue was drowned out by background noise or music - but it tended to deliver ample detail and presence all around. We'd give the edge to av receivers like Onkyo TX-NR787 and Denon X4400H when it comes to sheer performance though

Setup

The Denon AVR-S960H is easy to set up, with clear onscreen menus that make it easy for beginners.

We appreciate the inclusion of video calibration but found that it lacks some fine adjustments that more experienced users might expect.

Smart Home Integrations

The Denon AVR-S960H Smart Select Function is a great way to add new streaming services. In addition, there are four wired and three wireless network ports that will give you plenty of options when it comes to attaching smart home devices to this receiver.

Connectivity

Connections are plentiful for this price range and include eight HDMI ports (one is labeled HDR), one component video input, and three digital audio inputs (one coaxial and two optical). Analog sources can be connected via four composite video and two component video inputs, three stereo analog audio connections (two RCA/one minijack), one optical digital input, and one USB port.

On the wireless side, the receiver offers built-in Wi-Fi (with support for AirPlay) and Bluetooth connectivity; there's also an Ethernet jack if you need it. The AVR-S960H supports an impressive variety of multiroom options including Apple Airplay 2, Chromecast built-in, DTS Play-Fi, and HEOS streaming platforms. You can even set up three zones for all kinds of whole-house audio scenarios-through Yamaha's MusicCast platform might be a better way to go if that's what you're after.

The receiver's audio features are fairly comprehensive. Notably, the AVR-S960H supports high-resolution DSD and FLAC audio files and can decode Dolby Atmos and DTS:X object-based surround soundtracks. The unit also includes a phono input for connecting a turntable (there is no built-in preamp).

It has an Amazon Alexa voice control built-in too, so you can use Amazon Echo or compatible devices to control your home theater system with its built-in microphone. It's essentially future-proofed for when Amazon becomes more popular than Apple Music or Google Play Music services on your smart device/platform of choice.

Price

Its 9-channel amplifier and ability to support 4K video make it a solid choice for a medium-to-large room, but the Denon AVR-S960H's price easily exceeds that of competitors with similar features. If you're looking for a receiver to power an absolutely massive setup, this is still a good solution, but if all you need is something that can drive four speakers, better options exist than the AVR-S960H.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Excellent sound quality
• Plenty of power for medium-sized rooms
• 5 HDMI inputs plus one output, plus 3 digital audio ins and one out
• Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with Apple Airplay 2, Chromecast built-in, DTS PlayFi, and HEOS support
• 4K UHD resolution at 60Hz
• Supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X object-based surround soundtracks

Cons:

• High price. Its performance easily justifies its price tag in our opinion; if you can't afford it, consider one of Denon's less expensive models.

 

The Denon AVR-S960H is a capable receiver, packing in advanced surround processing modes and even future standards like object-based surround soundtracks. Its wireless connectivity makes it ready for the latest networked media, without needing an upgrade. And with plenty of power to drive immersive two-channel audio, this 7.2 channel amp is primed to deliver great sound quality for music too, making it well worth its price tag.