Denon AVR-X2700H vs Denon AVR-S960H

Denon AVR-X2700H

With the Denon AVR-X2700H, you can finally enjoy immersive surround sound and crisp, clean picture quality in your home theater system. This powerful amplifier is 8K READY and can meet the most demanding entertainment needs.

Plus, its advanced video processing allows for 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz pass-through. Whether you're watching your favorite show or gaming with friends, the AVR-X2700H provides a smooth, lag-free experience.

The AVR-X2700H is a 7.2 channel receiver that delivers clarity, contrast & color, and Quick Media Switching eliminates video delay. This unit supports connection with any HDTVs, subwoofers, Blu-Ray players, and turntables for incredible stereo sound with USB connectivity to stream digital audio files from any Android TV or iPad/iPhone apps that are compatible with the UDP service.

It also has 8 HDMI connections (6 In/ 2 Out) with HDCP 2.3 processing, Digital In connectivity for connecting gaming systems consoles like PlayStation 3 for gamers seeking pristine high-resolution imaging results by eliminating analog conversion using its Pure Direct mode features.

Denon AVR-S960H

The Denon AVR-S960H is the perfect amplifier for your home theater system. With immersive surround sound and advanced video processing, you'll enjoy 3D realism like never before.

Plus, the 8K/60Hz* and 4K/120Hz* pass-through ensures that you'll be ready for the latest technology available. And with its lag-free gaming capabilities and smooth imaging, you'll be able to enjoy the best gaming experience possible.

The DENON AVR-S960H 7.2 channel receiver will give you an experience no TV or other sound system can provide. The advanced dynamic HDR and HDR10+ video technology provide clarity, contrast, color while eliminating picture delay.

This receiver also comes with eight HDMI ports (six input/two output) for connectivity with your HDTVs, Blu-ray player, or turntable for incredible stereo sound plus USB support to connect your favorite music playback devices using either Wi-Fi connection, Airplay 2, or Bluetooth so you can enjoy the freedom of multi-room HEOS wireless speakers without any extra wiring.

Design

This is definitely an important factor of any home theatre system. How does the AVR-X2700H look like? It looks bigger and bolder than its predecessor, which would indicate that it has some powerful stuff inside of its casing. The location labels are very clearly laid out.

The AVR-S960H on the other hand is smaller but with a muted design to it, complete with eco-friendly components. They may both weigh similar at 13 lbs but you can feel that the X2700H has that beefier build compared to the S960H.

Connectivity

This is where the newer model shines since it's more equipped for Ethernet, WiFi, and Bluetooth connectivity. It also has two HDMI outputs which would allow an easier daisy-chaining process of other compatible devices. The S960H on the other hand is quite limited with only having one Ethernet port and just one coaxial digital audio output. Both have 6 HDMI inputs but there are caveats to using each AVR - you can only input 3D video in the X2700H while only 4K at 60 Hz is supported by the S960H. As you can see, choosing between these two receivers will depend on your preference of features.

Performance

You'll be able to get through the same lag time for either of these receivers since they are both videos capable. However, there are some differences between them that may affect your decision-making. The X2700H is 4K Ultra HD ready which means it can already stream at full resolution, but you need an HDMI 2.0 cable for this.

It also comes with Dolby Atmos surround sound technology which indicates that it can mix up realistic 3D audio effects - meaning that if a plane flies over your head in Game Of Thrones, all you have to do is lean back and turn on the Atmos option and the sound would surround your wit ha realistic experience.

However, what if you want to play older media files such as DTS audio? This is where the S960H excels since it supports up to 7.1 channels of DTS straight out of the box! It also boasts about its premium 32-bit high-resolution audio DAC (digital to analog converter) which can convert digital information into signals that can be sent to amplifiers and speakers.

Features

Here's where the X2700H really shines. It has everything that you need in an HTIB system minus the speakers. Think of the S960H as just another set of 7.1 surround sound speakers with some extra features thrown in for convenience sake, while the X2700H is an amp/pre/pro unit equipped with 6 HDMI inputs and output, 3 USB ports, internet connectivity via ethernet or wi-fi (plus Bluetooth 4.2), 2 Optical inputs, 1 Coaxial input for TV antenna, 1 Analog input solo line-in, 1 Component video input and output, dual-zone AV Sync outputs and two 12V trigger outputs (they can be used to turn on power amplifiers). The AVR-X2700H has the latest HEOS technology inside of it, which allows you to stream music over wi-fi in your home. I'm sure that there are more things that this beast can do but these are the most important ones for me.

Sound Quality

Let's just say that both units are equally competent when it comes to sound quality. That being said, if I had to choose one, I'd go with Denon AVR-S960H with its built-in Dolby Atmos height channels and DTS:X surround effects. The X2700H is packed with features but you have to purchase height channels separately or use a set of ceiling speakers (for which you would need a receiver/amplifier to power them).

Technology

Both home theatre receivers are at different levels of sophistication when it comes to technology.

The Denon AVR-X2700H includes the Audyssey Gold suite for your dialing in perfect sound, Dolby Vision compatibility, multi-room audio, and dual subwoofer connections. It also has an eight-channel amplifier with 125 watts per channel (8 ohms 20 Hz - 20 kHz 0.05% 2 channels driven), support for two-zone and 4K video pass-through over HDMI (6 in/1 out). There's also a USB port that you can use to play music files from your local storage drives such as hard disks or thumb drives.

And of course, it features Bluetooth connectivity so you can stream directly from compatible devices easily.

The Denon AVR-S960H on the other hand is a simpler home theatre receiver that lacks many of these features. It has two HDMI outputs, Bluetooth connectivity, and has support for Dolby Atmos technology.

Entertainment can be hard to get right especially if you have a wide spectrum of people in your living space. This is primarily because some family members or guests may not necessarily appreciate or even accept certain kinds of entertainment methods.

The Denon AVR S960H does seem to have a broader appeal when it comes to compatibility, although it doesn't support 4K video pass-through over HDMI which means you won't be able to enjoy movies from online streaming providers at their full resolution unless you run an external upscale from the source.

The AVR X2700H on the other hand gives you a bit more control and options when it comes to entertainment choices, although if you're looking for a simpler option then the S960H will suit your needs just fine.

Setup

Setting up these home theatre receivers is actually quite easy as they have similar setup processes with different steps involved at the end. From pressing the power button to turning on Dolby Atmos sound in 20 minutes or less, both systems are very intuitive and well laid out from start to finish.

Both systems allow you to access all of your playlists from Spotify through one single app installed onto an Android device, which removes any need for multiple remote controls in order to stream directly to your home theatre receiver.

The S960H however, is slightly more complicated when it comes to the number of steps involved in the setup process. It requires attaching an HDMI cable into one of its three inputs, then connecting that signal to your TV via ARC (Audio Return Channel) on the back of your television. Once this connection is made you need to connect another HDMI cable from the ARC out on your television set to input number 2 on the back of AVR-S960H.

Then lastly make sure that both devices are turned off before pressing and holding the "Input" and "Menu" buttons simultaneously until you see a pop-up screen with a message saying "AVR Setup Assistant". The rest is pretty self-explanatory after that point as you're taken through the rest of the steps on how to create and manage your new setup.

The AVR-X2700H has a slightly more intuitive user interface as well as one less step in setting up, as it already has all three HDMI inputs on the back of the unit, which means all you need to do is connect one cable from your television set directly into input number 2 and proceed with the rest of the setup process. It's that easy!

In the end, it all boils down to personal preference and what you think is the better option for your needs, mainly due to their price differences. For a premium amp with built-in HEOS technology and Dolby Atmos to boot, I would go with the AVR-X2700H. It has everything that a performance-oriented HTIB system should have at a very reasonable price tag. As always, this is just my opinion so please do not shoot me if you disagree