Don't bother looking elsewhere, this is the best home cinema deal around this Black Friday. If you're in the market for a new AVR, then this Denon deal is absolutely the one to go for.
The AVR-X2800H is an five-star home cinema amplifier that's feature-rich and delivers truly cinematic sound, earning it a What Hi-Fi? Award last year, and that was at it's full price of £869. Thanks to the Black Friday sales, however, it can be picked up for a jaw dropping £499 right now at Richer Sounds and Sevenoaks, makling it easily the best home cinema deal we've seen.
It also helps that deals on our new favourite home cinem aplifier, the Sony TA-AN1000, is frustratingly dodging the Black Friday sales, sticking at its £1000 price point. Now that this Denon is half the price of the Sony, it's easily the better buy, as the performance difference at this level certainly don't warrant spending an additional £500.
Denon has been dominating the AV receiver market for some time now, so we weren't hugely surprised when the amp launched in September 2022 and proceeded to set a new benchmark for performance. Its initial launch price was £869, or £899 for the version with a DAB module. The Denon is a seven-channel AVR with 95W per channel (two channels driven, 8 Ohms 20Hz-20kHz).
In our Denon AVR-X2800H review, we praised its "mature and authoritative sound" and "well-spread soundstage". Dialogue is lively and engaging, while its dynamic ability gives movies a fantastic sense of atmosphere. It's a musical performer too, and soundtracks are communicated with minimal effort.
As you would expect from a Denon AVR, you are treated to a wide selection of connectivity options, including six HDMI inputs and two outputs. Three of the inputs are HDMI 2.1 ports and as a result, play nicely with 8K@60Hz or 4K@120Hz signals. Various HDR codecs, including HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) are all supported, while gamers can be safe in the knowledge they also have VRR, QFT, ALLM and FRL (Frame Rate Link) at their disposal.
There is also hi-res audio support and streaming smarts to take advantage of with Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Roon and HEOS, Denon’s multi-room software. Bluetooth is also there if you simply want to stream some tunes from a smartphone.
The 2800 also features a redesigned user interface which we described as "smart-looking and informative". Set-up is carried out by the built-in Audyssey MultEQ XT calibration software, and of course, you can use the Denon to drive a Dolby Atmos or DTS:X system should you wish.
The Denon has come up against some tough competition this year, but at £300 off the usual asking price, this deal affirms that it's still a formidable home cinema receiver.
Now, Black Friday certainly isn't over yet, so there is always a slim chance that another AVR swoops in at a hefty discount (that's your cue Sony), but it would take some serious savings to dethrone this excellent deal.
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6 mistakes to avoid with your AV receiver
What Hi-Fi? Awards 2022: Denon dethrones itself in the AVR category