Customer Ratings & Reviews

Initial Thoughts: The Denon AVR-X4800H is a feature rich 8K AVR that powers through my 7.1.2 surround system without any external amplification. Movies are rich and dynamic. Music is clean and detailed. Initial setup and integration activity took me about two hours. It took the first month to fully realize the system in my 18’ L x 11’ W x 7’ H 7.1.2 home theater. The Denon is so feature rich that I am still adjusting, trying new sound modes, and tweaking the system to dial in the very best my system has to offer. It also supports every multi-channel sound mode that 2023 has to offer. So far, I am finding the experience fun, educational, and, overall, my music and movies have never sounded better. Setup: Unpacking, connecting cables, and running Audyssey MultEQ XT32 room correction took about two hours. The Denon was a simple drop-in replacement for an older Pioneer Elite VSX-90 AVR. My current system has a solid front bed layer stage of B&W 702 S2 L/R and the B&W HTM71 S2 center. The surround speakers are more of a patchwork of speakers including two B&W 606 Signature speakers as side surrounds, two B&W HTM 600 series center channels for rears, and a pair of SVS Prime bookshelf speakers as front elevation speakers. I am using an SVS PC-4000 sub to round the system. Audyssey MultEQ XT32 did a pretty good job of integrating the various speakers and providing a solid sonic presentation. The Denon includes a calibration microphone and an adjustable cardboard microphone stand to perform the Audyssey MultEQ calibration. The microphone will also screw into a standard camera tripod. This is not a calibrated mic so you will not be able to use it with the full paid version of Audyssey MultEQ-X for Windows or with Dirac Live. Audyssey MultEQ XT32 runs a test tone, per speaker, across eight different spots around your listening position. In my case, Audyssey ran 80 separate test tones. The calibration process took me about 10 minutes to set up my tripod, mic, and pre-mark my eight measurement positions. Running through the calibration test tones took another 10 to 20 minutes. The last major item I checked was my speaker crossover frequencies for each speaker. Audyssey set my L/C/R speakers to full range which is not correct. Instead, I set them both within 10Hz – 20hz of the manufacturer’s stated lowest frequency range. And then set the high-pass filter to the sub to 150Hz. THX recommends setting all crossovers to 80hz. And this is a good guideline and will work in most instances. In my case, I chose to experiment with the crossover points. The Denon is only capable of powering 9 speakers but can process a total of 11 channels. There are 11 unbalanced pre-outs on the back of the AVR which allows for external amplification and expansion to a the full 11 channels. My goal is a 7.2.4 system, so it is important to me to have room to grow. The X4800H supports every known multi-channel format known to man, I think. There are a lot of them. I do not have room to cover them in this review. Download the 336-page user’s manual from Denon’s support site to review them for yourself. I think you will find a few sound formats and speaker configurations that will work for your unique situation. I’ll just say that Atmos, DTS, and Aural overlap on a surprising number of speaker configurations. Movies: Movies are pure enjoyment. The Denon has enough oomph in the monolithic amplifier section to swing dynamically from the quietest sound to a full crescendo in an action movie without missing a beat. The Denon really shined with MadMax Fury Road. The scene at the beginning of the movie where the zealot’s chase after Furiosa’s hijacked war wagon is replete with roaring engines, tires kicking up dirt, and a flame throwing guitar solo! The scene ends with Furiosa driving through a tornado hellscape that is rich, authoritative, precise, and sonically frightening! The sound scape was so enveloping and detailed that I felt like I was in the tornado sandstorm. At no point did the Denon succumb to the demands of the movie. Music: The Denon does an excellent job with my CDs, the HEOS streaming app, and with Apple Music. I mostly listen to Apple Music over Air Play 2. For example, Bach’s Toccata & Fugue in D Minor BWV 565 is a very popular organ piece that most people would recognize when heard. The Denon did a masterful job here. The organ was clear, clean, precises, and never showed any signs of distortion or dips in performance. At volume, this is a powerful piece and the Denon was on the ball. Now, in contrast, I did have a Marantz Cinema 50 in my theater prior to owning the Denon. The Marantz was sloppy at best and inaccurate at worst. It is one of many traded in the Cinema 50 for the X4800H. Overall, any music I threw at the Denon played wonderfully and brought the best out of my system. I have nothing to complain about. I listened to a number of classical pieces, classic rock, electro swing, Jazz, Techno, hard rock, and modern pop. The Denon did a wonderful job in all instances. One thing to be aware of is that the Denon will not make poor recordings sound better. It is not magical. Additional Costs: Audyssey MultEQ Editor app is an extra $20 and only operates from a cell phone or tablet. A step up is Audyssey MultEQ-X, found in the Microsoft store, which costs $200 plus an extra $80 for the special calibrated mic that must be purchased separately. Finally, Dirac Live is $260 for a limited bandwidth license and $350 for full bandwidth. Dirac Live also requires a separate calibrated microphone that can add an additional $150 to the enterprise. I also heard that Dirac will be releasing a version that will include subwoofer(s) calibration that will cost even more. This is not a Denon exclusive phenomenon. However, it does show the rise of software as a service within the home audio space. It also shows that you can spend an infinite amount of money to squeeze that little bit more out of your system. Now, do you need any of this to get a great theater experience? No, you do not. However, for the $2500 asking price, Denon should have include the $20 license for Audyssey MultEQ Editor app. Additional Controls: The Denon control panels and options can be accessed and controlled via the remote and the TV screen, Denon AVR mobile app, or connecting directly to the receiver via a web browser. What you see on the screen is mostly what you see in the apps. I say mostly because there are some differences in layout and presentation. They are all easy to navigate once you know what you are looking for. Keep in mind that the 336-page user’s guide will be your best friend for a while. The benefit here is that you can disable the LCD screen while watching movies in a dark room and use another device to tune the receiver as needed. Personally, I would rather have a lighted remote control but there are benefits to using a cell phone or computer to control the system. Just keep in mind that a bright cell phone screen or wiping out a laptop can and will kill date night faster than you can say, “hey, can you get me a beer while you are up?” So, please Denon, backlight? Final thoughts: I am very happy that I settled on the Denon X4800H and look forward to getting years of enjoyment out it.

Had my eye on the Denon Avr-x4800 for a while found a great deal on open box minus the accessories for $1900 the unit was in pristine condition and sounds amazing not a scratch or nick present. Big shout out to Best Buy for always having great deals. Best Buy is really the best!

The audio is good. It’s a little bit smaller than what my old one was, but it is very good from what I’ve heard.

Second Denon in 12 years. Paired with a klipsch 5.1. Super happy with this unit. For Audyssey room correction get the app - totally worth it. The UI is light years improved over my 4310. Had a weird issue with the system throwing a short fault, but tweaked banana plugs and went away. Oh also got it at BB for 1/3 off!

Very surprised how much it added to the sound of music! Also direct FLAC play! So great!

AVR-X4800H is manufactured in Japan. This updated full 8K AVR features discrete high-current amplifiers on all channels with 4 ohm low-impedance drive capability for a 125 watt/ch 9.4 AVR., but the difference we get this time around is in its Monolithic Amplifier layout. This means that compared to the X4700H that used two boards for 5 channels and 4 channels each, the new X4800H is using an independent power amplifier board for each channel instead which means less crosstalk and less vibration. The x4800H supports a huge list of audio formats and technologies including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, IMAX Enhanced, Auro-3D, 360 Reality Audio and MPEG-H Audio along with the usual virtual and up-mixing tech like Dolby Surround, DTS Neural:X, Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization and DTS Virtual:X. The remote is not back lit, a bit cheaper made but you can always get a replacement from Denon if needed. Running the new Audyssey MultEQ XT32 was pretty impressive as it got speaker sizes and crossovers right automatically. Movie vs TV series audio quality really kicked in using Dynamic volume and Dynamic range. I like that the AVR’s video pass through is finally future proof to a large extent compared to the last 8 years years of incremental improvements with multiple AVR models. Yeah it does make one think how much money acquiring different AVRs to be able to pass through what you needed was lost. Biggest change is the inside design is so clean, it makes the the AVR run significantly cooler, barely gets warm compared to say a x4700H or x6700H 2020 models. Is it worth buying even if it is more expensive then 2020 models, heck yeah.

This is a fantastic receiver, driving up to 9 channels but with capability of processing up to 11, enabling a 7 channel base layer and 4 channels of ATMOS (with at least two channels externally amplified). I love streaming Spotify directly from the receiver and controlling it with my phone or the remote. Very convenient! PS5 games sound amazing!! Setup was very easy, I haven't messed with Dirac yet, but it's capable. I found setting up the Auddyesy XT32 was straightforward and sounds great after simply running the setup utility with the included microphone. As I mentioned above, you need external amplification to go above 9 channels. I had initially set these up with Elac Un-Fi 2.0 floor standing speakers up front with a matching center, as well as a set of the the Uni-Fi 2.0 bookshelfs for surround to make a 5.1 system and then added Elac Debut OWM 2.0 for the rear and Debut up-firing ATMOS. When I added the four additional speakers, I noticed the center stage was no longer getting the same clarity and loudness I had before, which made sense because max power on this unit is 710W. About 40-50W of that will be for the electronics / processing, so you're left with about 660W for the speakers which is only giving us ~73W per channel. This is simply not enough for a speaker rated at 140W, so I got the Emotiva BasX A3s to run the front 3 channels and WOW!! Highly recommend all around!!! The SVS PB-2000 is a great value as well and really rounds out the system. I just ordered two pairs of KEF Q150s to mount to the ceiling for ATMOS (they are coaxial so can be mounted horizontally), can't wait to try it out!!

I replaced an older Denon model with this AVR-X4800H and I’m completely satisfied. The quality is outstanding and setup was very easy. I’m currently using the preamp outputs but it is good to know it has enough power to drive speakers in the case my power amp fails. I’m looking forward to years of enjoyment from this AV receiver.

Wow, this receiver is awesome. Connected automatically with all of my connected hardware, e.g., Apple TV, Samsung TV. The video display quality of low resolution video noticeable improved. The sound is amazing.

The Denon X4800H AVR is great for cinema and music listening. With many options for different formats, this AVR is a good receiver to use. Getting a good fan to cool down the overheating receiver is highly recommended

A welcome upgrade from my previous receive with even more features and great sound. With my 5.2.4 set up, it handles all the sound fields with ease and with the multiple 8k HDMI inputs, it covers all my next gen video game systems with no issues, and I love the new GUI from the previous one. A little pricey than some others, but I was able to get this on sale. A great buy.

Excellent sounding AVR! Very flexible setup, plenty of power for even low impedance speakers.

This thing is sweet. By far the most powerful, best sounding receiver I have owned. I have a bi-wired 5.1.2 setup currently with two Polk R700's, a Polk R400 Center, two OWM5's for the surrounds, and two OWM3's mounted as mid ceiling speakers. An SVS PB16 subwoofer provides the bass. The R700's should be bi-wired in my opinion and compared to my Marantz SR5011, the Denon can get a lot louder with much less distortion at high volumes. With the volume at 90 this system can punish your ears with SPL. The best feature is being able to set your crossovers separately when listening to 2ch stereo audio. IE, music. It's always been a PITA having to set your speakers to small with an 80hz crossover for Dolby Atmos and Surround and then you wouldn't get bass to the subwoofer when in pure mode. With the X4800H you can set your fronts to full range and still send bas to the sub, even in pure mode. It's glorious! I have not used Dirac yet and may not. I'm not really a fan of Audyssey for music but I have used the onboard software and it's been working for movies. Be aware you must pay for both if you want to use the software to their fullest. The microphone that is included will not work well because it isn't calibrated. Pricing is kinda nuts. I have not had a problem tuning for 2ch audio so I may never buy the full versions of either. Purchase on sale and it's also a killer deal. It's expensive but it's also worth every penny. Build quality is excellent and if you've used an AVR it shouldn't be complicated to get setup and sounding great. Works well with my PC and Playstation 5 when using pass through mode to my LG C4 Oled TV. Supports all the latest VRR, 4k 120hz formats but I can't get 144hz support without hooking the PC directly up to the TV and using E-ARC for audio. Not really too concerned there but something to be aware of. I highly recommend it if you are looking for something at the mid to high range of receiver.

I replaced my Marantz 6011 with this model to get the 120hz video transfer rate that the Denon provided, HEOS, and the Dirac option. Even though the output wattage of the Denon was rated higher than the Marantz it did not provide as much output power as the Marantz. For music the Marantz outperforms the Denon as noted in other reviews. Playing movies is where the Denon stands out. The video output of the Denon is little sharper but I also replaced my HDMI cables when hooking up the Denon.

The X4800H is a powerhouse for a well-equipped home theater. I am running this in a setup with Bowers and Wilkins 600 series towers, center channel, bookshelves, 2 Atmos speakers, 2 subwoofers, and a bass shaker channel. Setup was a breeze, and the interface is fresh, clean, and fast. I have yet to make the jump to Dirac Live, as I want to get the rest of my room dialed in a bit before I make that jump--but knowing it's available to me is a big plus for this purchase. Even using Audyssey XT32 with the iPad app made more advanced configurations and calibrations a breeze - being able to validate measurements is a real plus. The network control works great, and the receiver integrates nicely with Home Assistant. Overall, if you're looking for a lot of clean power, look no further.

For the price this is the best mid-range receiver before the high-end models. The 4800 is the sweet spot that doesn't disappoint. I ran 5.1.4 with SVS Speakers and it sounds great. If you are bi-amping or need the extra channels I would suggest a higher model or buy separate amp to power the remaining two channels. Personally, I prefer to have it all in one box (AVR) which is less complicated for me.

It took me a few hours to try to figure out how to get this receiver to function properly with the speakers and my 85 in Samsung TV. It was not a seamless setup, but with a little bit of patience you can get through it and after everything is done and correct it sounds beautiful and works consistently every time. I love this new receiver!

This receiver is great for those who want ease of use and plenty of control options!!

I opted for the X4800H over the X3800H because of the higher power rating, monolithic amplifiers, and made-in-Japan quality. It took some trial and error to find the right combination of settings among my TV, source players, and the receiver to get truly outstanding picture and immersive sound for different types of source materials. It brings out effortless highs and definitional bass from my speakers. They sounded great before, and the X4800H, probably due to the higher wattage, gives it a bigger stage to shine. Kudos to the Sterling, VA Best Buy which had the X3800H, X4800H, and the Marantz Cinema 50 / 60 hooked up in the demo room so I can do A/B comparisons. I am replaying many 4K movies and music CDs just to enjoy the fantastic sound the X4800H can deliver.

Replaced a Denon 4200W with this. So far so good. The setup menu is a great experience, but if you go 'back' through it, it gets a little confused. I suggest running through setup clean with no back steps. The newer Denon remote doesn't control other devices' power on/off, etc. compared to the remote that came with the 4200W.