An affordable AV receiver is always a good option to consider, so Denon AVR-X540BT vs Denon AVR-X1400H comparison definitely makes sense.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Denon AVR-X540BT has 5.2 versus 7.2 for Denon AVR-X1400H. Regarding power, then AVR-X540BT has such a W/Ohm ratio - 70/8, 90/6 when AVR-X1400H has a power of 80/8, 120/6. The THD is the same and is 0.08%.
Competitors' digital to analog converter (DAC) is identical to 192 KHz/24-bit. Only the AVR-X1400H supports Bi-amping feature. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing.
Only the Denon AVR-X1400H can connect to the Internet via WI-FI. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The AVR-X540BT can work with the audio stream from TIDAL, Pandora, and the AVR-X1400H can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, TuneIn Radio, iHeart Radio, Sound Cloud.
These units support HDR technology. Compared AV receivers retain the quality of 4K/60Hz signal when transmitting from a source to a TV or projector. HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is implemented in each of the devices. Both competitors are not able to scale the HDMI signal. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.
The Denon AVR-X540BT has 5/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 6/1 HDMI connectors of the Denon AVR-X1400H. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. Unfortunately, HDMI eARC is not available on monitored devices. The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) feature is present in most modern AV receivers and the models in our comparison are no exception. Both models support the standard HDCP 2.2. Receivers do not have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. It is also worth noting that the ECO mode is presented in each of the receivers. Both AVR-X540BT and AVR-X1400H can be configured using the Setup assistant.
Only the AVR-X1400H has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the AVR-X1400H.