Denon AVR-X540BT vs Denon AVR-X3800H review

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An affordable AV receiver is always a good option to consider, so Denon AVR-X540BT vs Denon AVR-X3800H comparison definitely makes sense.

Amplifier

A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Denon AVR-X540BT has 5.2 versus 9.4 for Denon AVR-X3800H. Regarding power, then AVR-X540BT has such a W/Ohm ratio - 70/8, 90/6 when AVR-X3800H has a power of 105/8, 135/6. The THD is the same and is 0.08%.

Audio features

Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, 192 KHz/24-bit for AVR-X540BT and 192 KHz/32-bit for the AVR-X3800H. Only the AVR-X3800H supports Bi-amping feature. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing. 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-X3800H can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, Napster, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, Amazon Music HD, MOOD:Mix. HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is implemented in each of the devices. The AVR-X3800H can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the AVR-X540BT. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.

Extensive connections

The Denon AVR-X540BT has 5/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 6/3 HDMI connectors of the Denon AVR-X3800H. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the AVR-X3800H. The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) feature is present in most modern AV receivers and the models in our comparison are no exception. The AVR-X540BT supports the protection of digital content of the standard HDCP 2.2, versus HDCP 2.3 in the AVR-X3800H. The AVR-X3800H has 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-X3800H can be configured using the Setup assistant.

Multichannel surround

Only the AVR-X3800H has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the AVR-X3800H.