Denon HEOS AVR vs Denon AVR-S950H review

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It makes sense comparing Denon HEOS AVR vs Denon AVR-S950H because they both are able to give some premium features.

Amplifier

A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Denon HEOS AVR has 5.1 versus 7.2 for Denon AVR-S950H. Regarding power, then HEOS AVR has such a W/Ohm ratio - 50/8, 65/6 when AVR-S950H has a power of 90/8, 125/6. The THD is 0.05% for the HEOS AVR but 0.08% for the AVR-S950H. None of the models support Bi-amping. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing.

Connectivity

Both models have the ability to connect to the Internet via WI-FI. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The HEOS AVR can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, TuneIn Radio, iHeart Radio, Sound Cloud, and the AVR-S950H can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, TuneIn Radio, iHeart Radio, Sound Cloud, Mood Mix. 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. The AVR-S950H can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the HEOS AVR. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the AVR-S950H.

Extensive connections

The Denon HEOS AVR has 4/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 8/2 HDMI connectors of the Denon AVR-S950H. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the AVR-S950H. The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) feature is present in most modern AV receivers and the models in our comparison are no exception. The HEOS AVR supports the protection of digital content of the standard HDCP 2.2, versus HDCP 2.3 in the AVR-S950H. The AVR-S950H has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. The HEOS AVR supports voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and the AVR-S950H - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI. An ECO mode is only available for the AVR-S950H. The setup assistant will help you configure Denon AVR-S950H.

Multichannel surround

Only the AVR-S950H has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the AVR-S950H.