Onkyo TX-NR545 vs Denon AVR-X3400H review

vs

The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Onkyo TX-NR545 vs Denon AVR-X3400H that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers.

Amplifier

Considered AV receivers have the same number of channels 7.2. Regarding power, then TX-NR545 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 100/6 when AVR-X3400H 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, Hi-Grade 384 KHz/32-bit for TX-NR545 and 192 KHz/24-bit for the AVR-X3400H. Both the TX-NR545 and the AVR-X3400H support Bi-amping. 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. The Onkyo TX-NR545 has support for AirPlay, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay, AirPlay 2. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The TX-NR545 can work with the audio stream from Tunein Radio, and the AVR-X3400H can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora,iHeart Radio, Sirius XM, Sound Cloud, Napster.

Video features

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. The AVR-X3400H can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the TX-NR545. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the AVR-X3400H.

Extensive connections

The Onkyo TX-NR545 has 6/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 8/3 HDMI connectors of the Denon AVR-X3400H. 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. The AVR-X3400H has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.

Additional features

Each of the AV receivers from our review supports 2 Multi-room zones. An ECO mode is only available for the AVR-X3400H. Both TX-NR545 and AVR-X3400H can be configured using the Setup assistant.

Multichannel surround

Both devices have support for Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the AVR-X3400H.