With the holidays coming up a lot of consumers will be purchasing home entertainment products, including TVs, soundbars, and AV receivers so they can enjoy their favorite shows, movies, and let’s not forget football and other sporting events.
With that in mind, Denon is offering up three new AV receivers this season. We have already posted a report on the AVR-X1700H, which is expected to become available sometime in November (2021), but Denon has two more new receivers that are available now, the AVR-S660H and AVR-S760H.
All new 2021 Denon A/V receivers are 8K TV compatible and support next-gen gaming consoles like PS5 with 4K@120Hz pass-thru, VRR, QFT an ALLM. What’s mainly different is the number of surround channels supported and amplifier power.
Denon AVR-S660H
5.2-channel 8K A/V Receiver
If you are looking for an AV receiver with solid basics, the AVR-S660H is worth consideration.
The S660H provides a 5.2 channel configuration (Left, Center, Right, Left/Right Surround, and up to 2 subwoofers.
There is plenty of clean power with a stated power rating of 75WPC measured with 2-channels driven using an 8-ohm speaker impedance load, at a 20Hz to 20KHz frequency response, and .08% THD. Refer to our reference article on what amplifier power specifications mean.
Compatible surround sound formats include most Dolby and DTS formats including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. However, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X are not included.
On the video side, the S660H has 6 HDMI inputs and one output. Three of the inputs are 40 Gbps, 8K/60Hz, and 4K/120Hz compatible. The S660H also supports most HDR formats including HDR10/10+, Dolby Vision, Dynamic HDR, and HLG. Also, even if you don’t have any 8K video sources, the S660H provides 8K upscaling on all HDMI inputs.
The AVR-S660H also includes Denon’s HEOS® multi-room music streaming platform (aks Denon Home). This enables users to enjoy their favorite content in every room with compatible HEOS wireless speakers.
AVR-S760H
7.2-channel Dolby Atmos 8K A/V Receiver
If you are looking for a little more, the Denon AVR-S760H takes things up a few notches with 7.2 channels. These can be configured in a traditional 7.1 or 7.2 speaker setup or a 5.1.2 channel Dolby Atmos setup.
In addition to Dolby Atmos, the S760H is also compatible with DTS:X and both Dolby Height Virtualization and DTS Virtual:X processing. This provides more speaker setup flexibility. Virtualization and Virtual:X eliminate the need for height speakers if their installation is not possible or not preferred. Of course, having dedicated height speakers will provide a better result, but at least you can still access Dolby Atmos and DTS:X without physical height speakers if necessary.
Just as with the S600H, the S760H has a stated power output rating of 75 WPC measured with 2-channels driven using an 8-ohm speaker impedance load, at a 20Hz to 20KHz frequency response, and .08% THD.
The AVR-S760H also provides the same HDMI connection options as well as incorporating the HEOS wireless multi-room streaming platform.
There is More…
Other features that both receivers have in common include:
- HDMI ARC/eARC: This provides easy access to audio coming from the TV and sources connected to the TV.
- BT.2020 Pass-Through: This assures that wide color gamut signals from sources connected to the receiver will pass through to a compatible TV or video projector unaltered.
- HDCP 2.3: (High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection). This makes sure that HDMI devices securely recognize each other when connected, preventing video piracy.
- Gaming Support: Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Quick Frame Transport (QFT), and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) – all of which are important for dedicated games.
- Apple AirPlay 2: In addition to the HEOS wireless multi-room music platform mentioned previously, both the S660H and S760H are compatible with Apple AirPLay 2.
- Music Streaming: With the companion HEOS app and Bluetooth, both receivers can access several music streaming services including Spotify®, Pandora®, and Tidal. Hi-Res Audio streaming is supported.
- USB: Both receivers include a front panel accessible USB port with support for WAV, FLAC, ALAC, and DSD 2.8/5.6 MHz audio files.
- Dialog Enhancer: This lets users adjust the dialog level at any time.
- HDMI Signal Information: The allows users to check if 8K resolution, 4K/120 signals, or HDR formats are actually passing through the AVR.
- Dual Speaker Presets: This enables users to store and switch instantly between two different speaker configurations and Audyssey settings (more on Audyssey in the next section).
- Phono Input: This allows users to connect a traditional turntable for listening to music on vinyl records.
- Voice Control: Both receivers will work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri. After setting up your preferred option, you can use voice commands to control many AVR functions.
Rear View Compared
Audyssey Room Correction
The AVR-S660H and S760H also provide Audyssey MultEQ technology for simple, accurate speaker setup and acoustic calibration of the system. The technology detects the size, type, and configuration of the speakers used and measures their response in up to six listening positions for optimal performance. In addition, the AVR-S760H can further customize settings via the advanced Audyssey MultEQ Editor app, available for purchase ($19.99) in iOS and Android stores.
Pricing and Availability
The Denon AVR-S660H and AVR-S760H are available for $449 (coming soon) and $549 (at Amazon), respectively, at authorized Denon retailers. Both are also available direct from Denon.com.
NOTE: Be aware that the worldwide chip shortage and supply chain issue could affect both supply and pricing.
Continue reading: The step-up 2021 Denon AVR-X1700H 8K A/V Receiver ($699) improves the amplification and room correction with Audyssey MultiEQ XT.
