You relieve the stereo speakers, so they better represent the mid and high frequencies. After all, hi-fi speakers are not always strong at reproducing ultra-low like you find it in the LFE channel of a Hollywood action movie. Film lovers who like that little bit more spectacle should definitely consider that. Denon has also provided a pre-out for sub, allowing you to build a 2.1 setup. You then use two amplifier modules per speaker instead of one, which can keep more difficult speakers under control. Two 2-wire speaker cables then run to each speaker, with a set of speaker connections providing part of the audio signal and the second the remaining frequencies. The speakers you use must have bi-wiring / bi-amping and also have two pairs of speaker connections. You can also choose to use them all for one pair of speakers. One set of speakers in the living room, one pair in the dining room, for example. Denon provides four pairs, for two pairs of wired stereo speakers. Of course, there are far fewer speaker terminals to be found than with a typical AV receiver – but also slightly more than expected. It all depends on your frame of reference, as always in life. If you are used to a stereo amplifier, it might just seem particularly busy. Will not surprise you that the back of the DRA-800H is a lot more austere than with the equally priced Denon AVR-X2600H that we have recently tested.
If a friend comes by with a USB stick with his music, you can plug it into the DRA-800H in the living room and then listen outside. That is practical if, for example, you place a few HEOS 1 speakers on the terrace during a barbecue. If you have other HEOS speakers, you can also send these files to other rooms via the HEOS app. There is also a USB input for a stick with music files.
Another plus: the DRA-800H comes with a DAB + tuner, allowing you to listen to radio stations in digital quality. This allows you to adjust the radio tuner or switch to a specific input in combination with specific settings via four Quick Select keys. The three extra knobs on the DRA-800H may look cool, but in practice you may never use them.Ī bit more convenient are the smaller, almost invisible remote buttons below the display.
#WHY DO I HAVE TO USE THE HEOS APP TO PLAY MUSIC ON MY SPEAKER TV#
Of course, you can adjust those matters with the AVR-X3600H and co, but then via the TV interface or the app. The DRA-800H has something that the surround receivers lack and that this device makes something just “hi-fi”: three knobs below the display for bass, treble and speaker balance. That means a clear layout at the front, with a central display (which in reality is smaller than the large, black surface shows) flanked by two large knobs (volume on the right, input selection on the left). The DRA-800H is a full-size device that speaks the design language of the surround devices. There are no really huge differences in design, although the X3600H is a bit deeper. We park the Denon DRA-800H on our test bench, where it is just above our regular AVR-X6300H and the Denon AVR-X3600H (which we will test soon). The 649-euro DRA-800H therefore has its unique edges. You will rarely find a stereo amplifier with additional HDMI inputs and HDMI switching.
Even the new batch of stereo devices that come with an HDMI ARC connection, such as the NAD M10 or the future Arcam SA-30, do not offer exactly the same. The DRA-800H has multi-room streaming via HEOS and AirPlay 2, voice control via Google Assistant, and is much richer in terms of HDMI than a typical stereo product. The answer lies in the many functions that an AV receiver offers in terms of connectivity and streaming. “Then why not just buy a hi-fi amplifier?” You might call out. The main difference: this is a true stereo amplifier, intended for people who can tolerate a maximum of two speakers in their living room. The DRA-800H may look like a typical AV receiver but it is a very separate product. The step from TV speakers to real stereo sound is unmissable. That may sound bizarre, but there is certainly something to be said for a stereo receiver with HEOS streaming and HDMI connections on board. The DRA-800H from Denon is an AV receiver without surround channels.