AVR-4306 Listening Tests: Movies and Conclusion
We re-enabled the subwoofers for the movie soundtrack evaluations. I watched well over a dozen films on the AVR-4306 during my evaluation period and was absolutely impressed by its power delivery and ability to pu sh out a ridiculous amount of clean, coherent sound. Specific experiences with a couple of my favorite films are outlined below.
DVD: Serenity
From the very opening scene, low frequency effects seem to dominate
this movie. In the scene where the crew of the FireFly are fleeing the
Reavers, the surrounds are used a tremendous amount. The effect was
awesome, with pans and vehicle-bys the likes of which I hadn't
experienced since the Pod Race Scene in
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
.
Later, as they investigate the interior of an "abandoned"
world, the ambience which fills
the soundstage was incredibly effective at establishing the desired mood.
Later, as there is a "firefight" in space, the purposefully muted sounds of the vacuum-inhibited explosions and gunfire gave birth to a "leaf on the wind" dogfight scene with over the top flybys and metallic crunches as enemy ships collided and the Firefly ship ran the gauntlet to get through an enemy blockade. The conclusion of this scene was phenomenal as the ship "glides" to a landing on the planet below.
DVD: Star Wars: The Clone Wars Volume Two
In this animated prequel to
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
, a rich musical score combines with sound effects worthy of Benn Burtt
to make a dynamic front stage and surround presentation. Unlike the
Volume One animated series, this volume comes in 5.1 Dolby Digital
surround. The outer space battle sequences were filled with dramatic
vehicle-bys and laser turrets which ripped from the center channel to
the surround back speakers (using Dolby Pro Logic IIx: Cinema overlay).
When Coruscant is attacked by the separatists, the gut-rupturing sounds of large carrier ships filled the screen and a low-height chase sequence brought back memories of the original Star Wars Death Star sequence as ships raced through the city, dodging in and out of buildings.
Subtleties were also appreciated. In the scene where General Grievous kidnaps Senator Palpatine, there is a period of time where the guardian Jedi are waiting for an elevator. There is a significant amount of blaster fire and lightsaber action down the hall. The ambience in the room and the off-screen action are perfectly placed and the lack of audible noise is almost uncanny. A lesser receiver with less dynamic range would not be able to effect such a dramatic difference in dynamics and I appreciated the low noise floor of the Denon.
Conclusions and Overall Perceptions
The Denon AVR-4306 is jaw-dropping. This is the type of receiver you can put into your system and keep for a long, long time. With the introduction of USB and Internet radio support it is like getting a streaming media device for free - allowing for an almost endless source of free music for parties and casual listening. On the high-end, its underrated power capabilities and noise-free performance is sure to satisfy even the most discriminating audiophile. Try the Audyssey room EQ system, but don't count on it being the magic bullet for every room, especially with their latest round of changes which seemed to dull the low and high frequency system response. We left it off for most of our listening tests and were a bit disappointed that they haven't yet ironed out these issues.
Denon has scored several goal-winning points in the last several years, and the AVR-4306 may actually be a product that hits the mark for many consumers looking for an affordable high end product to control their home theater system. I would highly HIGHLY recommend this receiver to anyone looking for the best performance and feature set available for a receiver under $2000. This is a true benchmark, trend setting product!
The Score Card
The scoring below is based on each piece of equipment doing the duty it is designed for. The numbers are weighed heavily with respect to the individual cost of each unit, thus giving a rating roughly equal to:
Performance × Price Factor/Value = Rating
Audioholics.com note: The ratings indicated below are based on subjective listening and objective testing of the product in question. The rating scale is based on performance/value ratio. If you notice better performing products in future reviews that have lower numbers in certain areas, be aware that the value factor is most likely the culprit. Other Audioholics reviewers may rate products solely based on performance, and each reviewer has his/her own system for ratings.
Audioholics Rating Scale




— Excellent



— Very Good


— Good

— Fair
— Poor
| Metric | Rating |
|---|---|
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| Measured Power (8-ohms) | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
| Measured Power (4-ohms) | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
| Multi-channel Audio Performance | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
| Two-channel Audio Performance | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
| Build Quality | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
| Fit and Finish | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
| Ergonomics & Usability | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
| Ease of Setup | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
| Features | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
| Remote Control | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
| Performance | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
| Value | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |

