Denon AVR-S930H 7.2CH 4K Ultra HD Network AV Receiver Preview

If you’re in the market for a new A/V Receiver right now the choices can be daunting.  Do I get one with Dolby Atmos? DTS:X? 4K ultra upscaling? Do I even need any of those things? When people ask me what receiver should I get, the first question I ask them is “What’s your price point?” and then “What are you using it for?” If you’re in the market for a sub $600 receiver, Denon’s new AVR-S930H is packed with all these features and more.  The AVR-S930 plays big brother to the slightly less powerful AVR-S730H which we recently previewed.  The S930H has all the same audio and video features of the S730H, with the S930H having two extra HDMI inputs and a bit more power. Denon says that the AVR-S930H is their most advanced Denon S Series home entertainment solution to date and comes with a complete set of next-generation audio and video features. It may be the right receiver for you- even if you can spend more money!

Build Quality

The AVR-S930H features high current discrete power output devices on all channels and is rated at a maximum of 185 watts per channel (Read our editorial note about maximum WPC below). There's also an Auto Eco mode that adjusts the maximum power available according to the volume level as well as an on-screen Eco meter that lets you see the power consumption reduction in real time. The AVR-S930H is also equipped with low impedance drive capability that provides operational stability with 4 ohm speakers. You can configure the AVR-S930H for a 7-channel home theater surround system or you can choose to have a 5-channel surround system in the main room with 2 of the amplifier channels dedicated to drive separate stereo speakers in another room.  The S930H front panel features 4 Quick Select function buttons so you can quickly choose from the most popular sources and the system remembers your preferred audio settings for each one.

On the back, the AVR features a horizontal row of color coded premium looking loudspeaker connectors, and it comes with a set of color coded speaker cable labels that help ensure correct speaker cable hookup the very first time.  The AVR-S930H even comes with Denon’s Setup Assistant to help to correctly connect and configure your home theater system quickly and easily. The Setup Assistant features clear on-screen graphics and text that guides you through the setup process, optimizing critical system settings for the best possible sound quality. The S930H also comes with 8 HDMI inputs, including 1 conveniently located on the front panel.

Editorial Note about Power Ratings by Gene DellaSala:

If you glance at Denon's literature online, you can see a mighty 185 watts/ch rating, but realize that's only a max power rating with 1CH driven, at 1kHz and 6 ohms.  We've been watching a trend by many of the mass market brands of inflating power in their latest Atmos/DTS:X receivers.  The AVR-S930H actual continuous power rating is 90 watts/ch (2CH driven) which should be enough power for a modest speaker setup in a medium sized room especially if you bass manage all of your speakers and utilize dedicated subwoofer(s) to handle the bass duties.

Home Theater

On the audio side of home theater, the S930 comes with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D surround sound decoders, and all the latest video technologies including Dolby Vision, HDR (High Dynamic Range) and 4K Scaling. With the second HDMI output, you can even enjoy AV sources in another room. The S930 supports full 4K Ultra HD, HDCP 2.2, HDR (High Dymanic Range), BT.2020, Wide Color Gamut and 4:4:4 Pure Color sub-sampling. It is even ready for Dolby Vision and HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma; via future firmware update), and owns an advanced video processor to upscale existing lower resolution video to true 4K and with the two HDMI outputs, you can even connect a TV and a projector in parallel.

Audio Streaming Options

The AVR-S930H features high resolution audio decoding with multiple lossless file types including ALAC, FLAC and WAV at up to 24-bit/196-kHz along with compatibility for 2.8/5.6-MHz DSD files (DSD is the audio coding format of SACD). You can play them from memory devices via the front panel USB, or from network sources. Of course, the AVR-S930H will also play lossy file types such as MP3 and WMA.

Each audio company has its own version of delivering wireless music to your system.  Denon’s version is HEOS wireless technology. Like other wireless streaming options from other companies, with HEOS you can stream and control all your local or online music from anywhere in your home, in this case with the HEOS App.

Denon’s HEOS technology enables the AVR-S930H to become part of the HEOS wireless multi-room system, allowing you to enjoy your favorite music anywhere around your home. Share music stored on your home network, Internet radio or streaming services with HEOS wireless speakers, or even other HEOS-capable receivers, throughout the house, all controlled by the HEOS app.  The HEOS app puts multiple streaming services in the palm of your hand, ready to play on your AVR or any devices on your HEOS network. You can stream music from Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Internet radio, Amazon Prime Music, iHeart Radio, Sirius XM, Sound Cloud, Tidal, Rhapsody or Deezer, or use the HEOS app to stream tunes or whole albums from your phone, USB stick, or computers and NAS drives on your home network. The AVR-S930H is equipped with an advanced dual diversity antenna RF transceiver system for streaming, wireless content. You can connect to the internet through your home Wi-Fi network (or with a hard-wired connection via the RJ-45 Ethernet LAN port) and enjoy all the music options the HEOS technology offers, including thousands of internet radio stations around the world.

If you’re invested in the Apple Environment, the S930H also allows you to stream through Apple AirPlay. With Airplay, you can enjoy listening to your favorite tracks wirelessly from your favorite iOS device including the iPod touch, iPhone and iPad.

If you don’t like the included remote, you could even download the Denon 2016 AVR Remote for iOS, Android and Kindle Fire.  With the app remote, you can control the receiver's operation, as well as accessing its set-up menu, from a smartphone or tablet. The app also gives you quick access to the receiver's status display, option menus, Denon Blu-ray player control, and an online owner's manual for your convenience. Inside the app, you can switch instantly to the HEOS App to access control over your music contents and streaming services.

Room Calibration

Every listening room has its own characteristics and acoustical problems. The AVR-S930H is equipped with the Audyssey MultEQ automatic room acoustic correction system. By using the supplied measuring microphone and mic stand, Audyssey MultEQ measures all the speakers in your home theater during setup, including the subwoofer, and then generates multiple high precision DSP room acoustic correction filters which together help to provide smooth and natural tonal balance, regardless of the brand or model of the various speakers. Audyssey Dynamic Volume is designed to smooths out annoying jumps in volume (such as TV commercials).  For you control freaks, you can also download the Audyssey MultEQ Editor app which allows you to view and adjust settings for detailed tuning letting you customize the sound more precisely to the specific problems in your room, and tailor the sound to your personal preferences. With this comprehensive app, you can harness the power of Audyssey MultEQ to take total control of the way your home cinema sounds. Check out our preview of the Audyssey Editor App.

Conclusion

The AVR-S930H does have a ton of features for under $600 including both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X encoding and upscaling to 4K ultra for your super high definition displays. For slightly smaller rooms, you can save $100 and go with the S730H which has all the same features as the S930H albeit with slightly less power. If you’re in the market for a budget receiver there is the extremely affordable, 5.2 channel AVR-S530BT priced at a mere $279. As you might guess by the model number, the 530BT doesn’t feature HEOS and it won’t include Dolby Atmos either. Although the ultra-affordable 530BT will provide Bluetooth connectivity for your wireless music fix. Whichever one of these receivers you choose you’re definitely getting a lot of bang for your buck.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.