Mahwah, N.J. – A new flagship A/V receiver launched by Denon adds Dolby Atmos surround sound, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and an online-upgrade capability to add Auro-3D surround.
The $2,999-suggested networked AVR-X7200W, shipping in December, also adds HDMI 2.0 ports, and in the spring, a hardware upgrade will add HDCP 2.2 copy protection to the ports.
Denon said it held off on offering HDCP 2.2 for playback of copy-protected 4K video sources because it did not “want to compromise on the limited bandwidth and color capability of currently available HDCP2.2 implementations.” The receiver’s processor, however, is capable of handling future 4K Ultra HD 50/60Hz full-rate video as well as 4:4:4 Pure Color 4K sub-sampling pass-through, the company said. Both are part of the latest HDMI spec.
The Auro upgrade becomes available next month for $199.
Compared to its discontinued networked predecessor, it also features more streaming services and upgraded build quality and parts, said D+M VP/GM Kevin Zarow.
With an add-on two-channel amp, the 9×150-watt receiver will drive 11-channel Atmos configurations, including 7.2.4 and 9.2.2 configurations. Without the amp, the receiver will drive 5.2.2, 5.2.4, and 7.2.2 configurations.
The component also features 13.2-channel pre-outs, DTS Neo:X and Audyssey DSX 11.1-channel post processing, and Audyssey’s top-end MultEQ XT 32 (Pro ready) room calibration with Sub EQ HT and LFC.
The three-zone, three-source receiver includes built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, AirPlay, DLNA music streaming, music-streaming services such as Spotify Connect, eight HDMI inputs (including one in front), three HDMI outputs (two for the main zone and one for a remote zone), and support for such streaming-music formats as DSD and AIFF.
It also comes with RS232 control, phono input, ISF video calibration, and USB port to connect either USB storage devices or Apple mobile devices to play back music and charge at the Apple devices.
Recently, D+M’s Denon and Marantz brands also announced plans for December availability of Auro3D firmware upgrades to a quartet of Atmos-equipped components. They are Denon’s $1,499-suggested 7.2-channel AVR-X4100W and $1,999-suggested 9.2-channel AVR-X5200W 9.2-channel networked A/V receivers. The two Marantz components are the $$1,999-suggested 9-channel SR7009 networked A/V receiver and $1,999-suggested AV7702 multichannel A/V preamplifier. Upgrades can be accomplished by using the components’ built-in online-upgrade capability.
