Comparison Denon AVR-X2800H vs Denon AVR-S970H

— AM/FM radio. The presence of a built-in tuner that allows you to receive AM and FM radio broadcasts without additional devices (except perhaps an antenna is required, and then not always). In FM, it is possible to realize the transmission of high-quality stereo sound, however, the waves propagate only within the line of sight (10-20 km); therefore, most of the stations in this range are classified as "urban music". In AM, the transmission range is already measured in hundreds of kilometers, but the sound quality is noticeably lower; therefore, such stations usually specialize in talk programs (particularly news).

— USB stick. The ability to connect a USB drive to the receiver — for example, a "flash drive" or an external hard drive — and play content from it directly. This requires a USB connector. Most often, in models with this function, it is located on the front panel (see below) — this provides ease of connection; at the same time, there are exceptions. Also note that the very presence of USB does not necessarily imply the possibility of playing from external media — this interface can be used for service purposes, for example, to update the firmware or play from a PC (see "Advanced (inputs) — USB Type B").

— Network audio streaming. The ability to play streaming audio over a local network or the Internet (including from services like Grooveshark o...r Last.Fm). The name "streaming" is due to the fact that each song is played directly from the network, without being written to the receiver's own permanent storage. This function, by definition, requires connection to computer networks; most often, a Wi-Fi module is used for this purpose (see "Interfaces") or a LAN connector.

— Internet radio. The ability to use the receiver to receive and play Internet radio broadcasts. This feature is similar in many ways to the network audio described above — in particular, it requires a network connection to work, and the data is streamed; however, in the case of network audio, the user himself chooses what and when to listen, here the broadcast is similar to conventional radio transmissions and is controlled from the radio station. Actually, many major stations broadcast their programs not only on the traditional air, but also via the Internet; There are also specialized projects broadcasting only on the Web. In general, the choice of programs is much more extensive than for conventional radio broadcasting — after all, Internet radio has no range restrictions. And the receivers themselves may provide additional tools for managing such broadcasting — for example, catalogs, search by genres, languages, etc.

Audio and video file formats that the receiver is capable of playing on its own. Models with player features generally support most popular media file types (particularly AVI, MPEG and MKV for video, MP3, WAV and WMA for audio), but the file set may have its own peculiarities. This item allows you to find out.

A decoder can be broadly described as a standard in which digital audio (often multi-channel) is recorded. For normal playback of such sound, it is necessary that the corresponding decoder is supported by the device. The first signs of multi-channel decoding were Dolby Digital and DTS, gradually improving and introducing new features. The final stage for 2020 is Dolby Atmos and DTS X decoders. And the intermediate ones were Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS-HD, DTS ES, DTS Neural: X, DTS Neo (6, X).

Dolby Atmos. A decoder that does not use a rigid distribution of sound across channels, but the processing of audio objects, due to which it can be used with almost any number of channels on a reproducing system — the sound will be divided between channels so that each audio object is heard as close as possible to its proper place. When using Dolby Atmos, in-ceiling speakers (or speakers facing the ceiling) are highly desirable. However, in extreme cases, you can do without them.

— DTS X . An analogue of the Dolby Atmos described above, when the sound is distributed not through individual channels, but through audio objects. The...digital signal contains information about where (according to the director's intention) the object audible to the user should be and how it should move, and the processor of the reproducing device processes this information and determines exactly how the sound should be distributed over the available channels in order to achieve the required localization. Thanks to this, DTS X is not tied to a specific number of audio channels — there can be as many as you like, the system will automatically divide the sound into them, achieving the desired sound. Also note that this decoder allows you to separately adjust the volume of dialogues.

— IMAX Enhanced. The IMAX Enhanced Mark of Conformity is awarded to equipment that meets the audio certification requirements of IMAX Corporation. Combined with DTS audio technology to deliver signature IMAX theater-like sound in the home. The most accurate reproduction of such audio is possible in systems with a large number of channels (5.1 or more). Note that for a fully immersive experience, IMAX Enhanced certification must also apply to video equipment for playing content (TV, projector, etc.).

The number of coaxial inputs provided in the design of the receiver.

The coaxial interface is used to transmit audio in digital format. In fact, this is a kind of S / PDIF interface that uses an electric coaxial cable with RCA connectors (“tulip”) for connection. Do not confuse this interface with the analogue RCA described above: the coaxial connection differs in signal type, in the number of jacks per connector (one is enough here), and also does not work well with a regular RCA cable (preferably shielded). S/P-DIF bandwidth is enough to transmit multi-channel audio up to 7.1(see "Number of channels"), but lossless formats like Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio(see "Decoders") are not supported.

As for the quantity, the presence of several inputs allows you to connect several signal sources to the receiver at once with the corresponding outputs and switch between them through software settings without fiddling with switching cables.

HDMI interface version supported by the receiver. Usually, all HDMI connectors available in the device correspond to this version — both inputs (see above) and outputs (see below). Here are the current options:

— v 1.4. The oldest of the current versions, released in 2009. However, it supports 3D video capable of working with resolutions up to 4096x2160 at 24 fps, and in Full HD resolution, the frame rate can reach 120 fps. In addition to the original v.1.4, there are also improved modifications — v.1.4a and v.1.4b; they are similar in terms of basic features, in both cases the improvements affected mainly work with 3D content.

-v 2.0. Significant update to HDMI introduced in 2013. In this version, the maximum frame rate in 4K has increased to 60 fps, and the audio bandwidth has increased to 32 channels and 4 separate streams simultaneously. Also from the innovations, we can mention support for the ultra-wide format 21:9. In the v.2.0a update, HDR support was added to the interface capabilities, in v.2.0b this feature was improved and expanded.

— v 2.1. Despite the similarity in name to v.2.0, this version, released in 2017, was a very large-scale update. In particular, it added support for 8K and even 10K at speeds up to 120 fps, as well as further expanded the possibilities for working with HDR. Under this version, its own cable was released — HDMI Ultra High Speed, all v.2.1 features are available only when using cables of this standard,...although basic functions can be used with simpler cords.

Additional inputs provided in the design of the AV receiver, in addition to those described above. These can be, in particular, such interfaces:

— Balanced digital (AES/EBU). A professional interface designed, as the name suggests, for transmitting digital audio using a balanced connection to reduce interference. For balanced connection, see "XLR (balanced)" above; here we note that AES / EBU is not compatible with the "regular" XLR, although it most often uses the same type of connector. This input is found mainly in the most advanced AV receivers.

— Connector for the docking station. Input for connecting to a docking station — a special device used mainly for connecting smartphones and portable players. The most popular docks for Apple devices — iPhone and iPod — but there may be accessories for other brands. A docking station is often more convenient than a regular cable as it She also plays the role of a stand. In addition, connecting a portable gadget in this way often provides additional control options — for example, switching tracks on the player from the receiver's control panel.

— Trigger input. This input allows the AV receiver to turn on automatically when another audio component equipped with a trigger output, such as a CD player, is turned on. When the control component connected to the trigger input is turned on, this input receives a signal that “wakes up” the receiver as well. This is more convenient than turning on the...equipment separately.

— PC IN. Input for outputting video signal from a computer graphics card to the AV receiver. Typically, the designation PC IN is used for the analogue VGA connector (15 pin D-Sub); it is considered obsolete, but it is still quite common in video cards, especially low-cost ones. On the other hand, the same video cards use the more popular, advanced, and most importantly universal HDMI standard (see above). Therefore, among AV receivers, the PC IN input is still not widely used, only some top-class models are equipped with it, designed for the maximum variety of interfaces.

— USB A. Standard USB connector — the same as in PCs and laptops. It can be used in different formats, but most often it is intended for connecting flash drives or other drives and using the receiver as a media player.

The number of analogue stereo RCA outputs provided in the design of the AV receiver.

By itself, the RCA connector (colloquially — "tulip") can be used in different interfaces. However, in this particular case, we are talking about a linear audio output that is responsible for an analogue audio signal. RCA is the most popular connector used in modern audio equipment for such outputs. In this case, we can talk about both standard outputs for connecting speakers, and about REC connectors designed to connect a recording device to the receiver and differ in a constant signal level. (however, there is rarely more than one such output). In addition, preamplifier outputs are also taken into account here.

Note that connectors of this type are usually counted in pairs; in other words, one output consists of two RCA connectors. This is due to the fact that in this case only one channel of analogue audio can be transmitted over one wire; accordingly, two RCA jacks are required for stereo transmission.

Several RCA outputs allow you to connect several sets of acoustics to the receiver at the same time — for example, to broadcast sound in several rooms at once or to record sound in parallel with listening to it.

Type of headphone output installed in the receiver.

- 3.5 mm (mini-Jack). This connector is very popular in modern electronics: in portable devices, it is the main option for connecting headphones, and most headphones themselves (of all price categories) have a “native” plug specifically for mini-Jack. However, due to a number of technical features in Hi-Fi and Hi-End technology, including AV receivers, this interface has not received wide popularity.

- 6.35 mm (Jack). Due to its large size, this connector is used mainly in stationary equipment and is almost never found in portable gadgets. On the other hand, it is better suited for high-quality audio systems than a mini-Jack, many premium headphones come with a Jack plug, and models with a 3.5 mm plug can be connected to a 6.35 mm jack using a simple adapter (often it is even included in the kit). with the headphones themselves). As a result, most modern AV receivers use this interface.

The maximum power consumed by the receiver during normal operation. The power consumption of the device depends on this parameter, so if saving energy is crucial for you, you should pay attention to it. Also, information on power consumption is useful if you have doubts about the claimed characteristics of the built-in amplifier: if the total power of all channels is greater than the total power consumption of the receiver, then there is an error somewhere in the numbers.