Let me know how you guys like your 4400.
For me, where do I start? Everything! I’ve owned many an audio equipment in my lifetime and a couple of months later, I still have that “I Love This Receiver” feel that usually wears off with most other equipment.
Let me start off with what I like the best. I haven’t owned very many receivers in the past. I’ve always been a two channel guy up until the mid 2000’s when I used to use my OPPO Universal Player’s 7.1 multi-channel outputs straight into separate amps. Then, in 2009, I started getting serious about adding an AVR. That’s when I went to my full fledged Magnolia Hi-Fi (I think that’s what they still called themselves before they dropped the Hi-Fi and added Audio/Video) and listened to some models of receivers. At first, I brought home an open boxed Marantz (I forget the model) but after a couple of days, I returned that for a Denon AVR-3808. I lived with it for a couple of weeks but ended up returning it for a Pioneer SC-07. In hindsight, I should have kept the Denon but I wasn’t too keen on the flavor of Audyssey included. I thought it was great with movies but hated it while playing music. With the Pioneer, I was very much interested in the ICE-amps. The SC-07 had pounding dynamics. Something I didn’t hear with the other two receivers. Though, the drawback to the Pioneer was that it sounded sterile and the highs sounded a bit shrill and recessed. I wasn’t about to return a third receiver. So, I kept it. I lived with the Pioneer up to last Spring when I donated it to a good home. My next receiver was a Marantz NR1607 which I still have and is now sitting in storage.
On Christmas Eve, I went down to my local Best Buy and purchased the Denon AVR-X4400H. Like I stated earlier, I really wanted to get the 6400 but it is a special order item only. I hesitated for the longest time because, not only did I have my mind set on the 6400, I was at a point where I was thinking about dumping the idea of a receiver and going the two-channel Wireless and/or powered speaker route to downsize. Well, I eventually talked myself out of that and realized I’d be giving up on surround sound. Plus, I guess, I really like to see all those cables and speaker wire around.
The very first thing that impressed me was the sound quality. I stated earlier too that I was surprised by the tone. Every sound seemed to be more realistic. Instruments now sound like instruments. Cymbals sound so much closer to what they really sound like live. I’ve never owned a piece of audio equipment before that could reproduce sound like this. Yes, while test listening to the other three brands of receivers (Marantz, Pioneer and Yamaha) at the store, neither one sounded like this Denon. I’m not sure what they are doing within this receiver but they got it right. I’ve read elsewhere on the Internet that some of the owners of this model receiver and the 6400 that have had the previous 4300 and 6300 models say the same thing, that even the previous models didn’t sound this good.
I just finished a process of testing The upmixers and find that I like Auro-3D the best when listening to two-channel music. Auro-3D seems to keep that front soundstage and adds ambiance. Dolby Surround and DTS X: Neural throw sound all over. Though, I ended up with the Dolby Surround listening mode because I discovered while playing test tones with Auro-3D, there’s a weird echo effect going on in all the speakers. I don’t know if this translates into the music that I upmix or not but I figured it did. I need to do some research on this one.
Another feature that I’ve had some time to play with is Audyssey. Also, speaker positioning. Audyssey XT-32 works wonders for me and I use it exclusively. As far as speaker positioning, I’ve tried various positioning with the extra four speakers for Dolby Atmos and DTS X. I’ve tested upfiring and ceiling speakers in three different rooms and have concluded that I prefer the sound of the upfiring (Bouncy Bouncy) method.
That’s it for now. If I can think of anything else to add, I will do so. Eventually, I would like to hear from other owners about their 2017 Denon purchase. I’m not sure if this Fantastic sound quality (Tone) that I’m hearing is offered in the other models below this one.
Btw, I’m waiting for the DTS X: Virtual codec that is coming soon so I can hear what that sounds like.
