Denon, a venerable Sound United brand, has introduced its latest AV receiver, the 7.2-channel AVR-X1700H that’s loaded with the latest features to drive today’s high-performance media rooms.

The AVR-X1700H, available from the company starting in November 2021 at $699, incorporates three 8K HDMI inputs to support the latest 4K and 8K video sources for advanced gaming and entertainment experiences, the company says.

On the audio side, the latest Denon X-Series AVR delivers immersive 3D surround-sound formats as well as Sound United’s HEOS multiroom music streaming technology. The AVR-X1700H offers seven channels of amplification at 80W per channel.

“The AVR-X1700H is a great starting point for budding enthusiasts looking for a fully-featured AVR at an accessible price,” says Trip Randall, president of Denon. “At a time when so many people are considering system upgrades to watch their favorite TV and movies in higher quality, this receiver handily delivers the next-gen experience our customers are demanding.”

Immersive AV for Today’s Home Theater Experience

The AVR’s advanced HDMI section includes six input/one output HDMI board includes three 8K inputs supporting 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz video pass-through up to 40Gbps plus the latest High Dynamic Range formats. All HDMI inputs have 4:4:4 Pure Color sub sampling, HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), Dynamic HDR and BT.2020 pass-through, Denon says.

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Viewers can enjoy 8K upscaling on all inputs and HDCP 2.3, the latest copy protection standard. The AVR-X1700H is easily connected via eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) to deliver uncompressed and object-based audio from the TV to the receiver via a single HDMI cable, to further simplify setup.

Denon adds that in addition to the 4K/120Hz pass-through, gamers benefit from HDMI technologies such as Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Quick Frame Transport (QFT), and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM).

The Denon AVR-X1700H supports Dolby Atmos, Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization Technology, DTS:X and DTS Virtual:X. Users can design a 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos surround system, while Dolby and DTS technologies add virtualized height and surround-sound effects to recreate immersive audio in 7.1, 5.1 or 2.1 speaker arrangements.

High-Res Streaming, Multiroom Support, Voice Control & More

More on the audio front, format compatibility includes Apple AirPlay 2 for iPhone users, a USB port for playback of other high-resolution audio formats (WAV, FLAC, ALAC and DSD 2.8/5.6 MHz files) from a variety of players; and wireless connectivity to popular streaming music services like Spotify, Pandora, Tidal and more are also easily accessed via Bluetooth or HEOS.

Plus via HEOS, the AVR-X1700H can stream music wirelessly across compatible HEOS built-in products like Denon Home 150/250/350 wireless speakers from anywhere in the home. Listeners can play the same song in every room or select a different song for each connected room from the HEOS app.

Other AVR highlights include a “Dual Speaker Presets” feature, enabling users to store and switch instantly between two different speaker configurations and Audyssey settings. “Dialog Enhancer” lets users to adjust the dialog level on the fly, and a newly added HDMI signal information feature allows users to confirm if 8K or 4K120 signals or other HDR formats are passing through the AVR.

Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri and Josh.ai are supported for voice control of AVR functions. The AVR-X1700H also supports major third-party command protocols like Control 4 SDDP (Simple Device Discovery Protocol), as well as HDMI diagnostics mode and a smart remote management via Domotz or Snap One OvrC.