A Budget Home Theater & PC Setup: 4K, HDR, UHD Blu-ray, and More

The AVR: Denon X3400H

The choice of AVRs used to be a difficult one to make when support for different HD audio formats was not widespread. Now, the requirements boil down to the AVR being able to support the latest HD audio formats (Dolby Atmos and DTS-X), while matching the capabilities of the display in the chain. The additional features may help sway the purchase decision for consumers.

Budget considerations dictate the number of channels and display zones. We had to migrate from the 7.1 channel Pioneer Elite VSX-32 to a newer receiver capable of handling multiple HDMI 2.0 / HDCP 2.2 inputs with passthrough capabilities for various HDR formats. Based on my budget, I narrowed down the options to one of the models from Denon, Onkyo, Pioneer, and Yamaha. They are all in the same ball park in terms of pricing for a given feature set. We deferred to our friends at Wirecutter, who recommended the Denon AVR S730H.

I had been in touch with Denon regarding HEOS (their whole home audio solution) when the decision to go with a Denon AVR for our HTPC testing setup was taken. Upon discussing our project with them, Denon graciously agreed to sponsor the more advanced AVR X3400H for use in our testing.

The AVR X3400H targets the custom integrator channel. It has a number of additional features such as support for high end DSD audio, 4Kp60 upconversion for analog sources, multi-zone video outputs, higher power output, and support for eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) to justify its higher price over the S730H. The presence of eARC makes it a bit more future-proof, as it allows for HD audio (including the new ones like Dolby Atmos and DTS-X) from the display sink to be returned to the AVR for decode and playback.

In the course of our testing, we found that the AVR received frequent firmware updates to add new features such as HLG passthrough. These point to a well-supported product. Even though the web control feature present in the previous generation Denon AVRs was missed, the Denon AVR Android app made up for it to some extent. None of the issues encountered in the course of the evaluation presented in this piece could be attributed to the Denon AVR X3400H.

If we had to give some suggestions to Denon for the improvement of the AVR X3400H, it would be to bring back the web control feature and shorten the time taken for firmware updates (though there is a facility to enable auto-updates that tries to install the new firmware when the AVR is not being used).

Speakers

Most readers upgrading their HTPC can opt to retain their existing speakers. In fact, I had the Boston Acoustics Horizon Series MCS100MDNT 5.1-channel speaker system from a 2008 purchase, along with a Jamo A306 HCS 5.1 speaker system from my 2011 home theater components upgrade. However, due to the remodel, I had to go in for in-ceiling speakers. I opted for a couple of the Polk Audio RC80i in-ceiling pairs for the rear and surround channel speakers. I bundled them along with ceiling speaker protective covers. The choice of speakers depends on the home theater size and other requirements. Currently, I am using the Jamo A306 speakers for the front, center, and subwoofer, with the Polk Audio RC80i for the other channels.