Denon Owners Thread

[PENG]

I used to always use DEQ on everything. And I never noticed that my surround speakers (which are usually the closest speakers to my ears) had increased volume levels.

In my previous house, my 2 big surround towers (RBH SX-T2/R) were VERY close to my ears. I mean I could reach out with my hands and touch my surround speakers while sitting in my LP.

I would think that I would notice the boost in volume in the surround speakers since they were so close to my ears.

Same here, and was surprised when I read about the issue reported by people I am not familiar with. Now that I am getting the same feed back from reliable sources such as William, I will do some testing tonight and will report back my findings.

 

[VMPS-TIII]

To play safe, test everything within the returnable period should improve your odds because such products typically would last for years and would fail within 30 days if they are to fail.

@PENG - That's actually great advice. The problem is new users will not have the knowledge to test each feature/hardware section on a Denon AVR. Think about that process for a moment. Even if you knew what you were doing it could easily take several hours to a full day to test every function/connection and you may still miss intermittent problems. Here's a short list:

1. Check every channel with speakers.
2. Check every Pre-out.
3. Check every input: USB, RCA, optical, HDMI.
4. Check each sub out.
5. Verify all network features are working. (Airplay, UPnP, Bluetooth, wifi)
6. Verify front panel buttons work.
7. Stress test to look for intermittent audio/video issues.

I guarantee those Denon Refurbs are not getting this type of testing when they drop the ticket in the box saying it was tested by tech XYZ and offer a phone number to call that no one answers.

These AVR's are complicated. I would guess most buyers don't use 20-50% of the features.

 

[PENG]

@PENG - That's actually great advice. The problem is new users will not have the knowledge to test each feature/hardware section on a Denon AVR. Think about that process for a moment. Even if you knew what you were doing it could easily take several hours to a full day to test every function/connection and you may still miss intermittent problems. Here's a short list:

1. Check every channel with speakers.
2. Check every Pre-out.
3. Check every input: USB, RCA, optical, HDMI.
4. Check each sub out.
5. Verify all network features are working. (Airplay, UPnP, Bluetooth, wifi)
6. Verify front panel buttons work.
7. Stress test to look for intermittent audio/video issues.

I guarantee those Denon Refurbs are not getting this type of testing when they drop the ticket in the box saying it was tested by tech XYZ and offer a phone number to call that no one answers.

These AVR's are complicated. I would guess most buyers don't use 20-50% of the features.
View attachment 39855

Agreed, but you typically have a 30- day window right. So one can set aside for example one day for each of the 7 tests you listed to get it done in one week. Then repeat the same 3 weeks later.

So then you only need to spend a few minutes a day for most tests. 1), 3), and 7) would take longer but not hours for sure. 4) would be part of running Audyssey anyway.

Surely something can still be missed, but if you go through all 7) tests, chance for it to have something not working right would have to be minimal, compared to not doing those tests.

That is a well thought out list by the way,, thanks.

 

[PENG]

The right Height1 and Height2 channels send out cracking/popping noises when connected to speakers - even at low volumes. If I use the Height1 and Height2 pre-outs with an external amp it works fine.

Did I mention that you should check the speaker feed wires and connectors to make sure the contacts are good? One easy way to do, if possible, is to swap the height speaker wires with the ones for the other channels that you know for sure are good.

I have experienced the kind of cracking/popping noises like what you described at least twice. Both times, the cause was bad banana connectors. They would visually looked good, but the connections were bad enough for them to cause intermittent loose connections, making contacts off and on, causing the "cracking" noise. It's hard to believe even for me, who has been in this hobby for many years, but it's real, it happened.

 

[VMPS-TIII]

Did I mention that you should check the speaker feed wires and connectors to make sure the contacts are good? One easy way to do, if possible, is to swap the height speaker wires with the ones for the other channels that you know for sure are good.

I have experienced the kind of cracking/popping noises like what you described at least twice. Both times, the cause was bad banana connectors. They would visually looked good, but the connections were bad enough for them to cause intermittent loose connections, making contacts off and on, causing the "cracking" noise. It's hard to believe even for me, who has been in this hobby for many years, but it's real, it happened.

I moved the surrounds to Hieght2 and the right channel immediately started crackling. I moved the speaker cables back to the surround channel plugs and the problem disappeared. Sorry that idea was a bust.

 

[PENG]

I moved the surrounds to Hieght2 and the right channel immediately started crackling. I moved the speaker cables back to the surround channel plugs and the problem disappeared. Sorry that idea was a bust.

Thanks, its part of troubleshooting, process of elimination..

 

[VMPS-TIII]

Poor man's Audyssey?

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[PENG]

Poor man's Audyssey?

Home

Dayton Audio DSP-LF Low Frequency DSP ControllerThe Control You Need For The Bass You CraveThe introduction of the Dayton Audio DSP-LF Subwoofer DSP paves the way for complete control over the sound you crave. Harness the full potential of your subwoofer with pinpoint accuracy using the Dayton...

www.parts-express.com

‎iWoofer Pro

‎The iWoofer Pro is a wireless subwoofer DSP control system with opened hardware design. The app allows control plenty of DSP functions in an intuitive manner. Low latency (2.5mS FIR + 2.5mS IIR filtering and ADC/DAC = 5mS total) pro grade minimum phase FIR room correction algorithm. No external...

apps.apple.com

There can be miracles, but I would rather trust the likes of Dirac, Audyssey, Anthem that have the resource needed to come up products that actually work. Those guys have the research facilities, and qualified (academically and practical know hows) engineers and scientists on their team. With those other products, I would like to see credible proof that they work, before I would even spend time reading their commercials.

By the way, you still have to pay extra, so not really poor man's.. Audyssey came with the AVR, even if you don't use it for valid reasons, you can't get a credit for not using it anyway.

 

[Gmoney]

There can be miracles, but I would rather trust the likes of Dirac, Audyssey, Anthem that have the resource needed to come up products that actually work. Those guys have the research facilities, and qualified (academically and practical know hows) engineers and scientists on their team. With those other products, I would like to see credible proof that they work, before I would even spend time reading their commercials.

By the way, you still have to pay extra, so not really poor man's.. Audyssey came with the AVR, even if you don't use it for valid reasons, you can't get a credit for not using it anyway.

@PENG , What's you thought on Outlaws 5 Channel amp? It is the one Gene tested right? give it a glowing review for it being underrated. Between that amp and Monolith's 5 channel which one do you feel is the better value for the coin.

 

[lovinthehd]

I bought the unit in Feb 2020. I did not try the Height2 channel until last week. My guess is it may have been damaged when I received it? However, the Height1 channel was in use and just started crackling so who knows?

I understand receivers break. But, not usually so quickly. I never ran it louder than 60 on the volume. By any measure babied. However, I don't understand how Denon can sell product and never answer their phones. That's not a practice I can support.

I'm told since Denon merged into a huge conglomerate service and quality control have deteriorated. I'll send it in for repair and see how they do. I have learned never to buy anything expensive from Denon as their telephone support is non-existent.

I would never base buying anything on telephone support, and feel most is useless to begin with. Is it the only way to get warranty support? Try email or chat? Covid is still having an effect and there's this on the FAQ page:

Due to the impact of COVID-19 customers may experience extended support call hold times as well as longer-than-usual response times on social media and email.
Please consider reviewing our FAQs to see if your inquiry is covered and don’t forget to check our YouTube channel for setup and installation videos.
We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience during this challenging time.

 

[VMPS-TIII]

I would never base buying anything on telephone support, and feel most is useless to begin with. Is it the only way to get warranty support? Try email or chat? Covid is still having an effect and there's this on the FAQ page:

Denon's email tech support service is crap. They don't answer the questions posed and take two days to answer. If you can't pick up the phone for tech support you should not be in business.

 

[lovinthehd]

Denon's email tech support service is crap. They don't answer the questions posed and take two days to answer. If you can't pick up the phone for tech support you should not be in business.

Meh, most customer service with many corporations is crap these days and getting worse. See if your dealer has a quicker way of initiating a warranty/service ticket?

 

[M Code]

Tech support for many audio & video brands are actually out-sourced to an off-shore location. Sad situation true for other CE categories as well..

Just my $0.02....

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Tech support for many audio & video brands are actually out-sourced to an off-shore location. Sad situation true for other CE categories as well..

Just my $0.02....

I’ve found this to be true, way too often. It’s frustrating trying to communicate with an enormous language barrier, but on top of that it’s common for poor reception and call quality. Honestly, it pisses me off, and when I DO actually call customer service of some kind, I usually mention how nice it is to talk to an English speaker, ask them to pass it on to superiors. Fries my ass when some guy answers the phone and says, “hello, my name is Steven”, but I KNOW he’s got like 14 syllables in his name...and it sounds like hackin a loogie ...

 

[VMPS-TIII]

Here's an example, I shipped the Denon 4500H back to PanurgyOEM in NJ yesterday. Ground is $87 with insurance. Both right Height internal amps spitting out noise within 7 months of purchase. Denon won't answer phone after 30 minutes on hold. Their email response said send the unit in for repair with no troubleshooting ideas. NONE.

Bought a new 4700 and installed it today. The Height 1 and 2 channels work but if you go to page 66 in the manual and setup the 7.1-channel speakers: Second pair of front speakers. The "A" front speakers work fine but if you select the "B" speaker no sound comes out.

I write Denon about this and maybe they will answer? Maybe not. I take the same Front B speakers and assign them as Rear Height in the speaker configuration. It works fine in the rear height configuration. I did this as the same speaker terminals are used in both configurations. This means the page 66 feature is either not supported OR the new Denon 4700 is also damaged?

Tomorrow I'll try the 7.1-channel playback (MAIN ZONE) + 2-channel playback (ZONE2 or ZONE3) configuration shown on page 67 and see if that works. It's also the same speaker terminals.

It's pretty much trial and error when some documented features work while others fail miserably and no tech support person is available and ZERO FAQ is available on this topic from my search.

I'm taking the advice @PENG offered and testing every configuration. Documenting what is broken and sending it back if the failure is significant. I can't expect reliable tech support from Denon or reliable hardware. That's just how it is.

 

[lovinthehd]

Here's an example, I shipped the Denon 4500H back to PanurgyOEM in NJ yesterday. Ground is $87 with insurance. Both right Height internal amps spitting out noise within 7 months of purchase. Denon won't answer phone after 30 minutes on hold. Their email response said send the unit in for repair with no troubleshooting ideas. NONE.

Bought a new 4700 and installed it today. The Height 1 and 2 channels work but if you go to page 66 in the manual and setup the 7.1-channel speakers: Second pair of front speakers. The "A" front speakers work fine but if you select the "B" speaker no sound comes out.

View attachment 39911
I write Denon about this and maybe they will answer? Maybe not. I take the same Front B speakers and assign them as Rear Height in the speaker configuration. It works fine in the rear height configuration. I did this as the same speaker terminals are used in both configurations. This means the page 66 feature is either not supported OR the new Denon 4700 is also damaged?

Tomorrow I'll try the 7.1-channel playback (MAIN ZONE) + 2-channel playback (ZONE2 or ZONE3) configuration shown on page 67 and see if that works. It's also the same speaker terminals.

View attachment 39912
It's pretty much trial and error when some documented features work while others fail miserably and no tech support person is available and ZERO FAQ is available on this topic from my search.

I'm taking the advice @PENG offered and testing every configuration. Documenting what is broken and sending it back if the failure is significant. I can't expect reliable tech support from Denon or reliable hardware. That's just how it is.

Can you expand on your use of B speakers as to what menu selections you made? In my older Denon I'd have to use amp assign for 7.1+Front B but....

 

[lovinthehd]

Also, going back to the previous avr, you did do system resets before shipping it out?

 

[VMPS-TIII]

Can you expand on your use of B speakers as to what menu selections you made? In my older Denon I'd have to use amp assign for 7.1+Front B but....

When you setup the A+B fronts speaker configuration, the iPad or the TV screen allows you to select between the two or select both A and B.

Also, going back to the previous avr, you did do system resets before shipping it out?

Yes.

 

[lovinthehd]

When you setup the A+B fronts speaker configuration, the iPad allows you to select between the two or select both A and B.

I don't have an apple app at all...was more curious about avr settings. Were the crackles in the previous instance only thru ipad?

 

[VMPS-TIII]

I don't have an apple app at all...was more curious about avr settings. Were the crackles in the previous instance only thru ipad?

iPad is just a control device. It can't create crackling in the speaker. Almost anything you can do on the iPad can also be done using the TV screen interface. It's just easier access on the iPad.

All crackling sounds were generated as a result using the internal Denon amps thru the right Height 1 and Height 2 speaker terminals on the 4500.