Denon AVR-4306 - TrueHD

[revivoAvi]

Hi All,

I am thinking of buying the Denon AVR-4306, a used one. Its either that or a new much lesser reciever (Onkyo 606). It will be connected to a HTPC. However, i am worried about the new TrueHD format - the fact that the AVR-4306 lacks the decoder and lacks HDMI 1.3a.

Should i be worried? i saw someone mentioning somewhere that you can play it by converting the codec by software to PCM and passing it over HDMI 1.1.
Anyone ever tried that?

Thanks in advance,
Avi

 

[adk highlander]

Welcome to the Forum!

If your player does the decoding and sends LPCM via HDMI to the 4306 then you will get Dolby True HD.

I am not aware of a HTPC that will decode TrueHD yet. I know they are in the works but I have not seen one released yet. In theory if the card decodes the signal and passes LPCM to the 4306 then it will work.

Have you built your HTPC yet? What cards are you using?

 

[revivoAvi]

Yep the HTPC was already ordered and i should recieve it on monday. I am using the AMD 780G chipset, i did not buy any additional sound card for now. I read about the upcoming Auzentech X-Tension HDMI, but i did not understand if it will require anything from the reciever, such as a decoder of TrueHD or a HDMI 1.3a.

My big deliemma is either getting a new budget reciever with all the new decoders, the Onkyo 606, or get the Denon AVR-4306 second hand for the same price. I already bought a new pair of DALI Ikon 6 floor speakers and i plan to the buy the rest of the set in the future.

In anycase, i am wondering if the 4306 will sound better playing regular Dolby then the 606 playing TrueHD...

any thoughts?

 

[adk highlander]

Well here is the rub. In order for the receiver (606) to decode TrueHD it must get a bitstream output from the card. I don't know if any card will do bitstream so you may end up with better luck having the card do the decoding and ouput LPCM.

HDMI 1.1 is all you need to have your receiver accept the LPCM signal and output TrueHD. The receiver will always say multichannel and not say what the encoding is. Even for the 606 to display TrueHD on the front it must get a bitstream output from the player.

I would look into these new cards and see if they are going to be able to decode TrueHD or output bistream. If they all do the decoding I would say the 4306 is the better buy. Better amp section, better DAC's, way more features than the 606.

There have been some good articles lately about the differences between all the different lossy and lossless codec's in home theater mag. In some of the tests they were doing at Dolby labs most people could not tell the difference with their test material.

Nice Speakers by the way.

 

[Gallafatabarbie]

Hi All,

I am thinking of buying the Denon AVR-4306, a used one. Its either that or a new much lesser reciever (Onkyo 606). It will be connected to a HTPC. However, i am worried about the new TrueHD format - the fact that the AVR-4306 lacks the decoder and lacks HDMI 1.3a.

Should i be worried? i saw someone mentioning somewhere that you can play it by converting the codec by software to PCM and passing it over HDMI 1.1.
Anyone ever tried that?

Thanks in advance,
Avi

Belive me dude, the AVR4306 is one of the best recievers from Denon, period. Google it, every single review is top marks.

And plus, the Onkyo 606 will never ever drive Dali Ikons 6, well specc'd amp and good value, but has no grunt at all.

 

[jcPanny]

New receiver

You might consider the Onkyo 805 model, there are some good deals for <$600. It has the power and most of the features of the high end denon and you would get a warranty and HDMI 1.3

 

[Geno]

As a happy 4306 owner, I can tell you that the TrueHD audio is just spectacular. I have a Panny BD-10 that decodes everything but DTS HD MA and outputs it on 7.1 analogs. I don't know much about the HTPC's out there as far as Blu-Ray and the new audio codecs, but there are several BD players that do the decoding and output to analog.

 

[Dutchman01]

I do own also the AVR-4306 reveiver.

For us there's no need to upgrade to a AVR-4308 or AVR-3808


Also here on Audiholic's this AVR-4306 is tested by clint.

It was the best reveiver out there at that time for that money.