Review on 🎧 Denon AVR-S960H 8K Ultra HD 7.2 Channel AV Receiver - 2020 Model for Gaming, Music Streaming, 3D Audio & Video, Alexa + HEOS - Black by Mac Quigley

I triggered the Denon AVR-S960H to replace an outdated 12 year old Harman Kardon that is ok but not working I didn't have HDMI in and out, didn't support DD+/Atmos etc so it was time for an upgrade. After reading dozens of reviews of the 2020 7.2 Surround AVR, I settled on this Denon model. It complies with HDMI 2.1 specifications and performs very well in music quality tests. Like the EZSet+ mic that came with my 12-year-old H/K receiver, the Denon AVR-S960H included an Audyssey mic to optimize surround sound during initial setup. . Just follow the on-screen instructions and setup will be very easy. The AVR plays multiple test tones from all speaker channels and measures distance to automatically set delays and adjust speaker volume from your usual home theater room seats. Once that is complete, you can set up the rest of the inputs and get started. My particular setup is a 7.3 system - 3 powered subwoofers and 7 JBL satellites. I am using a mini DSP for output to all 3 subwoofers, so I only used one of the subwoofer outputs (LFE) on the back of the AVR. In terms of sound quality, the S960H is great. 90 watts per channel is more than enough for crystal clear, powerful satellite sound. As a suggestion. If you're going to switch to this AVR, you ideally want all of your HDMI sources to go straight through the AVR, not to your TV and back to your AVR. Let the S960H do the sound processing. I have a total of 9 HDMI devices connected to a large screen in my living room. I use a 4k@60Hz HDMI switch to handle the overflow for less used devices. Everything goes through the AVR and then onto the big screen. It was nice to be able to route most of my devices through the S960H instead of having to use multiple HDMI switches for all my devices. *** Also important. Replace HDMI cables, especially if you want to use 4K@120Hz or 8K. You need cables that comply with HDMI 2.1 specifications. If you're using old, cheap, useless HDMI 2.0 (or older) cables, don't expect 4K 120Hz or 8K to work properly. The specification has changed from 16Gbps in HDMI 2.0 to 48Gbps in HDMI 2.1, which is quite a bandwidth difference as you can imagine. 4K 120Hz is outside the scope of HDMI 2.0 16Gbps cables and in some cases may not support the higher "Ultra" speeds required for 120Hz 4K and beyond. Do a search and make sure your cables meet the specs needed to work at the resolution you want. HDMI 2.0 cables are suitable for 1080p to 4k at 60Hz. I've read quite a few negative reviews on here and if I had to guess the source of the frustration I'd say 90-95% had cable issues which were most likely related to poor quality or out of spec cables. HDMI 2.1 cables are getting cheaper every week. Right now they only cost a small percentage more than 2.0 cables. Don't skimp on cables. To meet the HDMI 2.1 specification, cables must be adequately shielded and use thicker wires. The S960H is an excellent receiver and does what it says on the tin and more. Setup is easy and takes a minimum of time. Use good quality speaker wire (14-gauge oxygen-free copper and larger is best, especially for long distances) and well-shielded HDMI cables or you'll run into trouble. Denon makes a quality product and I am happy with the S960H. Definitely recommended for anyone looking for a solid, reliable and immersive home theater experience with 7.2 surround sound.