Denon AVR-S960H 7.2 channel Home Theatre Receiver with HDMI 2.1

Denon USA has announced the 7.2 Channel AVR-S960H Home Theatre Receiver. This Denon receiver is added to the other higher-end products already introduced in recent weeks. S960H comes with a design that incorporates the lines of the previous Denon receivers series such as AVR-X6700H, AVC-X3700H, or AVC-X4700H. The HEOS multi-room can manage up to 7.2 channels with supply equal to 95 W (8 ohms, 20 Hz – 20 kHz, 0.08% 2 piloted channels).

New Denon AVR home theatre systems are supported audio tracks created with all popular formats, including Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD Master Audio and DTS:X. Digital-to-analog conversion is performed by an AKM DAC and high-resolution song playback is also supported. You can listen to music in MP3, WAV, FLAC, ALAC, and DSD format at 2.8/5.6 MHz. Connectivity includes Bluetooth, an Ethernet port, Wi-Fi, and compatibility with AirPlay 2. Access to the network allows access to the services of Spotify, Amazon Music HD, TuneIn, SoundCloud, and TIDAL.

Obviously there are voice assistants: to use them you need to connect an external speaker or an Apple device. Siri, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa are supported. Automatic system calibration is entrusted to Audyssey MultEQ technology.

The most relevant news is certainly related to the HDMI ports. All 6 inputs and 2 outputs allow managing signals with Ultra HD resolution and HDCP 2.3. On input and output, it is guaranteed full compatibility with all the functions of HDMI 2.1:

• Input resolution up to 8K at 60Hz Ultra HD up to 120 Hz
• Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM): the mode that ensures the fastest response to commands is automatically selected.
• Variable Refresh Rate (VRR): the refresh rate of the images on the screen can adapt to that of the source in real time, avoiding the occurrence of defects (in video games) such as “stutter” and “tearing”.
• eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel): the improved audio return channel capable of supporting even lossless tracks.
• Quick Frame Transport (QFT): shortens the time it takes for each frame to perform all the steps necessary to switch from the source to the actual screen display, in order to reduce latency in games and virtual reality applications.
• Quick Media Switching (QMS): eliminates black screens that can occur when a device changes the display mode, for example when switching from 24Hz to 50Hz or vice versa. The operation is based on VRR.

The amplifier can perform an upscaling up to 8K resolution and allows the passage of videos in HDR in the formats HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG. The AM/FM radio, the front USB port, and the phono input complete the equipment.

Price and availability

Denon AVR-S960H Home Theatre Receiver has been priced at $649 and it can be pre-ordered via the Bhphotovideo.com and Amazon.com online stores.