Onkyo TX-SR494 vs Denon AVR-X1600H

Here we are comparing Onkyo TX-SR494 to Denon AVR-X1600H to reveal their common strengths and weaknesses as well as the differences between them which will help you in making a correct decision before the purchase. Both receivers have 7 channel amplifiers with Onkyo TX-SR494's being more powerful.

Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these receivers, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Onkyo TX-SR494 over Denon AVR-X1600H.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Denon AVR-X1600H over Onkyo TX-SR494.

We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

Amplifier

Speaker Configurations

Onkyo TX-SR494's and Denon AVR-X1600H's amplifiers can be assigned for different speaker configurations.

• Dolby Atmos Configurations: The following speaker configurations are supported for Dolby Atmos:
Onkyo TX-SR494: 5.2.2 with internal amplifier.
Denon AVR-X1600H: 5.2.2 with internal amplifier.
• DTS:X Configurations: The following speaker configurations are supported for DTS:X:
Onkyo TX-SR494: The speaker configurations for DTS:X are the same as for Dolby Atmos - 5.2.2 with internal amplifier.
Denon AVR-X1600H: The speaker configurations for DTS:X are the same as for Dolby Atmos - 5.2.2 with internal amplifier.
• Configurations without height channels: There are also other speaker configurations available which do not include height channels:
Onkyo TX-SR494: 5.2, 7.2 with internal amplifier.
Denon AVR-X1600H: 5.2, 7.2 with internal amplifier.
• 2-ch Bi-Amp: Both models are able to bi-amp up to 2 main channels simultaneously. During bi-amplification two amplifiers are used for one speaker. One amplifier powers the midrange and tweeter section of the speaker and another amplifier powers the low frequency woofers. Each amplifier is less loaded and performs better. In order to use this feature speakers must have 2 pairs of connectors.



Dolby Atmos

Onkyo TX-SR494 and Denon AVR-X1600H support Dolby Atmos. It is a cinematic audio format in which sounds exist as individual entities, called audio objects. In Dolby Atmos, any sound can exist as an independent audio object, free of channel restrictions. They can be precisely placed and moved anywhere in your room, including overhead, to flow above and around you in three-dimensional space. Through the use of audio objects, overhead sound, and all the richness, clarity, and power of Dolby sound, Dolby Atmos turns your room into an amazing place for entertainment. The format supports up to 128 simultaneous independent audio objects in a mix for rich, realistic, and breathtaking sound. It recreates the director's original concept through descriptive metadata to provide customized playback for home theater and delivers sounds above you through overhead speakers, special upward-firing Dolby Atmos speakers, or a Dolby Atmos enabled sound bar.

• Dolby Surround Upmixer: Both models support Dolby Surround Upmixer. If the content is not mixed in Dolby Atmos then the Dolby surround upmixer will expand the audio to all channels including ceiling speakers. The upmixer has replaced the Dolby Pro Logic II family with improved upmixing algorithms.
• Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization: Both models support Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization which is a digital signal processing solution that leverages Dolby's deep understanding of human audio perception to create the sensation of overhead sound from the listener-level speakers.

DTS:X

Onkyo TX-SR494 and Denon AVR-X1600H support DTS:X. A technique used in DTS:X is similar to the one used in Dolby Atmos. Instead of a fixed number of channels, DTS:X defines object locations from the listener in polar coordinates. An a/v receiver then dynamically renders sound according to the current speaker configuration. The speaker layout employed by DTS:X is the sum of Dolby Atmos and Auro-3D. It has standard 7.1 channel base layer, a 5 channel height layer above the base layer on the front and side walls, and 3 rows of speakers on the ceiling.

• DTS Neural:X: Both models feature DTS Neural:X which is an advanced upmixer that can take non DTS:X content and upmix it to the DTS:X speaker layout. It has replaced the DTS Neo family with improved flexibility.
• DTS Virtual:X: Both models feature DTS Virtual:X which bridges the gap between DTS:X codec and the reality of so many consumers' homes, allowing you to enjoy multi-dimensional sound regardless of room size, layout, or speaker configuration. If you have a limited speaker setup you will miss a full immersive potential of your entertainment system. DTS Virtual:X adds height and surround audio effect to your system without adding height speakers. It works with multiple configurations and delivers immersive sound experience out of 5.1 or even 2.1 speaker layouts.
• DTS Dialog Control: Both models have DTS Dialog Control. This function adjusts the dialog levels during playback of the DTS:X stream. It allows you to separately increase the dialog levels in contrast with the background sound and hear dialog easily even under noisy circumstances.

Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC)

Denon AVR-X1600H supports Audio Return Channel (ARC) which allows the compatible TV to send audio signal to the a/v receiver through the same HDMI cable which is used to send audio and video signals to the TV. So one HDMI cable is used to transfer audio signal in both directions. New Enhanced ARC will support uncompressed audio formats such as Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio whereas the previous ARC could support only Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS, DTS HD, and PCM.




Sound Processing

• Audyssey: Denon AVR-X1600H comes with Audyssey Dynamic EQ and Dynamic Volume.
Dynamic EQ: selects the best possible frequency response and surround volume levels moment-by-moment. This ensures that the bass response, tonal balance and surround impression remain constant despite changes in volume. This is the first technology that carefully combines information from incoming source levels with actual output sound levels in the room, a pre-requisite for delivering a dynamic volume solution.
Dynamic Volume: Your Listening experience can be greatly diminished when there are significant shifts in volume between television programs, commercials and within the program material itself. When this happens you must constantly adjust the volume to maintain your desired listening level. Audyssey Dynamic Volume monitors the volume of program material moment-by-moment and automatically adjusts it, maintaining the desired listening level for all content while optimizing the dynamic range to preserve impact.
• Compressed Music Enhancer: Onkyo TX-SR494 and Denon AVR-X1600H feature Compressed Music Enhancer which enhances the quality of the music files with lossy compression.
Advanced Music Optimizer: Compressed music enhancement in Onkyo TX-SR494 is done by Onkyo’s Advanced Music Optimizer. While MP3 or AAC files may sound fine through the headphones of your portable digital player, the limitations of these files can be exposed when played back through a quality home entertainment system. This is because a significant amount of high-frequency bit information is lost during the file-compression process. To counter this, Onkyo has designed the Advanced Music Optimizer to compensate for lost bit information and improve the quality of compressed audio signals. This results in a clearer and more expansive sound. Also included in this technology is a loudness correction feature that further improves the audio character of compressed files.

Room Calibration

Onkyo TX-SR494 comes with AccuEQ and Denon AVR-X1600H comes with Audyssey MultEQ XT room correction system.

• Audyssey Room Calibration: Audyssey is an acoustic measurement technology which automatically restores the acoustic distortion caused by the acoustic behaviour of a room with only a push on a button. Audyssey equalization provides an clear, accurate, natural sound with voices and dialog that become focused and intelligible, restoring the musical balance. Musical instruments and sound effects become precisely localized and the surround soundstage is made seamless and enveloping.
• AccuEQ: First, AccuEQ detects the presence of speakers and evaluates the impedance of each. Next, it pinpoints their distance relative to the main listening position using the mic and sets suitable sound-pressure levels. Then it selects the optimal crossover frequency so that deeper bass rolls smoothly off to the subwoofer. Finally, AccuEQ performs frequency response equalization based on room-acoustic and speaker data collected via microphone. The sound-field is now tailored around the listening position, resulting in a more immersive and realistic in-film experience.

HDMI

Onkyo TX-SR494 comes with 4 HDMI inputs. It has 1 output.

Denon AVR-X1600H comes with 6 HDMI inputs. It has 1 output.

• 4K/60Hz Passthrough: On both receivers all inputs pass up to 4K/60p (RGB/YCbCr4:4:4) video signal.
• 4K Upscaling on Onkyo TX-SR494: It can upscale 1080p to 4K from HDMI sources.
• BT.2020 Color Space: BT.2020 or Rec. 2020 is a color standard which delivers a wider color gamut compared to Rec. 709. It covers approximately 75% of the total visual spectrum while the Rec. 709 covers only 35% (available on both models).
• HDCP 2.3.0 Copy Protection: Both receivers are HDCP 2.3.0 compliant which is a requirement for 4K/HDR copy-protected content transmission.
• 3D Ready: Both receivers are able to pass 3D video through HDMI.

HDR (High Dynamic Range)

Both receivers support HDR10, Dolby Vision and Hybrid Log-Gamma.

High dynamic range video has greater dynamic range than standard dynamic range (SDR) video with brighter whites and deeper blacks. The result is greater contrast and more details in dark and bright areas, better color and depth.

• HDR10: HDR10 uses the wide-gamut Rec. 2020 color space. It sends static metadata via video stream to the TV which calibrates its screen brightness and color according to that. HDR10 supports 10-bit color which corresponds to 1024 shades of the primary RGB colors. It is technically limited to a maximum of 10,000 nits peak brightness, however common HDR10 contents are mastered with peak brightness from 1,000 to 4,000 nits.
• Dolby Vision: Dolby Vision is a set of technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories for high dynamic range (HDR) video. It covers content creation, distribution, and playback. Like HDR10+, it includes dynamic metadata that are used to adjust and optimize each frame of the HDR video to the consumer display's capabilities in a way specified by the content creator. Dolby Vision allows for a maximum resolution of 8K up to 12-bit color depth, maximum peak brightness of 10,000 nits and a color gamut up to Rec. 2020. It uses Dolby's proprietary dynamic metadata defined in SMPTE ST 2094-10.
• Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG): The Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) is a transfer function developed mainly for HDR live video feed and over-the-air broadcasts. It is an HDR format that uses BT.2020 color primaries and a bitdepth of 10-bit. It is backward compatible with the transfer function of SDR and is designed to be better-suited for television broadcasting, where the metadata required for other HDR formats is not backward compatible with non-HDR displays. HLG defines a non-linear optical-electro transfer function, in which the lower half of the signal values use a gamma curve and the upper half of the signal values use a logarithmic curve.

Gaming Features

Denon AVR-X1600H supports Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) for lag-free and smooth gaming.

• Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM): Auto Low Latency Mode enables the ideal latency setting to automatically be set allowing for smooth, lag-free and uninterrupted viewing and interactivity. When the receiver detects a gaming signal it will enter ALLM. The signal will also be sent to the TV causing it to automatically switch to a low-latency, low-lag mode for gaming. Some functions will not be available on the receiver and TV during ALLM.

Audio

• Phono Input: There is an MM phono input on Denon AVR-X1600H with built-in phono stage for connecting the moving magnet cartridge output of the turntable directly to the receiver.
• Analog Line Inputs: There are 3 pair of line inputs on Onkyo TX-SR494 and 2 pair of line inputs on Denon AVR-X1600H for connecting sources with analog outputs.
• Digital Inputs: 1 optical input and 1 coaxial input are available on Onkyo TX-SR494 and 2 optical inputs and 1 coaxial input are available on Denon AVR-X1600H for digital audio connections.
• Headphone Output: There is a 6.3 mm (1/4") headphone output jack on the front panel of each receiver.

Video

• HDMI:
Onkyo TX-SR494
Inputs: 4   Outputs: 1
8K Inputs: 0.
Denon AVR-X1600H
Inputs: 6 (1 front)   Outputs: 1
8K Inputs: 0.
• Composite Video: Connect you VCR, Laserdisc player and other old video equipment with composite video cables.
Onkyo TX-SR494
Inputs: 0   Outputs: 0.
Denon AVR-X1600H
Inputs: 2   Outputs: 1.

Front A/V Inputs

• Onkyo TX-SR494: None
• Denon AVR-X1600H: HDMI, USB

Onkyo TX-SR494

Denon AVR-X1600H