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Overview
Denon AVR-S540BT was introduced in 2018. It is equipped with 5 channel amplifier with 70 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven) power per channel and is capable of 5.1 maximum channel processing. It passes 4K/60Hz video signal.
We evaluated the a/v receiver and gave 70 overall score out of 100. Our ranking system is based on the amplifier specifications, audio and video features, connectivity, multizone capabilities, radio and many other details.
In 2022 Denon AVR-S540BT was replaced by Denon AVR-S570BT. Let us now have a look at some important differences between Denon AVR-S540BT and its successor.
Denon AVR-S540BT features 5 channel power amplifier. It is rated at 70 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven).
AMPLIFIER
Channels
5.2
Power Output
70 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven)
Discrete Amplification
THX™ Certification
Continuous 6 Ω Rated
Certified 4 Ω Performance
Mono Block Power Amplifier Construction
Bi-amp Capability
Speaker Configurations
Denon AVR-S540BT's 5 channel amplifier can be assigned for different speaker configurations.
Configurations: Available configurations are:
5.2 with internal amplifier.
Denon AVR-S540BT
DECODING
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
Dolby Atmos Music
Dolby TrueHD
Dolby Digital Plus
Dolby Surround Upmixer
Dolby Pro Logic
PLII
Dolby Digital EX
Surround EX
DTS:X
DTS Neural:X
DTS Virtual:X
DTS Neo
Neo:6
DTS-HD Master Audio
DTS-HD High Resolution Audio
DTS 96/24
DTS Express
DTS-ES
IMAX Enhanced
Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
Sound Processing
Room Calibration
Denon AVR-S540BT comes with room correction system and includes the calibration microphone.
Video Section
HDMI
Denon AVR-S540BT features 5 HDMI inputs. It has 1 output.
4K/60Hz Passthrough: All inputs pass up to 4K 50/60Hz 4:4:4 video signal.
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%.
HDCP 2.2 Copy Protection: All inputs and outputs are HDCP 2.2 compliant which is a requirement for 4K/HDR copy-protected content transmission.
3D Ready: Denon AVR-S540BT is able to pass 3D video through HDMI.
HDR (High Dynamic Range)
Denon AVR-S540BT supports HDR (high dynamic range) video formats such as 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.
Denon AVR-S540BT
VIDEO FEATURES
HDR10
HDR10+
Dynamic HDR
BT.2020 color space
Dolby Vision
HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma)
HDBaseT Compatible
Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC)
HDCP Version
2.2
QMS (Quick Media Switching)
ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode)
VRR (Variable Refresh Rate)
QFT (Quick Frame transport)
3-D Ready
Video Signal Passthrough
up to 4K 50/60Hz 4:4:4
Video Signal Upscaling
Check out the receivers which are frequently compared to Denon AVR-S540BT.
Analog Line Inputs: There are 2 line inputs for analog audio connection.
Digital Inputs: 2 optical inputs and 1 coaxial input are available for digital audio connection.
Headphone Output: There is a 6.3 mm (1/4") headphone output jack on the front panel.
Video
HDMI:
Inputs: 5 Outputs: 1 8K Inputs: 0
Composite Video: Connect you VCR, Laserdisc player and other old video equipment with composite video cables.
Inputs: 2 Outputs: 1
Front A/V Inputs
USB
TERMINALS
HDMI Inputs
5
HDMI Outputs
1
8K Inputs
USB Input
1 (Front) for USB memory
USB DC Out Port
Optical Inputs
2
Optical Outputs
Coaxial Inputs
1
RCA Line Inputs
2
RCA Line Outputs
XLR Line Inputs
Phono Input
Multi-Channel Input
RCA Pre-Outs
0.2
XLR Pre-outs
Composite Video Inputs
2
Composite Video Outputs
1
S-Video Inputs
S-Video Outputs
Component Video Inputs
Component Video Outputs
Denon AVR-S540BT Evaluation
We evaluate Denon AVR-S540BT and give score of 70 out of 100. We also give separate scores for 6 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new receiver is added to the database.
OVERALL
70
Amplifier
GOOD
71
We give Denon AVR-S540BT a score of 71 for Amplifier features.
Few Channels - 5.2
Low Power Output - 70 W
Audio Features
AVERAGE
58
We give Denon AVR-S540BT a score of 58 for Audio Features features.
Few Channels - 5.2
5.1 Channel Processing
No Dolby Atmos
No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
No DTS:X
No IMAX Enhanced
No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
No DSD via HDMI
Video Features
EXCELLENT
94
We give Denon AVR-S540BT a score of 94 for Video Features features.
HDR10
No HDR10+
Dolby Vision
No 8K Passthrough
Connectivity
AVERAGE
64
We give Denon AVR-S540BT a score of 64 for Connectivity features.
No eARC
New HDCP Version
No Wi-Fi
Bluetooth
Does not Work with Amazon Alexa
5 HDMI Inputs
1 HDMI Outputs
0 8K Input
USB Input
Few RCA Line Inputs
No Phono Input
No RCA Pre-Outs
Composite Video Inputs
No Ethernet
Bluetooth 3․0 + EDR
Zones
AVERAGE
55
We give Denon AVR-S540BT a score of 55 for Zones features.
No Zones
Radio
AVERAGE
61
We give Denon AVR-S540BT a score of 61 for Radio features.
Analog Tuner
No Pandora
No Spotify
No Tidal
For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:
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