Denon AVR-X550BT

    70
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    UK

    Highlights

    • 5.2 Channels
    • 5.1 Channel Processing
    • 70 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven)
    • HDR10, Dolby Vision
    • 4K/60Hz Passthrough
    • Bluetooth
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    Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

    Overview

    Denon AVR-X550BT 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.

    Table of Contents
    1. Overview
    2. Pros and Cons
    3. 2018 Lineup
    4. Predecessor
    5. Audio Section
    6. Video Section
    7. Multi-zone Playback
    8. Inputs and Outputs
    9. Evaluation
    10. Specifications  

    Pros and Cons

    In this section we present pros and cons of Denon AVR-X550BT.

    PROs

    •   Auto Speaker Calibration System with Mic.
    •   HDR10
    •   Dolby Vision
    •   New HDCP Version
    •   Bluetooth
    •   USB Input
    •   Composite Video Inputs
    •   Analog Tuner

    CONs

    •   Few Channels - 5.2
    •   Low Power Output - 70 W
    •   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
    •   No HDR10+
    •   No eARC
    •   No 8K Passthrough
    •   No Wi-Fi
    •   Does not Work with Amazon Alexa
    •   1 HDMI Outputs
    •   0 8K Input
    •   Few RCA Line Inputs
    •   No Phono Input
    •   No RCA Pre-Outs
    •   No Ethernet
    •   No Zones
    •   No Digital Radio
    •   No Pandora
    •   No Spotify
    •   No Tidal
    •   Bluetooth 3․0 + EDR

    And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

    AVERAGE

    •   5 HDMI Inputs

    Denon 2018 Lineup

    In 2018 Denon released 12 new receivers. Here is the lineup:

    Denon 2018 Lineup
    ModelChannelsPowerMax. Ch. Proc.Pre OutsRoom Corr.Immersive AudioHDRZones Price
    AVC-X8500H Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		13.2150 W13.215.2 Audyssey MultEQ XT32Dolby Atmos
    DTS:X
    Auro 3D    		HDR10
    Dolby Vision    		3
    AVC-X6500H Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		11.2140 W11.211.2 Audyssey MultEQ XT32Dolby Atmos
    DTS:X
    Auro 3D    		HDR10
    Dolby Vision    		3
    AVR-X4500H Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		9.2125 W11.211.2 Audyssey MultEQ XT32Dolby Atmos
    DTS:X
    Auro 3D    		HDR10
    Dolby Vision    		3
    AVR-X3500H Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		7.2105 W7.27.2 Audyssey MultEQ XT32Dolby Atmos
    DTS:X    		HDR10
    Dolby Vision    		2
    AVR-X2500H Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		7.295 W7.1 Audyssey MultEQ XTDolby Atmos
    DTS:X    		HDR10
    Dolby Vision    		2
    AVR-X1500H Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		7.280 W7.1 Audyssey MultEQ XTDolby Atmos
    DTS:X    		HDR10
    Dolby Vision    		2
    AVR-X550BT Image cannot be found 5.270 W5.1HDR10
    Dolby Vision    		1
    AVR-X250BT Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		5.170 W5.1HDR101
    AVR-S940H Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		7.290 W7.1 Audyssey MultEQDolby Atmos
    DTS:X    		HDR10
    Dolby Vision    		2
    AVR-S740H Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		7.275 W7.1 Audyssey MultEQDolby Atmos
    DTS:X    		HDR10
    Dolby Vision    		2
    AVR-S640H Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		5.275 W5.1 Audyssey MultEQHDR10
    Dolby Vision    		1
    AVR-X540BT Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		5.270 W5.1HDR101

    You can view their side-by-side comparison here: Denon AVC-X8500H vs AVC-X6500H vs AVR-X4500H vs AVR-X3500H vs AVR-X2500H vs AVR-X1500H.

    Predecessor

    Here we are comparing Denon AVR-X550BT to its predecessor AVR-X540BT and displaying the major changes.

    UPGRADES Denon AVR-X550BT vs Denon AVR-X540BT
    Dolby Vision vs
    HLG vs
    Newer Bluetooth Version 3․0 + EDR vs 2․1 + EDR
    DOWNGRADES Denon AVR-X550BT vs Denon AVR-X540BT
    Music Playback via USB MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, FLAC vs MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, FLAC
    Less Coaxial Inputs/Outputs vs 1

    For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Denon AVR-X550BT vs AVR-X540BT.

    Audio Section

    5 channel Amplifier

    Denon AVR-X550BT features 5 channel power amplifier. It is rated at 70 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven).

      AMPLIFIER
      Channels5.2
      Power Output70 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-X550BT's 5 channel amplifier can be assigned for different speaker configurations.

      • Configurations: Available configurations are:
      • 5.2 with internal amplifier.
      Denon AVR-X550BT
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      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-X550BT comes with room correction system and includes the calibration microphone.

          Video Section

          HDMI

          Denon AVR-X550BT 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-X550BT is able to pass 3D video through HDMI.

          HDR (High Dynamic Range)

          Denon AVR-X550BT 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-X550BT
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          VIDEO FEATURES
          HDR10
          HDR10+
          Dynamic HDR
          BT.2020 color space
          Dolby Vision
          HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma)
          HDBaseT Compatible
          Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC)
          HDCP Version2.2
          QMS (Quick Media Switching)
          ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode)
          VRR (Variable Refresh Rate)
          QFT (Quick Frame transport)
          3-D Ready
          Video Signal Passthroughup to 4K 50/60Hz 4:4:4
          Video Signal Upscaling

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          >

          Inputs and Outputs

          Audio

          • Analog Line Inputs: There are 2 line inputs for analog audio connection.
          • Digital Inputs: 2 optical inputs 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
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          TERMINALS
          HDMI Inputs5
          HDMI Outputs1
          8K Inputs
          USB Input1 (Front) for USB memory
          USB DC Out Port
          Optical Inputs2
          Optical Outputs
          Coaxial Inputs
          RCA Line Inputs2
          RCA Line Outputs
          XLR Line Inputs
          Phono Input
          Multi-Channel Input
          RCA Pre-Outs0.2
          XLR Pre-outs
          Composite Video Inputs2
          Composite Video Outputs1
          S-Video Inputs
          S-Video Outputs
          Component Video Inputs
          Component Video Outputs

          Denon AVR-X550BT Evaluation

          We evaluate Denon AVR-X550BT 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-X550BT a score of 71 for Amplifier features.

          •   Few Channels - 5.2
          •   Low Power Output - 70 W

          Audio Features

          AVERAGE
          57

          We give Denon AVR-X550BT a score of 57 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-X550BT a score of 94 for Video Features features.

          •   HDR10
          •   No HDR10+
          •   Dolby Vision
          •   No 8K Passthrough

          Connectivity

          AVERAGE
          63

          We give Denon AVR-X550BT a score of 63 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-X550BT a score of 55 for Zones features.

          •   No Zones

          Radio

          AVERAGE
          68

          We give Denon AVR-X550BT a score of 68 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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