Denon AVR-X6400H (USA version)

Overview

Denon AVR-X6400H was introduced in 2017. It is equipped with 11 channel amplifier and is capable of 11.2 maximum channel processing.

We evaluated the Receiver and gave 94 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.

Amplifier score is based on power ratings, minimum impedance load, power supply, transformer type, total harmonic distortion, damping factor, signal to noise ratio and other small details. Audio score depends on the number of channels, front wide channel support, maximum channel processing, support of audio formats, DAC specifications, room calibration algorithm... Video score is based on HDR, Dolby Vision and video signal passthrough and upscaling, analog to HDMI upconversion. Connectivity score is defined from all wired and wireless inputs and outputs, internet and bluetooth connections, HEOS, SONOS and others. Multizone score depends on the number of zones with their outputs. Radio score is evaluated form digital radio support and analog tuner with its frequency range, signal to noise ratio, harmonic distortion...

Pros and Cons

In this section we present pros and cons of Denon AVR-X6400H.

Major Changes from its predecessor

Here we are comparing Denon AVR-X6400H to its predecessor AVR-X6300H and displaying the major changes.

UPGRADES	Denon AVR-X6400H	vs	Denon AVR-X6300H
D.D.S.C. HD Digital	32-bit	vs
Alpha Processing	AL32 Processing Plus	vs	AL24 Processing Plus
DTS Virtual:X	via firmware update	vs
Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer	Built-In	vs
Bass Sync		vs
Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC)		vs
Wi-Fi Standard	IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n	vs	IEEE 802.11 b/g/n

DOWNGRADES	Denon AVR-X6400H	vs	Denon AVR-X6300H
Digital Radio		vs	HD Radio

For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Denon AVR-X6400H vs Denon AVR-X6300H.

Amplifier

Denon AVR-X6400H has 11 channel amplifier and delivers 140 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven) and also has a stable performance at 4 Ω load.

Video Features

The Receiver has 4K passthrough up to 60p and 4K upscaling up to 60p. It can bypass HDR10, Dolby Vision.

HDR10

High-dynamic-range (HDR) video has greater dynamic range than standard-dynamic-range (SDR) video with brigter whites and deeper blacks. HDR10 was announced on August 27, 2015, by the Consumer Technology Association and 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 up to 1000 nits of brightness and 10-bit color which corresponds to 1024 shades of the primary RGB colors.

Dolby Vision

Dolby Vision is an update to HDR10 by adding dynamic metadata that can be used to more accurately adjust brightness levels up to 10,000 nits maximum brightness on a scene-by-scene or frame-by-frame basis and supports up to 12-bit color depth (4096 shades of RGB) and 8K resolution.

Dolby Atmos and Dolby Surround upmixer

Denon AVR-X6400H supports Dolby Atmos with its Dolby Surround upmixer. It can be configured upto 7.1.4 channels using internal amplifiers.

Dolby Atmos is the first cinematic audio format in which sounds exist as individual entities, called audio objects. In Dolby Atmos, any sound - the helicopter, a car screeching around a corner, a melodic bird call - 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. You'll feel like you're inside the action, in ways you've never experienced before.

Dolby Atmos for the home represents every sound in the original cinema mix as an audio object. Extensions to the Dolby Audio™ codecs, along with an advanced scalable algorithm, allow Dolby Atmos to be delivered via Blu-ray Disc and streaming media. A spatially-coded substream is added to Dolby TrueHD or Dolby Digital Plus. A Dolby Atmos audio/video receiver (AVR) adapts the cinema experience to your home theater from seven speakers to as many as 34 in 24.1.10 configuration, recreating the original artistic concept. 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.

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.

DTS:X and Neural:X upmixer

Denon AVR-X6400H supports DTS:X with its Neural:X upmixer. It can be configured upto 7.1.4 channels using internal amplifiers.

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 is a new 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.

Auro-3D with its Auro-Matic upmixer

Denon AVR-X6400H supports Auro-3D and its Auro-Matic upmixer out of the box or after free firmware update. Auro-3D is an immersive 3D audio format developed by the Belgium-based company Auro Technologies. It consists of three layers of sound - surround, height and overhead ceiling. The base horizontal layer uses 5.1 or 7.1 format, the height layer is on top of the base layer and its information is extracted from the standard 5.1 surround PCM carrier. The a/v receiver decoder then extracts this information during playback. In home cinema Auro-3D comes with different listening formats - Auro 9.1, Auro 10.1 with added Top Ceiling channel ("Voice of God"), Auro 11.1 with added Front Height Center channel, and Auro 13.1 with added Left Rear Surround & Right Rear Surround channel. Auro-Matic upmixer takes non Auro-3D sound and upmixes to the current speaker configuration.

D.D.S.C.

Denon AVR-X6400H has 32 bit D.D.S.C (Dynamic Discrete Surround Circuit). A single IC chip is generally used in processing A/D, DSP, and D/A conversions that are vital to sound quality. The D.D.S.C. uses separate components to process the important sections of the A/D, DSP, and D/A conversions and therefore significantly improves signal processing capability and performance. In addition, the approach of developing and incorporating high-quality dedicated elements in the sections that configure the circuitry makes it easier to develop a high-grade, advanced surround circuit compared with the method where all processing is concentrated within a single chip. Denon’s proprietary digital audio technology that had for many years been developed for pure Hi-Fi components is now also alive in each block of the D.D.S.C.

Audyssey

Denon AVR-X6400H comes with Audyssey Dynamic EQ, Audyssey Dynamic Volume, Audyssey LFC and Audyssey Sub EQ HT.

Audyssey 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.

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.

While high frequencies are easily stopped by walls low frequencies pass right through. After identifying the frequency range that most readily passes through walls Audyssey developed a technique, called Audyssey LFC (Low Frequency Containment) that reduses the volume at those frequencies and applies psychoacoustic processing to restore the perception of low bass for listeners in the room. The result is no more angry neighbors and no loss of enjoyment for listeners.

Placing two subwoofers in the room can cause problems, they can create standing waves or even cancel each other out resulting in even less bass than a single sub can produce. Audyssey Sub EQ HT allows two subwoofers to be properly used in a home theater system. The process is automated and takes only a few minutes. The result is rich, full bass for everyone in the room.

Room Correction

Denon AVR-X6400H comes with Audyssey MultEQ XT32 room correction system and includes the calibration microphone. It also supports Audyssey App.

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.

Connectivity

Denon AVR-X6400H can be connected to internet using ethernet cable or built-in wi-fi adapter. It can also connect to bluetooth devices via built-in bluetooth adapter. The Receiver works with Amazon Alexa and supports AirPlay 2. It has 8 HDMI inputs and HDCP 2.2 copy protection. There is a phono input with built-in phono stage for connecting the cartridge output of the turntable directly to the Receiver. There are 11.2 channel analog pre-outs for external amplification.

Front panel has HDMI, USB, Composite and L/R Audio inputs.

Specifications

Here we list all the available features and specifications of Denon AVR-X6400H.

BASICS
Brand	Denon
Model	AVR-X6400H
Type	A/V Receiver
Country	USA
Release Year	2017

AMPLIFIER
Channels	11.2
Front Wide Channel Support
Amplifier Design	Monolithic
Discrete Amplification
THX™ Certification
Continuous 6 Ω Rated
Certified 4 Ω Performance
Mono Block Power Amplifier Construction
Bi-amp Capability	assignable

AUDIO
Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Engine	4 powerful high speed 4th generation SHARC DSP processors
DAC	AKM AK4458VN
Maximum Channel Processing	11.2
D.D.S.C. HD Digital	32-bit
Alpha Processing	AL32 Processing Plus
Air Studios Monitor Certification
Dolby Atmos	up to 7.1.4
Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
Dolby TrueHD
Dolby Digital Plus
Dolby Surround Upmixer
Dolby Pro Logic
Dolby Digital EX
Surround EX
DTS:X	up to 7.1.4
DTS Neural:X
DTS Virtual:X	via firmware update
DTS Neo
DTS-HD Master Audio
DTS-HD High Resolution Audio
DTS 96/24
DTS Express
DTS-ES	Discrete 6.1, Matrix 6.1
IMAX Enhanced
Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer	Built-In
PCM	2-ch/Multi-ch Input
Music Playback via USB	MP3, WMA, AAC, Apple Lossless, WAV, FLAC, DSD
High Resolution Music Playback via USB and/or Network	up to 192 kHz
High Resolution Audio Formats via USB	Apple Lossless, WAV, FLAC, DSD
Multi-Channel Music File Playback via USB
Gapless Playback
DSD via HDMI	2-ch/Multi-ch Input
DSD via USB	2-ch Input
DSD to PCM Converter
USB DAC
Jitter Reduction
DTS Dialog Control
Dialog Enhancement
Dialog Level Adjustment
Dialog Normalization
Dialogue Lift
Compressed Music Enhancer
High-resolution Music Enhancer
Audyssey Dynamic EQ
Audyssey Dynamic Volume
Audyssey LFC
Audyssey Sub EQ HT
Audyssey DSX
Direct Mode
Pure Direct Mode
Independent Dual Subwoofer Output

CALIBRATION
Auto Speaker Calibration System with Mic.	Audyssey MultEQ XT32
Audyssey App Support
Optimized Bass Redirection
Bass Sync

VIDEO
Video Signal Type	NTSC/PAL
Video Signal Format (Video Covnersion)	NTSC/PAL
HDR10
HDR10+
BT.2020 color space
Dolby Vision
HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma)
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	up to 4K 50/60Hz 4:4:4
Analog To HDMI Upconversion	Component, Composite
Component Video Upscaling
Analog to Analog Video conversion
Component Video Maximum Resolution	1080p
isf Certified Calibration Control

CONNECTIVITY
MHL Input
DLNA 1.5
FireConnect
FlareConnect
HEOS
Chromecast Built-In
DTS Play-Fi
Works with Amazon Alexa
Works with SONOS
AirPlay	AirPlay 2
Apple Product Connection	iPod, iPhone and iPad
Remote App	Denon 2016 AVR Remote App for iOS and Android devices and Kindle Fire
InstaPrevue Input Source Prevue
Ethernet
Ethernet Switch
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth	SBC
Bluetooth Headphone Transmission
HDBaseT Compatible
Enhanced ARC
HDCP Version	2.2
HDMI Input	8 (1 front)
HDMI Output	3 (2 for MAIN, 1 for ZONE2)
USB Input	1 (Front) for iPod/iPhone and USB memory
USB DC Out Port
Analog Audio Line Input	7 (1 front)
Analog Audio Line Output
Phono Input
Optical In	2
Optical Out
Coaxial In/Out	2 /
Composite Video Input	5 (1 front)
Composite Video Output	1
S-Video Input
S-Video Output
Component Video Input	2
Component Video Output	1
PC In
Multi-Channel Input
Analog Pre-Outs	11.2
XLR Inputs
XLR Pre-outs
Front A/V Inputs	HDMI, USB, Composite, L/R Audio
Speaker A/B	assignable
Headphone Out	6.3 mm

ZONES
Zones	3
Powered Zones	2 and 3
Zone 2	HDMI, Component, Composite, Pre Out
Zone 3 Outs	Pre Out
RS-232
+12V Trigger Output	2
Remote (IR) Input/Output	1 / 1

MISC
On-Screen Display	Advanced Graphic User Interface
GUI Languages	3
Control4 SDDP
FL Display	2 lines
Remote Controller	RC-1219
Pre-programmed / Learnable / LCD Display	/ /
Detachable Power Cord
Denon Link HD
Setup Assistant
Quick Select plus / Quick Select	/

RADIO
Analog Tuner	FM/AM
Digital Radio
Internet Radio	TuneIn
Pandora
Spotify
Tidal
Deezer
Napster
SiriusXM Internet Radio

CONSTRUCTION
Front Panel	Metal
Speaker Terminals	11
Large Speaker Terminals	11
Color-Coded Speaker Terminals
Transparent High-Grade Speaker Terminals
High Grade Audio Components
Gold plated RCA terminals

POWER
Power Supply	AC 120 V, 60 Hz
Power Consumption	750 W
No Sound Power	ECO On/Off: 65 W/110 W
Standby Power	0.1 W

GENERAL
ECO Mode / Hybrid Standby Function
Auto Power off
Dimensions (W x H x D)	434 mm x 167 mm x 393 mm (with antenna: 434 mm x 235 mm x 393 mm) 17 1/8" x 6 5/8" x 15 1/2" (with antenna: 17 1/8" x 9 3/8" x 15 1/2")
Weight	14.5 kg (31 lbs 15 oz)
Warranty	3 Years

SPECS
Power Output (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2	140 W (0.05% THD)
Power Output (6 Ω, 1 kHz, 2	175 W (0.7% THD)
Maximum Effective Power Output (6 Ω, 1 kHz, 1 channel driven, JEITA)	250 W (10% THD)
Rated Power Output (6 Ω, 1 kHz, 1 channel driven, IEC)	205 W (1% THD)
Dynamic Power per Channel (4 Ω, Front)	250 W x 2-channel
Dynamic Power per Channel (8 Ω, Front)	160 W x 2-channel
THD digital	0.008% (1 kHz, at 0 dB)
Analog Distortion	0.005% (20 Hz-20 kHz, Direct mode)
Phono Distortion	0.03% (1 kHz, 3 V)
Input Sensitivity and Impedance (Line)	200 mV/47 kΩ
Input Sensitivity and Impedance (Phono MM)	2.5 mV
Rated Lineout Level and Impedance	1.2 V
Rated Output digital	2 V (at 0 dB playback)
S/N Ratio (Line, IHF-A)	102 dB
S/N Ratio (Phono MM, IHF-A)	74 dB
S/N Ratio (digital)	102 dB
Dynamic Range (digital)	100 dB
Phono RIAA Deviation	±1 dB (20 Hz to 20 kHz)
Frequency Response (Analog In)	+1/-3 dB (10 Hz to 100 kHz, Direct mode)
DSD Sampling Rates via HDMI	2.8 MHz
DSD Sampling Rates via USB	5.6 MHz, 2.8 MHz
Video Input Sensitivity/Output Level and Impedance	1 Vp-p/75 Ω (Component Y) 0.7 Vp-p/75 Ω (Component PB/CB, PR/CR) 1 Vp-p/75 Ω (Composite)
Video Frequency Response	5 Hz to 60 MHz, 0 dB/-3 dB (Component)
Ethernet Standard	100BASE-TX
Wi-Fi Standard	IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n
Wi-Fi Terminal Frequency	5 GHz, 2.4 GHz
Bluetooth Version	3.0 + EDR
Bluetooth Frequency	2.4 GHz
USB Terminal	USB2.0 5V, 1 A
FM Frequency	87.5 MHz - 107.9 MHz
FM 50 dB Quiet Sensitivity (IHF, 1 kHz, 100% MOD.)	Mono: 2.8 µV (20.2 dBf)
FM Effective Sensitivity	1.2 µV (12.8 dBf)
FM S/N Ratio	Mono/Stereo: 70 dB/67 dB
FM Harmonic Distortion (IHF, 1 kHz)	Mono/Stereo: 0.7%/1.0%
AM Frequency	520 kHz - 1710 kHz
AM Effective Sensitivity	18 µV

* - 480i/576i and 480p/576p only
** - 480i/576i only
*** - no 1080p/24 upconversion
**** - 1080p signal is not converted

Successor

In 2018 Denon AVR-X6400H was replaced by AVR-X6500H. Let us now have a look at some important changes that the successor brought.

UPGRADES	Denon AVR-X6500H	vs	Denon AVR-X6400H
IMAX Enhanced		vs

DOWNGRADES	Denon AVR-X6500H	vs	Denon AVR-X6400H
Less Analog Audio Line Inputs	6	vs	7 (1 front)
Less Composite Video Inputs	4	vs	5 (1 front)

For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Denon AVR-X6500H vs Denon AVR-X6400H.