Denon has introduced a new A/V receiver that should appeal to serious home theater fans.
The new model is priced just below the flagship A1H ($6,499) and can power up to 13 speakers (channels) and 4 subwoofers. Denon says The AVR-A10H will retail for $4,699 (CAD$6,349) and will be available from Denon and online retailers starting October 1, 2024. and includes a 3-year warranty.
As with the A1H, there is one important differentiator between the A10H and lower-end Denon AVRs: it is manufactured at the famous Shirakawa Audio Works in Japan. It was even reportedly tuned by sound engineer Shinichi Yamauchi, so quality and performance should be close to perfect.
Denon AVR-A10H 13.4 Channel AV Home Theater Receiver
Main features:
- 150 watts per channel (two channels controlled)
- Dedicated boards for each channel to minimize crosstalk
- 24-bit/192 kHz Hi-Res audio
- 9-DAC array of 2-channel ESS DACs
- Transformer with oxygen-free copper winding (OFC)
- Extensive audio format support, including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X Pro, IMAX Enhanced and Auro-3D
- 7 HDMI 2.1 inputs
- Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, 8K/60, 4K/120, HDCP 2.3
- 3 HDMI outputs (one 4K/120, two 8K/60
- Possibility for 15-channel preamplifier
- Integrated room correction Audyssey MultEQ XT32 with support for Dirac Live (paid upgrade)
- HEOS music streaming (with support for Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Tidal and more)
- Apple AirPlay 2
- 3 trigger output ports
Source: Denon
All in all, the AVR-A10H offers virtually everything someone setting up their own home theater room could want. You can easily drive a 13-speaker setup, or use the preamp outputs to stack a rack of individual speakers to provide massive amplification to large rooms.
This flexibility, and the fact that it’s made in Japan (as opposed to China or Vietnam, where others are typically made), makes it a strong contender in the upmarket market. Rivals include manufacturers such as Onkyo, Anthem, Arcam and McIntosh. However, models with a built-in 13-channel amplifier are few and far between – most higher-end models are limited to a maximum of 9 or 11 channels, while most mainstream consumer models top out at 5 or 7 channels.
Audyssey MultEQ XT32 is among the best room correction technologies available today, allowing you to achieve excellent results even in difficult rooms. However, if you prefer, you can also opt for Dirac Live and use a Mac or PC with a dedicated microphone for even more precise calibration and adjustment of sound curves.
