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Denon AVR-E400

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#1 ·
Denon AVR-E400

Description:
Great Sound Made Easy - Connect to your home network and connect to the Internet to enjoy music streaming. The AVR-E400 is a powerful high-performance 7.1-channel AV surround receiver that lets you enjoy HD and 3D movies in remarkably spacious surround sound. This receiver is equipped with advanced video circuitry capable of up converting 1080p video signals to 4K Ultra HD (3840x2160 pixels) video signals. Video images at this resolution are dazzlingly vibrant and sharp. With Denon's exclusive Setup Assistant, the easy-to-follow instructions on your HDTV screen help you to quickly and easily set up the ideal acoustic parameters for your listening space. In addition, you can assign 2 channels of the AVR-E400's 7-channel amplifier to provide amplifier power for stereo sound enjoyed in a separate room.

Details:
DetailValue
BindingElectronics
BrandDenon
EAN0883795002790
Feature7.1 channel; 185 watts per channel maximum power; analog to HDMI video conversion
New setup assistant with enhanced GUI
Amplified multi-zone/multi-source in lieu of surround back
Networking with AirPlay, Pandora & Spotify
Five rear panel HDMI inputs
Item Height6.4 inches
Item Length13.2 inches
Item Width17.1 inches
LabelDenon
ManufacturerDenon
MPNAVR-E400
Package Height10 inches
Package Length20.4 inches
Package Weight25.25 pounds
Package Width17.1 inches
PackageQuantity1
PartNumberAVR-E400
ProductGroupReceiver or Amplifier
ProductTypeNameRECEIVER_OR_AMPLIFIER
PublisherDenon
StudioDenon
TitleDenon AVR-E400 7.1 Channel 4K and 3D Pass Through Networking Home Theater Receiver with AirPlay
UPC883795002790
UPCList - UPCListElement883795002790
Item Weight20.12 pounds
CatalogNumberList - CatalogNumberListElementAVRE400
ModelAVR-E400
Warranty2 years parts and labor
 

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#2 ·
Solid AVR. It's a keeper!

review by spblat

I don't need much in an AVR. I need it to route AV signals from my components to my TV over HDMI. I need it to connect to my home LAN so that I can control it over IP using the Roomie iPhone App. I need it to make good-sounding noise come out of my 7.1 speakers. And I need it to not bug me. By these standards, and considering the blockbuster price I paid for it, I'm thrilled.

There's one thing I need to get out of the way. The speaker connections are of an interesting design: they accommodate bare wire or banana plugs in the same spring-loaded holes. Either way you insert the speaker leads downward while pressing the plastic thingie into the unit. There are two problems with this, one minor and one stupid. The minor problem is that it's slightly less convenient to use banana plugs with this AVR than you're used to: you don't just jam in the plug, you press the spring, insert the plug at an awkward angle, and release the spring. The stupid problem is that if your banana plugs are made of metal, the front right speaker plugs will short against the RCA audio inputs (remember those?) and cause the AVR to shut itself down. Somewhere there is an engineer at Denon who had a good facepalm over this error. Thankfully I didn't brick my E400 after several head-scratching shutdowns, and eventually I figured out the problem, removed two out of fourteen banana plugs and I was good to go.

[Edited to add: I've been told this unit isn't really intended for use with banana plugs. I had thought otherwise, but for the life of me I can't find anything in Denon's materials that indicates support for banana plugs on this model. Just a coincidence, then, that they happen to fit in the way I described. Use bare wire and forget about my banana plug arm-waving.]

Ok. Had to get that off my chest. What else? It doesn't bug me and it sounds great.

I'm assuming a few things about your needs below. If my assumptions below don't describe you, then this isn't the AVR for you.
  • 5 HDMI inputs in the back, one in the front.
  • Only 4 sets of stereo RCA inputs. It's 2013. You probably need zero of these.
  • Only two digital audio inputs, one coax and one optical. It's 2013. You probably need zero of these.
  • Only two composite video inputs (yellow RCA connections). It's 2013. You don't need these either.
  • Only one component video input. It's 2013. You probably don't need more than one, if any.
  • Only one HDMI output. Why would you need another?
  • Only one line-level subwoofer output. One is plenty.
  • 3D supported over HDMI. And 4K. If you can afford a 4K TV now then you aren't buying this AVR. But if this AVR survives long enough for you to take the 4K plunge, you'll theoretically be ready.
  • Nice UI, both in the setup menus and in the heads-up display. Much nicer and more modern looking than the Onkyo TX-NR616 that died a premature death.
  • Sounds great. I have a decent set of speakers in my 7.1 system. Mine is not a particularly discerning ear, but if you're a real audiophile you're probably not looking for an AVR at this price point anyway.
  • It can do "night mode" to compress the dynamic range of incoming signals for use at lower volumes. It has several levels of compression, and it can even apply this compression to TrueHD and DTS-HD signals, which is something my Onkyo couldn't do.
  • It has Airplay support, which I like.
  • It can play audio from one source while sending video from another source to the TV. That's another feature I don't think is common.
  • It can show you exactly what kind of signal it's receiving from its audio source (stereo, 5.1 AAC, DTS-MA 7.1, etc.), and tell you exactly what audio processing algorithms are involved (Dolby PL IIx, DTS Neo6, direct, etc.), and exactly what speakers are active in this mode. I love this because it helps me be sure I've selected the right sound mode for what I'm watching or listening to.
Victory is mine, I love my E400. Great sound, great design (except for that thing about the speaker connections), great firmware. If you have questions about something I haven't covered, ask and I'll try to answer.

ProsCons
Airplay, above-average UIStupid rear panel layout

Ratings
Design2
Features4
Performance4
Quality4
Value4
Overall4
 
#3 ·
Solid AVR. It's a keeper!

review by spblat
I am in the process of building my first home theater and so far this receiver is in my top 3 picks BTW how much did it cost? you and where from? if you don't mind me asking and , If i use the E400 as 5.1 would the problem with the banana plugs connection still persist?

one more question what is your current setup?

thanks for the review
 
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