Denon IMAX Enhanced Receivers-First Look

Denon AVR-X4500H

Denon AVR-X6500H

Denon AVR-X8500H

Image Credit Denon

During CEDIA 2018, San Diego, Denon released the industry’s first IMAX Enhanced-Ready 4K AV Receivers with HDMI 2.1 and HDCP2.2 support. So Denon seems to be leading the hardware race by releasing three new IMAX Enhanced-Ready receivers, the AVR-X4500H, AVR-X6500H and AVR-X8500H. These receivers will be upgradable to support this new format via a free firmware upgrade.

So Denon, Marantz, Sony and Paramount have jumped on this new IMAX Enhanced bandwagon, I am sure to be followed by other receiver and display manufactures who don’t want to be left out of the buyers selection process.

After reading the IMAX Enhanced web site, I have yet to understand why we need this new format, but if its a free upgrade and you need a new receiver here are your choices:

AVR-X4500H 11.2 Channel Receiver

• List Price $1,599.00.
• Power: 125W per channel (8 ohms, THD 0.05%, 20Hz~20kHz) 2CH driven.
• Amplified Channels: 9.
• Processing: 9.2CH.

AVR-X6500H 11.2 Channel Receiver

• List Price $2,199.00.
• Power: 140W per channel (8 ohms, THD 0.05%, 20Hz~20kHz) 2CH driven.
• Amplified Channels: 11.
• Processing 11.2CH.

AVR-8500H 13.2 Channel Receiver

• List Price $3,999.00.
• Power: 150W per channel (8 ohms, THD 0.05%, 20Hz~20kHz) 2CH driven.
• Amplified Channels: 13.
• Processing 13.2CH.

All three receivers share most of the following  features:

• Dual subwoofer outputs with independent delay and level control.
• HDMI In/Out: 8/3(8/4 8500H) HDCP 2.2 support.
• 3D Sound Technology:  Dolby Atmos, Auro 3D, DTS:X, IMAX Enhanced DTS:X.
• Video Technology:   4K Ultra HD 60Hz video, 4:4:4 Pure Color sub-sampling, Dolby Vision, High Dynamic Range (HDR10), Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), and BT .2020 pass-through, HDMI 2.1 feature set, ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) and Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC) via firmware update.
• Audyssey MultEQ XT32 Auto EQ bundle with an optional Audyssey MultiEQ Editor app available for both iOS and Android.
• HEOS, Amazon Alexa Voice Control and Apple Airplay 2, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.
• Hi Res streaming of DSD, FLAC, ALAC and WAV files.
• ISF Certification.
• Ihiji Invision and Domotz Pro remote monitoring and management technology.

Start saving now!

It looks to me like that this format isn’t even fully ‘baked’ yet and we have hardware available that supports its future inclusion via a free firmware upgrade! See here for my personal views on this new and other developing formats.