Denon Positions $649 Voice-Controllable AV Receiver as 8K- and Gamer-Ready

Denon is pitching its new AVR-S960H AV receiver as 8K-ready and built for gamers. Its enhanced audio return channel input accepts uncompressed and object-based audio from the TV via HDMI, and the receiver identifies the best available surround format for decoding, said the company. The $649 receiver, available in July, has a dedicated 8K input enabling 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz video pass-through and HDMI 2.1’s Quick Media Switching that allows a source to instantly switch resolution or frame rate to eliminate screen blackout. The 4K/120Hz pass-through and variable refresh rate are said to reduce frame tearing and improve precision in game play. New to this model are HDR10+ and Dynamic HDR support, joining HDR10, hybrid log gamma and Dolby Vision. Audio features include Dolby Atmos, Dolby Atmos height virtualization technology, DTS:X and DTS Virtual:X. The seven-channel receiver is rated at 90 watts per channel. It comes with Audyssey room calibration, Heos multiroom audio capability and works with Alexa, Google Assistant, Josh.ai and Siri voice control. A Hi-Res Audio digital-to-analog converter decodes up to 24-bit/192-kHz ALAC, FLAC and WAV lossless files and Direct Stream Digital 2.8 MHz and 5.6 MHz tracks through front-panel USB or network connected devices, said the company. It supports Bluetooth and Apple AirPlay 2.