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Denon AVR-S950H review
Many buyers aim to find an AV receiver with good equipment, an advanced decoder, and powerful amplifiers, and the Denon AVR-S950H is sure to be the favorite. After careful consideration of the model, we gave it a 7.3 out of 10. The manufacturer released this model in 2019. The receiver is fitted with an amplifier capable of managing 7.2 channels.
Denon AVR-S950H Pros
- ✔The receiver has a function of wireless connection to the Internet via Wi-Fi.
- ✔Bluetooth is now one of the key wireless communication protocols. In AV receivers, it is used for audio signal transmission or remote control. And it is in the model under review that Bluetooth support is implemented.
- ✔The presence of a USB port allows the receiver to play content from external media.
- ✔Like any modern receiver, AVR-S950H has a Phono (MM) input for connecting a phonograph or turntable.
- ✔Dolby Atmos technology has been included in this model specifically to create a 3D effect when watching movies, which reveals all its features with a minimum 5.1 configuration.
- ✔Denon AVR-S950H with an adaptive and flexible DTS:X surround format can support any speaker configuration, unlike Dolby Atmos.
- ✔With HDR10 pass-through support, it is possible to transfer data over the AVR-S950H with a much wider range of colors.
- ✔With 4K/60Hz pass-through support, it is possible to pass data through this model without degrading image quality.
- ✔ARC feature eliminates the need for an additional composite or optical cable when connecting this unit to a TV.
- ✔eARC is more bandwidth-intensive than ARC and therefore allows Denon AVR-S950H to support advanced high-quality audio formats.
- ✔The manufacturer claims support for CEC in Denon AVR-S950H and therefore you can control any HDMI-connected device using one remote control.
- ✔This receiver supports the data encryption protocol HDCP 2.3 which allows licensed devices to play high definition audio and video.
- ✔Can stream audio using the AirPlay protocol.
- ✔Has access to the Amazon Music network service.
- ✔Stream music from one of the most popular services Spotify directly on the Denon AVR-S950H.
- ✔The main functions of this model can be controlled using voice control.
- ✔This receiver consumes less power thanks to ECO mode.
- ✔The reviewed receiver has a Pure Direct mode, when used it feeds sound directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing.
- ✔This AV receiver is able to use 2 zones to send a source signal to speakers or a separate audio system in different locations.
- ✔With the included microphone, the Denon AVR-S950H can use the auto speaker calibration mechanism to create the most suitable soundstage.
Denon AVR-S950H Cons
- ✖Bi-amping is not available.
- ✖Has no speaker A/B switching function.
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Denon AVR-S950H back and front view
Denon AVR-S950H specs and features
Amplifier
| Channels | 7.2 |
| Stereo power (RMS), W/Ohm | 90/8, 125/6 |
| Output impedance, Ohm | 8, 6 |
| Frequency response | 10Hz-100KHz |
| THD in stereo, % | 0.08 |
Audio features
| Digital to analog converter (DAC) | AKM 192 KHz/32-bit |
| Bi-amping | ✖ |
| Pure direct (straight) | ✔ |
| Auto speaker calibration | Audyssey MultEQ |
| Speaker A/B switching | ✖ |
| Other audio features | Audyssey Dynamic Volume, Audyssey Dynamic EQ, Compressed Audio Restorer, Hi-Res audio |
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi | ✔ |
| USB | 1 (USB 2.0) |
| Bluetooth | ✔ |
| Ethernet (RJ45) | 1 |
| DLNA | ✖ |
| MHL | ✖ |
Streaming services
| Apple Music (AirPlay) | AirPlay, AirPlay 2 |
| Amazon Music | ✔ |
| Spotify | ✔ |
| Other streaming services | Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, TuneIn Radio, iHeart Radio, Sound Cloud, Mood Mix |
Extensive connection
| HDMI input/output | 8/2 |
| HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) | ✔ |
| HDMI eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) | ✔ |
| HDMI CEC | ✔ |
| Digital content protection (HDCP) | HDCP 2.3 |
| Subwoofer output (LFE) | 2 |
| Headphone output | 1 x 6.3 |
| Optical digital input | 2 |
| Coaxial digital input | 1 |
| Composite input | 2 |
| Component input/output | 2/1 |
| Phono (MM) input | ✔ |
| Front panel connectors | USB, HDMI, phones, setup mic |
| Multi channel preamp output | ✖ |
Video features
| HDR (High Dynamic Range) | HDR10 |
| 4K signal pass-through | 4K/60Hz |
| 8K signal pass-through | ✖ |
| HDMI signal pass-through | ✔ |
| 3D signal pass-through | ✔ |
| HDMI pass-through in standby mode | ✔ |
| Video conversion | ✖ |
| Analog to HDMI scaling | ✖ |
| HDMI to HDMI scaling | ✔ |
| Dolby Vision | ✔ |
| Other video features | HLG, BT.2020 |
Additional features
| Voice control | Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI |
| App control | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Android, Amazon Kindle |
| Display | colour OSD |
| Tuner | AM, FM |
| Sleep timer | ✔ |
| Auto power off | ✔ |
| ECO mode | ✔ |
| Graphical user interface (GUI) | ✔ |
| Setup assistant | ✔ |
| Firmware update | network, USB |
| Other additional features | IP Control, Web Control |
Multi-room
| Multi-room zones | 2 |
| Zone audio output | speaker |
| Zone HDMI output | ✖ |
| Multi-room control | HEOS App |
| RS-232 | 0 |
| Remote control input/output (IR) | 0/0 |
| DC trigger output (12V) | 0 |
Multichannel surround
| Dolby Atmos | ✔ |
| Dolby TrueHD | ✔ |
| Dolby Surround | ✖ |
| Dolby (other) | Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization |
| DTS:X | ✔ |
| DTS HD Master | ✔ |
| DTS Virtual:X | ✔ |
| DTS Neural:X | ✔ |
| DTS (other) | DTS-ES, DTS 96/24, DTS-HD, DTS-EXPRESS |
| Auro-3D | ✖ |
| IMAX Enhanced | ✖ |
| Multichannel stereo | ✔ |
Audio file formats
| MP3 | ✔ |
| WMA | ✔ |
| AAC | ✔ |
| WAV | ✔ |
| FLAC | ✔ |
| ALAC | ✔ |
| Other audio file formats | AIFF |
Power
| Operational power consumption, W | 550 |
| Standby consumption, W | 0.1 |
| Removable power cord | ✔ |
Dimensions
| Size W x H x D, cm/inches | 43.5 x 15.2 x 33/17 x 6.6 x 13.4 |
| Weight, kg/lbs | 9.4/20.7 |
Other
| Release year | 2019 |