Denon AVR-A1H

Denon AVR-A1H was introduced in 2022 and represents a current flagship model of a manufacturer. It is equipped with 15 channel amplifier with 150 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven) power per channel and is capable of 15.4 maximum channel processing. It supports Dolby Atmos, DTS:X Pro and Auro-3D, passes 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz and upscales up to 8K 50/60Hz and 4K 100/120Hz 4:4:4 video signal.

We evaluated the a/v receiver and gave 97 overall score out of 100. Our ranking system is based on the amplifier specifications, audio and video features, connectivity, multizone capabilities, radio and many other details.

For more details about the ranking please go to    Evaluation page.

In this section we present pros and cons of Denon AVR-A1H.

In 2022 Denon released 7 new receivers. Here is the lineup:

You can view their side-by-side comparison here: Denon AVR-A1H vs AVR-X4800H vs AVR-X3800H vs AVR-X2800H vs AVR-X2800H DAB vs AVR-S970H.

Here we are comparing Denon AVR-A1H to its predecessor AVR-X8500HA and displaying the major changes.

UPGRADES	Denon AVR-A1H	vs	Denon AVR-X8500HA
More Channels	15.4	vs	13.2
Bi-amp capability	7-ch (assignable)	vs	5-ch (assignable)
More Channel Processing	15.4	vs	13.2
Dolby Atmos Music		vs
More Advanced Auto Speaker Calibration System	Audyssey MultEQ XT32 and Dirac Live (upgrade)	vs	Audyssey MultEQ XT32
More 8K Inputs	7	vs	1
XLR Line Inputs	1	vs
More RCA Pre-Outs	17.4	vs	15.2
XLR Pre-outs	4 subwoofers	vs
More Speaker Terminals	17	vs	15
More Large Speaker Terminals	17	vs	15
Bigger Power Supply	1100 W	vs	900 W
Higher S/N Ratio (digital)	110 dB	vs	102 dB
Higher Dynamic Range (digital)	110 dB	vs	100 dB
Wi-Fi Standard	IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	vs	IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n
Newer Bluetooth Version	5․0	vs	4․2
Lower FM Harmonic Distortion (IHF, 1 kHz)	Mono/Stereo: 0.7%/1.0%	vs	Mono/Stereo: 0.7%/1.0%
Longer Warranty	5 Years	vs	3 Years

DOWNGRADES	Denon AVR-A1H	vs	Denon AVR-X8500HA
Less HDMI Inputs	7	vs	8
Less RCA Line Inputs	5	vs	6
Multi-Channel Input		vs	7.1
Less Composite Video Inputs		vs	4
Less Composite Video Outputs		vs	1
Less Component Video Inputs		vs	3
Less Component Video Outputs		vs	1
Front A/V Inputs	USB	vs	HDMI, USB
Zone 2 Outs	HDMI, Pre Out	vs	HDMI, Composite, Pre Out
Zone 3 Outs	Pre Out	vs	Pre Out, Composite
Denon Link HD		vs

For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Denon AVR-A1H vs AVR-X8500HA.

Denon AVR-A1H offers multi-zone playback which allows you to play different input sources in 3 different rooms.

Zone 2

• Powered Zone 2: You can use the unit's 2 amplifier channels by connecting Zone 2 speakers directly to the speaker terminals. The remaining 13 channels will be left for main zone amplification.
• HDMI Output: Denon AVR-A1H offers HDMI output for Zone 2. This means that it can send two different HDMI signals to two displays.
• Audio Pre Output: If you have a dedicated power amplifier for Zone 2 you can connect it to the a/v receiver via pre outs and control volume from the a/v receiver.

Zone 3

• Powered Zone 3: You can use the unit's 2 amplifier channels by connecting Zone 3 speakers directly to the speaker terminals. The remaining 13 channels will be left for main zone amplification.
• Audio Pre Output: If you have a dedicated power amplifier for Zone 3 you can connect it to the a/v receiver via pre outs and control volume from the a/v receiver.

Audio

• Phono Input: There is an MM phono input with built-in phono stage for connecting the moving magnet cartridge output of the turntable directly to the a/v receiver.
• Analog Pre-Outs: Denon AVR-A1H has 17.4 preamplifier outputs which allow you to connect the a/v receiver to the external power amplifier. You may want to use a high quality external amplifier for certain channels, usually for front L/R and center, and use the a/v receiver to power the rest.
• XLR Inputs and Outputs: There is one pair of XLR inputs on this a/v receiver. If your CD player, Blu-Ray player or other source have XLR outputs you can connect them to the Denon AVR-A1H's XLR Inputs for higher quality balanced connection. Besides 17 unbalanced RCA pre-outs there are 4 XLR outputs for 4 subwoofers. In case your external power amplifier has XLR inputs you can use this balanced connection for higher audio quality.
• Analog Line Inputs: There are 5 line inputs for analog audio connection.
• Digital Inputs: 2 optical inputs and 2 coaxial inputs are available for digital audio connection.
• Headphone Output: There is a 6.3 mm (1/4") headphone output jack on the front panel.

Video

• HDMI:
Inputs: 7   Outputs: 3 (2 x 8K for MAIN, 1 x 4K for ZONE2)
8K Inputs: 7

Front A/V Inputs

• USB