DENON’S FLAGSHIP 13.2 CHANNEL AV AMPLIFIER AVAILABLE NOW
There are no half measures with Denon.
When this stalwart audio brand gets serious, you can expect an amplifier as credentialed as the new AVC-X8500H.
Denon describes this bad boy as the industry’s “first true” 13.2 channel amplifier.
But the AVC-X8500H is more than brute power. Indeed Denon doesn’t hold back the superlatives when it describes its new flagship surround amplifier as having “unparalleled sound quality and audio performance”.
High praise indeed and knowing Denon, it’s unlikely to be your normal manufacturer’s hype.
As well as abundant power on tap, the latest amp has oodles of goodies onboard its substantial chassis including Dolby Atmos, DTS: X and Auro 3D surround decoding and a full suite of custom installation offerings.
But the feature likely to entice buyers is the inclusion of Amazon’s Alexa Smart Home Skill for a horde of entertainment devices. The X8500H also carries Apple AirPlay and is entirely compatible with the HEOS platform.
Denon sees this amplifier as providing consumers with an audio link to the future.
Paul Astbury, Denon’s Brand Manager in Australia, told StereoNET:
As more home theatre enthusiasts integrate object-orientated audio into their builds, Denon identified a missing need and designed the industry’s first true 13-channel AV Receiver/Amplifier with plenty of muscle on tap to power formats like Dolby Atmos, DTS: X and Auro 3D.
The X8500H has a monolithic amplifier design and uses custom-made transistors.
It is compatible with just about every AV format, and its owners can use voice commands via Alexa to control its modes and functions. The 8500H as you’d expect has full wireless connectivity via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth along with streaming features such as Apple’s AirPlay.
And yes, it will wirelessly stream music to multi-rooms from a variety of sources including those boasting high-resolution audio such as DSD (2.8 and 5.6MHz), FLAC, ALAC, and WAV files.
The X8500H is primed to be an HEOS hub around the home and all users have to do is add additional HEOS speakers and download the HEOS control app.
As for power, the X8500H has plenty and is rated at 150 watts per channel into 8ohm speaker loads.
The AVC-X8500H has an RRP of $5999 and is available now.
Check out our exclusive photos from Denon's Australian brand manager, Paul Astbury, and his visit to the Japanese factory last week:
For more information visit Denon.
Further reading: AV Receivers Discussion
Peter Familari
One of the veterans of the Australian HiFi industry, Peter was formerly the Audio-Video Editor of the Herald Sun for over two decades. One of the most-respected audio journalists in Australia, Peter brings his unparalleled experience and a unique story-telling ability to StereoNET.
Posted in:Home Theatre
Tags: denon qualifi
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