Denon AVR-S730H 7.2 CH Atmos/DTS:X AV Receiver Preview

Denon has announced three new audio-video receivers for its affordable S-series line that will launch April 2017. Each new offering brings wireless options to the forefront and will retail from $279 to $579. Among the new receivers is the AVR-S730H, Denon’s most affordable HEOS receiver yet. Both the upcoming AVR-S730H and the AVR-930H will retail for $479 and $579, respectively, and feature HEOS, Denon’s own wireless multi-room system. Previously, the most affordable way to get HEOS built into a Denon AV receiver was the AVR-X4300H that retails for $1,299. Now that Denon has finally brought its proprietary wireless speaker system to the S-series - some of us can use the money we save to pick up some HEOS surround speakers.

AVR-S730 Brings HEOS Multiroom to the Masses

The new Denon AVR-S730H is the middle-sibling between the ultra-affordable AVR-S530BT which will retail at $279, and AVR-S930H going for $579. While all three in this line will offer Bluetooth, the AVR-S530BT will not include HEOS technology.

Denon is pushing its HEOS system hard for 2017 with a string of new products including a soundbar and an easy-to-use dedicated HEOS receiver. All this new emphasis on HEOS by Denon is sure to garner interest from consumers and competitors alike. Now in its third year on the market, HEOS has had time to perfect its corner of the Wi-Fi speaker niche. Denon launched HEOS with a series of wireless speakers that were so closely compared to the Sonos line it resulted in a lawsuit. But Denon seems undeterred as it has continued to evolve HEOS into a full wireless multi-room add-on for receivers and other devices.

HEOS gives Denon’s mainstream line of audio-video receivers a leg-up on competitors in the audio market, especially SONOS, FireConnect by Blackfire and Play-Fi. While most of Denon’s competitors (like Onkyo and Sony) in the consumer AVR space have paired up with one of the aforementioned wireless multi-room systems, Denon has chosen to build out its own, in-house HEOS brand. Perhaps this is why it took a bit longer to bring its multi-room wireless solution to the budget consumer market.

AVR-S730H Highlights

• 7.2 channels bringing 75W of power (8-ohm, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 0.08%, 2ch drive)
• 6 HDMI inputs (5 rear, 1 front) w/ ARC (Audio Return Channel)
• 4K Ultra HD, HDCP 2.2, HDR (High Dynamic Range), HDCP 2.2
• Dolby Atmos
• HEOS Link compatible
• Bluetooth
• Dual-band Wi-Fi

Editorial Note about Power Ratings by Gene DellaSala:

If you glance at Denon's literature online, you can see a might 165 watts/ch rating, but realize that's only a max power rating with 1CH driven, at 1kHz and 6 ohms.  We've been watching a trend by many of the mass market brands of inflating power in their latest Atmos/DTS:X receivers.  The AVR-S730H actual continuous power rating is 75 watts/ch (2CH driven) which should be enough power for a modest speaker setup in a small to medium sized room.

Denon includes a few key features modern consumers have come to expect in a wireless home audio setup including the Denon/HEOS AVR Remote apps that let you control your receiver’s functions and full remote audio control for every room. It also includes Audyssey MultEQ acoustic room correction mic to help you perfect the sound in your individual environment. The receiver also features out-of-the-box compatibility with a long list of online streaming music services and compatibility with Apple’s AirPlay system for iOS devices. For those days or nights when you just have to make an on-the-fly physical connection to your receiver, the AVR-S730H includes a front USB port that will playback a variety of audio file types including MP3, WMA, FLAC and MPEG-4/AAC.

Denon 2017 S-Series

Rounding out the S-series lineup for 2017 is the extremely affordable, 5.2 channel AVR-S530BT priced at a mere $279. As you might guess by the model number, the 530BT doesn’t feature HEOS and it won’t include Dolby Atmos either. Although the ultra-afordable 530BT will provide Bluetooth connectivity for your wireless music fix. At the top of the new S-series is the AVR-S930H, another 7.2 receiver with all the standout features found in the 730 with just slightly more, including two extra HDMI inputs and a bit more power.

With the new entrants into the S-series of audio/video receivers for 2017 including its homegrown HEOS system, Denon is truly ready to take on its nearest competitors in Onkyo, Sony and Yamaha in the multi-room wireless department.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.