Listening Evaluation of DTS:X on the Denon AVR-X7200WA Receiver

• DTS:X AVRs can support up to a maximum of 11.2 speaker output channels.
• Content created for a specific speaker layout can be remapped to a different layout supported by the AVR.
• There is support for up to 32 speaker locations but what you'll actually see will be subject to each manufacturer's product capabilities.  For example, a 5.1.2-capable AVR will have more limited speaker layout options than a 7.1.4 capable AVR.
• Metadata-based spatial mapping renders the ideal 3D sound image to actual speaker layouts. 

A firmware update is like updating an operating system on a computer or smartphone.  It adds enhanced functionality and/or fixes to your device. Performing the DTS:X firmware upgrade on the Denon X7200WA was easy.  When I turned on the Denon late in that evening, it prompted me to download the firmware update.  A few clicks later I was ready-to-go. 

Don't be fooled, the DTS:X takes nearly 60 minutes to complete and updates various aspects of the AVR.

Be warned, the DTS:X update takes nearly an hour to complete. You have been warned, don’t do it 10 minutes before you’re ready to watch a movie!

When the update completed, there was no immediate difference in the way things looked or worked.  There were still speaker layouts labeled Dolby Atmos and Auro-3D but none labeled DTS:X.  

DTS was there, but was hanging out behind the scenes.  The only thing that let you know that something different had happened was the appearance of DTS Neural:X as an audio option when playing a PCM or DTS audio source.  

Does DTS:X Really Allow You to Place Your Speakers Anywhere?

“In its current state, DTS:X itself supports nearly any layout you can imagine," Jordan told me. I'm happy to report that this isn't just marketing fluff. It's true. But there’s a big, real-world caveat to this so pay close attention.  Jordan went on to explain, “Practically speaking, there is a limitation to how many layouts each manufacturer would like to support, so it’s a case-by-case basis.”   

In other words, even though DTS:X will support pretty much any speaker layout (note the continued emphasis on the word layout), you’ll only be able to use the speaker layouts that the pre-pro and AVR manufacturer give you. 

You cannot place speakers arbitrarily wherever you want and have DTS:X figure out where they are.  That just isn’t the case and won’t be the case.  DTS:X will support only the speaker layouts supported by your AVR manufacturer.

With the Denon, that means you can choose either a traditional 5.1 or 7.1 system or a layout with width channels with different height channel options.  I could support DTS:X configurations up to a maximum of a 7.1.4.  I could select the Dolby Atmos configuration, Auro-3D configuration (assuming you have the paid upgrade), or one of the other height and width layouts specified in the Denon’s Amp Assign configuration.  I’ll get into that a bit more below.

DTS:X sits on top of your AVR's supported speaker layouts

In testing different speaker layouts and looking at the updated Denon user manual on page 339, I did notice that there is no support Auro-3D’s top height speaker.  The top height speaker, also called the Voice of God (VOG) speaker, is unique to the Auro-3D layout.  So why wasn’t DTS:X supporting it?  In testing Auro-3D with the Beale Street Audio setup, I liked the VOG speaker and I found it to have a more realistic overhead presentation than simply the four Atmos in-ceiling speakers. Too bad.

I asked Jordan if the lack of the top height speaker support was unique to the Denon or if this would be the case with all DTS:X-compliant AVRs.  Jordan told me, “DTS:X does support the standard Auro-3D layouts including ones with the VOG, though they are not a requirement by DTS from a product level. Each manufacturer is free to choose which additionally supported layouts to include.”  (I strongly urge Denon to support the VOG speaker in a future firmware upgrade).  

So here’s the lesson consumers need to be aware of.  Even though an AVR will say that it supports DTS:X you’ll need to explore what speaker layouts it supports and see if it’s a good match for you at home.  All in all, I thought Denon did an excellent job here with offering several different layouts, including a unified option.

Even though this firmware update brings DTS:X to the Denon AVR-X7200WA, it raises another huge question on consumers’ minds.  Can I support DTS:X, Dolby Atmos, and Auro-3D with a single speaker layout?  Until now, the answer has been “NO.” However, Denon has now solved that problem in a major way. 

With the DTS:X firmware update, Denon has released a unified speaker layout that you can use with DTS:X, Dolby Atmos, and Auro-3D. Here’s the caveat, to support the unified speaker layout, you must choose either the 9.1 or 11.1 Amp Assign in the Denon and use one of the layouts specified. If you're curious, I did some limited testing with other layouts, and I observed that if I did not use the 9.1 or 11.1 modes, then the X7200WA would still an immersive audio presentation but would refuse to process the rear surround channels, giving me a maximum output of 5.1.4.

The new firmware also includes a unified 11.1 (7.1.4) speaker layout that you can use for DTS:X, Dolby Atmos, and Auro-3D.

Denon’s unified speaker configuration consists of seven floor-level speakers in a standard 7.1 configuration with front and rear height channels.  Conceptually and visually speaking, the unified speaker layout correspond closer to the Auro-3D layout and is going to be much easier for consumers to implement since it doesn’t necessarily call for the installation of in-ceiling speakers.  This is a very similar layout to what Yamaha has been doing for years with their DSP processing modes which we earlier deemed last year as a good solution for a unified speaker layout. 

See: 3D Immersive Surround  Formats & Loudspeaker Layouts

If you want to take advantage of a unified speaker layout then take special note of the following: 

If you have the Auro-3D upgrade and have installed a top height speaker you will need to do some manual switching.  I noticed that if I chose the 5 height speaker layout (which includes the VOG speaker) in the 11.1 Amp Assign mode, I lost use of the rear channels in Atmos and DTS:X 7.1.4 mixes.  I found my only option was to switch manually between four height speakers (for Atmos and DTS:X mixes) and five speakers (for Auro-3D mixes). I really wish that the Denon would recognize an Auro-3D mix and auto-engage the VOG speaker and then disengage that speaker and engage the rear surround speakers for a Dolby Atmos or DTS:X mix.  Once again, I hope that Denon will do this via a forthcoming firmware upgrade.  This is a great feature to have in a flagship receiver.

You should also note that you cannot use the Dolby Atmos layout in Amp Assign as a unified layout.  However, if you already have a Dolby Atmos speaker installation don't worry.   You can apply the 11.1 Amp Assign to a textbook Dolby Atmos installation with in-ceiling speakers.  I tried it and it worked extremely well. 

Another question that’s been asked is if DTS:X supports Dolby Atmos up-firing speakers.   The answer is yes. Jordan and I spoke about this and he told me the following good news. “Up-fired speakers attempt to create an audio image that sounds as if it’s originated from a height location. In cases where up-fired speakers are used, DTS:X outputs audio as if there were a physical height speakers were present. This information is directed to the up-fired speakers, which will provide an equivalent experience to any other discrete height content played through these speakers.”  While here at Audioholics we’ve continued to emphasize the superiority and priority of installing discrete height speakers instead of up firing Dolby Atmos speakers, we are sure this will be welcome news to many. 

How Does DTS:X Sound?

So, with the Denon X7200WA’s upgrade completed, how does DTS:X sound?  In a word, DTS:X is simply great.  What I love most about DTS:X encoded content (so far) is that the audio mastering uses the extra channels to convey a sense of space, ambience, and directionality as opposed to the gimmicks and bad mixing choices that haunted multi-channel audio in the early days.  

Movies: Ex Machina

In a way that’s what makes Ex Machina, the first movie to be released in DTS:X, an interesting choice. There’s hardly any blockbuster-style action in the entire movie.  There aren’t any massive explosions, spaceships, bullets flying, or other demo-worthy audio conventions.  Most of the movie takes place in the remote, mountain-situated estate of Nathan Bateman, the eccentric and brilliant CEO of an Internet company.  

DTS:X’s enveloping audio moves you in a way that the traditional mix simply can’t. The enveloping, sensory experience of the eerie score constantly grips you and puts you on edge.  The paradox here is that the DTS:X ambient mix oftentimes makes you feel the physical confinement of the space that the actors stand in.  DTS:X could give me both a sense of space or confinement.  

The ability to shape the sense of space around you transports you into the on-screen drama very effectively.  I switched between the traditional multichannel mix and the DTS:X immersive mix and the difference is noticeable.   Especially realistic is the 19:45 mark of the movie.  Computerized announcements echo all around you conveying a real, dimensional sense of space around you when the entire structure loses power.

Not everything was perfect, though.  Other scenes from Ex Machina, such as the transport by helicopter about 1:45 into the movie or the outdoor waterfall scene between Cabel Smith (the luck lottery winner who gets to meet Ava) and Nathan Bateman, seemed too reserved to me.  I didn’t get that complete sensation like I was outside and the waterfall lacked the immense dimensionality I was expecting.  I attributed scenes like this to the mix and not necessarily to the technology. 

In case you’re wondering, I never saw the Dialog Control feature active during Ex Machina and never had a chance to get back to it before press time.  I may have simply missed it, so I never got a chance to test it out. 

Next, I took a peek at the DTS:X 2016 demo disc (a big thank you to Jordan and the DTS:X team for getting this disc to me quickly!). Firing up the DTS 2016 demo disc, quickly shows that DTS:X can drive it into high gear.  The airplane scene from the The Last Witch Hunter where Vin Diesel tries to separate the weather crystals as the airplane jumps in the ensuing ice and lighting storm did a great job of keeping the audio focused on-screen while also delivering a sense of the outside elements pounding the plane.  

Music: Imagine Dragons in DTS:X

My favorite experience, however, was with DTS:X put to music.  Give me DTS:X audio mixes and I'll be the first in line to buy them.  Wow!  What DTS did made me a true believer in multichannel audio (and I'm a bit old-school when it comes to high end 2-Channel audio).  DTS:X gives mixing engineers the opportunity to throw a huge, seamless soundstage.  The Imagine Dragons song, “I Bet My Life” was my favorite showcase.