Denon AVR-S540BT vs Denon AVR-S720W

If you click a link on this page and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Votes 1 1
Rating 5 5

AVR-S540BT vs AVR-S720W comparison chart

Denon AVR-S540BT vs Denon AVR-S720W review

Denon AVR-S540BT
vs
Denon AVR-S720W

Let's compare Denon AVR-S540BT versus Denon AVR-S720W for an overview of all their pros and cons. According to the results of our review, Denon AVR-S540BT received 5.5 points out of 10 possible, and Denon AVR-S720W was rated 6.6 points. The release date of AVR-S540BT is 2018, and AVR-S720W is 2016. And as a result of the comparison, AVR-S720W seems to be a better option for the role of a home theater center than AVR-S540BT.

Main advantages Denon AVR-S540BT over Denon AVR-S720W

  • We do not know advantages

Main advantages Denon AVR-S720W over Denon AVR-S540BT

  • More channels, namely 7, makes this receiver more profitable than its 5-channel competitor.
  • 75/8 W/Ohm RMS makes it more productive compared to 70/8 W/Ohm RMS in another receiver in the review.
  • Thanks to 2 multi-room zones support, AVR-S720W bypasses its competitor without multizone support.
  • There is WI-Fi support.
  • There is support for Apple AirPlay.
  • Surround sound ensures the availability of Dolby Atmos.
  • Object-oriented sound ensures the availability of DTS:X.

Amplifiers

For the built-in amplifier, the devices received different marks - 6 and 7, respectively, on a 10-point scale.

AVR-S540BT
6
AVR-S720W
7

The number of channels is equal to the number of possible connected speakers. The Denon AVR-S540BT supports 5.2-channels sound, but Denon AVR-S720W supports a 7.2-channels configuration.

RMS stands for the actual power of the receiver. The higher this value, the louder the sound can be produced. The differences between the models in terms of RMS power are significant - for the AVR-S720W this value is 75/8 W/Ohm, and for the AVR-S540BT it is 70/8 W/Ohm.

AVR-S540BT AVR-S720W
Channels5.27.2
Stereo power (RMS), W/Ohm70/8, 90/675/8, 110/6
Output impedance, Ohm8, 68, 6
Frequency response10Hz-100KHz10Hz-100KHz
THD in stereo, %0.080.08

Audio features

The score for audio features is 6 of 10 for both receivers.

AVR-S540BT
6
AVR-S720W
6

Pure Direct mode feeds sound directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing. Only Denon AVR-S720W has Pure Direct mode.

Most receivers now come with a microphone included. It is with the help of this microphone that the auto-calibration system functions, which adjusts the sound of the receiver to the room.

AVR-S540BT AVR-S720W
Digital to analog converter (DAC)192 KHz/32-bit192 KHz/32-bit
Bi-amping
Pure direct (straight)
Auto speaker calibrationAudyssey MultEQAudyssey MultEQ
Speaker A/B switching
Other audio featuresCompressed Audio RestorerAudyssey Dynamic Volume, Audyssey Dynamic EQ

Connectivity

The connectivity of competitors in our comparison is markedly different, Denon AVR-S540BT scored 5, and Denon AVR-S720W scored 8 out of 10.

AVR-S540BT
5
AVR-S720W
8

Wireless connection via Wi-Fi is possible on the Denon AVR-S720W.

Bluetooth connection is now one of the main communication protocols for the receiver's control or even music broadcasting.

Wired internet connection via RJ45 allows receiver faster connection than wireless or even use NAS storages. Wired connection via RJ45 is possible in the AVR-S720W only.

DLNA is the perfect way to use your local cloud storage to stream movies and music directly to a TV. You can use the DLNA protocol only with Denon AVR-S720W.

AVR-S540BT AVR-S720W
Wi-Fi
USB1 (USB 2.0)1 (USB 2.0)
Bluetooth
Ethernet (RJ45)1
DLNA
MHL

Streaming services

Now music streaming services are gaining more and more popularity. They allow users to listen to millions of songs by subscription.

AVR-S540BT AVR-S720W
Apple Music (AirPlay)AirPlay
Amazon Music
Spotify
Other streaming servicesTIDAL, PandoraPandora, SiriusXM

Extensive connections

The presence of many connectors makes the receiver more versatile. But there are also narrowly targeted models, the number of connectors which are limited to a certain area of use. And when choosing their own receiver, users need to consider exactly your goals for using the receiver. For extensive connection, both receivers got 6 points on our 10-point scale.

AVR-S540BT
6
AVR-S720W
6

Denon AVR-S540BT is equipped with 5/1 HDMI inputs and outputs, and Denon AVR-S720W has 6/1 HDMI inputs and outputs.

AVR-S540BT AVR-S720W
HDMI input/output5/16/1
HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel)
HDMI eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel)
HDMI CEC
Digital content protection (HDCP)HDCP 2.2HDCP 2.2
Subwoofer output (LFE)22
Headphone output1 x 6.31 x 6.3
Optical digital input22
Coaxial digital input11
Composite input22
Component input/output0/00/0
Phono (MM) input
Front panel connectorsUSB, phones, setup micUSB, HDMI, phones, setup mic
Multi channel preamp output

Video features

The AV receiver is the heart of the home theater. And in this case, support for all current video formats ensures the best user experience, so it is very important to consider this when choosing a device. Video features of rivals in our comparison were rated 6 out of 10.

AVR-S540BT
6
AVR-S720W
6

AVR-S540BT AVR-S720W
HDR (High Dynamic Range)
4K signal pass-through4K/60Hz4K/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 featuresHLG, BT.2020x.v.Color

Additional features

In terms of evaluating additional features, both receivers received a score of 8 out of 10.

AVR-S540BT
8
AVR-S720W
8

AVR-S540BT AVR-S720W
Voice control
App controliPhone, iPad, iPod, Android, Amazon KindleiPhone, iPad, iPod, Android, Amazon Kindle
Displaycolour OSDfluorescent
TunerAM, FMAM, FM
Sleep timer
Auto power off
ECO mode
Graphical user interface (GUI)
Setup assistant
Firmware updateUSBnetwork, USB
Other additional featureshas notIP Control

Multi-room

As the center of a home media system, each multichannel receiver has an additional set of terminals for connecting the second set of speakers to create additional audio space in Zone 2 or even Zone 3 where audio can have the separate source.

AVR-S540BT AVR-S720W
Multi-room zoneshas not2
Zone audio outputhas notspeaker
Zone HDMI outputhas not
Multi-room controlhas notHEOS App, Denon 2016 AVR Remote
RS-23200
Remote control input/output (IR)0/00/0
DC trigger output (12V)00

Multichannel surround

Denon AVR-S540BT got 5 points for the multichannel surround sound and Denon AVR-S720W got 7.

AVR-S540BT
5
AVR-S720W
7

Dolby Atmos' particularity is that this is the object-oriented sound format, that is, each audio signal object is independently sounded and connected to its spatial position. Denon AVR-S720W can create 3D sound due to the Dolby Atmos support.

DTS:X is an algorithm used by the processor to create sound scenes, where sounds connected directly to objects rather than channels, and to determine the optimum sound output distribution in space. Surround sound with DTS:X is available on the AVR-S720W.

AVR-S540BT AVR-S720W
Dolby Atmos
Dolby TrueHD
Dolby Surround
Dolby (other)Dolby Digital PlusDolby Digital Plus
DTS:X
DTS HD Master
DTS Virtual:X
DTS Neural:X
DTS (other)DTS-ES, DTS 96/24, DTS-HD, DTS-EXPRESSDTS-ES, DTS 96/24, DTS-HD, DTS-Surround
Auro-3D
IMAX Enhanced
Multichannel stereo
Add another receiver to comparison
We didn't find anything to show here