Denon AVR-S960H vs Denon AVRS530BT

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Along with the growing popularity of custom home theater builds, the comparison of Denon AVR-S960H and Denon AVRS530BT takes place. According to the results of our review, Denon AVR-S960H received 7.8 points out of 10 possible, and Denon AVRS530BT was rated 4.3 points. The release date of AVR-S960H is 2020, and AVRS530BT is 2017. Based on the data on the characteristics and features of both models, we can conclude that AVR-S960H has better performance than AVRS530BT.

Main advantages Denon AVR-S960H over Denon AVRS530BT

Main advantages Denon AVRS530BT over Denon AVR-S960H

Amplifiers

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

The number of channels is equal to the number of possible connected speakers. The Denon AVR-S960H supports 7.2-channels sound, but Denon AVRS530BT supports a 5.2-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-S960H this value is 90/8 W/Ohm, and for the AVRS530BT it is 70/8 W/Ohm.

Audio features

After reviewing the audio features of each model, we can rate the AVR-S960H 6 out of 10, and the AVRS530BT - 5.

Pure Direct mode feeds sound directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing. Only Denon AVR-S960H 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.

Connectivity

The connectivity of competitors in our comparison is markedly different, Denon AVR-S960H scored 10, and Denon AVRS530BT scored 5 out of 10.

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-S960H 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-S960H.

Streaming services

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

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, Denon AVR-S960H got 8 points, but Denon AVRS530BT received 5 points.

Denon AVR-S960H is equipped with 6/2 HDMI inputs and outputs, and Denon AVRS530BT has 5/1 HDMI inputs and outputs.

HDMI eARC is the next step in the development of audio return channel technology, which works in conjunction with HDMI 2.1. Using eARC provides the highest sound quality for home audio systems. HDMI eARC is available only on Denon AVR-S960H.

The HDCP encryption protocol is now mandatory for most media devices. This security technology encrypts digital signals from one product to another. HDCP content-encryption protocol is present on Denon AVR-S960H in the HDCP 2.3 version, and Denon AVRS530BT has the HDCP 2.2 version.

Connecting a vinyl player or phonograph is possible using a Phono input which is represented by mini-jack or RCA connectors. Only the AVR-S960H has a Phono interface.

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 the AVR-S960H were rated 8 out of 10 against the 6 for the AVRS530BT.

With the 4K pass-through feature, the AV receiver sends "native" 4K signals to a 4K TV from a video source without any processing. The AVR-S960H works with the 4K/120Hz video, and the AVRS530BT has the 4K/60Hz.

The AV receiver passes "native" 8K signals from a video source to 8K TV without any encoding, with the 8k pass-through features. The 8K path-through is available only on Denon AVR-S960H.

Most of the AV receivers have a video scaling function, it is the process of reformatting the video signal to a higher resolution without losing the quality of the image. Upscaling the video signal resolution is possible only with Denon AVR-S960H.

Additional features

In terms of evaluating additional features, the AVR-S960H got 10 points, but the AVRS530BT has 7.

Voice control allows you to control the basic functions of the receiver through a smartphone, smart speaker or using the microphone that comes with the kit. The AVR-S960H can be controlled by voice via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI.

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.

Multichannel surround

Denon AVR-S960H got 7 points for the multichannel surround sound and Denon AVRS530BT got 5.

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-S960H 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 only on the AVR-S960H.