If you’re all set to pre-order a PlayStation 5 then you owe it to yourself to make the most of your gaming experience with the immersive, next-generation surround sound delivered by Denon’s specially designed X Series AV Receivers.

Benchmark-shattering performance and innovative, era-defining features are the norm for new video game consoles, but even with that knowledge tucked away, Sony’s upcoming PlayStation 5 offers a formidable leap beyond its seven-year-old predecessor’s entertaining box of tricks.

With 120fps 4K gaming (and support for 8K 60fps), advanced HDR and Ray Tracing on the menu, along with a genuine evolution in 3D object-based sound, experiencing PS5’s exhilarating output in all its glory demands more than plugging it into your TV and praying to the gaming gods.

Designed from the get-go with the latest generation of videogame consoles in mind, Denon’s X Series AV Receivers don’t just meet the moment, they enable you to experience PlayStation 5’s full potential with astonishingly precise, object-based surround sound. You wouldn’t be satisfied with your TV speakers alone for watching a movie, so why settle when it comes to playing videogames?

 

 What is an AV Receiver?

 

If you’re intrigued by the prospect of the ultimate PS5 gaming experience but aren’t 100% certain what an AV Receiver is, don’t worry – this blog is a safe space, and we love introducing people to our passion.

Simply put, an AV Receiver is the heart of a home theatre set up. It receives audio and video signals from a variety of sources – Blu-ray players, TV streaming services, video game consoles etc. –  before processing and enhancing them with a variety of cutting-edge tools. The audio signals are then pushed to your loudspeakers through built-in power amplifiers, and video signals are sent to your TV or projector.

To put it another way, a high-quality AV Receiver makes every other element of your home theatre setup shine by ensuring audio and video signals lose none of their fidelity. And with PlayStation 5 throwing down the performance gauntlet with ground-breaking 3D sound, Denon’s X Series AV Receivers are more than up to the challenge. 

 

Why buy an AV Receiver for next-gen gaming on PS5?

 

(Image credit: PlayStation)

Before PlayStation 5’s specs and features were announced, everybody anticipated a quantum leap in graphical ability. But, what few people saw coming was Sony’s intense focus on both video and audio innovation. This new focus on placing detailed, incredibly immersive surround sound centre stage in its plans is the most compelling argument yet for putting a high-quality AV Receiver at the heart of your next-gen console setup. 

 

PlayStation 5 specs: video highlights

 

While we could happily geek out over PS5’s technical specs – heavily customised AMD Zen 2-based CPU with 8 cores at 3.5GHz! 825GB SSD with dizzying I/O bandwidth of up to 22GB/s! – what actually matters is how you experience this prodigious power with your eyes and ears from your favourite spot on the sofa. Here are the highlights of its visual performance:

 

• 4K-TV gaming at 120Hz plus support for 8K output on a 4320p resolution display.
• 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player built-in.
• 4K entertainment from your favourite streaming services
• HDR technology support for HDR TVs.

 

PlayStation 5 specs: audio highlights

 

PS5’s secret weapon comes in an area whose potential has always been underexploited in videogames: sound. Engineered using the latest in 3D, object-based surround sound technology, PlayStation 5’s Tempest Audio Engine enables high-quality, advanced AVRs – such as the Denon X Series – to place hundreds of individual sounds at precise distances from the player, in front, behind, to the side and above.

What does this mean in practice? Let’s say you’re in a horror game, creeping around a killer’s house; you won’t just hear the muffled footsteps of your pursuer somewhere in the distance, you can precisely place them below you and to the right at the foot of the stairs, and getting closer with each heavy footfall…

Or picture going on the offensive in the latest first-person shooter: with unprecedented audio immersion, you’ll be able to place every explosion, helmet-grazing sniper shot and incoming air strike precisely in the space around you, giving you a distinct advantage over players listening through their TVs.

 

Which AV Receiver should I buy to enhance PlayStation 5 gaming?

 

Introducing the Denon X Series AV Receivers

 

All AV Receivers in the Denon X Series are packed with technology that’ll make your gaming experience more vivid, more immersive and more exhilarating. This includes the latest HDMI 2.1 support (HDMI 2.1) – a feature you’ll find in all new Denon AVRs.

 

How Denon X Series AV Receivers ensure you experience PS5 video at its best

 

These are the Denon X Series AVR features designed to make your games look and play as well as the developer intended:

 

• 4K/120Hz pass-through and upscaling
  This ensures the PS5’s 4K signal arrives on your 4K TV without any quality degradation en route. What’s more, your Denon X Series AV Receiver will upscale lower resolution video into super-sharp 4K.
• Variable Refresh Rate
  Sudden changes in frame rate while gaming can cause stuttering and tearing of the image on-screen. VRR compensates for these changes in real-time for consistently smoother gameplay.
• Quick Frame Transport
  Display latency is the amount of time it takes frames of the game image to get from a PC/console’s GPU to the TV/display. QFT niftily speeds up that commute, leading to increased responsiveness (and fewer flung joypads).
• Auto Low Latency Mode
  In a nutshell, ALLM is like a director that instructs all elements in your home theatre set up – TV, PS5 and AV Receiver – to display the image on screen with as little delay as possible.

 

And these are the Denon X Series AVR features that enhance every viewing experience

 

• Supports 8K Video
  It’s good to know that when you’re ready to move to an 8K display, your Denon X Series AV Receiver is ready and supports compressed and uncompressed 8k video.
• Pure uncompressed colour
  Getting technical here, but the "4:4:4 Pure Colour Subsampling" means you see pure, uncompressed colour in every frame. This is superior even to gloriously sharp Ultra HD Blu-ray, which uses some compression.
• HDR10 and HDR10+
  At its simplest, High Dynamic Range (HDR) gives images darker black and whiter whites to create more vivid images with greater contrast. HDR10 creates an enhanced dynamic range for an entire film, while HDR10+ can change this range on a frame by frame basis, meaning HDR is optimised for every unique frame.
• Dolby Vision
  Films mastered in Dolby Vision will lose none of their HDR vibrancy between the big screen and your home theatre.
• HLG
  ‘Hybrid Log Gamma’ – to give it its full, slightly baffling title – is a convenient way for broadcasters to transmit HDR information. Supporting HLG further future-proofs Denon X Series AV Receivers.

 

Denon X Series AV Receivers are 3D audio ready

 

Denon is the master in audio reproduction for surround sound. Here’s how the X Series applies that knowhow unlock the full potential of the PlayStation 5

 

• Dolby Atmos with Dolby Atmos Height Virtualisation Technology
  Dolby Atmos takes a fundamentally different approach to how surround sound works. Rather than using channels, Dolby Atmos treats most sounds as objects, placing them with uncanny accuracy within the 3D space around the listener. In premium cinemas this effect is achieved by adding ceiling speakers alongside speakers to the front, rear and side.
  
  Don’t have ceiling speakers at home just yet? Not to worry. Brilliantly, thanks to its Height Virtualisation Technology, Dolby Atmos can create the sensation of overhead sound even if your home theatre set up has a listener-level 7.1, 5.1 or 2.1 speaker configuration.
  
  
• DTS:X with DTS Virtual:X
  Dolby rival DTS has its own object-based audio system and, naturally, all Denon X Series AVRs support both DTS:X and DTS Virtual:X its proprietary height virtualisation software, designed to immerse viewers with incredibly nuanced three-dimensional sound.

In short, Denon X Series AVRs ensure that you’ll experience nuanced, detailed videogame soundscapes precisely as they were conceived by sound designers. Zero compromise. Complete immersion.

 

Which Denon X Series AV Receiver should I choose to suit my PlayStation 5 setup?

 

While the entire Denon X Series range of AV receivers includes all of the gaming and entertainment-enhancing features outlined above, there are some differences between the four models on offer. Here’s a summary of key differences to help you refine your choice: 

 

Denon AVR-X2700H: £599.00

 

Ideal for...

A standard living room.

 

Distinguishing feature highlights

• 7.2 channel 8K AV Amplifier
• 150w per channel
• 7 HDMI inputs, 3 outputs, to connect a second or even third screen.

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Denon AVC-X3700H: £999.00

 

Ideal for...

A standard to medium-sized living room in which you want to enjoy an enhanced audio experience through the placement of additional surround or ceiling speakers.

 

Distinguishing feature highlights

• 9.2 channel 8K AV Amplifier
• 180w per channel
• eARC support (enhanced Audio Return Channel)
• Supports IMAX Enhanced surround sound
• 7 HDMI inputs, 3 outputs, to connect a second or even third screen.

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Denon AVC-X4700H: £1,399.00

 

Ideal for...

A large living room or dedicated cinema or gaming room.

 

Distinguishing feature highlights

• 9.2 channel 8K AV Amplifier
• 200w per channel
• eARC support (enhanced Audio Return Channel)
• Supports IMAX Enhanced & Auro-3D surround sound
• 8 HDMI inputs, 3 outputs, to connect a second or even third screen.

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Denon AVC-X6700H: £2,299.00

 

Ideal for...

A dedicated entertainment room in which you have space for a full-blown, 11-speaker setup.

 

Distinguishing feature highlights

• 11.2 channel 8K AV Amplifier
• 205w per channel
• Denon custom made transistors
• eARC support (enhanced Audio Return Channel)
• Supports DTS: X Pro, IMAX Enhanced & Auro-3D surround sound
• 8 HDMI inputs, 3 outputs, to connect a second or even third screen.

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If you’re ready to take your gaming to the next level with PlayStation 5, why risk letting an off-the-pace home theatre setup compromise your experience?