I am looking for suggestions from community members running enclosed setup
Speaker setup: 5.1.2 ( front upward-firing speakers) for Dolby Atmos & DTS:X
AVR: need new one
MediaPlayer: Vero 4k
I need, as stated a fresh new AVR (7.2) to run with the speaker setup and vero 4k.
Who could recommend a AVR which runs flawless with the vero 4k and providing bitstream audio formats.
I am hesitating to select a AVR due to some reading in the forum about issues with e.g. DTS-HRA
I am an installer and we use mainly Denon or Marantz but you should be ok with most known brands (Yamaha, Onkyo etc etc).
Most entry-level Atmos & DTS:X AVRs will do 7 channels of amplification out of the box, mid-range will do 9 channels allowing you to upgrade to 5.2.4 or 7.2.2 and the higher end will do 11 channels allowing for 7.2.4.
Denon now has a flagship AVR with 13 channels for 7.2.6!!
My Marantz has no problems with TrueHD, Atmos, DTS-MA & DTS:X rips played back via my Vero 4k.
I have never come across any DTS-HRA source material so can’t help on that one.
I have a Denon AVR-X3300W and can thoroughly recommend it if you can still find one. Superseded now by the 4400 I should think although no doubt that will cost a lot more.
No problems playing any of the formats you list although I don’t know about DTS-HRA since I don’t have any media with that format
Just stay away from the mainstream Pioneer AVRs since they are build by Onkyo now and they use their crappy spare parts to build the Pioneers. Plus the software is now a mess since it tries to emulate looking like it is still a Pioneer. The high end Pioneers for 1000 bucks or more are still build by the old team and are still good though.
Personally I recommend Yamaha since they are very stable. Probably a bit more expensive than the Denons but support is just better and more reliable.
I’ve just upgraded to a Sony STR-DN1080, which fits the description you provided. Very impressed with the sound quality over my previous Onkyo unit.
Sony is less complicated, (sound modes and such) but sounds much better IMHO.
I own the Denon AVR-X4300H… No problems with any file formats (DTS-HD HRA no problem either). Can highly recommend that one. Even got the DV and HLG passthrough update. It’s a bit too much though, if you just need 5.1.2, but it offers pre outs for flexibility and you can upgrade to 5.1.4 and even to 7.1.4 with an additional external stereo amp.
The 4400H is even better - AURO 3D already included. When it comes to format support, Denon and Marantz are superior. When it comes to problems with some HD audio formats, especially DTS-HD HRA, stay away from anything below the 3x00H series. They all seem to have the DTS-HD HRA bug…
Great decision! If AURO 3D ist not a priority, it’s should definitely be a good bargain… Whether HDR10+ will be supported for passthrough in the future hasn’t been commented on by any AVR manufaturer, so that’s not something that can be of importance for any decision IMHO. Would love to see a firmware update for HDR10+ passthrough for the 4300H. Might happen, if there will be a possibility to implement passthrough with existing HDMI 2.0 hardware, as the DV/HLG update was also released for the 2x00 Denon generation before the 3x00H AVRs. We’ll see
Have fun with your new AVR as soon as it’s there! I love my 4300H very much…
I wanted a minimal and compact setup (no ceiling or upfiring speakers), a receiver that is just awesome at audio (hifi and surround playback) without gimmicks, apps, WiFi, streaming services.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t exist. Just like TVs, you are forced to buy a smartTV.
I Found the Marantz NR1508 to be smaller than most, supporting all formats and well I can ignore all the other stuff I don’t need. I wonder if the smaller form factor has an effect on the audio. It doesn’t need to go loud since it will be placed in an appartment.
I bought my 3300 just as the 4300 had been released so was a much cheaper product. From what I remember there wasn’t a massive difference between the 2 product but the 4300 had the Denon streaming thing in it. Certainly the x300 has a much better version of audyssey than the x200 version with better support for subwoofer which was important to me. At the time I could get an x3300 for the same price as an x4200. The x4300 was a lot more.
Might be worth a look in case you can save yourself a bit of money.
On the other hand the 3300 may not still be available
Either way you shouldn’t be disappointed - I’ve had a couple of Denon amps now and both have been excellent.
Well, the 4300H has the HEOS module, correct. But it also has 2 more amps, 11.2 pre-out instead of only 7.2, capability to upgrade to AURO 3D, Audyssey LFC (which is an extra subwoofer correction by Audyssey), one more HDMI out, one more trigger out, a phono in, one more multiroom zone, speaker processing for 11 (for 7.2.4) instead of 7 (maximum 5.2.2 or 7.2) channels and a bigger display. I’d say, it’s a huge step up from the 3300 in many ways!
The support to playback hi-res stereo files internally without any other equipment needed is already a big plus (support for FLAC, ALAC, DSD 5.6, WAV). But the bigger one for me was the capability to run a full Atmos/DTS:X setup which is only possible with the 4300H and up.
Doh! I’m not talking about the same avr - apologies.
I should be comparing the X3300 which I bought and I belive was a 2016 model, against it’s 2017 replacement. Is that the X3400 then? I know the specs were similar in terms of number of amps etc.
I wish I could have afforded the 4300 (or 4400 as the 2017 model would have been) but a bit out of my price range.
What I was trying to say was that the difference in the same level avrs from 2016 model to 2017 model was not massive (I don’t think) but the price was quite appreciably lower.
I guess we’re not far from the 2018 models being launched so the 2017 models will drop in price soon.
No worries Yep, the same models from different years aren’t too different most of the time. The only bigger difference was the introduction of HEOS into AVRs and the included AURO 3D upgrade in the 2017 x400H model range and up.
If AURO 3D ist not a priority, it’s should definitely be a good bargain… Whether HDR10+ will be supported for passthrough in the future hasn’t been commented on by any AVR manufaturer, so that’s not something that can be of importance for any decision IMHO. Would love to see a firmware update for HDR10+ passthrough for the 4300H. Might happen, if there will be a possibility to implement passthrough with existing HDMI 2.0 hardware, as the DV/HLG update was also released for the 2x00 Denon generation before the 3x00H AVRs. We’ll see 
I love my 4300H very much…
Yep, the same models from different years aren’t too different most of the time. The only bigger difference was the introduction of HEOS into AVRs and the included AURO 3D upgrade in the 2017 x400H model range and up.