AVC-X3800H

The X3800H is what most catalogues quietly settle on as the mid-range cinema AVR, and Worldray is no different. The reason is simple: 9.4 channels of genuine amplification, a Denon-built HDAM analog stage in front of the amp section, full HDMI 2.1 with 8K passthrough on every input, and a Dirac Live-ready DSP path for £1,599. There's no thinned-out spec sheet — every channel is real.

Sonically it's clean and dynamic. The amp section drives demanding speakers without strain — pair it with a 4Ω-stable bookshelf pair and the protection circuit doesn't get nervous at theatre level. Voicing is closer to neutral than to the warm Marantz character at the next step up, which suits both film mixes (mastered for accuracy) and gaming, where positional clarity matters more than tonal warmth.

The honest pathway to top-tier calibration is the Dirac Live licence, which is £350 on top of the AVR price. That's not an unfair upsell — every Marantz/Denon flagship below the absolute top is also Audyssey-by-default with Dirac as a paid add-on. Audyssey XT32 (which ships free) gets you 80% of the way; Dirac closes the gap.

The catch most readers miss: 9.4 amplification means a true 7.1.4 build needs an external 2-channel amp for the rear surrounds. For 5.1.4, the X3800H is plug-and-play. For 7.1.4, plan the rack accordingly.