Hi, I’m Carl from Abt and in this video I’ll be giving you a closer look at a great
option in the mid level av receiver category, the Denon AVRS660H.
If you’re watching this on YouTube, be sure to click the link in the description after
the video to see our most current pricing, and don’t forget to like and subscribe so
you can stay up to date on all of our latest products.
This receiver has a traditional design with volume and source select knobs to the right
and left of the display, a power button down in the bottom left corner, and additional
shortcut buttons below the display.
It comes in a black finish, sits at 8 point 4 inches high, 17 point 1 inches wide, 13
point three four inches deep, and weighs just under 17 and a quarter pounds.
Around back you’ll find an assortment of connections, both digital and analog.
Starting off, there are 6 total, assignable, HDMIs which can all handle 4k at 120 hz along
with variable refresh rates and auto low latency mode which are great features for next gen
gamers, but numbers 4, 5, and 6 can additionally pass through an 8k/60hz signal too.
They also all support the latest relevant video formats like HDR10+, DolbyVision and
HLG.
Just to the right of those is a single HDMI output with an enhanced audio return channel.
Next is an ethernet port for a hardwired network connection, although it also has WiFi built
in if you can’t hardwire it, and bluetooth for doing things like streaming music saved
on your phone or connecting a pair of wireless headphones.
THEN YOU HAVE TWO OPTICAL AND A SINGLE DIGITAL COAXIAL INPUT, TWO ANALOG VIDEO INPUTS, A
SINGLE ANALOG VIDEO OUT, TWO SUBWOOFER PRE OUTS, TWO ANALOG AUDIO INPUTS, A PHONOGRAPH
INPUT WITH A GROUND CONNECTION, AND AM AND FM ANTENNA INPUTS.
At the bottom are connections for up to 5 speakers.
And finally, if you move back to the front of the receiver, you’ll see a single USB
input for connecting a storage device like a thumb drive or external hard drive.
Touching back on the speaker inputs, this can support up to 5 point 2 channels, meaning
you can playback formats like DTS HD Master, Dolby True HD, and ProLogic 2.
It also supports high res files like ALAC, FLAC and WAV at up to 192/24.
Unfortunately though it doesn’t support height channels so you can’t get things
like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X.
But that’s partly why this falls into such an affordable price category.
And what it HAS definitely outweighs what it’s missing.
To navigate through the menus and options you can use either the Denon remote app on
a smart device, or the remote Denon includes in the box.
On the remote you’ll find buttons for each input up at the top, and at the very bottom
are controls for 4 different preset sound modes: movie, music, game, and pure.
The AVRS660H is not short on smart features either.
It’s compatible with Amazon and Google Assistants, Siri, Josh.ai., and Airplay 2, so it’ll
integrate easily into almost any smart home.
And it also features Denon Heos for multi room streaming.
If you’re not familiar with HEOS, it basically consolidates all your music apps into a central
location, the HEOS app, and lets you control them all from your phone, computer, or tablet.
If you have additional HEOS speakers you can tell each one which song to play, or tell
them all to play the same song.
It’s really easy to use and gives you the option to have music throughout your home
without needing to run wires everywhere.
But it’s not just the smart features and inputs that make this an excellent mid price
option, Denon also includes their Audyssey Room Correction system which is a must to
use once you have this connected to your speakers.
It utilizes a microphone that reads test tones that get broadcast through your speakers to
optimize the sound to the room.
And just like the HEOS app, it’s super easy to use so even a novice can take advantage
without any trouble.
So who’s this receiver for?
This is a really good option for someone already using a 5 channel surround setup but has an
older receiver that needs replacing, or someone looking for a great value who doesn’t need
all the bells and whistles.
It works with a wide variety of smart systems, has 8K passthrough, and all the major next
gen gaming features, but it’s only set up for a single zone, it can’t play back 3D
audio like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X so you’re not gonna get those overhead effects, and
although it handles small to medium sized speakers extremely well, you’ll probably
want something more powerful if you have larger tower speakers you’re trying to drive.
I’ll put a link to a model with more power down in the description.
If you still have questions on the AVRS660H, or need assistance choosing a new receiver,
be sure to contact our experts here at Abt.
We’re always happy to help.
Thanks, as always, for watching.
And we’ll see you in the next one.