Buy the Denon AVR-X1800H. The X2800H's honestly-measured 15W advantage (~0.7 dB) doesn't buy anything you can hear, and our data records no stated HDMI 2.1 port count for it, while its stated 7 processing channels trail the X1800H's 9. Its one real edge is the second HDMI output.
As tracked by Home Theater Builder: the Denon AVR-X2800H tracks at $849; the Denon AVR-X1800H at $849.How we verify this data →
One rung apart on Denon's own ladder — $849 vs $849 as tracked today, and our data records exactly one difference that decides it: the X2800H drives two HDMI outputs, the X1800H one. On every other axis the step-up is level or behind, and the power gap is 0.7 dB.
Specifications · side by side · per-field provenance
● SOURCE-TRACKED
Spec
Denon AVR-X2800H
Denon AVR-X1800H
Price
$849
$849
Brand
Denon
Denon
Channel configuration
7.2
7.2
Main channels
7
7
Processing channels
7
9
Subwoofer pre-outs
2
2
Zone 2 capable
Yes
Yes
Watts per channel (8 Ω)
95
80
THD (%)
0.08
0.08
Channels driven (power rating)
two channels driven
two channels driven
Impedance range
4 – 16 Ω/ohms
4 – 16 Ω/ohms
Speaker impedance, min (Ω)
4
4
Speaker impedance, max (Ω)
16
16
Dolby Atmos
Yes
Yes
DTS:X
Yes
Yes
Room correction system
Audyssey MultEQ XT
Audyssey MultEQ XT
Measurement mic included
Yes
Yes
HDMI inputs
6
6
HDMI outputs
2
1
HDMI max bandwidth (Gbps)
40
40
HDMI eARC ports
1
1
Max passthrough resolution
8K 60
not stated
HDR support
HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG, HDR10+, Dynamic HDR
HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG, HDR10+, Dynamic HDR
VRR passthrough
Yes
Yes
ALLM passthrough
Yes
Yes
Phono input
Yes
Yes
Wi-Fi
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth
Yes
Yes
AirPlay 2
Yes
Yes
HEOS
Yes
Yes
Streaming services
Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Amazon Music HD
not stated
Form factor
full size
not stated
Width (in)
17.1
17.1
Height (in)
6.6
6
Depth (in)
13
13.3
Weight (lbs)
21
19
Power consumption (W)
500
430
Zone 3 capable
not stated
No
HDMI 2.1 ports
not stated
4
Shaded rows differ · green dot = lab-measured · amber = manufacturer-verified · blue = retailer/community-reported · grey = estimated · “not stated” means exactly that
Reading the numbers honestly
These two are genuinely comparable — a rarity: 95W vs 80W, both measured at 8Ω, two channels driven, 0.08% THD. That's about 0.7 dB of extra output, at the edge of audibility. Beyond power, the X2800H states a second HDMI output (2 vs 1) and an 8K/60 passthrough figure the X1800H leaves unstated; the X1800H states 4 HDMI 2.1 ports and 9 processing channels to the X2800H's stated 7, and the X2800H's own HDMI 2.1 port count is unstated in our normalized data.
Compatibility · computed, not written
Checked against a bookshelf that dips to a stated 3.7Ω like the KEF Q150: KEF Q150
Can the Denon AVR-X2800H drive the KEF Q150?
Denon AVR-X2800H states a 4Ω-minimum rating; the KEF Q150 dips to a stated 3.7Ω minimum, a little below that floor. Most receivers handle a marginal dip at normal volumes — it's worth watching only at very high output on an entry-level unit.
Can the Denon AVR-X1800H drive the KEF Q150?
Denon AVR-X1800H states a 4Ω-minimum rating; the KEF Q150 dips to a stated 3.7Ω minimum, a little below that floor. Most receivers handle a marginal dip at normal volumes — it's worth watching only at very high output on an entry-level unit.
Computed from the catalog's normalized fields — the same fields the builder's compatibility engine reads. A missing field reads as "can't check", never as a pass.
Gaming & connectivity · answered from the spec sheets
Can the Denon AVR-X2800H and Denon AVR-X1800H pass 4K/120 through?
The Denon AVR-X2800H states 40 Gbps HDMI bandwidth — enough for full 4K/120; the Denon AVR-X1800H states 40 Gbps HDMI bandwidth — enough for full 4K/120.
The verdict
Buy the Denon AVR-X1800H. The X2800H's honestly-measured 15W advantage (~0.7 dB) doesn't buy anything you can hear, and our data records no stated HDMI 2.1 port count for it, while its stated 7 processing channels trail the X1800H's 9. Its one real edge is the second HDMI output.
ValueDenon AVR-X1800H — Identical measurement context makes the 95 vs 80W gap honest — and inaudibly small for the price difference (1.0× as tracked).
Two displays (a projector AND a TV)Denon AVR-X2800H — The X2800H states 2 HDMI outputs to the X1800H's 1 — the one axis in our data where the step-up buys something an external box would otherwise have to.
The shared platformEither — Both are 7.2 designs with 6 HDMI inputs, 2 sub pre-outs, 40 Gbps bandwidth and Audyssey MultEQ XT.
Where to buy
CHEAPEST FIRST · NOT COMMISSION-RANKED
Denon X2800H
Tracked at Accessories4less · price not quotable from a search page
A genuinely like-for-like power gap: 95W vs 80W under the identical 8Ω / two-channel / 0.08% THD context — roughly 0.7 dB, which listening tests treat as barely noticeable.
HDMI outputs: 2 on the X2800H vs 1 on the X1800H — both manufacturer-stated, and the only connectivity axis our data records in the step-up's favour. It matters if you run a projector and a TV off one receiver, and not otherwise.
The LOWER-TIER unit is the one with stated HDMI 2.1 ports (4) and the higher processing-channel figure (9 vs the X2800H's stated 7).
The price gap is a live, tracked figure — $849 vs $849 today, a 1.0× ratio — while the like-for-like power gap is fixed at ~0.7 dB.
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