Buy the Denon AVR-X1800H — $150 less as tracked today. 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 $999; the Denon AVR-X1800H at $849.How we verify this data →
One rung apart on Denon's own ladder — $999 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
$999
$849
Brand
Denon
Denon
Channel Config
7.2
7.2
Main Channels
7
7
Processing Channels
7
9
Sub Pre Outs
2
2
Zone 2 Capable
Yes
Yes
Watts Per Channel 8ohm
95
80
THD Percent
0.08
0.08
Power Measurement Channels Driven
two channels driven
two channels driven
Impedance Range
4 – 16 Ω/ohms
4 – 16 Ω/ohms
Impedance Min Ohms
4
4
Impedance Max Ohms
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 Port Count
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 Support
Yes
Yes
Phono Input
Yes
Yes
Wifi
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth
Yes
Yes
Airplay2
Yes
Yes
Heos
Yes
Yes
Streaming Services
Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Amazon Music HD
not stated
Form Factor
full size
not stated
Width Inches
17.1
17.1
Height Inches
6.6
6
Depth Inches
13
13.3
Weight Lbs
21
19
Power Consumption W
500
430
Zone 3 Capable
not stated
No
HDMI 21 Port Count
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 — $150 less as tracked today. 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 (1.2× 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.
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 — $999 vs $849 today, a 1.2× ratio — while the like-for-like power gap is fixed at ~0.7 dB.
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