Buy the Denon AVR-X3800H unless you specifically want the Marantz look and voicing — on every normalized spec we track the two are near-identical, and the Denon is $601 cheaper as tracked today.
As tracked by Home Theater Builder: the Denon AVR-X3800H tracks at $1,399; the Marantz Cinema 50 at $2,000.How we verify this data →
These are corporate siblings built on the same platform: both 9.4 designs with eleven processing channels, four sub pre-outs, and Audyssey MultEQ XT32. Tracked prices for both are on this page — $1,399 for the Denon vs $2,000 for the Marantz today.
Specifications · side by side · per-field provenance
● SOURCE-TRACKED
Spec
Denon AVR-X3800H
Marantz Cinema 50
Price
$1,399
$2,000
Brand
Denon
Marantz
Channel configuration
9.4
9.4
Main channels
9
9
Processing channels
11
11
Subwoofer pre-outs
4
4
Height channels
4
not stated
Zone 2 capable
Yes
Yes
Zone 3 capable
No
No
Watts per channel (8 Ω)
105
110
Watts per channel (6 Ω)
135
not stated
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
Auro-3D
Yes
Yes
IMAX Enhanced
Yes
Yes
Room correction system
Audyssey MultEQ XT32
Audyssey MultEQ XT32
Measurement mic included
Yes
Yes
HDMI inputs
6
6
HDMI outputs
3
3
HDMI version
2.1
not stated
HDMI max bandwidth (Gbps)
40
40
HDMI 2.1 ports
6
not stated
HDMI eARC ports
1
1
Max passthrough resolution
8K 60
not stated
HDR support
HDR, HLG, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, Dynamic HDR
HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, Dynamic HDR
VRR passthrough
Yes
not stated
ALLM passthrough
Yes
Yes
Phono input
Yes
Yes
Wi-Fi
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth
Yes
Yes
AirPlay 2
Yes
Yes
HEOS
Yes
Yes
Alexa built-in
Yes
not stated
IP control
Yes
Yes
Streaming services
TuneIn, Spotify Connect, Pandora, Qobuz
Spotify Connect, TuneIn, Pandora, Deezer, Amazon Music HD
12 V trigger outputs
1
1
Form factor
full size
full size
Width (in)
17.1
17.4
Height (in)
6.6
6.5
Depth (in)
14.9
15.5
Weight (lbs)
16.8
24
Power consumption (W)
660
680
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
The power figures are perfectly like-for-like — 105W (Denon) vs 110W (Marantz), both at 8Ω, two channels driven, 0.08% THD. That's a 0.2 dB difference; no one has ever heard 0.2 dB. Everything our normalized data can measure is effectively identical, which is itself the finding: the price difference — $601 more for the Marantz as tracked today — buys industrial design, brand voicing, and finish — real things, but not things that appear on a spec sheet. One stated difference: the Denon lists a 4–16Ω impedance rating; the Marantz publishes none in our 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-X3800H drive the KEF Q150?
Denon AVR-X3800H 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 Marantz Cinema 50 drive the KEF Q150?
Marantz Cinema 50 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-X3800H and Marantz Cinema 50 pass 4K/120 through?
The Denon AVR-X3800H states 40 Gbps HDMI bandwidth — enough for full 4K/120; the Marantz Cinema 50 states 40 Gbps HDMI bandwidth — enough for full 4K/120.
The verdict
Buy the Denon AVR-X3800H unless you specifically want the Marantz look and voicing — on every normalized spec we track the two are near-identical, and the Denon is $601 cheaper as tracked today.
Spec-per-dollarDenon AVR-X3800H — Identical platform specs at $1,399 vs $2,000 as tracked today — the Denon is the cheaper one.
Living-room aesthetics / brand preferenceMarantz Cinema 50 — The Marantz design language is the one thing the spec table can't capture — we won't pretend the data decides this.
Where to buy
CHEAPEST FIRST · NOT COMMISSION-RANKED
Denon X3800H
Tracked at Accessories4less · price not quotable from a search page
