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 Config
9.4
9.4
Main Channels
9
9
Processing Channels
11
11
Sub Pre Outs
4
4
Height Channels
4
not stated
Zone 2 Capable
Yes
Yes
Zone 3 Capable
No
No
Watts Per Channel 8ohm
105
110
Watts Per Channel 6ohm
135
not stated
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
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 21 Port Count
6
not stated
HDMI Earc Port Count
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 Support
Yes
Yes
Phono Input
Yes
Yes
Wifi
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth
Yes
Yes
Airplay2
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
Trigger Outputs Count
1
1
Form Factor
full size
full size
Width Inches
17.1
17.4
Height Inches
6.6
6.5
Depth Inches
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
