Buy the Denon AVR-X4800H unless you're committed to a 7.x.4 speaker layout — the like-for-like power gap is ~0.5 dB and everything else our data records is identical. Buy the X6800H to power eleven channels from one chassis, no external amp.
As tracked by Home Theater Builder: the Denon AVR-X4800H tracks at $2,799; the Denon AVR-X6800H at $3,799.How we verify this data →
Denon's top two mainstream receivers, and for once the power figures are perfectly comparable: both are rated at 8Ω, two channels driven, 0.05% THD. The real question is channel count.
Specifications · side by side · per-field provenance
● SOURCE-TRACKED
Spec
Denon AVR-X4800H
Denon AVR-X6800H
Price
$2,799
$3,799
Brand
Denon
Denon
Channel configuration
9.4
11.4
Main channels
9
11
Processing channels
11
13
Subwoofer pre-outs
4
4
Watts per channel (8 Ω)
125
140
THD (%)
0.05
0.05
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
7
7
HDMI outputs
3
3
HDMI max bandwidth (Gbps)
40
40
HDMI eARC ports
1
1
HDR support
HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG, HDR10+, Dynamic HDR
HLG, HDR, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, Dynamic HDR
VRR passthrough
Yes
Yes
ALLM passthrough
Yes
Yes
Phono input
Yes
Yes
HEOS
Yes
Yes
Width (in)
17.1
17.1
Height (in)
6.6
6.6
Depth (in)
14.9
14.9
Weight (lbs)
29.1
34.4
Power consumption (W)
710
750
Zone 2 capable
not stated
Yes
Zone 3 capable
not stated
Yes
Form factor
not stated
full size
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
Like-for-like power: 125W vs 140W under the identical strict context — about 0.5 dB, which is not a reason to spend more. The stated difference that matters is topology: the X6800H is an 11.4 design with 13-channel processing, meaning it can power a full 7.x.4 layout with no external amplifier; the X4800H is a 9.4 with 11-channel processing, so 7.x.4 needs a two-channel amp added. Everything else reads as parity: four independent sub outs, XT32, seven HDMI inputs and three outputs, and a stated 4–16Ω rating on both.
Compatibility · computed, not written
Checked against a bookshelf that dips to a stated 3.5Ω like the KEF LS50 Meta: KEF LS50 Meta
Can the Denon AVR-X4800H drive the KEF LS50 Meta?
Denon AVR-X4800H states a 4Ω-minimum rating; the KEF LS50 Meta dips to a stated 3.5Ω 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-X6800H drive the KEF LS50 Meta?
Denon AVR-X6800H states a 4Ω-minimum rating; the KEF LS50 Meta dips to a stated 3.5Ω 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-X4800H and Denon AVR-X6800H pass 4K/120 through?
The Denon AVR-X4800H states 40 Gbps HDMI bandwidth — enough for full 4K/120; the Denon AVR-X6800H states 40 Gbps HDMI bandwidth — enough for full 4K/120.
The verdict
Buy the Denon AVR-X4800H unless you're committed to a 7.x.4 speaker layout — the like-for-like power gap is ~0.5 dB and everything else our data records is identical. Buy the X6800H to power eleven channels from one chassis, no external amp.
Up to 5.x.4 or 7.x.2Denon AVR-X4800H — Nine amplified channels cover both layouts; the extra spend buys headroom you won't wire.
Full 7.x.4, one boxDenon AVR-X6800H — 11 amplified channels and 13-channel processing, stated — the only stated difference that changes what you can build.
Multi-sub bass either wayEither — Both state four independent subwoofer pre-outs with XT32 calibration.
Where to buy
CHEAPEST FIRST · NOT COMMISSION-RANKED
Denon X4800H
Tracked at World Wide Stereo · price not quotable from a search page
A fully like-for-like power comparison: 125W vs 140W, both stated at 8Ω / two channels driven / 0.05% THD — about 0.5 dB apart.
Amplified channels are the real fork: 9 (X4800H) vs 11 (X6800H), with 11 vs 13 processing channels — one powers 7.x.4 natively, the other needs an external stereo amp for it.
Everything else our fields record is parity: 4 independent sub pre-outs, Audyssey MultEQ XT32, 7-in/3-out HDMI, 4–16Ω stated impedance, Auro-3D and IMAX Enhanced on both.