46 REVIEWS

otd-school; 'btack with buttons'and no

backtight. This, we assume, is because Denon

expects users to leverage the funky Denon

Remote App on their iOS or Android device.

Power up the receiver and you're guided

through basic connections and setup with an

assumed AV knowtedge-[eveI that your mumcoutdn't get confused by. Thankfutty these

can be skipped through very quickly untiIyouget to the Audyssey MuttEQ XT setup. This

incarnation now forces you to measure at least

three seating positions in the room, extendingthe setup time to about l0 minutes.

Denon's new GUls are quite different fromeach other. The AVR is more traditionat, witheach menu tayer disptayed on the whole

'l was quickly revet[ingin the Denon duo'space and sheerpassion for deliveringhigh-octane thritls'

screen. Ctick a function in this menu and thescreen changes complete[y to the optionsof that function. lt is clear, but easy to get tost.

Conversely, the DBT uses a three-column grid

so you can see three layers of the menu atonce. Less confusing, but it leaves little roomfor function descriptions. You get a numberof truncated feature names such 'Dynamic

Range C...J and, my favourite,'Parental Con..]

My usua[ setup routine involves waiting forthe Audyssey EQ to finish, before going intothe menus and switching off a[[ the extraneous

features than may affect performance,

inctuding disabting atl HDMI CEC contro[s.

This, it transpired, stops Denon Link HD fromfunctioning. You must have HDMI controlswitched on, in both machines, to enable thecompletely separate Denon Link HD cable towork. Go figure. White lam fiting stuff in theniggle drawer, I could not get the AVR remotecontrol to operate the BD ptayer. This maybe rectified in firmware before you read this,

but worth checking.

Paceand passionWith setup done lwas quickty revetling in

the Denon duo's pace and sheer passion fordetivering high-octane thritts. The performance

of this t2,000 ensemble is lnspired.

Audio over Denon Link HD is absolutetysuperb, dropping the noise floor wetL into thebasement and giving the sound spectaculardynamic range. The Audyssey EQ system does

its job welt (atthough there is no facitity toswitch it on or off from the remote withoutdiving into the menus), but even withoutthe EQ the sound is fast and frisky withexceptionaI top-end detail'ing and tighttycontrolled bass. The AVR-33xx models were

HOME CINEMA CHOICE JANUARY 2O']3

always some of Denon's more refined andpoised-sounding receivers and this pairing

takes that refinement to the next level.

A wet Sunday afternoon demandedsomething betty-achingty funny and Hot Fuzz

on DVD came quickly to hand. The receiver's

upscaling proved top-drawer stuff, makingthe SD resolution look pteasingty close to a

futty-ftedged BD l0B0p retease; sharp, detaited

and with smooth motion processing.

As Simon Pegg rides into town on the horse,

the Denon duo buitds the scene withadmirable atmosphere and great attention totittte sonic detaits. Then, as the bu[[ets start tofty, the AVR goes up a gear in Pace Yet

continues to extract every bit of sonic

information from the disc. The buttets hittingptant pots are portrayed as discrete events; theshot, the impact, the exploding pot and att the

bits of earthenware hitting the cobbted streets.

Back in 2000 I reviewed the AVR-3300 with

the hot fitm of the day, Gladiator, describing

the sound as a revelation in natural dialogue

@E

CoNNpctroNsAGEr coNNECTEDWith no buitt-in Wi-Fi onboard, use theDBT-3313UD's Ethernet jack to get online.Direct access to Netf lix and YouTube isoffered, as we[[ as DLNA f ile streaming

BLovr rHE LINKBuyers of both this player and the AVRare advised to connect via Denon Link HD,which offers an improved sound performancethan over HDMI

CTrrnnn's coMPANYThe AVR-3313 provides a trio of HDN,4l outputsatongside its seven HDM inputs (onefront-mounted), atthough only two can beused simultaneousty

D CHooss YouR FLAVoURAtthough on[y a seven-channeI AVR, theDenon offers speaker outputs for both FrontHeight and Front Wide, so you canexperiment with different arrangementsif you're getting bored of tradiiionat 7.]