Reviews 5 music) to cater for the additional height and width channels. It’s also dropped a few S-video sockets in favour of another HDMI input on the rear panel. Otherwise, connections are up there with its predecessor and the peer competition. Denon has no plans to make a proper flagship AVR-4811 to follow the 4810, and I suspect this is because much of the 4810’s engineering and technology has already been grafted onto the AVR-4311 for a more affordable price.
Polished and powerful Looking under the Denon’s lid you can see a dramatic change in component lay-out and design over the old 4310, including the addition of a pair of temperature controlled fans in the bottom of the case. The 4311 has an extra 2kg in weight over its forebear (it now weighs a hefty 17.3kg), but this is not simply the components for the extra power amps, but a beefier power supply and additional circuitry
too. So, maybe I should not have been quite so surprised when the AVR-4311 sounded even more polished and refined than the excellent AVR-4310. Using the single mic position Audyssey setup, this new receiver has incredible dexterity and a fluid sound that seems naturally projected into the room rather than emerging from the speakers. Gone is the full and fruity bass of the former 43xx models in favour of a sound that is altogether more neutrally balanced, meticulous and even-handed. It is as if Denon’s hi-fi design engineers popped into the AV room during the final tuning stage and politely suggested audiophiles might actually appreciate micro-detailing and acoustic sophistication over adrenaline-crazed audio brutality. I am not so sure, though. While one can ultimately appreciate finer qualities such as refinement and grace, most often one hankers for action movies with sex, drugs, violence, rock’n’roll and the volume wound up to +11. Clearly, the new
Specifications Dolby Digital TrueHD: yes with Dolby Volume DTS-HD Master Audio: yes and DTS ES 6.1 Discrete THX: no Multichannel audio: yes 9 x 170W (6Ω) Multichannel input: yes 7.1 channel Multichannel output: yes, 11.2 channel fully configurable Multi-room: yes, main + 2 zones Phono-stage: yes, MM stage Tuner: yes, AM/FM, netradio, last.fm and Napster AV inputs: yes, 3x s-video & RCA audio HDMI Switching: yes, 6-in, 2-out V1.4a 3D with ARC Video upscaling: yes, to 1080p Component video: yes, 3-in, 1-out Dimensions: 434(w) x 414 (d) x 171(h) mm Weight:17.3kg Features: iPhone/iPad/iTouch control with AirPlay and Denon Remote App, Audyssey MultEQXT32 Room EQ; DNLA certified; independent twin sub outputs with individual EQ; iPod digital direct input; Denon Link 4th edition; twin remote controls supplied
B
A Get connected C
Use this Ethernet port to make the most of the Denon’s nifty networking features, including audiophile FLAC file support
B Double up
The twin HDMI outputs allow this AVR to drive two displays – ideal if you have a flatscreen and a projector in your setup
C Old school audio
This array of coaxial and optical audio inputs will help connection to older components – and you Sky+HD set top box
D Radio ga-ga
Still using your receiver for FM/AM radio? You could instead browse the 10,000 net radio stations on offer... your setup
E Back to basics F
These rather basic speaker binding posts are one of the few areas where the Denon disappointments
F Reaching new heights
Use these posts if you’re running the AVR-4311’s extra two amplifiers for front height channels Home Cinema Choice