Denon AVR-S640H: Budget-friendly Model for Home Stereo and Theater

The Denon AVR-S640H is an affordable 5.2-channel receiver, meaning that it’s necessary to use 5 speakers, plus a subwoofer or a couple of them for getting optimal surround sound. It’s also a 4K UHD device for arranging a home theatre system with great picture quality.

Design

The Denon’s design stands out for its ergonomics. The housing of this receiver is sleek, however, its controls feel a little bit clumsy. The body is solid with a bright display. All the inputs and outputs on the rare panel are marked with different colors to make the connections clear. The USB port can be found on the front panel.

Features

The Denon AVR-S640H stereo receiver is HEOS equipped for managing it via smartphone, for streaming music services, and connecting wireless HEOS speakers to listen to music anywhere in the house. The AVR also works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri.

This receiver decodes and delivers true digital DTS surround sound from the HDMI inputs. It supports Dolby Vision format that’s why the users can enjoy deeper darks and enhanced brightness.

The Denon AVR-S640H specs include HDR10 and 4K pass-through support, but the unit lacks Dolby Atmos for using ceiling speakers and making the sound even more realistic (for instance, if it rains in the movie, it’s heard how the rain comes from directly above the heads).

Performance

Providing maximum performance and 150W per channel, it has stable performance at even 4-ohm load. The receiver features sub control, meaning that it has settings to raise and lower subwoofer levels. However, it’s still necessary to adjust the dials on the active subwoofer in order to provide optimal customizing.

Sound Quality

This receiver can be connected to the wired front, center speakers, and wireless surrounds to create flawless soundstage. It has enough functionality to adjust the sound with regard to the content and making it perfectly balanced. This model is remarkable for the harmonic sound of vocals and musical instruments (or voices and background, speaking of video content).

Connectivity

The unit comes with 6 HDMI inputs to hook up the HDMI compatible equipment plus Bluetooth connectivity. The movies can be streamed from the Ethernet connected device or Wi-Fi.

Furthermore, there is a phono input to connect a turntable to it. This input comes with a built-in preamp to avoid buying a separate item. It’s also possible to connect the receiver to a computer via HDMI output. Note that there is no support for such legacy devices as VHS players or video cameras.

Setup

The Denon AVR-S640H AV receiver includes the Audyssey setup system that measures the room acoustics and automatically adjusts sound levels for almost any speaker installation making the speaker type minor. The complete setup is possible only with a TV connected to the receiver. You can also use quick select buttons to save the preferred audio settings for each source of the signal.

This AVR is capable of working with a single zone only, meaning it can’t play, for example, in a living room and on the patio simultaneously.

Conclusion

In summarizing the Denon AVR-S640H review, I’d point out that this AVR is a reasonable solution to arrange a home theater or stereo system in a single room of any size and layout. This model is a real time-saver, as it’s easy to set up via the on-screen menu and there is no need to connect the external preamp to use the turntable.