Stepping up from a soundbar has long been the natural next move for home entertainment enthusiasts. Denon’s new AVR-S980H targets precisely that audience with a 7.2-channel AV receiver that prioritises approachability alongside genuine audio performance.
Lyle Smith, President of Sound United at HARMAN, described the receiver as part of Denon’s broader mission to make high-quality audio more accessible, noting that better sound brings people closer to the stories, music and moments they love.
At the core of the AVR-S980H is a 90-watt-per-channel amplifier, a specification that gives the unit enough headroom to drive demanding speakers without distortion whether that’s during high-intensity movie scenes or particularly dynamic music. It reflects the kind of engineering heritage Denon has built over more than a century.
The receiver fits into Denon’s HEOS multiroom audio ecosystem, allowing audio to be streamed between rooms or grouped with other HEOS-compatible devices without additional hardware. A future firmware update will introduce wireless surround support using the Denon Home 200, 400, and 600 speakers, though that functionality will not be available at launch.
For gaming households, the AVR-S980H adds 1440p passthrough and AMD FreeSync support to smooth out fast-moving gameplay and reduce visual tearing, making the receiver a practical upgrade for players who want their audio and visual setup to work in tandem rather than separately.
Connectivity spans Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and HEOS multiroom audio, covering the major wireless streaming formats. To make using the AVR-S980H easy, first-time AVR owners through setup using onscreen instructions rather than assuming prior knowledge of receiver configuration.
The AVR-S980H also scales with the owner’s setup, supporting configurations from a basic stereo pair through to a 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos system, so buyers are not locked into replacing the receiver as their speaker system grows over time.
The Denon AVR-S980H is available now through Denon.com and authorised global retailers, priced at $949 in the US, £799 in the UK, and €899 in Europe.
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