Denon DHT-486DV review: Denon DHT-486DV

Intro
While home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) systems are incredibly popular, they're typically not known for their sound or build quality. Thankfully, Denon's approach to HTIB design defies that sort of pigeonholing. First off, the DHT-486DV's 7-channel A/V receiver is a bona fide, separates-grade component. The DVD player is also first rate, and the seven high-quality, two-way satellites don't look or sound like typical HTIB fare. The potent 100-watt powered subwoofer provides a solid foundation for movies and music. The Denon DHT-486DV package defied our expectations for HTIB sound--but the $750 price tag, the somewhat convoluted setup menus, and a dearth of HDMI connections may limit its appeal.

Editors' note: Denon Electronics will not honor the warranty on Denon components purchased from unauthorized dealers or if the original factory serial number has been removed, defaced, or replaced. If in doubt about a particular online or brick-and-mortar retailer, call Denon at 973/396-0810. The complete Denon DHT-486DV system weighs an impressive 106 pounds. The huge shipping box contains a total of 10 components: seven speakers, one subwoofer, an A/V receiver, and a DVD player. Hooking up all of the cables takes time; it's not too complicated, but dealing with the receiver's menu display may confound home-theater neophytes. We strongly urge buyers to make the effort or have a knowledgeable friend plow through the setup routine, because the DHT-486DV receiver's factory-default settings are far from optimum. The center speaker and subwoofer's volume are way too loud relative to the front and surround speakers. Worse yet, the speaker-size default setting is Large when it should be Small. Furthermore, the receiver's satellite/subwoofer crossover setting comes incorrectly set to 80Hz--we had much better results after we changed it to 135Hz. We also noted the speakers were shipped with a protective plastic sheet behind their grilles; the speakers will sound a lot better if you remove the plastic--the owner's manual fails to mention this detail. The DVD player's onscreen menu displays are a lot easier to deal with than the receiver's, and we squared them away in a minute or so.

The satellite speakers' medium-density-fiberboard construction is a big step up from the usual flimsy plastic models packed with most HTIBs. They're nicely finished and small, just 7 inches tall, and the center is a mere 10.5 inches wide. The subwoofer almost qualifies as full size--it's 17 by 9.25 by 14.25 inches (HWD), and at 27 pounds, it's the heavyweight of the group. The satellites and center speaker are all light enough to be wall-mounted with keyhole slots. If you'd rather not deploy all 7 satellites in your home theater and are happy with standard 5.1 surround, you might consider using the extra satellites in another room, hooked up to the B speaker connectors.

The receiver and matching DVD player are both 17 inches wide, and the receiver is almost 16 deep. Each comes with a remote, but we found it easy enough to control both components with the receiver's remote. The entire system has a matte-silver finish. The seven-times-75-watt receiver has all of the leading Dolby and DTS surround formats. You get three component-video and three composite A/V inputs with S-Video, plus there's a set of composite-only A/V ins on the front panel. The audio suite includes three analog stereo (red and white) inputs, a 5.1 analog set for SACD/DVD-Audio/HD-DVD/Blu-ray players, and one optical and two coaxial digital inputs. The receiver has provisions for multiroom speakers and A/B speaker switching. (The receiver is also sold separately as the $300 Denon AVR-486S.)

The DVD player's jack set offers just the basics: composite-, component-, and S-Video outs as well as coaxial digital and stereo analog outputs. The receiver and DVD player lack HDMI inputs and outputs, which is surprising for an HTIB at this price. Comparatively, the Sony DAV-FX100W offers a more robust input-output suite for a similar price range. (The player is also sold separately as the $150 Denon DVD-556S.)

The satellite speakers utilize two-way designs featuring 3-inch woofers and 0.75-inch tweeters; the center speaker uses two 3-inch woofers straddling a 0.75-inch tweeter. The speakers' spring-clip connectors accept bare wire ends. The 100-watt subwoofer sports a down-firing 8-inch woofer. Connections are limited to mono line-level RCA input and output.

How does the Denon DHT-486DV differ from last year's model, the DHT-485DV? The 486 adds a speaker, making it a 7.1 system compared to the 485's 6.1 configuration. However, the newer model utilizes a smaller 8-inch subwoofer instead of the 10-incher found in the 485DV. The 486DV's remotes are silver rather than black (thus matching the system's finish), and the receiver includes an extra digital audio input. Otherwise, there's very little difference between the two systems. For 2006, we would've liked to see HDMI connections included on the receiver and the DVD player. By contrast, HDMI is beginning to show up on much less expensive HTIBs from Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic. We launched our evaluations of the Denon DHT-486DV with Monty Alexander's jazz/reggae CD, Concrete Jungle. The subwoofer delivered the punch of a much larger sub and far beyond what we expect from HTIB subs. If we had to pick on one issue, it was that we could never achieve a truly seamless blend between the sub and the satellites, as we were aware that most of the bass was coming from the sub. The DHT-486DV will do its best work in small to midsize rooms up to 300 square feet.

The wee satellites had the clarity of expensive speakers. Crosby, Stills and Nash's mostly acoustic first CD sounded sweet, the guitars and vocals naturally balanced. Turning up the heat with John Hiatt's The Tiki Bar Is Open CD, the little speakers audibly strained to keep up with the subwoofer. Still, we'd rate the DHT-486's musical talents ahead of most HTIBs with small sats.

We next pummeled the Denon with the World War II submarine DVD, U-571. The battle sequences and depth charge explosions--even at fairly loud volume levels--sounded great, and the scenes set in smaller boats on stormy seas were enveloping in 7.1 surround sound. The dialogue was clear and articulate, and the subwoofer's deep bass never failed to supply the gravitas to support the onscreen mayhem. When we played quieter dramas such as The Squid and the Whale, the speakers disappeared, and we never stopped to think about the Denon--we were lost in the film. That's a high compliment for an HTIB.

As good as it sounds, the DHT-486DV can still be substantially improved with an upgrade to better speakers. To test that theory, we hooked up Klipsch's Quintet III satellites ($500) and Sub-12 subwoofer ($500), and the sound quality jumped a couple of notches. That sort of transformation isn't an option for most of the HTIBs on the market, but the Denon DHT-486DV isn't your average HTIB.