Denon has been a staple in home theater for decades, and the AVR-X1700H is a smart upgrade for anyone still running a 1080p system. It replaces the popular X1600H, but the real story here is future-proofing. This receiver handles 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz pass-through, which means it’s ready for the latest gaming consoles and streaming devices. If you’ve been eyeing a new TV with HDMI 2.1, this is the hub that ties it all together.

The 80 watts per channel is plenty for a standard living room setup, and the support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X brings object-based audio to your space without requiring ceiling speakers. The Height Virtualization feature does a respectable job simulating overhead effects from traditional stereo or surround speakers. HEOS built-in lets you stream from Spotify, TIDAL, and Amazon Music HD directly, so you don’t need a separate streamer. Setup is straightforward via the guided Audyssey room calibration, which adjusts speaker levels and distances for your specific room.

One honest limitation: the six HDMI inputs are fine for most setups, but heavy users with multiple consoles, a PC, and a streaming box might run out of ports quickly. The single HDMI output with eARC handles it, but you’ll be swapping cables if you have more than a few sources. Voice control via Alexa or Google Assistant works reliably for switching inputs and adjusting volume. For the price, this receiver delivers clean power and modern connectivity without the fuss of higher-end models.