Denon’s 2012 AV receivers announced: AirPlay

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Denon is always last to announce its new AV receivers each year, but the company just rolled out its new 2012 line.

Denon’s AVR-1912 was a hit last year with built-in AirPlay support, and now AirPlay is available on all but the entry-level $250 Denon AVR-1513. There aren’t many surprises otherwise, although Denon’s back panels are looking more minimalist than ever before. Here’s how Denon’s 2012 line of AV receivers breaks down:

Denon AVR-1513

Key features of the Denon AVR-1513:

• 5.1-channel AV receiver, 75 watts per channel
• Four HDMI inputs (three back, one front)
• Supports 3D video pass-through
• Two digital inputs (one optical, one coaxial)
• Front-panel USB input (not iPhone/iPod compatible)
• Graphical user interface
• $250 list price; available now

Denon AVR-1613

Key step-up features of the Denon AVR-1613:

• 5.1-channel AV receiver, 74 watts per channel
• Five HDMI inputs (four back, one front)
• Built-in AirPlay and DLNA
• Built-in streaming apps for Pandora, Sirius/XM, Flickr
• Ethernet jack
• Audio return channel (ARC) support
• Automatic speaker calibration
• Front-panel USB input, iPhone/iPod compatible
• Controllable via iPhone app
• $400 list price; available now

Denon AVR-1713

Key step-up features of the Denon AVR-1713:

• 5.1-channel AV receiver, 80 watts per channel
• Six HDMI inputs (five back, one front)
• Audyssey MultEQ XT
• $450 list price; available now

Denon AVR-1913

Key step-up features of the Denon AVR-1913:

• 7.1-channel AV receiver, 90 watts per channel
• 1080p analog video upconversion
• Dolby ProLogic IIz sound processing
• Component video output
• Powered second-zone audio
• $580 list price; available now

While Denon’s receivers may be a lot more appealing after listening to them (the AVR-1912 was the best-sounding model CNET tested last year), nothing about these models strikes me as a huge improvement from last year. In fact, the Denon AVR-1913 loses support for Rhapsody, which was available on last year’s model. I haven’t tested any 2012 receivers yet, but Onkyo’s 2012 line is the most intriguing from the spec sheets.

That being said, it’s almost always a mistake to buy on specs alone, but if you’re in the market for an AV receiver, last year’s Denon AVR-1912 is selling for just $400 these days and looking like a very attractive option.