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Denon AVR-1312 review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £250
inc VAT

A fantastic entry-level AV amplifier – not brimming with features or power, but it gets the essentials right

Denon is a well-respected name in home cinema, but it isn’t usually one that’s associated with budget products. The AVR-1312 might just change that; it costs just £250 including VAT but still squeezes in plenty of functions.

With relatively few buttons and dials, the front of the unit looks clean and smart. As well as an oversized volume dial, four quick select buttons switch between the four HDMI inputs. There are also controls for the radio tuner and optional iPod dock, a headphone out and minijack line input, plus composite video and stereo phono inputs hidden behind a removable cover. All the buttons feel reassuringly sturdy and we liked the illuminated power button that glows green when powered on and red in standby mode.

Denon AVR-1312 front

The large LCD display shows the active input, volume level and any audio processing currently enabled, but the single-line readout isn’t ideal for changing settings. Thankfully, the amplifier can overlay an on-screen display onto a connected TV or projector for much easier setup. It’s extremely basic, but manages to keep all the important functions within reach of a few button presses.

Denon AVR-1312 remote

The remote control includes all the buttons needed to control every function but manages to avoid overwhelming the user. It also has dedicated iPod buttons for the external dock, but with compatible docks starting at £50 including VAT (for the Denon ASD-11R), using a cheaper dock and the iPod’s own controls is more appealing.

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Details

Price£250
Rating*****
AwardBudget Buy

Connections

HDMI inputs4
HDMI outputs1
Component inputs0
Component outputs0
Output resolutions480i, 480p, PAL (576i), 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
Total SCART sockets0
SCART socket type0
S-Video input0
S-video output0
Composite inputs3
Composite outputs1
Stereo phono inputs4
Stereo phono outputs0
Coaxial S/PDIF inputs1
Coaxial S/PDIF outputs0
Optical S/PDIF inputs1
Optical S/PDIF outputs0
Multi-channel inputno
Headphone output1/4in
Speaker configurationN/A
Main unit end speaker connection typebinding posts
Speaker end speaker connection typeN/A
Other connectionsFM antenna, AM antenna, Adapter Port, subwoofer line out
Wired network portsnone
Wireless networking supportnone

Playback

Surround sound formatsDolby Digital EX, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Surround Pro Logic IIx, DTS Decoder 2, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, DTS-HD Low Bit Rate, DTS ES, Neo:6, DTS 96/24, Dolby TrueHD
Region freeN/A
Supported playback disc formatsN/A
Audio format supportN/A
Video playback formatsN/A
Image viewing formatsN/A
RadioFM

Speakers

Speaker configurationN/A
RMS power output375W
RMS power centre75W
RMS power front150W
RMS power surround150W
RMS power subwooferN/A
Wall mountableno
Centre speaker cable lengthN/A
Front speaker cable lengthN/A
Surround speaker cable lengthN/A

General

Extrasremote control, FM antenna
Size434x381x162mmmm
Subwoofer dimensionsN/A
Centre speaker dimensionsN/A
Front speaker dimensionsN/A
Surround speaker dimensionsN/A
Power consumption standby0W
Power consumption on162W

Buying Information

Price£250
WarrantyTwo years RTB
Supplierhttp://www.richersounds.com
Detailswww.denon.co.uk