The catch
Denon AVR-S970H
The current US HDMI table has no 1440p entry. That leaves this route unverified and does not prove it never works.
Side by side
Denon AVR-S970H vs AVR-S980H: S980H documents 1440p120, and neither gives independent second-room video
Quick verdict
S980H is the choice when your setup includes a documented 1440p100/120 connection, since its US manual explicitly lists those formats and settings. Keep or buy S970H if its documented 4K120 route meets your needs and the current complete offer is better. Seven amplifiers, three high-refresh inputs and two same-source monitor outputs are common to both. S980H adds neither four-speaker Atmos nor independent video in another room.
Before you buy
Why, and what it costs you
Count your fast sources before you pay for a newer HDMI badge
In a household that shares two consoles and a gaming PC, all three 4K120 inputs can be filled on either receiver. If a fourth high-refresh source is why you are replacing S970H, S980H leaves you with the same cable-swapping problem. The more useful difference is explicit 1440p100/120 documentation for a source and display that use that format. If your current chain is 4K120 and works correctly, a newer model number by itself does not create another usable fast input.
Where this comes from
The tables for both exact models list three high-refresh inputs, and three sources take up three inputs. The S980H format table includes 1440p100/120 outright, with color-depth and signal-setting conditions. We infer no winner on latency or image quality.
The catch
Denon AVR-S980H
The same seven-amplifier and three-high-refresh-input limits carry over to the new model.
Denon AVR-S970H
- Why pick it
- A current new S970H offer costs less for the configuration you need, and your 4K120 sources already work.
- Your goal is a TV and projector showing the same source, and you do not expect extra Atmos channels or a separate second-room program.
- The catch
- The current US HDMI table has no 1440p entry. That leaves this route unverified and does not prove it never works.
Denon AVR-S980H
- Why pick it
- A documented 1440p100/120 route is a requirement for you, and you can match the source, cable, display and signal settings in the manual.
- You are buying a new receiver for a seven-channel layout that stays the same, and the current offer makes the newer model worthwhile.
- The catch
- The same seven-amplifier and three-high-refresh-input limits carry over to the new model.
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What this page compares
AVR-S970H vs S980H for 1440p gaming, a TV plus projector and music in a second room, including which limits the newer receiver leaves in place.
These S-series receivers follow one another and target the same seven-channel home theater. If you are replacing an S970H, find a problem the S980H solves, particularly since both already support three 4K120 sources and two monitor outputs.
Which one fits
Pick the situations that sound like you
A 4K120 setup that already works, and a lower complete price for S970H
Both have the same three fast inputs and seven-channel limit. Compare live offers on new units.
- Denon AVR-S970H
- Better fit
- Denon AVR-S980H
- Similar
Buying hinges on documented 1440p120 support
The route is listed outright for S980H. Verify the exact color format and signal setting.
- Denon AVR-S970H
- Caution
- Denon AVR-S980H
- Better fit
Atmos in the living room, with kitchen speakers powered by the receiver
The seven built-in amplifiers fall short of that nine-channel demand.
- Denon AVR-S970H
- Caution
- Denon AVR-S980H
- Caution
A TV and projector serving the same entertainment
Two same-source outputs come with each, along with mixed-display conditions.
- Denon AVR-S970H
- Similar
- Denon AVR-S980H
- Similar
In practice
Differences you will notice
Count your fast sources before you pay for a newer HDMI badge
In a household that shares two consoles and a gaming PC, all three 4K120 inputs can be filled on either receiver. If a fourth high-refresh source is why you are replacing S970H, S980H leaves you with the same cable-swapping problem. The more useful difference is explicit 1440p100/120 documentation for a source and display that use that format. If your current chain is 4K120 and works correctly, a newer model number by itself does not create another usable fast input.
How we worked this out
The tables for both exact models list three high-refresh inputs, and three sources take up three inputs. The S980H format table includes 1440p100/120 outright, with color-depth and signal-setting conditions. We infer no winner on latency or image quality.
A family movie and kitchen music still fight over two amplifiers
Picture the children watching a film with two height speakers while someone cooks with a separate pair of kitchen speakers. That takes nine powered speaker channels: five around the sofa, two overhead and two in the kitchen. Each receiver has seven. With their powered Zone 2 layout, five channels are left in the main room, so stepping up from S970H to S980H does not resolve this conflict. A separately powered, compatible music system, or a receiver with the required external-zone route, is a different purchase plan.
How we worked this out
5 + 2 + 2 = 9 main and zone amplifier channels. The amplifier-assignment manuals for both specify 5.1 plus powered stereo Zone 2. This count leaves out powered subwoofers. We make no guarantee about simultaneous unrelated HEOS-stream playback.
Two displays end the cable swapping, but not the argument about what to watch
Both receivers give you a useful shared-source arrangement when a TV is used in daylight and a projector after dark. For a game on one screen and a film on the other, neither is the right HDMI distributor. There is a further setup detail when an older projector shares the system with a newer TV. With both displays connected and the upscaler on Auto, Denon requires a resolution that works for both. Use the appropriate single-output selection, and test the actual chain before you treat the second socket as a trouble-free upgrade.
How we worked this out
Auto Dual and explicit output selection are documented in both monitor-output manuals. The common-resolution condition cited here applies when both are connected and the upscaler is Auto. It is not a blanket claim that attaching a second display disables every advanced signal.
Plan your receiver connectionsLay out my system
Check a documented speaker layout against HDMI sources and external-amplifier plans.
Denon AVR-S970H
Handles your setup
Runs 5.1.2 on its own built-in amplifiers. Takes 3 HDMI devices, 1 of them at 4K/120Hz.
Denon AVR-S980H
Handles your setup
Runs 5.1.2 on its own built-in amplifiers. Takes 3 HDMI devices, 1 of them at 4K/120Hz.
A powered subwoofer does not count toward the speaker channels. This checks one main room. Check Zone 2, bi-amping and unusual speaker assignments yourself. Leave room for ventilation, and confirm HDMI settings, cables and speaker impedance before you install.
Option A
Denon, AVR-S970H
AVR-S970H
A current new S970H offer costs less for the configuration you need, and your 4K120 sources already work.
- Best for
- A current new S970H offer costs less for the configuration you need, and your 4K120 sources already work.
Facts we checked
- Documented 1440p input: Not listed in the current US format table
- Fast HDMI sources: Three inputs support 4K120
- TV and projector: Two monitor outputs with output-selection controls
- Built-in main-room amplification: Seven channels
Option B
Denon, 301130-01-00-101
AVR-S980H
A documented 1440p100/120 route is a requirement for you, and you can match the source, cable, display and signal settings in the manual.
- Best for
- A documented 1440p100/120 route is a requirement for you, and you can match the source, cable, display and signal settings in the manual.
Facts we checked
- Documented 1440p input: 1440p100/120 listed with signal-setting conditions
- Fast HDMI sources: Three inputs support 4K120
- TV and projector: Two same-source outputs with TV1/TV2 selection
- Built-in main-room amplification: Seven channels
Spec by spec
Where they really differ
| Spec | Denon AVR-S970H | Denon AVR-S980H | In practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Documented 1440p input | Not listed in the current US format table | 1440p100/120 listed with signal-setting conditions | S980H fills a documentation gap for a specific gaming route. That does not prove S970H always fails. |
| Fast HDMI sources | Three inputs support 4K120 | Three inputs support 4K120 | On both, two consoles and one suitable PC draw on the same three-input allowance. |
| TV and projector | Two monitor outputs with output-selection controls | Two same-source outputs with TV1/TV2 selection | Two outputs do not mean either receiver can run two independent programs. |
| Built-in main-room amplification | Seven channels | Seven channels | A layout of 5.1.2 fits. For 5.1.4, more channels are needed than either provides. |
| Powered kitchen speakers | 5.1 main room plus stereo Zone 2 | 5.1 main room plus stereo Zone 2 | Powering the kitchen from the receiver pushes out the two main-room height or rear channels. |
| External main-room expansion | No full-range main-channel pre-out bank | PRE OUT connectors serve powered subwoofers | A separate amplifier you buy cannot make either receiver a four-height processor. |
Trade-offs
What each pick costs you
With Denon AVR-S970H
- Look at the new-condition seller, the package and the return terms. An older model does not automatically cost less.
With Denon AVR-S980H
- The picture can be shared by a TV and projector, but the second output cannot send a different show to another room.
Change of plan
When the answer changes
You have S970H already and its current signal path works
Go with Denon AVR-S970H. Hold onto it unless a verified new capability fixes a real limitation.
A purchase requires documented 1440p100/120
Go with Denon AVR-S980H. Those formats are listed for S980H. Make sure the complete chain and settings match.
The upgrade has to bring four height speakers or independent HDMI rooms
Neither model fits. Those capabilities are not supplied by either model.
Decision guide
Before you buy
A newer receiver for the family gaming setup is tempting, but paying again is wasteful when the HDMI and speaker limits you already have stay the same.
What this page can’t tell you
- That S970H lacks 1440p documentation does not prove it is incompatible with everything.
- We claim no measured advantage in sound, gaming latency, reliability or all-channel power.
By the numbers
What the data shows
What we found across the AV receivers we compare, plus the checked facts behind each finding.
Show the facts and the math
| Product | Needs it meets | Facts we checked | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denon AVR-S970H |
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| |
| Denon AVR-S980H |
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Ready to buy
See today’s price and what owners say
Open either model on Amazon for the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
Denon AVR-S970H
A current new S970H offer costs less for the configuration you need, and your 4K120 sources already work.
Your goal is a TV and projector showing the same source, and you do not expect extra Atmos channels or a separate second-room program.
See price & reviews on AmazonDenon AVR-S980H
A documented 1440p100/120 route is a requirement for you, and you can match the source, cable, display and signal settings in the manual.
You are buying a new receiver for a seven-channel layout that stays the same, and the current offer makes the newer model worthwhile.
See price & reviews on AmazonEach link opens in a new tab.
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