Main trade-off
Denon AVR-S970H
Its current US HDMI table does not list 1440p. That leaves this route unverified, rather than proving it never works.
Head-to-head
Denon AVR-S970H vs AVR-S980H: S980H documents 1440p120, neither adds independent second-room video
The short answer
Choose S980H when a documented 1440p100/120 connection is part of your setup. 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. Both have seven amplifiers, three high-refresh inputs and two same-source monitor outputs. S980H does not add four-speaker Atmos or independent video in another room.
Before you choose
The reasoning and the trade-offs
Count fast sources before paying for a newer HDMI badge
A household sharing two consoles and a gaming PC can fill all three 4K120 inputs on either receiver. If a fourth high-refresh source is the reason for replacing S970H, S980H leaves the same cable-swapping problem. Its more useful distinction is explicit 1440p100/120 documentation for a source and display using that format. If your existing chain is 4K120 and works correctly, a newer model number alone does not create another usable fast input.
What this is based on
Both exact model tables list three high-refresh inputs. Three sources occupy three inputs. The S980H format table explicitly includes 1440p100/120 with color-depth and signal-setting conditions. No latency or image-quality winner is inferred.
Main trade-off
Denon AVR-S980H
The new model keeps the same seven-amplifier and three-high-refresh-input limits.
Denon AVR-S970H
- Choose it for
- Your 4K120 sources already work and a current new S970H offer costs less for the configuration you need.
- You want a TV and projector showing the same source, without expecting extra Atmos channels or a separate second-room program.
- Main trade-off
- Its current US HDMI table does not list 1440p. That leaves this route unverified, rather than proving it never works.
Denon AVR-S980H
- Choose it for
- You need a documented 1440p100/120 route and can match the manual’s source, cable, display and signal settings.
- You are buying a new receiver for the same seven-channel layout and the current offer makes the newer model worthwhile.
- Main trade-off
- The new model keeps the same seven-amplifier and three-high-refresh-input limits.
About this comparison
Compare AVR-S970H and S980H for 1440p gaming, a TV plus projector and music in a second room. See which limits the newer receiver does not remove.
These are successive S-series receivers aimed at the same seven-channel home theater. A buyer replacing an S970H needs to identify a problem that the S980H actually solves, especially when both already support three 4K120 sources and two monitor outputs.
Winner by situation
Start with what you need it to do
A working 4K120 setup and a lower complete S970H price
The three fast inputs and seven-channel limit are shared. Compare live new-condition offers.
- Denon AVR-S970H
- Better fit
- Denon AVR-S980H
- Similar
A purchase depends on documented 1440p120 support
S980H explicitly lists the route. Verify the exact color format and signal setting.
- Denon AVR-S970H
- Caution
- Denon AVR-S980H
- Better fit
Atmos in the living room plus receiver-powered kitchen speakers
That nine-channel demand exceeds the seven built-in amplifiers.
- Denon AVR-S970H
- Caution
- Denon AVR-S980H
- Caution
A TV and projector used for the same entertainment
Both have two same-source outputs, with mixed-display conditions.
- Denon AVR-S970H
- Similar
- Denon AVR-S980H
- Similar
What matters in practice
The differences that matter
Count fast sources before paying for a newer HDMI badge
A household sharing two consoles and a gaming PC can fill all three 4K120 inputs on either receiver. If a fourth high-refresh source is the reason for replacing S970H, S980H leaves the same cable-swapping problem. Its more useful distinction is explicit 1440p100/120 documentation for a source and display using that format. If your existing chain is 4K120 and works correctly, a newer model number alone does not create another usable fast input.
How we reached this conclusion
Both exact model tables list three high-refresh inputs. Three sources occupy three inputs. The S980H format table explicitly includes 1440p100/120 with color-depth and signal-setting conditions. No latency or image-quality winner is inferred.
A family movie and kitchen music still compete for two amplifiers
Imagine the children watching a film with two height speakers while someone cooks with a separate pair of kitchen speakers. That calls for nine powered speaker channels: five around the sofa, two overhead and two in the kitchen. Both receivers contain seven. Their powered Zone 2 layout leaves five channels in the main room, so moving from S970H to S980H does not solve this conflict. A separately powered, compatible music system or a receiver with the required external-zone route is a different purchase plan.
How we reached this conclusion
5 + 2 + 2 = 9 main and zone amplifier channels. Both amplifier-assignment manuals specify 5.1 plus powered stereo Zone 2. Powered subwoofers are excluded from this count. No simultaneous unrelated HEOS-stream guarantee is made.
Two displays solve cable swapping, not an argument over what to watch
For a TV used in daylight and a projector used after dark, both receivers provide a useful shared-source arrangement. For a game on one screen and a film on the other, neither is the right HDMI distributor. There is another setup detail if an older projector shares the system with a newer TV. With both displays connected and the upscaler on Auto, Denon requires a resolution compatible with both. Use the appropriate single-output selection and test the actual chain before treating the second socket as a trouble-free upgrade.
How we reached this conclusion
Both monitor-output manuals document Auto Dual and explicit output selection. The common-resolution condition cited here applies when both are connected and the upscaler is Auto. This is not a blanket claim that attaching a second display disables every advanced signal.
Plan your receiver connectionsPlan my setup
Check a documented speaker layout against HDMI sources and external-amplifier plans.
Denon AVR-S970H
Supports your setup
Supports 5.1.2 using the receiver's own amplifiers. Connects 3 HDMI devices, including 1 at 4K/120Hz.
Denon AVR-S980H
Supports your setup
Supports 5.1.2 using the receiver's own amplifiers. Connects 3 HDMI devices, including 1 at 4K/120Hz.
A powered subwoofer is separate from the speaker-channel count. This checks one main room. Zone 2, bi-amping and unusual speaker assignments need another manual check. Allow ventilation space and confirm HDMI settings, cables and speaker impedance before installing.
Choice A
Denon, AVR-S970H
AVR-S970H
Your 4K120 sources already work and a current new S970H offer costs less for the configuration you need.
- Best matched use
- Your 4K120 sources already work and a current new S970H offer costs less for the configuration you need.
Checked facts
- 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
Choice B
Denon, 301130-01-00-101
AVR-S980H
You need a documented 1440p100/120 route and can match the manual’s source, cable, display and signal settings.
- Best matched use
- You need a documented 1440p100/120 route and can match the manual’s source, cable, display and signal settings.
Checked facts
- 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
Meaningful differences
What changes the fit
| What changes | Denon AVR-S970H | Denon AVR-S980H | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Documented 1440p input | Not listed in the current US format table | 1440p100/120 listed with signal-setting conditions | S980H removes a documentation gap for a specific gaming route. It does not prove S970H always fails. |
| Fast HDMI sources | Three inputs support 4K120 | Three inputs support 4K120 | Two consoles and one suitable PC use the same three-input allowance on both. |
| TV and projector | Two monitor outputs with output-selection controls | Two same-source outputs with TV1/TV2 selection | Neither provides two independent programs just because it has two outputs. |
| Built-in main-room amplification | Seven channels | Seven channels | A 5.1.2 layout fits. A 5.1.4 layout needs more channels than either provides. |
| Powered kitchen speakers | 5.1 main room plus stereo Zone 2 | 5.1 main room plus stereo Zone 2 | Using the receiver to power the kitchen displaces 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 | Buying a separate amplifier will not turn either into a four-height processor. |
What you give up
Every choice has a cost
If you choose Denon AVR-S970H
- Check the new-condition seller, package and return terms. An older model is not automatically the cheaper purchase.
If you choose Denon AVR-S980H
- A TV and projector can share the picture, but the second output cannot provide a different show to another room.
Recommendation switch
The decision flips if...
You already own S970H and its existing signal path works
Choose Denon AVR-S970H. Keep it unless a verified new capability solves a real limitation.
Documented 1440p100/120 is a purchase requirement
Choose Denon AVR-S980H. S980H lists those formats. Match the complete chain and settings.
The upgrade must add four height speakers or independent HDMI rooms
Choose neither. Neither model supplies those capabilities.
What matters in practice
Before you choose
You want a newer receiver for the family gaming setup, but paying again is wasteful if the existing HDMI and speaker limits stay the same.
What this comparison cannot tell you
- Missing 1440p documentation on S970H is not evidence of universal incompatibility.
- No measured sound, gaming latency, reliability or all-channel power advantage is claimed.
What the facts say
What the comparison shows
Useful conclusions from the current AV receivers comparison, followed by the checked facts used to reach them.
See the checked facts and calculation notes
| Product | Needs matched | Checked facts | Source records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denon AVR-S970H |
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| Denon AVR-S980H |
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Ready to choose?
Check the price. Read the owner reviews.
Open either model on Amazon to check the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
Denon AVR-S970H
Your 4K120 sources already work and a current new S970H offer costs less for the configuration you need.
You want a TV and projector showing the same source, without expecting extra Atmos channels or a separate second-room program.
See price & reviews on AmazonDenon AVR-S980H
You need a documented 1440p100/120 route and can match the manual’s source, cable, display and signal settings.
You are buying a new receiver for the same seven-channel layout and the current offer makes the newer model worthwhile.
See price & reviews on AmazonLinks open in a new tab.