Think back to the first movie that truly drew you in—not just with the story, but with the sound. The one where the music swelled, the action thundered, and you felt like you were right inside it of it all. That feeling of being surrounded, lifted, and transported? That’s the magic Dolby made possible in theaters—and that Denon helped deliver to living rooms around the world.

As Dolby celebrates 60 years of pushing the boundaries of cinematic sound, we’re proud to reflect on the role we’ve played in bringing those innovations home—one breakthrough AVR at a time. Let’s rewind the tape and explore some of the ways Dolby and Denon have shaped the way we experience home entertainment.

1975–1977: Dolby goes cinematic

Dolby Stereo brought a breakthrough four-channel optical format to 35mm film, delivering Left, Center, Right, and Surround channels from a standard soundtrack. It quietly launched in 1975, but it was the debut of Star Wars in 1977 that made the world take notice. For many, this was the moment that put Dolby on the map—when moviegoers felt, possibly for the first time, that sound could be just as thrilling as the dazzling visuals onscreen.

1982–1985: Surround comes home

In 1982, Dolby Surround translated theatrical experiences to VHS and LaserDisc. Denon launched its first Dolby Surround AV receiver, the AVC-300, in 1985—bringing directional sound to living rooms everywhere. For home audiences, sound made the leap from background to prominent storytelling element.

1987–1988: Dialogue takes the spotlight

Dolby Pro Logic further refined home theater sound with its ability to decode a two-channel stereo signal into four separate channels. For movie lovers, it was a game changer: Suddenly, whispers were clear as day, and action scenes had weight and direction. As Dolby brought cinematic balance to the home, Denon quickly integrated the format into our AV receivers, helping listeners hear every word and feel every moment.

2012: Dolby Atmos takes sound vertical

Everything changed in 2012 with the introduction of Dolby Atmos. Centered around object-based audio and introducing height channels, the format allowed sound to move freely above and around the audience—as showcased in Brave, the first theatrical release in the format. For audiences, this meant that sound was no longer just in front of or behind them—it was overhead, swirling around, fully enveloping them.

2014: The first Atmos AVR ushers in a revolution

Denon was the first to bring Dolby Atmos to consumers with the launch of the AVR-X5200W, the world’s first Atmos-enabled AV receiver. For home users, it meant unprecedented audio immersion—finally, in their own living rooms.

Just as Atmos helped filmmakers realize bold new ideas in sound, Denon has worked to ensure home listeners feel that same sense of scale, movement, and emotional impact. For us, Atmos was more than just a technical update—it was a paradigm shift. “It wasn’t just about adding more channels—it was about rethinking the spatial audio,” says Yuuki Takahashi, Denon’s Manager of Global Product Development. “We built custom test rigs, created new evaluation material, and spent countless hours refining the circuit topologies and signal paths to preserve clarity and dynamics across all object positions.”

2018 : mise à l’échelle du son

En 2018, Denon a lancé l’AVR-X8500H, le premier AVR à 13,2 canaux. Quatre ans plus tard, nous avons encore relevé la barre avec l’AVR-A1H, un concentré de puissance à 15,4 canaux conçu pour prendre en charge les paysages sonores basés sur des objets les plus complexes.

Ce bond en avant a nécessité une étroite collaboration entre les équipes en charge des aspects mécaniques, électriques et acoustiques. Notre approche a toujours été de « construire pour l’évolutivité », explique Yoshinori Yamada. « Un grand nombre de nos circuits internes, à l’image de l’architecture de l’alimentation électrique et du cadre du DSP, a été développé en gardant à l’esprit cette marge de manœuvre. Cette clairvoyance nous a permis de dépasser les 11 canaux avant que d’autres ne puissent nous rattraper.

Nous ne pouvions pas faire de compromis sur la topologie de l’amplificateur », ajoute Yuuki Takahashi. « Chaque canal d’un AVR Denon bénéficie d’une amplification discrète. Nous avons optimisé la disposition des pièces et l’acheminement des signaux audio à l’intérieur du châssis pour minimiser la diaphonie et les interférences électromagnétiques, ce qui devient de plus en plus difficile au fur et à mesure des mises à niveau. »