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How To Update Your Denon Receiver Firmware

By Author Norvan Martin

Posted on Last updated:

Categories Receivers

Denon is constantly making upgrades to its software and systems which means your Denon receivers will require a firmware update sometimes. A firmware update will upgrade your Denon AV receiver software without needing an upgrade to the hardware. You will have access to new features and an enhanced user experience. In this article, we will explore how to update your Denon receiver firmware.

To update your Denon receiver firmware, you need to first check if the latest firmware is installed. If it’s installed, so nothing. Otherwise, connect the receiver to the internet and use the setup menu to update the firmware. 

Disclaimer: It is critical that you are careful when updating your firmware since if it is not done properly, you may completely remove the current firmware and the device will stop operating. In addition, ensure that only 1 single firmware file is loaded on the thumb drive that you will use to perform the firmware update.

1. Check If The Latest Firmware Is Installed: How I Know If My Denon Has The Latest Firmware

There are two different methods to check if your receiver has the latest firmware installed:

1. Check The Setup Menu

Before you go ahead and try to update your Denon firmware, you should first check to see if the latest firmware is installed.

Denon receiver no firmware update required

Denon receiver no firmware update required

If it’s installed then you don’t need to do anything. Use the following steps to find out if your AVR has the latest firmware installed:

  1. Turn on your AVR.
  2. Press the “Setup” button on the remote control to access the setup menu.
  3. Select “General” from the menu.
  4. Then, select “Firmware”.
  5. Select “Check for Update” from the Firmware menu.
  6. If there is an update, select “Start” or “Update” or “Install Update” to install the new firmware. However, the device should be connected to the internet as explained below in the Heos section.

If your AVR is updated with the latest firmware, then a “No update required. Latest version installed” message will appear on the screen. If AVR needs to be updated, follow the instructions on the menu.

Here is a quick example:

If your AVR is not updated to the latest firmware, the menu will tell you the current firmware version. Here is an example:
Denon Receiver Firmware Version Check

Denon Receiver Firmware Version Check

2. Use The HEOS app

Below is the step by step method that you can use to check the firmware from the Heos app:

1. Ensure the receiver is connected to your Wi-Fi network. 

Use the procedure below to do that:

i. Make sure the external Wi-Fi/Bluetooth antennas are connected to the rear panel of the receiver. Turn on your AVR and make sure it is connected to a TV via HDMI cable.
ii. Press the “Setup” button on the remote control.
iii. Select “Network” from the menu.
iv. Then, select “Connection” followed by “Wi-Fi Setup”.
v. You can now select “Scan Network” from the menu’s options.
vi. Select the network you wish to connect to from the list and follow the prompts.
Denon Receiver Wifi Connection

2. Open the HEOS app and tap the “Settings” icon (Gear on upper left hand corner).

3. Tap “Help” from the “Settings” menu.

4. Tap “Check My System” from the “Help” menu.

5. Tap “About”. Information (including the firmware version) of all HEOS devices connected on your network is displayed. 

6. Find your Denon receiver on the list and check its version.

How To check the firmware using the HEOS app

If you use the HEOS app method, the latest firmware version is 1.583.161 (as of 13.01.2021).

This update covered the following:

HEOS Firmware (1.583.301)

  • Resolved issue: Denon Home speaker loses Audio when router or BAR change their channel due to DFS situation. There were also other bug fixes and performance improvements

Below is a list of the last 3 firmware updates before 1.583.161:

Firmware from 16.12.2020 (U25.15)  

HEOS iOS App (1.583.161) and HEOS Firmware (1.583.162)

  • Resolved issues: The HEOS App no longer showed the list of radio stations stored in the product (RCD-N10, RCD-N11DAB, PMA-150H). There were also other bugfixes and performance improvements

Firmware from 11.11.2020 and 18.11.2020 (U25.1)

HEOS iOS App (1.583.161)
HEOS Android App / Kindle Fire App (1.583.201)
HEOS Firmware (1.583.161)

  • Added Features: DTS:X Pro Decoder, Dolby Height Speaker Virtualizer, Center Spread for Dolby Surround Upmixer, Upmixing for Dolby Content with DTS Neural, Screen saver, Interruption on Audio when channel changed on TV or on STB attached to AVR, Power On level always ZERO, Adjustment to iOS 14.2 release. There were also other bug fixes and performance improvements

You can find the fill Heos changelog here.

2. Update Your Denon Receiver Firmware

For some receivers, updating the device is as simple as choosing the update option from the setup menu after you have connected it to Wifi.

how to conduct a Denon firmware update via USB

For others, it’s not that easy. For example, if you can’t connect the receiver to the internet, you will need to update the firmware manually.

Below, we explain how to conduct a Denon firmware update via USB:

1. Preparing the Update File

When a new firmware is available, you will be able to find it in the DOWNLOADS section of the product page. Just search for your product name + firmware download, for example, search for “Denon AVR 1912 firmware download”.

Once you find the firmware file on the page, download the files and extract them if its zipped. Place these files on a thumb drive that is in FAT32 format.

2. Perform the Firmware Update

  1. Make sure that the receiver is in STANDY mode. If not, turning OFF the unit is OK.
  2. Now insert the thumb drive that contains the firmware file.
  3. Turn the device ON.
  4. You should receive a message on the screen regarding to the firmware update. The updated version will be shown on this screen. Make sure that this firmware version is the one that you want to load into the device.
  5. Select “OK.” to install.
  6. Wait approximately 1 minute for the firmware update process to take effect. You may notice that the screen will blackout. Don’t be alarmed. This is a normal occurrence when updating the firmware.
  7. When the firmware update is complete, your receiver will reboot on its own.
  8. Once the firmware is updated, it is recommended that you check the version and make sure that it’s properly loaded. To confirm the firmware version, use the steps highlighted above.

Does The Denon Receiver Firmware Cause Problems?

Some users report various issues after updating their Denon firmware. These Denon AVR firmware update problems are reported in forums all over the internet. The main issue has been problems with the network connection after a recent update.

How To Fix Denon Network Connection Issue After Firmware Update

If you are having this issue, you can revert the AVR’s firmware back to the initial firmware version. This will allow your AVR to reconnect to the network and then receive the current firmware version once again.

However, you will need to redo the setup for your AVR after the new firmware has been installed. To save your settings, you can use the Save/Load option along with a USB drive.

Firmware Regression (Factory Restore) Procedure:

  1. Put the unit in Standby mode. (Zones powered off)
  2. Press and hold the “Button A” and “Button B” buttons on the front panel. Do this while holding in the power on the unit.
  3. You will see “Restoring FW…” on the display.
  4. Release the 2 buttons and give the receiver about 10 minutes to complete.

Other Denon Receiver Problems

Denon receivers are known to have other issues that may not be due to a firmware update. For example, if after a firmware update your Denon receiver turns off and binks a red light, check out this guide. 

Another example is if your Denon receiver keeps shutting off at high volume, check this guide.

Denon AVR 1912 or 1913 Firmware Update

To update the AVR 1912 firmware, follow the procedure below:

  1. Connect the receiver to the internet
  2. If the firmware notification comes up, select “SETUP” or if not, go directly to the setup menu.
  3. Select “GENERAL” and then select “FIRMWARE” followed by “UPDATE”.
  4. Select “CHECK FOR UPDATE”
  5. Finally, select “Update” and the AVR 1912 or 1913 receiver will automatically update.

Denon Receiver Update Retry Loop

Sometimes, certain issues will cause your Denon receiver to fail to update and simply go into an update retry loop. 

This is likely to happen if the firmware update is interrupted by a power loss or if the USB was unplugged while the update was running for example. If this happens to you, it will be very difficult for you to attempt to fix it. We recommend that you send the device to Denon to have the BIOS reflashed.

However, if you want to attempt a simple fix, you can try the method below:

  1. Reset the receiver as indicated in the manual
  2. Connected the receiver to your network using an ethernet cable. It will not be able to connect via WiFi due to the reset.
  3. Restarted the receiver
  4. Update retry

How Do I Roll Back My Denon Firmware?

Press and hold the “Button A” and “Button B” buttons present on the forward facing panel. You should hold the buttons described above until the display turns on and shows “Restoring FW”.

After you see that, release the 2 buttons and give the process a couple of minutes to run its course.

How Do I Reset My Denon Network?

First, identify two buttons on your device. These are the ZONE2 ON/OFF and the TUNER PRESET CH + functions. When both controls are depressed at the same time for about 5 seconds, it triggers a network reset.

How Do I Access The Denon Setup Menu?

If you would like to gain access to your Denon setup menu, you can use the “menu” option on your remote control. The button might also be labelled “setup”, depending on how old your device is.

How Long Does Denon Network Reset Take?

The entire network reset process usually runs for about 20 minutes. Customers are strongly advised to let the process run its course. There should be no power cycling while the update is in progress, do not switch off your system. Your AVR/AVC will restart automatically once the process is complete.

How Do I Reset My Denon Receiver AVR X4000?

For customers who currently own a Denon X4000 receiver and would like to reset the system. All you have to do is to press and hold the “Info” and “Back” buttons while holding the power button at the same time. This would activate the reset process.