"... And in listening
to the cymbals on "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", all manner of inner details, subtle articulations and harmonic distinctions were present that added to the liveness and involvement of the recorded experience: The melodic quality of fundamentals; the lingering spread of subtle dissipation of overtones into a black background; a certain shimmer and aura to the acoustic - the Denon rendered all these details with telling intimacy and without adding any of its own signature to the sound...
The percussive snap
of the hammers on the piano strings, the inner details in terms of overtones and the dynamic nuances of Charlap's touch were also convincingly portrayed. Likewise the weight and presence of Peter Washington's bass, and those harmonic details in the transients that define the leading edge of his attack, and which speak convincingly to a listener who has heard this musician live; as if to say, "Ah, that's Peter Washington."
I was impressed
by the Denon's linearity and lack of coloration. It has a nice sense of ease and musical veracity, a non-fatiguing top end, a solid, honest foundation of bass and a clear open midrange that offers believable resolution on all of the standard and high-rez disc formats in both stereo and 5.1 surround sound modes, for eighteen hundred bucks. I wish I could report back to you on A/B comparisons with the stock Denon, but that is not how this aural encounter was structured. Nevertheless, taken purely on its own merits and as an aspirant in the under-$2000 digital derby, this versatile source component offers consumers an authentic entree into the realms of HighEnd audio-video resolution without breaking the bank. It is thus well worth serious consideration and a careful audition. This is an eminently musical, unobtrusive, dependable source component. I enjoyed using it in my reference system and I'd happily recommend it to those tweaks and freaks on the prowl for a relatively cost-effective way of justifying their initial forays into the brave new world of DVD/SACD audio and video software..."
Chip Stern, March 2004, 6moons.com