As you may have noticed, the selection of inexpensive “full size” components has narrowed significantly over the past decade. The reason for this was the invasion of cheap Chinese amplifiers made on ready-made chips for pulse amplification circuits. However, the Japanese Denon is doing everything to ensure that real Hi-Fi is not lost in the sea of remakes from AliExpress, and is entering the battle on the budget flank with new reinforcements - with components of the “600th” series.
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Denon PMA600NE
integrated amplifier with 70 W per channel and Bluetooth
is an excellent choice for those who are buying their first Hi-Fi system. The amplifier provides the most vivid and emotional reproduction of vinyl and audio in high-resolution formats through the built-in phono stage and digital inputs. And by connecting your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth, you will get almost unlimited access to music on the Internet. With 70 watts per channel (at 4 ohms), the PMA-600NE delivers enough power for confident speaker control and great sound. From deep bass to crystal-clear highs, sound quality is now even higher with support for high-resolution formats (up to 192 kHz / 24-bit). Equipped with Denon's Advanced High Current (AHC) technology, the PMA-600NE delivers exceptional sound quality that combines high power with delicate reproduction of the finest musical details.
Main characteristics
70 Watts per channel (4 ohms, 1 kHz, THD: 0.7%): Maximum control of your speaker system Denon Advanced High Current (AHC) circuitry: Denon's custom high-current transistors are capable of reproducing the full sonic range of any musical style Bluetooth support: You can now connect your smartphone directly to the PMA-600NE via Bluetooth to play music Two digital optical outputs for connecting your TV or other devices: The PMA-600NE automatically detects the input signal from your TV and outputs the sound to the speakers Built-in 192 kHz/DAC 24-bit: High-resolution audio playback Analogue mode for clear sound reproduction: when the digital unit is turned off, the amplifier produces higher-quality sound without any digital interference Built-in MM phono stage: Connect your turntable and enjoy your favorite CD collection Deep bass: To get deep and evenly distributed low frequencies, connect a subwoofer to the amplifier's output Anti-vibration amplifier chassis Direct Mechanical Ground Construction: Listen to your music at the highest quality Denon's Signal Level Divided Construction (SLDC): Amplify and convey the most subtle nuances of music With over 100 years of Denon audio engineering experience: Trust the experts.
Specifications
- Emitter type: 50 mm, dynamic
- Acoustic design: closed
- Impedance: 25 Ω
- Sensitivity: 108 dB/mW
- Frequency range: 5 Hz - 45 kHz
- Maximum input power: 1600 mW
- Cable: detachable
- Weight: 365 g
Denon DCD600
CD player with AL32 technology
Denon's proprietary AL32 technology, combined with innovative circuit design, ensures that recordings are reproduced accurately and faithfully to the original sound. The vibration-resistant chassis design reduces unwanted vibrations, ensuring high-quality sound to Denon's exacting standards.
Main characteristics
AL32 technology and high-precision digital-to-analog converter: Accurate and faithful playback of recorded music Expanded multi-format support: Plays CD and CD-R/RW discs with MP3 and WMA files Carefully selected quality components: Enjoy the exceptional sound that is distinctive A feature of all Denon Hi-Fi products Vibration-resistant Direct Mechanical Ground chassis design: Listen to high-resolution music with superb quality Shortest signal path design: More accurate reproduction of the original signal without noise and interference New circuit design for audio and digital circuits: multi-layer board for reduces the impact of jacks and cables on the sound Pure Direct Mode: Disables the turntable's digital circuits to reduce electrical interference Available in black and Premium silver: Sleek and elegant design that blends perfectly with modern interiors and other hi-fi components Over 100- Denon's years of experience in audio design: Trust the professionals.
Packaging and delivery
Denon approached the creation of the box in a big way. Not many flagships from other companies can boast of such packaging. The box has a traditional volume for full-size headphones; it is quite large, but noticeably smaller than the same luxury Sennheiser HD 800; the outer cover pleases with beautiful printing in stylish burgundy and black tones. The inner box is made of thick cardboard, with a hinged top lid. In it, on a support made of beautiful wavy fabric, the headphones themselves rest. The tray with them can be removed by pulling the “ears” specially designed for this along the edges; under it there are two boxes in which the accessories are neatly packed. The delivery set is rich, in addition to the headphones themselves you will receive:
- Standard cable for stationary use (3 meters of 7N oxygen-free copper)
- Headset cable for use with mobile phones
- Thick nylon case for carrying headphones
- A carabiner for attaching the case (not quite, however, I understand where it could be attached in real life)
- 6.3 mm adapter
In general, the package is excellent; together with the packaging, they give a very pleasant impression of an expensive and premium product.
Compatibility
The headphones are distinguished by very high sensitivity, which, combined with a tasteful presentation and low impedance, makes them an excellent companion for various smartphones, tablets and simple players. With the D-600, you don’t need to bother with a high-quality DAC and amplifier; with them, of course, it will be better, but even without them, the headphones play very well.
To emphasize the mobile purpose of the headphones, Denon released its own player application for iOS. I don’t quite understand the point of it, since the only useful thing it has—an equalizer—must be purchased for $2 using IAP, but the step is nevertheless an interesting one, and other manufacturers will clearly follow suit.
Genre-wise, this model is best suited for simple music - simple types of jazz, pop music, electronics, not very hard rock, and so on. The headphones are quite tolerant of the recording quality, the main thing is that the bass is well defined and does not hum.
Sound
The following equipment was used for listening:
- Yulong DA8 as a DAC
- Yulong A28 and HiFiMan EF-100 as an amplifier
- Apple MacBook Pro Retina 2013 as a source
- Fidelia as a player
- High-resolution recordings in Lossless formats (Dr. Chesky The Ultimate Headphone Demonstration Disc and others)
Before listening, the headphones were warmed up for 48 hours.
Denon decided to make the D-600 headphones with a “tasteful” presentation and a typical V-shaped frequency response. Of course, with the company's experience in personal audio, they could not make such vulgarity as the same Beats, but they are certainly far from the typical neutral sound. Also, speed has become a victim of flavor delivery, due to this, headphones sometimes simply lack micro-details and elaboration of nuances, which they compensate for in the energy of delivery.
The bass in the headphones is emphasized, there is a lot of it, it is dense and in most cases is well controlled. Of course, there are rare cases where control is lost, but this does not happen often. The D-600, of course, does not have crazy resolution of isodynamic models or open dynamic tops, but their developers did not set such a goal. The D-600's bass is needed to create the “framework” of the melody, onto which other instruments are already “hung” on top. This is also facilitated by excellent bass depth, so necessary for some genres. The mids are relegated to the background, and this is perhaps the strongest complaint about these headphones. I can’t say that their midrange is bad or that they critically lack resolution, no, it’s just that “in general” the midrange does not reach the level that headphones for $500 should have. Because of this, instead of natural volume and an imaginary scene, the D-600 paints a very decorated picture with claims to three-dimensionality. Many people, in principle, will like this presentation; simple genres sound mesmerizing with these headphones.
The high frequencies are also lowered, the developers tried their best to prevent brightness and sound fatigue, but at the same time they added the necessary peak in the high frequencies so that they do not seem completely muddy and flat-sounding. This led to the desired result: high frequencies in the D-600 are perceived well, despite the synthetic touch. The volume, even if not entirely natural, is also constructed in an interesting way.
Design and convenience
Denon did a very good job on the appearance of the headphones. Of course, the old models made of wood and metal looked better, but despite the prevalence of plastic in the new models, they still look good, primarily due to the very unusual shape of the headband and the fastening of the cups. The D-600 has a fairly stylish and futuristic look, without crossing the line into kitsch. The color scheme of the headphones is predominantly black, with small silver accents. The build quality is excellent, everything fits well. The headband has a metal plate that provides the necessary pressure and strength. The size of the headband is adjustable within a fairly wide range, which allows you to use the headphones with almost any head shape, although I have seen reviews on the Internet that they will be too big for those with small heads. The pressing force is a little more than comfortable, so in some cases the headphones can put significant pressure on your head.
The headband and ear pads are made of high-quality leatherette. The latter have a special shape and are filled inside with foam material that remembers the shape. Thanks to this, the headphones fit well to the head. Due to the tight fit, the headphones have a problem with overheating the ears, so periodically it is worth taking a short break, allowing the ears to cool down. Apart from this and the strong pressure, there are no other problems with ergonomics.
Sound insulation is above average, the D-600 is suitable for almost any environment, except, perhaps, the noisiest situations such as the subway.
