Review: Denon DNP-800NE Network Player with 800 Series Components

Aus Hi-Fi mag review

This review and test originally appeared in Australian Hi-Fi magazine, one of What Hi-Fi?'s sister publications. from Down Under. Click here for more information about Australian Hi-Fi, including links to purchase individual digital titles and details on how to subscribe.

I reviewed the Denon DNP-730AE network streamer a few years ago, but I remember it well because I ended up buying the unit to review for my own system. This new Denon DNP-800NE is clearly an evolution of that model.

• The Best Music Streamers Available Today: Going Wireless

TIME TO CONNECT

The audio industry has been introducing network technologies for the second decade, although sometimes it seems that this trend arose just yesterday. The initial impetus was set by the widespread use of players for playing “disembodied” audio – both portable and home ones. It was then, back in the days of iPods, that a reasonable idea arose that it would be good to play any audio files from any sources and storage facilities without moving them back and forth, as was the case in the era of physical media.

However, it’s impossible to remember first-generation network audio equipment without a shudder. Streamers were imperfect in terms of protocols, supported a limited number of standards and formats, and often turned out to be either very expensive or, on the contrary, too primitive. But multiroom, as well as online music services with original content like those that have flourished so rapidly today, could only be a dream - at best, manufacturers provided connection to web radio with its very compromised broadcast quality. You can see for yourself by refreshing your memory from our review of network players six years ago, which, by the way, also included the previous model from Denon DNP-720AE.

The “eight hundredth” being considered here went several parsecs ahead of him. This is no longer a cross between an over-the-air tuner and a digital player, on which a network card and an antenna from a router were attached, but a self-sufficient device, originally designed to work with external online services Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, Napster, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, etc. , and for high-quality playback of Hi-Res audio content from home storage. The developers used an advanced 32-bit Burr Brown PCM1795 converter and the proprietary Advanced AL32 Processing Plus algorithm, equipped the digital section with two high-precision clock generators to reduce jitter, used audiophile elements in the signal chains and added a separate adjustable analog output, thanks to which the DNP-800NE can be used without intermediate components, directly with power amplifiers. In addition, we find in the new product a high-quality telephone amplifier with its own level control and adjustable output power for low- or high-impedance headphones.

Naturally, the already well-tested HEOS multi-room technology has been introduced into the “eight hundredth”. To launch it, for example, it took me less than a minute: I connected my smartphone to the same Wi-Fi network where the player was registered, downloaded the control application and that’s it - listen to anything in the house, anywhere! An alternative to such a system is the latest wireless connection specification AirPlay 2. There is also Bluetooth for connecting mobile gadgets and a USB input for playing music from flash drives. In general, the device meets all modern standards and this is once again indicated by its readiness for voice control through the Amazon Alexa smart speaker.

But for us now another interface that appeared on the DNP-800NE is more relevant - a regular wired channel for transmitting commands to other Hi-Fi components. We simply connect the new “800” Denon integrated circuit with the supplied wire with jacks and get the opportunity to control the entire complex not only from the remote control, but also from a smartphone. Comfortable!

Listening

The Denon DNP-800NE has been sitting on my desk for weeks and I've been using it with both. headphones and my usual desktop speaker system (KEF LS50 with Krix Seismix 1 subwoofer). What impressed me most was the flawless performance, especially through the speakers.

I'm not going to say that it sounds better than this or that device in this or that respect. I want to say that I really enjoyed listening to all kinds of music from all genres that I like: classical, jazz, progressive rock, pop and hip-hop.

Equally important - given the impact that problems in this regard can have on a listener's mood - was that the Denon DNP-800NE simply performed perfectly every time. There was no hesitation. He didn't lose access to my server. Not a single unpleasant event occurred.

I've used HEOS on both my iPad and Android tablet to control the device, often switching between the two in seconds. Changing something in one application had an almost immediate effect on another application. There was occasionally a delay of a second or two on the front of the device itself, but that was the extent of the fluctuation.

Listening with headphones resulted in slightly less impressive performance, depending largely on what headphones I was using. Using the Denon DNP-800NE, the Focal Elear headphones sometimes produced slightly boomy bass, sometimes just a slight bass accent. This was not evident with the Beyerdynamic Amiron Home headphones. The differences weren't huge compared to my regular DAC/headphone amp, but they were definitely noticeable. Obviously, it also depended somewhat on the music.

Now Beyerdynamic headphones have a nominal impedance of about 250 ohms, Focals - about 80 ohms.

This told me two things. First, Focal headphones have variable impedance depending on frequency, with a peak somewhere in the mid-bass. Secondly, the headphone output of the Denon DNP-800NE had a fairly high output impedance.

I measured it later and found it to be about 93 ohms, which is simply too much. My own DAC/headphone amplifier has an output impedance of less than 1 ohm.

The effect on Focal headphones was often quite attractive, as was the higher bass levels on many Bluetooth. headphones can be quite attractive. But this is unlikely to happen with headphones with 16 Ohm impedance.

Upgrade for a classic

We will briefly describe other new items in the series. The above-mentioned integrated amplifier is in no way inferior in functionality to its older brother PMA-1600NE. The new model was equipped with a more advanced phono stage board with MM/MC switching, and also added a digital-to-analog converter implemented on a simple but quite musical PCM5141 chip (192 kHz/24 bit). But opponents of integrating DACs and digital inputs into a conventional amplifier can rest easy. We simply activate the Analog Mode with a button and the entire digital add-on - a potential source of interference and an “extra” energy consumer - is turned off completely.

In terms of power characteristics, the new amplifier is identical to its predecessor PMA-720AE and is equipped with generally the same proven high-current power supply system. But the internal architecture is different. The transformer on the W-shaped core is placed on a vibration decoupling platform. The power output is implemented, as in older models, with Advanced High Current Single Push-Pull - through a “short” push-pull amplifier using transistors with a wide bandwidth. The topology of the main board has been changed so that the signal path along the printed tracks is reduced as much as possible. And in the circuit itself there are better elements: new electrolytes ELNA and Nichicon, modern opamps with higher parameters...

In the same vein, the player has been modernized and received the index DCD-800NE. Among the functional innovations, I note only the appearance of a coaxial output in addition to the optical one. But in terms of content, this is a technique of a slightly higher class. The old AL 32 Processing is replaced by the latest Advanced Plus. The digital “hardware” is implemented in the same way as in a network player - on a Burr Brown PCM1795 with two clock generators and a jitter suppression system. The analogue one has also been improved due to shorter signal paths and a new element base.

The developers did not introduce the SACD playback function in order to keep the cost at the same level, but expanded the list of supported audio formats played from external drives via the USB-A input on the front panel. So on the DCD-800NE you can now listen to both high-res WAV/FLAC/AIFF/ALAC and DSD64 or DSD128 files without any problems. And such duplication (an identical function is also available on the DNP-800NE), as it turned out during listening, is not at all superfluous.

Two schools

A quick comparison of the new inegral with its more expensive brother PMA-1600NE revealed that there is no fundamental difference between them - it is only in the nuances. At medium volume levels, the budget model is only slightly inferior in the subtlety of the microdynamic pattern. And at higher levels, the lower output power simply reminds of itself: the superdynamics of the “eight hundredth” are not expressed so confidently. It doesn’t reach the point of banal clipping at the most powerful contrasts, but a hint of a “hot” tint in the sound due to an increase in harmonic distortion is already noticeable. However, for a device priced at $500, the PMA-800NE's sound is surprisingly composed and transparent. The bass is well supported - to the very depths, even in combination with relatively light, highly sensitive bookshelf speakers. There are no obvious problems with the control of floor-standing speakers. This pair offers good speed in the bass, very realistic transmission of attack and correct after-sound. There is no trace of unbridledness or booming, which is often the case with inexpensive models. If you do not connect acoustics with a sensitivity below 87-88 dB to the amplifier, then the beginner will leave a completely positive feeling.

The digital path of the amplifier pleased us with its ability to form an accurate and very deep field in a stereo picture (perhaps even better than from the analog outputs of players). But the DAC built into the integrated circuit is inferior to the more advanced Advanced AL 32 Processing Plus in terms of euphony and richness of timbres. The phono stage was remembered for its linearity and minimal noise level. I also note the benefits of enabling Pure Direct (less coloration and more spatial details) and Analog Mode is especially good, which also gives an increase in dynamics in the high spectrum.

The DCD-800NE left ambivalent impressions. Audiophile discs on it did not sound enough to exclaim “ah!” – the upper bass turned out to be emphatically convex, and a coloring accent appeared along the top. But to my great surprise, ordinary music CDs were pleasant to listen to – even those that seemed poorly mixed, overly compressed or poorly remastered. The sound turned out to be open, lively and even - you won’t believe it! – looked a little like a tube one... Perhaps the engineers deliberately tailored this player for “real music”, which many music lovers continue to store on CDs. Moreover, the original interpretation is preserved when playing files from a USB flash drive, and this option is predictably better - the same clone rips from CDs sometimes sound better than from the original media. And this is easy to explain: there is almost no jitter in a path with fast solid-state memory.

Now let's move on to the main object of the test - the DNP-800NE network player. It reproduces the same flash drive with a selection of music differently: there are more nuances, but the bass seems to be slightly slowed down. The USB input in the network player is served by either another interface chip, or the software is still damp. Judge for yourself: the DNP-800NE, as if nothing had happened, played rarely played AAC files with variable bitrate (which the DCD-800NE rejected), but issued an incorrect format message for some standard high-res.

But the network player confidently scores points in terms of sound quality via AirPlay (much cleaner than usual) and via Bluetooth. And this device managed to reproduce all the content from network storage via HEOS almost perfectly! The qualitative difference between the standard and “high-cut” versions of the files was easily discernible in the sound - this was felt both in the texture in the bass band and in the more material stage. The sound of this source seemed to me neutral, free from coloring, with realistic dynamics. And this is the most valuable thing, in my opinion. The device shows much less of its own character than the DCD-800NE, and if you are looking for a source that will allow you to quickly abstract from the “system” components of the sound to the perception of musical aesthetics, then you should give preference to the DNP-800NE. Unlike most budget components, it does not try to surprise with deliberately beautiful presentation.

DNP can be considered outside the system - it is absolutely self-sufficient if you are ready to listen to music in good headphones. It has a really decent telephone output, noticeably more advanced than that of the integrated device. This can be heard from the lack of mechanicalness, from the open melodious middle, from the clear stereo image and overall scale. And such pleasure will hardly cost more than an audiophile personal player.

Hi-Fi Set Denon PMA-800NE + DCD-800NE Black

The Denon PMA-800NE amplifier replaces the previous model PMA-720AE from the popular 700th line of Denon brand components. Denon PMA-800NE belongs to the middle class Hi-Fi, has an effective anti-vibration metal chassis and has a great appearance. The precisely calibrated, attractive design of the aluminum front panel, where all the elements are in their places, has always been a characteristic feature of this company's products. The input selector knob is located on the right side, the large volume control is installed exactly in the center. Between them there are buttons for selecting a set of speakers (A and B). On the left is the power button, 6.3 mm headphone jack, loudness and Source Direct keys, as well as tone and balance controls. The new remote control, which can also control several other Denon devices, pays special attention to convenient operation and ergonomics.

The built-in DAC, which implements the proprietary Advanced AL32 digital processing algorithm - matches the PCM 192 kHz / 24-bit input signal and is equipped with three optical and one coaxial digital inputs. The PMA-800NE's analog mode turns off the dedicated digital power supply and shuts down the digital input circuit, avoiding any high-frequency interference on the analog section. To suppress mutual interference between the phono, preamp, and power amplifier circuits, a “Separated Signal Level Design (SLDC)” is used, which separates the layout of each circuit. The rear panel of the Denon PMA-800NE amplifier has four analog inputs, one coaxial digital input, three optical digital inputs and a phono jack that works with MM and MC cartridges. Outputs: for connecting a recording device (RCA). There is also a ground terminal for the turntable on the back panel. Using four pairs of screw terminals, you can connect two sets of speakers.

The Denon PMA-800NE amplifier features a high-current, push-pull discrete circuit design that delivers superior detail and the power you need. The design uses Schottky diodes. Reliable high-quality transistors are used in the output stages. The device features high dynamic range, making it ready for playback of audio recorded in BD, DVD-Audio or SACD formats. We can note the presence of high-capacity capacitors in the power supply and the efficient operation of the supply transformer, which has separate windings for audio circuits and control circuits. The output power of the device is 85 W at a load of 4 ohms and 50 W at 8 ohms. Loudness mode compensates for the lack of low frequencies when listening at low volumes, and Source Direct turns off tones, balance and loudness, freeing the signal from distortion.

The Denon PMA-800NE stereo amplifier is tuned in accordance with the European school of sound. Its sound is distinguished by a transparent, crystal-clear high-frequency range, well-developed natural midrange and sufficient bass. The PMA-800NE amplifier's remote control can also operate with a Denon DCD-800NE CD player. Specifications Denon PMA-800NE
Rated output power 85 W per channel (4 Ohms, 1 kHz, harmonic distortion 0.7%); 50 W per channel (8 ohms, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, THD 0.07%) Frequency response 20 Hz - 50 kHz THD 0.01% (8 ohms, 1 kHz) Input sensitivity/input impedance 120 mV/ 47 kOhm Signal-to-noise ratio 107 dB (DIRECT mode) Signal-to-noise ratio (MM-phono stage) 86 dB Voice control LF (100 Hz): ±8 dB; RF (10 kHz): ±8 dB Analog input × 4, PHONO input (MM/MC) × 1, Coaxial digital input × 1, Optical digital input × 3 Outputs Analog audio output (RECORDER) × 1, Headphone output × 1 Other switching two connectors for an IR repeater, a terminal for connecting the ground wire of a vinyl disc player Output to speaker systems 4 pairs of high-quality screw terminals Power consumption 200 W Power consumption in standby mode 0.3 W Remote control Dimensions (WxHxD) 434x122x307 mm Weight 7.5 kg

The high-quality CD player Denon DCD-800NE is built on the basis of the company's latest technologies in the field of digital audio. The device is built on the basis of a transport mechanism optimized for playing CD-audio discs, and a vibration-proof chassis mounted in the center. To improve sound quality, the player uses a proprietary AL32 audio processor, as well as a precision digital-to-analog converter with 32-bit/192 kHz parameters.

The patented design of the player's chassis, Direct Mechanical Grounding, reliably protects the electronic components of the player not only from external mechanical influences, but also from vibrations from vehicles or a network transformer. To obtain maximum sound quality, all audio circuits of the player are optimized to reduce the length of the audio signal transmission path and reduce electromagnetic interference on them. In all areas of the circuit that are important from the point of view of sound quality, audiophile-grade components are used.

On the front panel of the Denon DCD-800NE player there is the necessary minimum of controls (access to all functions of the device is possible from the remote control), an adjustable headphone output and a contrasting, very informative display. There is also a USB port that supports playback of MP3, WMA, as well as high-resolution files up to PCM192/24 and DSD 2.8 MHz/5.6 MHz. . For the convenience of playing files, the player has a Folder Mode function, with which you can listen to music only from a pre-selected folder. If desired, the brightness of the display can be limited. The rear panel features analog stereo output, optical TosLink, coaxial output, and external control input/output.

The player's transport mechanism works quickly and almost silently, and the device reliably plays even damaged (naturally, within reasonable limits) discs.
In terms of sound quality, the Denon DCD-800NE is one of the best in its class; it has a completely recognizable energetic character with a very decent level of detail and accurate reproduction of the rhythmic pattern of musical works. Specifications Denon DCD-800NE

DAC 32-bit/192 kHz USB inputs Stereo analog, optical, coaxial, headphone outputs Total harmonic distortion less than 0.0025% at 1 kHz Dynamic range more than 100 dB Signal-to-noise ratio more than 110 dB Dimensions 434 x 107 x 279 mm Weight 4.5 kg

Review of Denon 800 series Hi-Fi components from the SalonAV portal

The audio industry has been introducing network technologies for the second decade, although sometimes it seems that this trend arose just yesterday. The initial impetus was set by the widespread use of players for playing “disembodied” audio – both portable and home ones. It was then, back in the days of iPods, that a reasonable idea arose that it would be good to play any audio files from any sources and storage facilities without moving them back and forth, as was the case in the era of physical media.

However, it’s impossible to remember first-generation network audio equipment without a shudder. Streamers were imperfect in terms of protocols, supported a limited number of standards and formats, and often turned out to be either very expensive or, on the contrary, too primitive. But multiroom, as well as online music services with original content like those that have flourished so rapidly today, could only be a dream - at best, manufacturers provided connection to web radio with its very compromised broadcast quality. You can see for yourself by refreshing your memory from our review of network players six years ago, which, by the way, also included the previous model from Denon DNP-720AE.

The “eight hundredth” being considered here went several parsecs ahead of him. This is no longer a cross between an over-the-air tuner and a digital player, on which a network card and an antenna from a router were attached, but a self-sufficient device, originally designed to work with external online services Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, Napster, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, etc. , and for high-quality playback of Hi-Res audio content from home storage. The developers used an advanced 32-bit Burr Brown PCM1795 converter and the proprietary Advanced AL32 Processing Plus algorithm, equipped the digital section with two high-precision clock generators to reduce jitter, used audiophile elements in the signal chains and added a separate adjustable analog output, thanks to which the DNP-800NE can be used without intermediate components, directly with power amplifiers. In addition, we find in the new product a high-quality telephone amplifier with its own level control and adjustable output power for low- or high-impedance headphones.

Naturally, the already well-tested HEOS multi-room technology has been introduced into the “eight hundredth”.
To launch it, for example, it took me less than a minute: I connected my smartphone to the same Wi-Fi network where the player was registered, downloaded the control application and that’s it - listen to anything in the house, anywhere! An alternative to such a system is the latest wireless connection specification AirPlay 2. There is also Bluetooth for connecting mobile gadgets and a USB input for playing music from flash drives. In general, the device meets all modern standards and this is once again indicated by its readiness for voice control through the Amazon Alexa smart speaker. But for us now another interface that appeared on the DNP-800NE is more relevant - a regular wired channel for transmitting commands to other Hi-Fi components. We simply connect the new “800” Denon integrated circuit with the supplied wire with jacks and get the opportunity to control the entire complex not only from the remote control, but also from a smartphone.

We will briefly describe other new items in the series.
The above-mentioned integrated amplifier is in no way inferior in functionality to its older brother PMA-1600NE. The new model was equipped with a more advanced phono stage board with MM/MC switching, and also added a digital-to-analog converter implemented on a simple but quite musical PCM5141 chip (192 kHz/24 bit). But opponents of integrating DACs and digital inputs into a conventional amplifier can rest easy. We simply activate the Analog Mode with a button and the entire digital add-on - a potential source of interference and an “extra” energy consumer - is turned off completely. In terms of power characteristics, the new amplifier is identical to its predecessor PMA-720AE and is equipped with generally the same proven high-current power supply system. But the internal architecture is different. The transformer on the W-shaped core is placed on a vibration decoupling platform. The power output is implemented, as in older models, with Advanced High Current Single Push-Pull - through a “short” push-pull amplifier using transistors with a wide bandwidth. The topology of the main board has been changed so that the signal path along the printed tracks is reduced as much as possible. And in the circuit itself there are better elements: new electrolytes ELNA and Nichicon, modern opamps with higher parameters...

In the same vein, the player has been modernized and received the index DCD-800NE.
Among the functional innovations, I note only the appearance of a coaxial output in addition to the optical one. But in terms of content, this is a technique of a slightly higher class. The old AL 32 Processing is replaced by the latest Advanced Plus. The digital “hardware” is implemented in the same way as in a network player - on a Burr Brown PCM1795 with two clock generators and a jitter suppression system. The analogue one has also been improved due to shorter signal paths and a new element base. The developers did not introduce the SACD playback function in order to keep the cost at the same level, but expanded the list of supported audio formats played from external drives via the USB-A input on the front panel. So on the DCD-800NE you can now listen to both high-res WAV/FLAC/AIFF/ALAC and DSD64 or DSD128 files without any problems. And such duplication (an identical function is also available on the DNP-800NE), as it turned out during listening, is not at all superfluous.

A quick comparison of the new inegral with its more expensive brother PMA-1600NE revealed that there is no fundamental difference between them - it is only in the nuances.
At medium volume levels, the budget model is only slightly inferior in the subtlety of the microdynamic pattern. And at higher levels, the lower output power simply reminds of itself: the superdynamics of the “eight hundredth” are not expressed so confidently. It doesn’t reach the point of banal clipping at the most powerful contrasts, but a hint of a “hot” tint in the sound due to an increase in harmonic distortion is already noticeable. However, for a device priced at $500, the PMA-800NE's sound is surprisingly composed and transparent. The bass is well supported - to the very depths, even in combination with relatively light, highly sensitive bookshelf speakers. There are no obvious problems with the control of floor-standing speakers. This pair offers good speed in the bass, very realistic transmission of attack and correct after-sound. There is no trace of unbridledness or booming, which is often the case with inexpensive models. If you do not connect acoustics with a sensitivity below 87-88 dB to the amplifier, then the beginner will leave a completely positive feeling. The digital path of the amplifier pleased us with its ability to form an accurate and very deep field in a stereo picture (perhaps even better than from the analog outputs of players). But the DAC built into the integrated circuit is inferior to the more advanced Advanced AL 32 Processing Plus in terms of euphony and richness of timbres. The phono stage was remembered for its linearity and minimal noise level. I also note the benefits of enabling Pure Direct (less coloration and more spatial details) and Analog Mode is especially good, which also gives an increase in dynamics in the high spectrum.

The DCD-800NE left ambivalent impressions.
Audiophile discs on it did not sound enough to exclaim “ah!” – the upper bass turned out to be emphatically convex, and a coloring accent appeared along the top. But to my great surprise, ordinary music CDs were pleasant to listen to – even those that seemed poorly mixed, overly compressed or poorly remastered. The sound turned out to be open, lively and even - you won’t believe it! – looked a little like a tube one... Perhaps the engineers deliberately tailored this player for “real music”, which many music lovers continue to store on CDs. Moreover, the original interpretation is preserved when playing files from a USB flash drive, and this option is predictably better - the same clone rips from CDs sometimes sound better than from the original media. And this is easy to explain: there is almost no jitter in a path with fast solid-state memory. Now let's move on to the main object of the test - the DNP-800NE network player. It reproduces the same flash drive with a selection of music differently: there are more nuances, but the bass seems to be slightly slowed down. The USB input in the network player is served by either another interface chip, or the software is still damp. Judge for yourself: the DNP-800NE, as if nothing had happened, played rarely played AAC files with variable bitrate (which the DCD-800NE rejected), but issued an incorrect format message for some standard high-res.

But the network player confidently scores points in terms of sound quality via AirPlay (much cleaner than usual) and via Bluetooth.
And this device managed to reproduce all the content from network storage via HEOS almost perfectly! The qualitative difference between the standard and “high-cut” versions of the files was easily discernible in the sound - this was felt both in the texture in the bass band and in the more material stage. The sound of this source seemed to me neutral, free from coloring, with realistic dynamics. And this is the most valuable thing, in my opinion. The device shows much less of its own character than the DCD-800NE, and if you are looking for a source that will allow you to quickly abstract from the “system” components of the sound to the perception of musical aesthetics, then you should give preference to the DNP-800NE. Unlike most budget components, it does not try to surprise with deliberately beautiful presentation. DNP can be considered outside the system - it is absolutely self-sufficient if you are ready to listen to music in good headphones. It has a really decent telephone output, noticeably more advanced than that of the integrated device. This can be heard from the lack of mechanicalness, from the open melodious middle, from the clear stereo image and overall scale. And such pleasure will hardly cost more than an audiophile personal player.

Denon DNP-800NE

Supported formats: mp3, AAC, WMA, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, FLAC 192 kHz/24 bit, DSD 2.8/5.6 MHz Inputs: LAN, USB-A Wireless protocols: HEOS, WiFi Audio Streaming (AirPlay, AirPlay 2, Windows PlayTo), A2DP Bluetooth Outputs: Linear fixed, variable and TOSLink optical Playback range: 2 - 50000 Hz Dynamic range: 108 dB S/N ratio: 115 dB Distortion: 0.002% Power consumption: 18 W Finish: black, silver Dimensions: 434 x 107 x 275 mm Weight: 3.9 kg

Full test results

I already mentioned the headphone output impedance of 93 ohms. This made output levels very dependent on headphone impedance. In open circuit, the headphone output delivered slightly above 4.9V rms at the three test frequencies. At 300 ohms this dropped to 3.4V RMS, equivalent to a very healthy 40mW, or 16dB more than the headphones' sensitivity rating. With a 16 ohm load, the output dropped to a third of a volt RMS, 7 mW and just 8.5 dB. This is about the same as the iPhone 6 with such low resistance.

I made other measurements on the line level output. For 24-bit audio, THD was 0.0012% and IMD+noise was 0.0016%. In other words, both are inaudible.

What was interesting were the 24-bit noise levels. I ran the test with both Ethernet and Wi-Fi signals (with the Ethernet cable unplugged). Some devices somehow manage to pass electrical noise on the network to the analog output. But not the Denon DNP-800NE. When connected via Ethernet, the noise level is –114.5 dBA. Over Wi-Fi it was slightly better at -114.8 dBA.

Looking at Graph 1, which shows a comparison between two noise levels using 96 kHz/24 bit test signals, you can see that the only real difference is a few 5 to 10 dB jumps starting in the upper midrange, but none of the they do not reach a value exceeding –130 dB.

Graph 2 (above) shows noise levels when using a 44.1 kHz/16-bit test signal over Ethernet with the left channel line output shown as a white trace and the right channel line output shown as a green trace.

At 96 kHz sampling (Graph 3, above), the Denon DMP-800NE's frequency response actually creeps up a bit to almost +0.1 dB at 32 kHz and hits a brick wall at 38 kHz.

With 192 kHz sampling (graph 4, above), Denon achieved a flatter high-frequency response than before, with no roll-off until it exceeds 40 kHz (green curve). This is -1 dB at 62 kHz and -3 dB at 76 kHz. For comparison, this graph also shows the response of the older DNP-730AE, for which Denon used a slow filter (white trace).

But with 44.1kHz sampling we get an inversion of the frequency response between the old and new models. As you can see in graph 5 above, the Denon DNP-800NE's response starts to roll off just above 17kHz and drops by 1.8dB at 20kHz. The frequency response of the earlier DNP-730AE (white curve) dropped 0.2 dB just before 20 kHz and then quickly disappeared. Does this make a difference to the audible differences between the frequency responses of the two players? I think no.