Weird. The new Denon iPod docks are not only pretty, but they also can access some stuff called “Rhapsody” and “Napster.” Don’t quote me on this, but they are some kind of streaming music services.
Denon has announced the AH-NC600—their first foray into noise cancelling earbuds. They claim this new model can reduce ambient noise by 99% while delivering high quality sound.
Denon’s DBP-2010CI and DBP-1610CI Blu-ray players are made with high-end components, but at $US700 and $US500 respectively, they are missing perks found in much cheaper players.
Last month, Blam gave us a lightning review of the DHT-FS3 soundbar from Denon, and this month, we’re seeing the DHT-FS5 land in Australia. The difference between the two units, aside from the number at the end of the product code, is that the FS5 doesn’t feature an external subwoofer for those lower frequencies.
Considering that Brian’s opinion of the FS3 was that the bass gets a little cloudy at higher volumes, I’m not entirely convinced that ditching the sub would correct this. At the same time though, the people interested in buying a soundbar generally aren’t the hardcore audiophiles who rely on pristine sound with a full range.
The FS5 comes in both black and silver to match your setup and costs $999.
[Denon]
Denon is selling the AK-DL1 cable to link up your Denon-link audio components, and apparently it’s able to “bring out all the nuances in digital audio reproduction.” How does it achieve this magic? By having “high purity copper wire and high performance connection parts” plus a woven jacket to “reduce vibration.” Vibration? M’kay… Best of all, if you’re a complete and utter sucker audio enthusiast, this 59-inch Ethernet cable will cost you just US$500. [Denon via Crunchgear via Oh Gizmo]
So, here’s the thing. My stereo components have been in boxes gathering dust ever since I became a fully fledged member of the iPosse. Ditto for my CDs, cherished cassette tapes and even a few essential vinyl record. Since Jesus and I are relocating to London, and I’ve ripped everything I really listen to, you might say it’s a no-brainer to throw it all out. But it’s not that easy to do, is it?
Instead of blowing out all the stops with a big mama pajama queen of all Blu-ray players, Denon appears to be playing the Pioneer card by launching the $750 DVD-1800BD player. It’s lower in price than its US$1,200-and-up predecessors, and only meets the mandatory 1.1 spec (that is, picture-in-picture but no Ethernet) rather than full-blown but optional 2.0. You know, it’s probably not a coincidence that Denon is moving this way, since it has to be buying the core player from Pioneer or another major Blu-ray partner, so they’re probably all on the same development timeframe. Also, no word from Denon on that “universal” HD DVD/BD player—we’re gonna guess that it’s a dead dream at this point. Jump for detailed press release of the DVD-1800BD.
The Gadget: A soundbar by one of my favourite A/V companies that includes a sub. It is one of the rare soundbars NOT to block your TV if mounted on the same table. Processes DTS and Dolby surround through optical and coax and stereo inputs (But no HDMI). The sub draws power off the main unit at 40 watts, and the six 3-inch drivers get 22-watts each. It comes with a glow in the dark universal remote.
Denon has added a very nice new home theatre option to their local line up, the S-302. A compact ‘Smart Theatre’ system, the S-302 goes the virtual surround route by running Dolby Virtual and dts Virtual through its 2.1 channel speakers. Not quite a sound bar style arrangement, so it would be an interesting point of comparison to the Yamaha and Philips options. The system delivers 1080p from DVD (HDMI, of course) and the 3-channel amp offers 50 watts to the satellites and 100 watts to the sub.
You also get Wi-Fi and Ethernet networking for streaming off your PC (Windows or Mac) or network attached storage, either music tracks or Internet radio. MP3, WMA, WMA Lossless, AAC, WAV, and FLAC are all supported. Get it at the premium price of $2,999. Or get something else for much less. All depends on your ‘phile’ status. [Denon Australia]
The war between Blu-ray and HD DVD takes centre stage, but now we’re starting to see rumbles within the vast Blu-ray coalition. How long did you think a truce between longtime rivals Sony and Panasonic could last, anyhow? To be sure, everyone is being perfectly civil to one another, but while Panasonic, Samsung and Denon are blazing the way with “standard” Blu-ray players, Pioneer and Sony still remain hung-up on the “initial” Blu-ray spec. After talking to top brass at all of these companies, we have pieced together a sense of where Blu-ray hardware is headed, and why it’s taking so long.
