Audio Video News

Congratulations, Denon. You were founded in 1910 by the American-born entrepreneur Frederick Whitney Horn as the Japan Recorders Corporation, making records and gramphones. Since then you've celebrated many technological firsts, become the number one brand in surround receivers, and been adopted into the D&M Holdings family. Now you're 100 years old, a claim few consumer electronics companies can make.

Much of yesterday's Denon press event in New York was given over to the S-5BD combo Blu-ray player and receiver ($1799). But that was introduced in January at the Consumer Electronics Show, so let's gloss over it.

That brings us to the new mainstream audio/video receivers. Through the magic of the cut-and-paste process, here's a summary from the press release: "The lineup features four new affordable, fully featured priced models in the company's popular Retail Home Theater Series line, with expected SRP and availability in parenthesis, including the AVR-991 (SRP: $999, July), AVR-891 (SRP: $799, May), AVR-791 (SRP: $499, May), AVR-591 (SRP: $349, May) and the AVR-391 (SRP: $249, July). These join two new, more advanced 7-channel Models, the AVR-1911 (SRP: $599, June), and AVR-1611 (SRP: $399, June). Also announced are Denon's three new 'CI-class' receivers geared toward custom integrators, including the AVR-4311CI (SRP: $1,999, Sept.), AVR-3311CI (SRP: $1,199, June), and AVR-2311CI (SRP: $899, June). The new models will join Denon's AVR-4810CI (SRP: $2,999) and flagship AVR-5308CI (SRP: $5,500) in the company's renowned line of A/V receivers, as well as the company's advanced CI separates including the AVP-A1HDCI (SRP: $7,500) 12 Channel A/V Preamplifier and POA-A1HDCI (SRP: $7,500) Fully Balanced Power Amplifier."

While the existing AVR-5308 will remain Denon's flagship AVR, it was strongly hinted that an updated successor will be announced at September's CEDIA. That means that the real up-to-the-minute feature action is in the AVR-4311CI and AVR-991 on down.

All new Denon receivers will include HDMI 1.4a, which includes 3D support in all currently mandated formats, the Audio Return Channel, and CEC support--but not the HDMI Ethernet Channel or 4K x 2K support, because the chipsets from Denon's preferred suppliers won't be available till later this year. The main difference between HDMI 1.4 and 1.4a will be the addition of newly mandated broadcast 3D formats. Invite your friends over, bust open a keg, and have everyone pore over the comparison chart (pictured above).

Audyssey DSX, with its width and height listening modes, will be present in all models down to the AVR-3311CI and AVR-991 via firmware update. Dolby Pro Logic IIz has penetrated in all Denon AVR models. Other fun new features: Preset remote control codes will be visible in GUI. FLAC 96/24 is added along with Pandora and Flickr (joining the existing Rhapsody and Napster support). You can type info into them using cellphone-like keys on the remote, so if you do texting, you'll feel right at home. Browser and remote tech-support access are not new but cool enough to mention again.

Custom installers will like the multizone bass management and Audyssey Pro calibration in models down to the AVR-3311CI. A total of 13 products (counting existing and new) are Control4 certified. Warranties on all CI-series units have been extended to three years parts and labor. Others remain two years parts and labor. Note the addition of the new budget unit, the AVR-391, five channels of joy for $249. Denon is beginning to cut down legacy connectivity on lower-end models--how many stereo analog inputs do you really need?

Two new Blu-ray players will join the existing models. They will include the DBP-2011UDCI ($799, August) and DBP-1611UD ($399, June). Both cost considerably less than the existing models ($4499 and $1999 respectively) and are HDMI 1.4a compatible. The main difference is that the pricier one will have the "very latest" Anchor Bay video processing and Burr-Brown DACs. All Denon players are universal, meaning they handle SACD and DVD-Audio as well as BD, DVD, and CD (here's looking at you, Oppo). They will include Netflix and YouTube and are DLNA 1.5 certified, which means they'll talk to your gaming consoles over a home network.

Discussing its new headphones, Denon's Jeff Talmadge said the company's engineers in Japan did extensive original research into the shape of the human head to tailor the product's contact points to fit 98 percent of heads.

Nothing was said regarding the AVR line of Denon's D&M stablemate, Marantz, though a separate announcement will be made in a few months. While Denon has top market share in AVRs, Marantz is down in fourth place, after Yamaha and Sony.

See Denon Wiki for historical information and press releases (PDF) for CI receivers, other receivers, Blu-ray players, Control4, and headphones.

Denon has launched a website to celebrate its 100th anniversary: denon100.com. On the day this story was posted, it was still under construction, but readers can sign up to receive notifications of future content additions.