Denon in Dana Point
By Scott Wilkinson May 21, 2008 — On May 20, members of the press got up close and personal with Denon's 2008 lineup of products at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott in Dana Point, California. After a detailed briefing, we heard a remarkable demo of Audyssey's new Dynamic Volume technology, which will make its debut in Denon's new A/V receivers.

Dynamic Volume utilizes a series of sophisticated algorithms to automatically even out the overall volume level of movies and TV shows. For example, this allows dialog to be heard even in the presence of gunfire; it also tones down the level of commercials, which can be 20dB louder than the TV program. This technology joins Audyssey's Dynamic EQ, which is now found in several manufacturers' AVRs and automatically adjusts the tonal balance according to the master volume setting.

No fewer than 10 new AVRs were on display, ranging in price from $300 to $1200. Also of note was a new, less-expensive Blu-ray player, the DVD-1800BD ($750, October), which is said to share a similar picture quality with the more upscale DVD-2500BTCI Blu-ray transport ($1200). The new player conforms to Profile 1.1 with full HD audio-bitstream capabilities, HDMI 1.3a output with Deep Color, and an SD card slot for displaying JPEG photos. In addition, it offers 1080p/24 output, faster boot and load times, and high-end construction with separated circuit blocks.

Another interesting intro was an entry-level "sound bar" dubbed DHT-FS5 ($500, shipping now), which is designed to complement 50-inch flat panels. This device offers virtual surround sound from a single enclosure using diffraction rather than beaming and reflection, which means it does not require nearby walls to achieve its effect. The center channel has 50W at its disposal, while the other four channels have 25W. It also has a "virtual subwoofer," though you can also connect an actual sub.

I was especially interested in the DVP-602CI video processor/HDMI switcher ($2500), which provides six HDMI 1.3 inputs and HQV processing thanks to a Silicon Optix Realta chipset. Another unusual product was the TU-604CI tuner ($1000), which includes a dual AM/FM tuner and slots for up to four additional, optional tuner modules of different types, such as AM/FM and XM ($100 each) and HD radio ($300).

Other items included some high-end 2-channel shelf components and noise-canceling headphones, which are of less interest for home theater (though I can't wait to try the headphones on my next flight—in the demo, airplane engine noise was played at 85dB, and the on-ear headphones were remarkably effective). The entire lineup is very impressive, and I look forward to reviewing some of them right here on UAV.