Show Report

Denon Press Conference - New York, New York - December 3, 2004

December, 2004

Piero Gabucci



Back in September, 2004, at Cedia, Denon had introduced their new flagship receiver (according to Jeff Talmadge, it’s really not a receiver) the behemoth AVR-5805, with 22 channels, 4 zones and dual 7.1 theater capability.

At the December 3, 2004 press event, they discussed two significant partnerships Denon has cultivated.

Firstly, Denon introduced the new flagship DVD player, the DVD-5910 with an MSRP of $3,500. Although the DVD-3910 is the successor to the highly successful and sold out DVD-5900, Denon decided to reinvent the high end DVD player in the 5910. Similar in size to the AVR-3805 receiver, the new player incorporates a number of firsts for not only Denon but any other DVD manufacturer.

In the DVD-5910, Denon incorporates the Realta/HQV (Hollywood Quality Video) chip from Silicon Optix developed in collaboration with Teranex. Combining Teranex’s “trillion operations per second” video processor with Silicon Optix’s scaling technology produced the video processor called HQV. Fully upgradeable, the 10 bit HQV chip boasts issues such as noise reduction, multi-directional filtering, true 1080i de-interlacing and impressively per pixel video detection.

The 5910 also incorporates video scaling technology from DVDO.

With the successful AVR-3805 at $1,200 and the new AVR-5805 at $6,000, Denon needed to fill a niche, and the new AVR-4805 estimated at $3,000 filled the bill (photo was not available). The important news regarding this receiver is it will share some of the features of the 5805, such as THX Ultra 2 certification and HDMI video switching along with all the standard sound formats out there from Dolby and DTS.

For the press briefing, the significant introduction comes in the form of Audyssey’s “MultiEQ” technology. Audyssey recognizes two things, firstly that room acoustics produce unpredictable results, and secondly, that the listening position is not isolated to the sweet spot, but rather in zones around the viewing/listening area. The technology allows bass management and crossover settings to all channels independently, calibrating room correction for an “optimal listening experience for all listeners”. A calibrating microphone is moved around the room for successive frequency measurements. The Denons are the first products licensed with MultiEQ.

We were given two extraordinary demonstrations. The video demonstration hosted by Silicon Optix showed off their Teranex HQV processing with a side-by-side comparison, using NEC plasma monitors, one filtered with the Realta chip and the other without. This technology will be included in the new DVD-5910. The images were startlingly improved. Pixel by pixel noise reduction, cadence detection, stepping, mosquito noise, you name it, the improvement was overwhelming.

The audio demonstration using the AVR-5805 and its incorporated Audyssey MultiEq XT technology was equally impressive. Using Mordant-Short speakers, the audio was played back with and without the MultiEQ corrections, and the difference was night and day. The mid-bass predominate problem (room acoustics taking the blame) was apparent without the EQ activated, rendering a heavy, darker image to the sound. Activated, both in movie center channel vocals and in music as well, the audio became much richer to the ear. The sound was seamless, and the music sweetly reproduced. This was a very effective demonstration, and I was impressed.

All in all, Denon continues to impress with their commitment to the consumer whether they be enthusiasts or those who want simplicity. Music or movie aficionados who want to tinker with their equipment can do so as much as they want. Installers will also appreciate the friendly setup and upgradeability.

 

- Piero Gabucci -

 

© Copyright 2004 Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity

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