Ordered a Denon DVD-A1UDCI

I have been wanting this player ever since I read that they were planning on making it last year. Well now that it's finally a reality, I went ahead and ordered one. Mine will be from the second batch arriving the third week in July. Once I get it I'll share my impressions, and pics of the new 42 lb beauty. Just wanted to share the news.


Seth

Congrats Seth. Look forward to your impressions of that beauty.

Personally, I'm going to wait and see just what the BDP-4010UD is like before jumping into the pool.

But no doubt, that A1 series is awesome.

For the others, here's a nice all-in-one brochure on Denon's statement Audiophile line.

This stuff is in the Meridian, Krell league. Matter of fact, I'd rate the AVP preamp better than any Krell and a peer to a Meridian.

I'd say that's pretty ambitious. I've spent a lot of time with a lot of Meridian gear and Denon is nowhere near it, in parts quality build quality or engineering expertise.

Sorry to burst the bubble here. Denon is great stuff that is a step or two above mass market, but that's about it.

These replies are very typical of audio and the many options we have. Some love one product over another, while someone else doesn't.

Sure glad we have choices available to us in many different price ranges.

I heard the 5900 many years ago (Denon's Flagship Player at the time) and thought it was just "ok". I will have to try to get out and see if someone has this newer player and possibly the new receiver to see what Denon has done over the years.

tonepub said:

I'd say that's pretty ambitious. I've spent a lot of time with a lot of Meridian gear and Denon is nowhere near it, in parts quality build quality or engineering expertise.

Sorry to burst the bubble here. Denon is great stuff that is a step or two above mass market, but that's about it.

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How about sound?

Congrats, Seth!

$3800 is alot of cabbage for any piece of equipment. I'll be very interested to hear your thoughts after you spend some time with it.

It sure looks nice is it avaliable in silver and black and if so what color did you buy?

i have one and it is awesome!!! Denon did a bang up job on it

JonFo said:

Congrats Seth. Look forward to your impressions of that beauty.

Personally, I'm going to wait and see just what the BDP-4010UD is like before jumping into the pool.

But no doubt, that A1 series is awesome.

For the others, here's a nice all-in-one brochure on Denon's statement Audiophile line.

This stuff is in the Meridian, Krell league. Matter of fact, I'd rate the AVP preamp better than any Krell and a peer to a Meridian.

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Thanks Jonathan.

The new flagship Denon separates are without a doubt in the caliber as many notable high end brands. And as you have owned and used Meridian in your setup you know that the Denon AVP is on the same playing field sound wise, and leaps and bounds ahead in features and flexibility.

Many Lex, Halcro, Meridian, Theta, and Krell pre/pro owners have sold their units to go with the AVP. And most, if not all, have said that the AVP has equaled or surpassed the SQ of their previous units. That in itself says a lot about the quality of the AVP.

This new A1UDCI player is no exception. For those that are not very familiar with this player, the transport the A1 uses is an all in house design. And is the same one that is used in the company's high end stand alone CD/SACD player the DCD-SX. The transport is so robust that even McIntosh uses it in their reference SACD/CD player the MCD500.

Another notable thing about the A1UDCI that makes it very special, is it's analog section. This player uses 32 bit DAC's by renown chip maker AKM. And the A1 is the only high end player besides Esoteric that uses AKM 32 bit DAC's.

The A1UDCI is part of Denon's statement line of reference products, which includes the AVP-A1HDCI and POA-A1HDCI.


Seth

TomDac said:

Congrats, Seth!

$3800 is alot of cabbage for any piece of equipment. I'll be very interested to hear your thoughts after you spend some time with it.

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Thanks Tom.

Actually Denon raised the MSRP from $3,800 to $4,500. Yes that is a lot to spend on a Blu-ray player, but I wanted the best to go with my AVP.

Once I get mine and spend some time with it, I will definitely share my impressions. So far this player is receiving some rave reviews from owners.

FISH_MAN said:

It sure looks nice is it avaliable in silver and black and if so what color did you buy?

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In the US It's only available in black, in Europe and Japan It's available in both black and silver. The one I'm getting is black.

LOGANLOVE said:

i have one and it is awesome!!! Denon did a bang up job on it

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Way cool!!! Congrats!! I can't wait to get mine!


Seth

tonepub said:

I'd say that's pretty ambitious. I've spent a lot of time with a lot of Meridian gear and Denon is nowhere near it, in parts quality build quality or engineering expertise.

Sorry to burst the bubble here. Denon is great stuff that is a step or two above mass market, but that's about it.

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Jeff, I've owned Meridian gear and set up several G series based Digital theaters w/DSP 5500's, including the full MRC process executed by me.

None touch the Denon AVP in SQ (although I have only one data point, the one from my system).

I'd challenge you to get an AVP/POA/AUD set and run them on your CLX's.
I'll even do the Audyssey Pro setup for you if you like

I feel you will hear that it is indeed in the big leagues.

I'm with you that much of their lower-end gear is 'OK', but this reference stuff is just that.

I am and remain a huge Meridian fan, but they were not able to earn my money last year when I shopped for a $7 - $8K processor.

STV said:

Many Lex, Halcro, Meridian, Theta, and Krell pre/pro owners have sold their units to go with the AVP. And most, if not all, have said that the AVP has equaled or surpassed the SQ of their previous units. That in itself says a lot about the quality of the AVP.

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Howdy Seth...Can you share where this information/statements are coming from for others to read about? And is this SQ improvements strictly with movie/HT sound or do all of these people also qualify SQ for all aspects of the units? Are the other units new versions, 20 years old, etc. Would be interesting to read these other views.

Another notable thing about the A1UDCI that makes it very special, is it's analog section. This player uses 32 bit DAC's by renown chip maker AKM. And the A1 is the only high end player besides Esoteric that uses AKM 32 bit DAC's.

Click to expand...

The AKM's have received great talk but as we all know good parts do not necessarily make good sound. I am not saying they do not sound great, but to state it has parts "X" does not mean it equates to sound "Y". Just like product statistics or values (thd, s/n, etc.) do not say anything about how something will sound. This happens in the modding world like mad...put in new highly touted parts, only to get the same or minor improvements. Only listening will show how well the product is made/executed. Hopefully Denon executed the AKM well and by your posts it appears they did.

STV said:

Actually Denon raised the MSRP from $3,800 to $4,500. Yes that is a lot to spend on a Blu-ray player, but I wanted the best to go with my AVP.

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Did you buy the player strictly for Blu-Ray or do you also plan on using it for all your digital playback - Redbook, SACD, DVD-A???

Once I get mine and spend some time with it, I will definitely share my impressions. So far this player is receiving some rave reviews from owners.

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I hope it turns out to be the player you want it to be. Nothing better than picking up a new piece and find it is just what you were looking for.

JonFo said:

I'm with you that much of their lower-end gear is 'OK', but this reference stuff is just that.

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It always bothers me when a company starts to put the words REFERENCE or ULTRA-REFERENCE as part of their product names. If a product is truly great sounding/performing this marketing hype is not needed as it will be obtained through end user experiences and acceptance.

I am and remain a huge Meridian fan, but they were not able to earn my money last year when I shopped for a $7 - $8K processor.

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For components, not speakers, I too am a Meridian fan, but have always liked the sound quality of the Theta products as a much better solution. If I had that kind of change lying around I would have bought a Theta over a Meridian.

DTB300 said:

Howdy Seth...Can you share where this information/statements are coming from for others to read about? And is this SQ improvements strictly with movie/HT sound or do all of these people also qualify SQ for all aspects of the units? Are the other units new versions, 20 years old, etc. Would be interesting to read these other views.


The AKM's have received great talk but as we all know good parts do not necessarily make good sound. I am not saying they do not sound great, but to state it has parts "X" does not mean it equates to sound "Y". Just like product statistics or values (thd, s/n, etc.) do not say anything about how something will sound. This happens in the modding world like mad...put in new highly touted parts, only to get the same or minor improvements. Only listening will show how well the product is made/executed.


Did you buy the player strictly for Blu-Ray or do you also plan on using it for all your digital playback - Redbook, SACD, DVD-A???


I hope it turns out to be the player you want it to be. Nothing better than picking up a new piece and find it is just what you were looking for.


It always bothers me when a company starts to put the words REFERENCE or ULTRA-REFERENCE as part of their product names. If a product is truly great sounding or performing this marketing hype is not needed.


For components, not speakers, I too am a Meridian fan, but have always liked the sound quality of the Theta products as a much better solution. If I had that kind of change lying around I would have bought a Theta over a Meridian.

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Nearly all of the information/comments come from AVP owners on our dedicated thread over at AVS.

Here are some quotes:

I have an acquaintance who works for one of the major studios who knows a thing or two about home audio.

A long time (>10 years) Lex owner and now an AVP owner.. needless to say, he is thrilled with his new baby...

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I went from a Theta Casablanca III with Xtreme DACs to the Anthem D2 and then to the Denon AVP. One of the reasons I bought the Denon was I missed the fidelity of the Theta and a few former owners of the Casablanca that now owned the Denon were very happy with it. I was immediately impressed with the sound of the Denon.

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I'm liking the AVP more and more. That's a good feeling... That as you live with a piece of equipment you grow more and more fond of it. Definitely not how I felt about the Krell HTS. What a serious step up this has been.

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Thank You for your comments on my system. I am enjoying the system very much.
As for the Denon AVP, Yes !!!! I'm very impressed, I have owned a couple of high end processors, Lexicon MC12B, Mark Levinson# 40 to name 2 . Does it beat the # 40, NO! not to many that do, as far as sound quality goes. It does beat the Lexicon hands down at 1/2 the price, both in sound quality & function.
For flexibility I know of nothing better & the sound is very impressive. You can tell they did their homework on this unit & would say their venture back into high end should be successful.

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The Denon is every bit (from memory) the sonic equal of the Lexicon, and its features are seriously fun. Little things like its IP addressability, toying with the video processing, setting up the Internet Radio . . . the flexibility and approachability of this unit is actually ahead of the Lexicon, which I thought was was laid out superbly.

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I'm getting better sound quality now than I ever have before, and I've had some decent units in my setup before this (Meridian 861, Bryston SP1, Lexicon MC-12HD EQ B, Ayre K-1xe).

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Re the AMK 32 bit DAC's, yes I do agree that a product can have the best chips, the best build, and the best specs, and all means nothing if it doesn't sound good. But what I was getting at is this at least says a lot for Denon's new player as it does use AKM (AKM 4399 to be exact) 32 bit DAC's. Of course the proof as they say is in the pudding. But so far every user of the A1UDCI have only praise for it's sound quality. And I will know soon enough once I get mine.

I plan on using the A1UDCI for a lot more than strictly Blu-ray playback. I am going to have this as my primary SACD/DVD-A, and CD player as well.


Seth

My A1UDCI is finally here!

I have only been lusting after this player since I first learned about it's development last year. Well now the wait is finally over as my A1 arrived yesterday! This thing has so many features and set up options, that It's almost like re-living my first days with the Denon AVP-A1HDCI.

I haven't yet had a chance to check out the players analog abilities, but I did put the player through its paces with Blu-ray's. I have both my A1 and AVP set up for Denon Link 4th for BD playback, and oh what a treat that was!

And also as good of a picture that my Denon 2500BTCI put out, it just doesn't compare with the clarity, detail, and depth that the A1 gives. The PQ totally blew me away! Besides the stunning picture and sound on Blu-ray, the build quality on this thing is amazing! Fit and finish is superb!

Here are some pics of this beauty.

Congrats! <he says green with envy> :drool:

That is an interesting comment. While I was the manager at the only really high-end audio store in Knoxville (that is, before it went out of business), we wanted to bring Meridian on-board, since our multi-millionaire top client, who basically kept us in business, had a Meridian setup in his home theater. It sounded awesome, but all he wanted to do was complain about its lack of quality and poor reliability. He was on his third DVD player at the time, I believe.

I am in agreement about the majority of Denon products, but I have found these high end offerings to be intriguing and am withholding judgment until I can hear them myself.

tonepub said:

I'd say that's pretty ambitious. I've spent a lot of time with a lot of Meridian gear and Denon is nowhere near it, in parts quality build quality or engineering expertise.

Sorry to burst the bubble here. Denon is great stuff that is a step or two above mass market, but that's about it.

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JonFo said:

Congrats! <he says green with envy> :drool:

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Thanks Jonathan.

conradjohnsonfan said:

That is an interesting comment. While I was the manager at the only really high-end audio store in Knoxville (that is, before it went out of business), we wanted to bring Meridian on-board, since our multi-millionaire top client, who basically kept us in business, had a Meridian setup in his home theater. It sounded awesome, but all he wanted to do was complain about its lack of quality and poor reliability. He was on his third DVD player at the time, I believe.

I am in agreement about the majority of Denon products, but I have found these high end offerings to be intriguing and am withholding judgment until I can hear them myself.

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I also find that an interesting comment. These new Denon separates are clearly not in the "receiver class" of products.

Thank you for your open minded view on things.

The match-up that intrigues me is how the Anthem statement D2v2 (which has Dolby True HD and DTSHDMA support) would stack up against the new Denon reference pre-amp. With both units retailing for $8,000, both boasting muiltipiont advanced room calibration, and both offering some of the beefiest video processors available on the market I'm surprised no one has commented on this yet (would also be fun considering two of the sites most entertaining personalities own these units, so how about it Jonfo and Tom). I will chime in that it looks like the Anthem would make a better unit for stereo playback being that it upsamples all incoming signals (if the Denon does the same I apologize for not being better informed on their product).