Denon PMA 1600NE: amzn.to/3sDxIx4 relevant reviews: Denon PMA-A110 Integrated amp & Denon CDC-A110 CD player review: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-aUZ3o1Yuqag.html This video is not sponsored for more info on how we work: nbtsmedia.com/about-us/
thanks for sharing. I saw the NAD :) is it C368? I am looking to buy a new amp for my B&W603 and haven't decided yet between the NAD C368/C388 or Denon 1600. appreciate your answer. thanks
For those of you that own the pair, is the DAC sound the same on the DCD vs the Receiver? if one doesn't use the CD transport much, does the player sound better as a DAC or are you just better off going into the receiver?
I totally agree with you. My 1600ne powers the DCD 1600ne and a DNP800 streamer though a pair of Sonus Faber Sonetto 1 speakers. It makes me smile every time I listen to it.
Nice review. I totally agree with Thujan; if you can't afford the A110 or you don't want to spend that type of money, 1600NE is a great alternative. I would say you get 80% of the performance for 50% the price. I personally upgraded to A110 because of how much I loved the 1600NE. It's very well built and has a very balanced warm-ish sound.
@@robk5745 When you pay that kinda cash for the A110. You automatically hear what you want to hear ! Same happened to me when I got my Naim 500. Then the worst happened. I listened to something else costing less than 500$ and it blew me over ! There after I kept hearing only one line of a WHO song playing incessantly in my heard “Won’t get fooled again !”
Glad to see a IEC power inlet on the 1600ne. I wonder how inferior Denon sees its consumers buying the 800ne / 600ne models and below. They come fixed with cheapo kettle power cord. You can’t depend on a company’s engineering credibility and pedigree when they fix such . For that reason alone I skipped buying any of those models no matter how exciting or awesome their reviewers made it out to be !!
@@burp5097 I’ve heard high end Naim stuff and it’s really really good, no $500 amplifier is touching it bud, nice story though. As you go up the ladder you need a good ear to hear the details and equipment matching is beyond important. Plenty of high end systems at shows sound mediocre from poor matching, the electronics need to complement the speakers and vice versa. Stop spreading bullshit please.
Excellent review. Crisp. Clear. Not trying to be subtle, nuanced, sophisticated. Just easy to understand and again "Clear and Crisp." Great Job! Thank you.
Hi. Could you compare those two soundwise in some words? I´ve been considering these and am wondering what the difference is (other than threefold price increase and usb).
@@meomarte With my B&W 603 S2 the PMA-1600NE creates a fuller sound. The bass is more present. The center images is more focused, more central. But the what I noticed most was a better separation of instruments. The sound is more spatial, you can locate each instrument better.
@@Inflame5 Cool, thank you. I like bass but I also like to hear the guitars. How are the mids? What about high frequencies? Any difference in listening fatigue?
@inflame5 Thanks for posting your comments! I'm about to audition both of these amps tomorrow as I'm upgrading from a PMA-800 to a 1600, so I'll be A/Bing. Would you say the difference is more than "minor" and actually pretty noticable? With my PMA-800, I have to EQ about 25% bass in order to "ground" my Zu speakers to the floor (otherwise, the low end feels disconnected). I'm curious with the PMA-1600 if I'll have to do that, or can finally run my speakers flat like I prefer it. Do you notice any improvement in the treble with the 1600NE? More of a sparkle/silky top up top? Thanks for what you've posted already as it seems like I'm in for a treat.
I own It. The sound Is really smooth... Just of you boost basses. Like in all amps. I love It. A fantastic alternative at half the price... Cambridge audio cxa 60
I agree with all those who like this amp. It is flying under radar, at a very tempting price range, and does not have a single weakness. I also disagree with those who say the DAC is not good. It is on par or better than any "basic" DAC. Run it side by side with them and see for yourself. Now, if you have a 3K DAC for sure it will beat the included DAC, but then in that case you should not be buying a 1.5K amplifier!
Great review Thujan! Can you compare pma-1600 sound to pma-a110? I am considering getting pma-a110 to use with my triangle genese trio speakers but not sure which one would be better match. Thanks
I wanted to get this but didn't want any digital inputs so I went with an older revision of that amp. Sounds wonderful with my LS50 and has very good bass control
@@DueM Thanks for the tip. But I don’t think the amp will break or go faulty in the future. My parents have an even older amp which is way cheaper and never had a problem, these things are really solid I guess
I have tube amps, 60 wpc and I really wanted a newer, more reliable solid state. The Denon was one of first choices and I really appreciate your review!
I just purchased the Denon 1600NE from Accessories 4less, refurbished, waiting for delivery, I think I'm gonna be happy using them with Polk L200 4ohm speakers .. not only do these speakes look good they sound great.. I am currently using then with a AV receiver Harmon cardon high current amp , but not for my polks
Great job ! I also use 'hi level' for subs I get better phase matching . Denon does have that robust sound thats not overly excited in the top end making livelier speakers have more of a mature sound 😃
Agree with much of your findings although not convinced with the analogue switch, seems to lose bass definition with it switched on however does open the sound field up. Had this amp for 6 months now and have to say this is an excellent amp for the money and sadly goes under the radar for many. Now starting to get the recognition it deserves. DAC is OK and not as bad as some are saying. Don't judge this amp until properly run in, it did not sound great out of the box but after a good 12 hrs run time it opens up and sounds super clean and airy with plenty of controlled low end grunt and a sublime midrange. No hint of brightness at all, it's actually a VERY smooth sounding amp. Used with Monitor Audio Silver 200, Focal Aria 906 and Elac DBR62.
Hi! Would you recommend this Denon for Silver 200 (6g)? I’m looking for the best amp to get the best out of them. Since discovering the Denon, I was convinced by the reviews to go with the Rega Elex-R. Unfortunately I cannot demo any. And I can have both on sales. Rega for 780euros and Denon for 1330euros. Right now I have a Harman HK6500. Thank you!
@@anmic3590 Yes it would be a very good combination actually, I bought this amp especially for my silver 200's to calm the edginess of the metal tweeters and it did, one of the smoothest sweetest amps I've ever heard. It may not have as much detail in the Bass as the Rega but it's better everywhere else. I demoed the Elex R at home but found the top end a little rough, but it's an engaging musical amp just not a great match with Monitor Audio silver.
Nice review, I also just bought this amp with matching dcd1600ne and love it. And I also use a Rega plannar 3 turntable.and it sounds amazing with klipsch heresy 4 speakers and my JBL L82 speakers
I don’t have any problems. But it might have been my luck. My source for cd’s is a top of the line Hartman/Kardon from 1990 that has signal to noise ratio of 108db and I connected to my PMA 1600 Denon on the variable input. The Hartman/Kardon has its own volume control which I turned to full power. The cables I use are MIT and back in 1991 they cost me $150. My CD’s sound amazing. The soundstage in huge and clarity and purity are on par with my vinyl experience. The timbre is precise, separation of instruments and the perceived air around them is astounding. I a not wish for a better pairing. So I don’t see where this amplifier DAC circuitry is lacking. At all. Absolutely don’t that is not my experience. Speakers B&W ‘s 702. Love this amp!
I have the PMA-800NE rated at 50wpc and am very happy with it's performance. I agree with you on pairing with forward sounding speakers as I find the bass to be very muscular and the top end being a bit tamed if the 1600NE sounds like the 800NE.
I had the Cambridge cxa81 for 2 weeks I found it too forward in the treble. So I got the Denon pma- 1600ne and still have and will keep, Nice powerful neutral sound.
I have this integrated amp hooked into my PC with KEF LS-50s(bi-wired) and REL T7i subwoofer. The DAC is decent(used USB to PC) and amplifier is neutral and has good current to drive the KEF's well. Nice review. I also have the Hegel H190.
@@meutubedou I have the Denon and Hegel H160 (predecessor to H190). The Hegel is more forward sounding. PMA 1600ne is more laid back and has better mids and warmth (but less refined and detailed on the top and bottom end). I bought the Denon to pair with my bright sounding Totem Hawks. Although the Denon is a better match to the Hawks, it lacked the finesse and three dimensionality compared to the Hegel. I bought the Denon because I value mid tones yet the Hegel emotionally moved me more and captured my attention. I found the Denon to give me ear fatigue which I don't recall experiencing from the Hegel. For example, when the Denon plays from soft to loud/dynamic, the loud sound became harsh at times. The Hegel has no problems with that. In short, it comes down to what you value and the right pairing for your system. Although I refer the warmth of the Denon, but I will eventually part with it due to ear fatigue. Maybe PMA A110 in the far future?
I was taking this off my shelf and the shelf flipped down and the Denon 1600 fell to the bottom, cracking the bottom board down the middle. 1 minor scratch on top and it still is kicking.
I used to have the previous RR2150 model. Both are different sounding. This one more warmer sounding and less harsh at the highs than rr2150. If you have bright sounding speakers this one will pair better. If you have less bright or laid back speakers, RR2160 will likely pair better.
@Jayiyagi would you say nowadays is better to get a Denon PMA-1700ne or the old Denon PMA-2010AE which is much much older but "higher class" components? the 2010 + dac is about the same price as Denon pma-1700 which is just over £1000. I will pair with DALI Opticon 2. Thank you in advance!
I enjoyed your review of this integrated amp very much. Like you, I really can't afford to spend $3000 or more on an integrated amp. So I am seriously thinking about buying the PMA-1600NE. How will it sound with B&W 702 signature speakers? Thanks for any help you can provide.
This was a good amp for an easy to obtain integrated. Will be a great neutral reference for most. I've swaped it to a Gold Note DS10 Plus and PA10 amplifier, which has even better midrange performance, more dynamics, and a smoother overall sound. Not to knock the Denon in anyway (other than the DAC, which wasn't my favorite, and its phono was amazing). I did my review a while back, glad to see this thing getting some more attention here.
Nice to have some validation on my own choices. I too run my digital sources through a Schiit DAC and use my 1600NE in pure analog/source direct mode. And, I use my B speaker connections for my sub. I'm in heaven. Thanks for the affirming review.
At 70/140 would indicate it can drive them and very surprising at this price for a "big box store brand." One thing I notice about Denon and Marantz for that matter, the never have XLR connections. Also, Denon does not use torroidal transformers but neither does Schitt so IDK?
If you watch Steve Guttenberg's review about the Denon PMA 600 NE , you will discover that even this entry level integrated amp CAN drive the Magnepan LRS pretty nicely .. so hell yeah .. considering that the 1600 NE has a better power amp section, more dynamic and muscular, of course this amp can drive those panels ..
@@hclandscapes It's not a little more. It's 80% more which is closer to Denon 110 anniversary. However, I actually tested the Hegel H90 and preferred PMA-1600.
@@seannewill5520 the Denon PMA-1600NE is £1400 in the uk i bought my H120 new for £1890 so the difference in price is definitely worth it in my opinion. The H95 would be better than a H90 as the DAC has been improved, i demoed the Denon at home and didn't like it, i found it to be on the bright side and have no idea why the amplifier box needs to be so big and heavy? Hegel makes much nicer looking cases and a really nice neutral sound.
Great Review. Thank so much. I currently have Wharfedale Linton Heritage speakers and find the bass from these speakers rather pronounced. I'm using the Marantz PM7005 Int. Amp.. Maybe it is room acoustics and speaker placement. But anyways I have been eyeing the Denon PMA-1600NE for a while now. Would this amplifier further enhance the bass? Or am I likely to get a balanced smoother sound that is not too forward sounding? I don't want to be fatigued. How would this Denon compare with a Marantz PM8006 or Audiolab 6000A? The latter is supposed to pair well with the Wharfedale Lintons. Thanks a bunch.
OK, when you in Ontario are allowed to leave your homes without being tossed in jail (the latest lockdown) ask Adrian to let you borrow an H190, and then you and Jay do a comparison video of the two.
I really enjoyed the review and will keep a look out for one "one Sale". Any suggestions for speakers and a sub? i was looking at the Polk L100, but open for suggestions. Thanks
Hi, I have this amp connected to a pair of Athom Gt1 Speakers and sounds really good to my ears(all the things you say and more clarity, resolution and soundstage) However I'm using some cheap inteconects to connect the DAC and streamer. Can you recommend some cables? Which cables are you using? Thanks.
I have a Q Jay, I'Ve had the amp for about 6 months and am loving it but: When switching out the digital circuit the bass doesn't seem to have the same solidity in the bass notes as when it is not switched out, The bass seems softer, less offensive and less prominent, the bass is still there but sounds a bit like marsh mellow , however the sound stage sounds a lot more holographic and creamy with it enabled. Have you noticed this oddity with your PMA1600NE while flicking between the 2 modes ?
@@TheHammerofDissidence Good to know someone else has noticed this, I don't get it though, why should that be happening? Denon say that it just turns off the digital circuitry so it should make the bass sound worse.
Very nice review ! I am thinking of upgrading my low output Pioneer A A-9 MK II amplifier with this Denon PMA-1600, in order to get more power to drive my Chario Delphinus loundspeakers. Do you think it is a good idea? Are there any other good options for these loudspeakers? I would like To have your opinion... Also, I want to know if you can adjust the bass, tremble and balance via the remote control or not. Best regards, Giannis
I own a pair of Chario Lynx speakers paired with a Denon PMA-1500R. I bought the set in 2000 and still listen to it almost everyday. I've had the amp serviced in 2011 and still going strong. I love the combination and plenty of power. Apart from the DAC the design of the 1600NE looks almost identical.
Thanks from Germany. Your video is very informative. I'm currently considering different options at Denon. Is the A110 combination that much better, or is the 1600 combination enough? Or maybe something in between? 2500 NE A difficult question and in Germany no chance to hear everything in your own house. Unless you buy everything.
I would say it comes down to the rest of your system. Both the A110 and 1600NE are excellent performers. I unfortunately have no real experience with the 2500NE.
I always wondered about this one, there are only a few reviews I'd seen and the the biggest issue mentioned was the onboard DAC. So I guess the A110 DAC is is good to go, but this one's might be an issue with some people. Do you use the KEFs and the Lores? (or did you not have the lores?)
A premium volume knob "and the way it moves and the way you turn the knob... something I am really suprised to get at this pricepoint" Remember, 1600$ ...... lol
May I ask a question please. Even though this has bass and treble controls I still likely will need to use an external equaliser to accomodate my hearing issues. I see the amp has a recorder out, is this a pre out? If so would I be able to use that recorder out into an equaliser such as my old Technics or a modern Schitt EQ then the signal back into one of the analogue inputs. Just one other question. Can the analogue input named Phono be used for any type of analogue device or is it specifically a phono stage input? Many thanks.
Really like the sound of Denon products for my theater system. However after owning 3 Denon amps and my Dad owning one... all 4 died in less than 2-4 years of service. I have an 20+ year old Marantz SR-27 which now has garage duties which won’t die even though it sits in a freezing cold to hot and humid weather.
Yours are too new. I am still running a 38 year old Denon PMA 750, 80/channel, the only thing I have ever done to it was "Deoxit." The Volume gets scratchy, one channel would go out but Dexoit was all it needed. The biggest problem was getting my wife to agree to let me buy a Naim Nait XS-3 because my old Denon still worked. It's in the office now.
Nice review. I almost bought that amp because it’s made in Japan and beat all it’s competitors in a Hi Fi Choice comparison. I went with the PMA a100 and DCD a100 used instead which both have that killer remote. I’m using a Doge 10 right now and it sounds gorgeous but I’m keeping the Denon. Hard to beat the convenience of one remote though and not having to turn if off so the tubes don’t age unnecessarily. I used to enjoy putting an album on low volume and falling asleep. I miss that. Tubes do have their benefits. You made a great choice though.
I have a Denon amp and cd player from 1998 and now the amp is starting to show its age in the form of channel imbalance and intermittent sound. These were the cheapest stuff as well. All electronic equipment requires maintenance at some point. Solder joints become brittle and break off, electrolytic caps age and dry, etc. Sadly many are thrown away, when they could still be fixed by replacing some cheap part. I don´t know if that was the case with your units, but them dying in 4 years sounds a bit short for a life span. Makes me sad.
@@meomarte Even though it seems from my comment that I don’t like Denon. I actually am a big fan especially considering I was willing to buy 3 Denon amps and recommended my Dad to buy Denon. One of my favorite pieces is a Denon DN-790R three head pro cassette deck with Dolby S and XLR i/o. A rare 20-20khz / 90db cassette deck. I owned it for years and it performed amazingly. Unfortunately in my divorce my ex had a garage sale and it sold for peanuts. Now on eBay it’s $650+ used. Sigh.
I sold my hegel and musical fidelity m6si and now im using pma 2020ae and im blown away by it sound and build quality much much better than m6si. But its really hard to find on my country.
@@tonyexpert9386 it’s all about pairing. This sounds better with my bright sounding totems but my Hegel sounds much better with my ohm walsh. If you have bright speakers, this will help balance them out. I find my Hegel h160 to have better nuance and timing.
I have doubt between this one PMA1600 and Cambridge CXA81.Im going to connect one of them with JAMO C97II. Now my question is wich one is beter and why. Thanks
thank you for the review, can you please explain, if you connected the Sub to "B" speaker posts, then on the Denon do you have to activate any button to engage the signal flow to the Sub? just confused how does it work? sine the "B" speaker posts are for Bi-Amping?
I also have r100s. I like them but they don't get quite as loud as I'd like. I have a Musical Fidelity m2si and could use a little more oomph. Would the Denon have noticeably more power?
I bought the PMA1600NE and the matching cd player. The cd player wouldnt eject a cd and I got so pissed I returned the cd player and bought a MF player. Being a lunatic i wanted the amp to match so i got the MF M3SI. i hated that combo! I went back to my PMA1600NE and bought another DCD1600NECD. The combo blows away MF gear.
Hi! Thank you for the review! I just bought a pair of Monitor Audio Silver 200 and I’m not sure which amp will get the most out of them. I can have a brand new Rega Elex-R at €780 and I was wondering if the Denon will beat this one. I can have the Denon for €1330. Both on sales. But still the Denon will be a problem for me right mow in terms of budget. Is there such a WOW difference between them? I have to mention that right now I have an older Harman HK6500. I use the Node 2i with Tidal Master as a streamer (it has quite a good DAC) and the Rega Planar 1. Thank you so much!
@@anmic3590 you will not believe it, but I have monitor audio silver, rega elex r, denon pma1600ne and the rega p1! Denon sounds smoother, rega sounds more energetic. For me, the denon sounds better with monitor audios because it it nice with their tweeter and I dont often sit in the perfect position to listen. It has a nicer balance. But the rega is more audiophile and has better imaging. The denon features make the denon the winner for me between the 2. But if I fast forward 5 or 10 years, then maybe the rega might be better because its simple to service.
@@georgesmith5598 hi! Thank you so much for your message. In the end I went with the elex-r. Couldn’t test any of them, but for me, having already the bluesound node 2i with an internal dac that sounds very good for me, not looking for movies, but only music and, of course, taking in consideration the available budget, the elex-r came as the best option. May I ask you what are the features that you use the most with Denon? Maybe I will get a chance one day to demo the denon as well so that I can tell the difference. Indeed, the elex-r is dynamic and audiophile and sounds great especially with acoustic and not so busy tracks. What I’m lacking is the bass, but I have a very large room so probably when the time will come I will upgrade to bigger cabinets. I heard many good things about the Kef R11. By the way, a very good audiophile that I enjoy a lot is Jon Gomm - Passionflower. I really recommend it. Thank you once again for your input. Blessed Holidays!
@@anmic3590 great choice for sure. It will last you forever. I live very close to the Rega factory actually. With the Denon I use the DAC and I really like the auto stand by and standby on the remote. It’s very convenient as I use in my living room with TV. Your room must be huge. Perhaps you can look at a bigger box speaker in the future but keep to something efficient. I’ve heard the Elex R works well with the Wharfedale Linton and I think those guys have a big sound! Merry Christmas to you !
@@georgesmith5598 Thank you so much for your wishes! The same for you and your loved ones! I will look into those speakers as well! Let’s see what the 2022 will bring! Enjoy your holidays!
good review, I think the word that u want to use to describe the sound is euphonic rather than euphoric. Euphoric is how u feel when your amplifier displays euphonic qualities. Your comment about the tone defeat puzzled me as you mentioned that using it would prevent accidents in not having things set to neutral. That is true, but the point of the tone defeat switch is so that the audio signal does not go through the tone controls and thus provides a more pure listening experience. Btw, I own this amp,, and I can not say enough good things about it. It certainly has enough power to drive any speakers that I can think of, and about the remote control- it works, so who cares? If it matters to anyone what the remote is like on this type of amp then I would have to think that they are young and inexperienced in the audio world and that they like gadgets more than audio, that's why it was nice that u didn't spend much time on that.
Absolutely agreed. It's one of those things I "brain-farted" when filming. I only mentioned the remote as I was nitpicking when comparing it to the A110.
@@ThujanK I love your honesty. So many people would rather run a few more lines of BS than admit that they made a simple mistake that anyone could have made.
Hey Thujan! How’re you doing? Congrats with the right amp for r100s! Raggy really can be bright with Kefs. With bad recordings in particular. Have you bought the Gumby back?)