Denon D-M51DVS DVD Executive Microsystem with Dolby Virtual Speaker – Customer Reviews
Strong Performer
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I have not owned a hi-fi system in a while.I have lived in apartments for years, and the thought of a subwoofer keeping my neighbors children awake all night seemed a little cruel.I now own a house, and wanted a real stereo to listen to.I almost built a component system from Adcom and Kef.That equipment is very expensive, and very good.After careful consideration, I realized what I wanted was something that was very accurate sounding, but unobtrusive.Small systems do not offer the fidelity of large systems; it is a simple matter of physics.I was either going to have a dinky little stereo or a real ground shaking hi-fi.After auditioning many high end components, I happened on this system.I did not expect much, but I knew Denon was a respected mid-high end manufacturer.I verified that I could bring this thing back if it sucked, and I took one home to try out.For less than the cost of an amplifier I had a complete system that even played DVD's on the TV.Once home I unpacked the boxes and inspected the system closely.The subwoofer is actually made of MDF, which is the speaker enclosure material of choice.The main speakers are diminutive, but they are an MTM configuration, and they are triangular shaped, just like the subwoofer to reduce standing wave interference.The sides and baffle of the enclosure are made of aluminum; the top and bottom are real wood.The receiver is equipped with a cooling fan, and the speaker connections on the receiver and the speakers are 5 way binding posts.Clearly, Denon wanted to give the impression of quality equipment.I hooked it all up and turned it on.I was not completely satisfied with the first listen.The bass was boomy, and the highs were shrill.This is pretty much what I expected from inexpensive Japanese stereo equipment.Still, I wanted to make sure before I took the time to box the little unit up to return it.I selected a radio station and let the stereo play all night, about 12 hours.The next morning I expected to get some breakfast on the way back from returning the Denon to the store.As it goes, I never had breakfast that day.I again tried out a CD, and I could not believe my ears.Coming from this tiny little jewel box was MUSIC.Not the sounds of electronic equipment, but honest-to-goodness music.I tried some more challenging CD's and the same result.I tried some poorly recorded CD's and the system did the best it could with it.I tried the volume at ridiculously high levels, my neighbors said it sounded good, now turn it down.I could not get over how musical the stereo sounded.It does not have the sound stage of a large system, but the accuracy is there to please a very picky listener.The more I find out about this system, the more I like it.The virtual surround system is pretty neat, it works with movies, but it can make music a little weird, so I only use it for DVD's.I can not say enough about the sound of this stereo.It allowed me to enjoy listening to music, it kept my wife from killing me, and it kept several thousand dollars in my bank account.It performs well above my expectations, thus the 5 star rating.If you get one, let it play all night before you decide if you are going to keep it.It is worth the wait!
10/14/2005 12:00 AM | Rating:
Quality sound from a small system
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Japanese have been accused of selling hifi to the eyes and not to the ears - making them look nice, but not offering quality sound - since most people can't tell any way.This is not the case here - it looks sophisticated, and sounds good too.
You don't get the ear fatiguing entry level sound, but a good mid-fi sound for so little money, that does dvd too!The sub adds a nice cushion to the sound, and looks like an item from a James Bond movie - what a sophisticated world class criminals with money to burn might have.
The sound is nice and soft, yet powerful enough to fill a room.It is a cut above all in one plastic system for sure.In fact, it is the best sounding exec system I heard so far from Japan.They are now offering quality for less, with a sexy look as well.
You won't be disappointed - for less than half a grand, you can't get much better than this - with all it does.
I gave 4 stars instead of 5, since the sound is not quite hifi - not transparent - but quite enjoyable, really.It won't replace a true hifi system from a specialty shop, but this is among the best offered in consumer oriented products.
If you are not happy with this, you are looking at putting in major bucks to satisfy your hifi ambition.You might want to visit www.audiogon.com or www.ecoustics.com for more info on hifi.www.hifichoice.co.uk is another good one for professional reviews.
Getting back to the Denon, they have really done a good job of producing a beautiful looking system to obsess over - and it's performance matches the looks.4/21/2005 12:00 AM | Rating:
