Anyone recognise this?

[seoirse2002]

A friend brought me this over last night...he says it came from Japan which is evident by the plug!...but its dual voltage so works a treat....This is a Denon PMA 890D...yes D! its got digital inputs for coax and optical and also a digital output....cant believe how good it sounds...its built like a tank....anyone know it? Heard of it? seen any reviews? Have a look please...
http://theartofsound.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=11083&d=1385380962

[istari_knight]

Not a model I'm familiar with but a few Japanese companies released integrated amps with digital inputs between '89-'92. Sony TA-FA630ESD, Technics SU-V90D to name a couple.

[Audio Al]

A friend brought me this over last night...he says it came from Japan which is evident by the plug!...but its dual voltage so works a treat....This is a Denon PMA 890D...yes D! its got digital inputs for coax and optical and also a digital output....cant believe how good it sounds...its built like a tank....anyone know it? Heard of it? seen any reviews? Have a look please...
http://theartofsound.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=11083&d=1385380962


:eyebrows::eyebrows:

[tommy6206]

Nice tidy looking amp

[istari_knight]

A Google search reveals that it uses a potted EI transformer [nice] with what looks to be separate windings for digital/analogue [nice] DAC/Preamp/Power amp sections are all shielded from each other [nice] the classic Denon power amp circuit they've used in nearly everything decent since the mid 80's with added extras as you go up the range like audiophile capacitors, added rail decoupling etc [nice.]

Its certainly not to be sniffed at & looks to be of similar quality to Sony ES models of the same time... http://audio-database.com/DENON-COLUMBIA/amp/pma-890dg-e.html

[seoirse2002]

A Google search reveals that it uses a potted EI transformer [nice] with what looks to be separate windings for digital/analogue [nice] DAC/Preamp/Power amp sections are all shielded from each other [nice] the classic Denon power amp circuit they've used in nearly everything decent since the mid 80's with added extras as you go up the range like audiophile capacitors, added rail decoupling etc [nice.]

Its certainly not to be sniffed at & looks to be of similar quality to Sony ES models of the same time... http://audio-database.com/DENON-COLUMBIA/amp/pma-890dg-e.html

Thanks for that James...Ive emailed Denon support about it today looking for a user guide and specs...very quickly got an email back from them telling me the only info they have on this amp is all in Japanese!!!
I have of course emailed them back and asked for it as Im sure I can do a translate job on it via google...

I just wish I knew more about it....it sounds so good...Im going to run the SBT through it later via coax...can anyone tell me about the sampling frequencies on the front?....are those good?

[walpurgis]

Don't know that one, but Denon have been turning out good sounding amps for generations. Anybody remember the PMA-850?

[The Barbarian]

My fave 1960's jobbie has to be the Denon/Columbia 'DM-101' amplifier. as for 1970's the 'PMA-700Z' Amp please..

[Martyn Miles]

What is an SBT ?

[Yomanze]

Wow looks like some serious amp! Enjoy, what's the DAC in it like?

[The Grand Wazoo]

SBT = Squeezebox Touch

[walpurgis]

What is an SBT ?

Dunno. Is it as bad as an SBD?

[Roy S]

Dunno. Is it as bad as an SBD?

Is that aka a 'Carpet Slipper' Geoff? :eyebrows:

[seoirse2002]

A Google search reveals that it uses a potted EI transformer [nice] with what looks to be separate windings for digital/analogue [nice] DAC/Preamp/Power amp sections are all shielded from each other [nice] the classic Denon power amp circuit they've used in nearly everything decent since the mid 80's with added extras as you go up the range like audiophile capacitors, added rail decoupling etc [nice.]

Its certainly not to be sniffed at & looks to be of similar quality to Sony ES models of the same time... http://audio-database.com/DENON-COLU...a-890dg-e.html

More on the PMA 890D....Couple of days ago emailed Denon looking for a user manual and perhaps schematics and very quickly got a reply telling me they could only find the info I wanted in Japanese!! So it seems the Japs kept this one for themselves! .. I replied and said I would take the Japanese info they had,so with a couple of hour they've sent me 3 pdfs all in Japanese...good news is some of it is in English,but nothing I didn't already know...
As mentioned on here that it was similar in quality to the Sony ES amps,so I called a friend who has a Sony TA-F777ES and brought the Denon around for a comparison session....ermm...all I can say is that the Denon won hands down,we played cds with and without the Denon built in dac with his ES cd player,we played vinyl,we used the squeezebox,we even changed speakers!!
In the end,he said his amplifier needed to warm up for a good few hours to be at its best,and asked if I would leave the Denon with him so he can listen again when the Sony is warmed up properly....I cant say the difference was night and day,but he even said the Denon sounded better,going to bring my Beresford router around tomorrow and connect both up again for instant comparison,and maybe some wine too.

[istari_knight]

Nice one :thumbsup:

Do you mean the Sony TA-FA777ES ? If so that's a major win for the Denon considering it had an RRP of £550 vs the Sony's £1200 !

[seoirse2002]

Nice one :thumbsup:

Do you mean the Sony TA-FA777ES ? If so that's a major win for the Denon considering it had an RRP of £550 vs the Sony's £1200 !

OOOPS!! Got it wrong!! it was a 770 ES we were comparing the 890D to....he has a 777ES that we are going to have a listen to over the weekend when its "warmed " up

[istari_knight]

OOOPS!! Got it wrong!! it was a 770 ES we were comparing the 890D to....he has a 777ES that we are going to have a listen to over the weekend when its "warmed " up

Ah that makes more sense ! The 770ES sold for £600 & doesn't have an internal DAC which makes the Denon pretty good value if it sounds superior... Its no secret the Japanese keep the best for themselves.

[seoirse2002]

Ah that makes more sense ! The 770ES sold for £600 & doesn't have an internal DAC which makes the Denon pretty good value if it sounds superior... Its no secret the Japanese keep the best for themselves.

You can say that again, they sure did! We set up the Sony 770ES and the Denon PMA-590D using Stans audio router,that way we could switch between both amps and both sets of speakers, using a 4 into 2 set of phono cables we connected his turntable (acoustic research XA,with VMS30) into both amps,same with the SBT,and CD player...speakers were: Rogers LS-5
and LS-6a/2 both sets connected to the router. Poured a glass of red each and set down to listen...I know zilch about classical music, but the first LP was classical and he had the same on CD and flac on SBT. I have to say I also know nothing about listening tests, all I know is what I like,wherby my friend, who is a former studio engineer,knows his stuff,and soon I was having different instruments being pointed out,certain bass and treble,seperation,etc.in the music and after fifteen mins of "tutoring"
I knew what I was listening for, so that on the second round I began to hear stuff I didn't hear first time around...I began to be able to tell the difference between tt and cd which was actually very easy,but cd V sbt was much harder.Anyway,at first I couldn't really hear any difference between the Sony and the Denon when switching between them instantly with the router,but it was when we did the blind test...he stood in front of the router so I couldent see and switched it between amps a few times so I was totally confused and then asked me what amp was I listening to...I chose the Denon every time! and when it was his turn he did as well...and finally playing the SBT through the Denon via its digital input was a no brainer...
So,although the Sony 770ES is a great amp,the Denon 590D was a better and more enjoyable listen all round...it took a while to do all that,so we never got around to switching over to the 777ES, so we just sat back and enjoyed the rest of the evening....I have to say that that was the best part, as I didn't feel I was actually listening to the music while we were doing the tests...by the end of the evening though when we actually WERE listening to the music,he grudgingly confirmed that the Denon won the evening.....next weekend a rematch...this time Denon PMA-890D V Sony TA-FA777ES....more to come:cool:

[rikardo1979]

Another like this but in nice champagne/silver? colour with wooden sides shows up on eBay :) (http://goo.gl/wWkBQ4) asking price £995

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTE3MlgxNjAw/z/mrQAAOSwzgRWyHc8/$_57.JPG

[Audio Advent]

That Hifi-House seller often asks high prices (although on his auctions manages to get early bidders and bidding wars too - seems to attract that type of buyer and get's higher prices as a result).

Still he's had this one a while! In 2014 he was asking £1950 :rofl: ! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stunning-Denon-PMA-890DG-Integrated-Amplifier-Made-in-Japan-VERY-RARE-/121475960089

Meanwhile there's one for sale in turkey for £280: http://www.sahibinden.com/ilan/alisveris-ev-elektronigi-ses-sistemleri-denon-pma-890d-203210730/detay