Denon AVP-A1HD - Page 15

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plenty of output capability as evident by the
following measurements all taken @ < 0.1%
THD +N:
Balanced:
Vmax out = 14Vrms
Vmax In = 15.5Vrms
Ubalanced:
Vmax out = 7.2V (3.8Vrms was the
limit on the AVR-5308CI)
Vmax in = 8V
Though this is more than enough output
to drive any power amplifier to maximum
capability(THXampsrequireabout2Vrms
to reach full power) the gain is structured
a bit low requiring the input signal to be
larger than normal to reach high output
levels. This explains why I always had to peg
the volume near max on low compression
sources. I personally wished Denon
would have followed a more common gain
structure in this processor like I’ve seen on
other A/V products as follows:
Unbalanced:Av=17dB
Balanced: AV = 23dB (6 dB higher than
unbalanced)
SNR
With 200mVin and 1Vout, SNR = 95dB
(unweighted) in pure direct mode. This is an
excellent measurement, and with its ample
drive capability proves the AVP-A1HDCI
is a top notch preamplifier that will satisfy
even the most critical audiophile.
Crosstalk
Running a full range frequency sweep from
the preamp, it displayed superb crosstalk
measurements between the front left and
right channels of over 108dB @ 1kHz with
a slight rise with increasing frequency due to
capacitive coupling and actually no increase
at low frequencies indicating no magnetic
coupling was present. The separated power
supplies Denon boasts in this design truly
show off their benefit via this measurement
as evident when I measured about 20dB
worse crosstalk on the AVR-5308CI under
similar test conditions. I did note that when
I engaged the bass management circuitry,
the crosstalk measurement level went up
about 10dB which is likely because of the
added trace paths and associated circuitry
but at these low levels it’s more academic
than a concern of audibility.
Measurement Wrap Up
Every measurement I made of the AVP-
A1HDCI was benchmark. This processor
has one of the cleanest preamp sections
I've seen and certainly has a top notch DAC
section that few products regardless of price
can compete with. Whether you're listening
to redbook CD's, DVD-A, SACD or the
latest hidef formats such as Dolby TrueHD
and DTS HD, you can be assured that the
AVP-A1HDCI will process those formats
with the highest resolution possible.
Recommendations
This processor is not a product for a
neophyte. It has nearly infinite configuration
options to dial in optimal picture and sound
quality that is best setup by a qualified
installer or experienced home theater
aficionado. While most home theater fans
can run through the motions following
the sub par users manual, you will want
someone who can spend the time to install
it properly that can really eek out all of the
performance capabilities this system has
to offer. The POA-A1HDCI amplifier is a
good compliment to this processor since
they aesthetically match each other and
Denon AVP-A1HDCI Crosstalk Measurement at Full Rated Power vs Frequency