D
enon has achieved a strong rep
in the ongoing wrestling match
that’s been the A/V receiver
market for the past several
years. And it has done this by delivering
a steady stream of fine-performing prod-
ucts, mostly at rational prices. The latest
Denon recipe from this pressure cooker is
the AVR-989, which manages to pile on
functions and features while coming it at
just $200 over the magical $1,000 price
point.
The AVR-989 eschews the fancy high-
def color graphical displays that a re
becoming common on receivers, content-
ing itself instead with a rather dated-look-
ing — but perfectly functional black-and-
white text menu system. It also omits the
home-network connectivity and media-
player functionality that is fast becoming
standard on up-market receivers.
What this new Denon does offer is the
full palette of Audyssey-licensed audio
processing. These include MultEQ XT
auto setup/room equalization; Dynamic
EQ, for massaging equalization and rel-
ative channel levels on the fly so that a
movie soundtrack will retain its integ-
rity when listened to at lower-t han-
reference-level settings; and Dynamic
Volume, a “smart leveler” that adapts
the receiver’s master-volume setting to
changes in the source or program signal
(including those damn infomercials).
SETUP
Audyssey’s MultEQ XT setup routine is
by now a familiar one: plug in the mike,
call up the Setup screen, and hit Go.
To perform the second step, you have to
invert the AVR-989’s remote and flip open
the bottom panel to reveal keys that are
mostly used for setup and tweaking. The
routine includes moving the included
mike to various positions (as many as
eight) within the listening area. Rinse
and repeat.
As usual, MultEQ XT’s results proved
reliable, with just about spot-on channel
levels and crossovers. The Denon adjusted
my dipole surrounds a dB or so too high,
but every robotic setter-upper I’ve used
does this. In truth, you almost always
have to tweak dipoles by ear anyway.
MUSIC & MOVIE PERFORMANCE
It didn’t take me long to confirm that the
AVR-989 maintains the Denon-receiver
tradition of excellent-quality amplifiers.
Its rated 115-watt (stereo) output proved
easily able to drive my medium-sensitivity
full-range front speakers to realistic lev-
els with truly elevated sound quality,
eliciting the clarity, impact, and detail
of which I know they’re capable. Multi-
channel music was even better. The Dolby
TrueHD soundtrack on the Dave Matthews
and Tim Reynolds Live at Radio City Blu-
ray Disc is a magnificent surround pro-
duction. Just listening to the opening
crowd noise and then the open-tuned
drone introducing “Bartender” offered
enough proof that the Denon was more
than capable of reproducing this produc-
tion’s spatial and tonal richness.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoe-
nix has a world-class soundtrack, and the
Denon again handled the DVD’s wide-
ranging demands, delivering pristine
music, dialogue, and effects with ease.
For example, the dense spatial activity in
the exam-room fireworks scene was won-
derfully represented, with outstanding
dynamic “pop” and transparency.
Denon uses Faroudja processing for the
AVR-989’s analog video paths, a reliable
solution that in this case delivers deinter-
lacing and rescaling of analog video up to
1080p format by way of the HDMI output.
As usual, this processor passed my eyes-
on tests without a hitch, delivering crisp,
full-resolution, artifact-free images.
On the other hand, the Denon will only
process analog video arriving at its com-
posite-, component-, or S-video jacks and
pass the upconverted signal out by way
of its HDMI output. HDMI sources, mean-
while, are switched by the receiver and
passed through untouched.
test reports
Daniel Kumin
GRAYSCALE
Before Calibration
PHOTOs BY TONY CORDOZA
–
+
Snapshot
Outstanding audio performance
outweighs basic onscreen displays
and limited video processing in
Denon’s newest receiver
Plus
:: Excellent overall audio performance
:: Good analog-video processing
:: Accurate auto-setup and calibration, and
useful room/speaker EQ correction
Minus
:: Onscreen graphics are a bit slow, and
aren’t available with all video signal
formats and inputs
:: Video scaling limited to analog video
inputs, with HDMI-only output
The Short Form
Price $1.199
AVR-989 A/V receiver
Denon
LOGO WITH BACKGROUND SCREEN
LOGO WITH
NO
BACKGROUND SCREEN
The Audyssey MultEQ XT room/speaker
correction worked just the same as I’d
found on previous versions. (Results will
vary enormously depending on the indi-
vidual room and setup.) In my system, this
made for slightly clearer center-channel
dialogue, tighter bass, and a smoother
sonic bubble with surround effects.
I was also impressed by the other two
Audyssey elements. Dynamic EQ, which
I’ve encountered before, was able to retain
musical bass, male-vocal character and
weight, and surround spaciousness even
at very low master-volume settings. And
it did so without once sounding heavy,
bassy, or ill balanced the way fixed “loud-
ness compensation” circuits so
often do.
Dynamic Volume, which is new
to me, might be an even more wel-
come feature since it effectively
leveled the volume from source
to source, channel to channel,
and — significantly — program to
commercial and back again. While
a bit less subtle than Dynamic EQ
(it’s an entirely different process),
this is an insignificant price to pay
to keep those supernaturally loud
Cockney pitchmen from shocking
you into buying some idiotically
useless item.
For movie playback, Dynamic
EQ kept an excellent semblance of
spatiality even at very low, late-
night-suitable volume levels. The
courtroom scene early in Order
of the Phoenix proved a fine dem-
onstration. When listened to at a
very soft level with Dynamic EQ
turned off, the reverberant ambience of
the chamber was effectively erased; with
it engaged, the space’s individual, echo-y
character was clearly restored.
ERGONOMICS
Oddly, the AVR-989’s onscreen displays
only worked when it was upconverting an
S- or composite-video source. (And there’s
a several-second delay while it re-syncs the
video each time you call up or release
the display.) It didn’t work with signals
passing through the component-video or
HDMI inputs, which is unfortunate since
the Denon’s displays offer easy access to
many valuable options and parameters.
They also provide a comprehen-
sive display that includes infor-
mation about the video- and
audio-signal format and the sur-
round mode, including dialogue-
normalization offsets for Dolby
Digital soundtracks.
The simplified, “everyday” top
side of Denon’s two-sided remote
is easy to use, and it might well
prove a great compromise solu-
tion for some folks. But power
users will find that the remote
has a few problems. If you want
to select among all 12 of t he
AV R-989 inputs (only six are
included on the remote’s front),
navigate menus (including the
oft-needed Parameters page), or
change surround modes, you
need to f lip the handset, open
the door, and access a set of
small, unlit keys. (And it’s par-
ticularly awkward for lefties.)
BOTTOM LINE
The AVR-989’s audio and video perfor-
mance is beyond reproach. That said, I
found its comparatively basic (and limited-
access) displays and its frankly confus-
ing video-processing limitations slightly
disappointing. And in our increasingly
networked home-entertainment era, the
absence of media-client functions prob-
ably qualifies for the same complaint.
Counterbalancing these is the Denon’s
powerful Audyssey processing, which,
along with its indisputable audio and
video chops, make it an excellent, afford-
able A/V receiver option.
S&V
:: 7 x 115 watts (1 or 2 channels driven)
:: (4) HDMI 1.3a inputs, (1) output
:: Upconverts component-, composite-, and
S-video signals to 1080p via HDMI
:: Decodes Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master
Audio, and multichannel SACD
:: Audyssey MultEQ XT auto-setup/
equalization with supplied microphone
:: Audyssey Dynamic EQ and Dynamic
Loudness level- and volume-correction
:: XM/Sirius satellite-radio-ready
:: iPod input and control via optional dock
:: Assignable front biamp or powered
Zone 2 amp channels
:: (3) Quick Select presets store source
and mode adjustments
:: IR in/out, 2x 12v trigger, RS-232
serial port
:: 17
1
⁄
8
x 6
7
⁄
8
x 10
3
⁄
8
in, 28
1
⁄
4
lb
USA.DENON.COM :: 201-762-6665
Key Features
72 JANUARY 2009 SOUND & VISION soundandvisionmag.com
SOUND &
VISION JANUARY 2009 73
MEASURED POWER OUTPUT
Test Bench
Rated power
per channel,
8 ohms
115 watts
112w
155w
130w
100w
1 Channel 2 Channels
5 Channels 7 Channels
Test Bench results for Denon’s AVR-989 were uniformly
excellent. Power was impressive, with the receiver easily
surpassing all of Denon’s 115-watt specifications for single
channels or pairs. Even with all seven channels driven simulta-
neously, it delivered 100 watts or better per channel, and also
supplied generous current increases into 4-ohm loads. Noise
and distortion were equally impressive, approaching or match-
ing theoretical minimums throughout. The Denon appears to
roll off ultrasonic frequencies at about 3 dB/octave beyond
50 kHz or so on both analog and digital inputs. This is sonically
unimportant (and probably even beneficial), and may well have
been a deliberate design decision. In short, the AVR-989 deliv-
ered very nearly faultless performance. —
D.K.
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