Denon Design Series: proper hi-fi that’s also utterly gorgeous

Want fantastic hi-fi sound? Good news: you no longer need to donate a third of your living room to monolithic hi-fi components.

You can now get real hi-fi performance from compact kit that actually enhances the look of your lounge. Rather than demanding sacrifices, Denon’s new Design Series is built to fit into your life, both from an aesthetic and technological point of view – and because it says Denon on the front, you can be sure of its audio pedigree.

Denon’s Design Series hi-fi components look fresh – they’re small, beautifully made, great to look at (in their gloss black and silver finish) and luxurious to the touch (matte aluminium all the way). And just as importantly, each component has been tuned to deliver class-leading performance.

There are three components in the range. Individually they’ll slot into any existing hi-fi set-up, or you can stick with two components and some speakers for a slimmed-down integrated system.

Let’s kick off with the DRA-100. This is an all-in-one micro system, and it’s ready to solve any of your digital music quandaries. Just add loudspeakers to liberate its 70w of digital amplification.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth let you hook up your smartphone, tablet or laptop for wireless streaming, and it’s fully au fait with Apple AirPlay and Spotify Connect, so you can play your favourite playlists and albums straight off the internet, controlling everything through your Android or iOS phone. It can also stream high quality 24-bit and DSD hi-res audio tracks, and with space to hook up a trio of wired inputs, there’s no need to leave your old hi-fi gear out of the party.

Pump up the volume

Next up is the PMA-50, a stereo amp that marries high-end hi-fi components with next-gen connectivity. In addition to its Class D amplifier, which offers far lower distortion than competing designs, it can play back hi-res music files and has aptX Bluetooth for seamless smartphone streaming – in CD quality, no less.

Whether you serve up tunes via one of the PMA-50’s three digital inputs, computer-friendly USB or wirelessly from a portable device, its 100-watt output will deliver a belting performance. And if you’re still craving more bass, there’s space to hook up a subwoofer too.

The DCD-50 CD player is Bonnie to the PMA-50’s Clyde. Capable of dealing with CD-stored digital tracks as well as common or garden audio CDs, this sleek slot-loading player can work both vertically and horizontally. Pair it with the PMA-50 to deliver full digital signal processing and ultimate clarity – but it’ll also fit into any hi-fi system where, thanks to its high-end DAC and stereo RCA outputs, it can boost the capability of the hi-fi kit you already own.

In short, Denon’s Design Series allows you to have your hi-fi cake and eat it. Chic design, sound quality and intuitive, bleeding-edge functionality – it’s everything you expect from Denon.

StuffTV