World Premiere Review of the $2200 Densen Integrated Amp:

[Andre Marc]

My World Premiere Review of the $2200 Densen Integrated Amp:

http://servingthemusic.com/2013/04/15/world-premiere-review-the-densen-b-110-ingerated-amplifier/

 

[mep]

Andre-I read the review which is really a capsule review more than a full review. There isn't one mention of what music you listened to during the review and how it fared. You just made some general comments and is clear you were impressed with it. There just isn't much there to sink your teeth into.

 

[Andre Marc]

Andre-I read the review which is really a capsule review more than a full review. There isn't one mention of what music you listened to during the review and how it fared. You just made some general comments and is clear you were impressed with it. There just isn't much there to sink your teeth into.

Mep, you are a hard man to please. In speaking to my good friend Jeff Dorgay of Tone Audio, he
commented that some of my hardware reviews were a bit like mini record reviews...(too many musical
references), so I purposely, a la Dick Olsher and ACH wanted to do a review with no musical references.

I also think you expect too much in general. The review should be a starting point, then the work really starts
if you are really in the market. I have never used reviews for anything but a reference. Nothing in my system save
for a few no brainer accessories haa been purchased without in home auditions and calls to the manufacturer to fill
in any blanks.

 

[mep]

Maybe I am hard to please, but I'm honest. I guess I'm just used to reading reviews where the reviewer takes you on a musical journey during the process where they tell you what music they listened to and what they heard while listening to the component under review. I thought the review was extremely short which is why I said it was more of a capsule review than a full review. There were some bones there, just not much meat on them. And I'm not trying to be harsh-again, I'm telling you my true feelings. If you write a review and post a link to it, I expect that you expect some comments on your review. If all you expect in return is for people to pat you on the back and tell you what a great job you did, you won't find that from me unless that is what I truly believe.

And look, I'm not a reviewer, don't claim to be a reviewer, and I don't think it's easy to be a reviewer. I actually thought long and hard about it, but I don't think I want to be constantly tearing my reference system down and inserting new gear and possibly taking my sound backwards in the process. The gig doesn't pay that much. I guess the biggest payoff is being able to buy gear at accommodation prices, but you still have to tear your reference system down in order to listen to the endless parade of gear that you have to review.

But back to my main point: read the review of the ARC 75 in the latest version of Stereophile and that is a review that has lots of meat on the bones. Your review suffers from anorexia by comparison. I could churn out cotton candy reviews that are no more than a page and a half long in my sleep. You spent more time/words talking about the volume control and how the amp was made than you did telling us about its features and how it sounds. How many inputs and outputs does this amp have? How many (if any) are balanced? I don't have a clue from your review. And if thought you were clueless in Seattle, I wouldn't even bother to offer you constructive criticism. I know you can do better.

 

[microstrip]

Just to point that I can not understand all this hype about the volume control. Taken from the conrad johnson site:

" Premier Fourteen Remote Controlled Line-Stage Vacuum Tube Pre-Amplifier : Introduced in December 1995

The Premier Fourteen was the first preamp in the conrad johnson Premier product line to offer remote control. The Premier Fourteen introduced conrad-johnson¹s innovative volume control employing a micro-processor to select combinations from an array of metal-foil resistors (Vishay) using relays. This produces a stepped attenuator with 100 steps in approximately .7 dB increments. By controlling the two channels independently, balance can also be adjusted in 0.7 dB steps. Only the highest quality resistors are introduced into the signal path by the level control, resulting in a noticeable improvement in sound quality. " (I added the italics).

The critical aspect of this implementation is the quality of the relays - it would be nice to know about it. It is good to have this system in a product in this price range, but it is an old technique.

 

[Andre Marc]

Maybe I am hard to please, but I'm honest. I guess I'm just used to reading reviews where the reviewer takes you on a musical journey during the process where they tell you what music they listened to and what they heard while listening to the component under review. I thought the review was extremely short which is why I said it was more of a capsule review than a full review. There were some bones there, just not much meat on them. And I'm not trying to be harsh-again, I'm telling you my true feelings. If you write a review and post a link to it, I expect that you expect some comments on your review. If all you expect in return is for people to pat you on the back and tell you what a great job you did, you won't find that from me unless that is what I truly believe.

And look, I'm not a reviewer, don't claim to be a reviewer, and I don't think it's easy to be a reviewer. I actually thought long and hard about it, but I don't think I want to be constantly tearing my reference system down and inserting new gear and possibly taking my sound backwards in the process. The gig doesn't pay that much. I guess the biggest payoff is being able to buy gear at accommodation prices, but you still have to tear your reference system down in order to listen to the endless parade of gear that you have to review.

But back to my main point: read the review of the ARC 75 in the latest version of Stereophile and that is a review that has lots of meat on the bones. Your review suffers from anorexia by comparison. I could churn out cotton candy reviews that are no more than a page and a half long in my sleep. You spent more time/words talking about the volume control and how the amp was made than you did telling us about its features and how it sounds. How many inputs and outputs does this amp have? How many (if any) are balanced? I don't have a clue from your review. And if thought you were clueless in Seattle, I wouldn't even bother to offer you constructive criticism. I know you can do better.

I absolutely welcome comments, good and bad. Otherwise I would not post my reviews. I've gotta pretty thick skin.

But to be honest, I, and other posters here see you as a black cloud. You rarely have anything good stay about anything. So I take your comments in that context.

As to your points, your entitled to your opinion. No issues there. There are two links to two other Densen reviews that go into pretty decent detail. I make it clear that the B-110 is cut from the same cloth.

FYI..Alan Sircom's wonderful review of the flagship Densen B-175 integrated in HiFi+ was just as brief and to the point.

As to the volume control, this is one of the BIGGEST areas of compromise, distortion, and destroyer of transparency if not done right. Having spoken to a hundred A list integrated amplifier and preamp designers, this is what they want to talk about the most.

 

[Andre Marc]

Just to point that I can not understand all this hype about the volume control. Taken from the conrad johnson site:

" Premier Fourteen Remote Controlled Line-Stage Vacuum Tube Pre-Amplifier : Introduced in December 1995

The Premier Fourteen was the first preamp in the conrad johnson Premier product line to offer remote control. The Premier Fourteen introduced conrad-johnson¹s innovative volume control employing a micro-processor to select combinations from an array of metal-foil resistors (Vishay) using relays. This produces a stepped attenuator with 100 steps in approximately .7 dB increments. By controlling the two channels independently, balance can also be adjusted in 0.7 dB steps. Only the highest quality resistors are introduced into the signal path by the level control, resulting in a noticeable improvement in sound quality. " (I added the italics).

The critical aspect of this implementation is the quality of the relays - it would be nice to know about it. It is good to have this system in a product in this price range, but it is an old technique.

Volume control implementation has a MASSIVE impact on sound quality. Maybe some of our esteemed manufacturers can chime in.

 

[mep]

So you and everyone else on this forum see me as a black cloud? Really? I rarely have anything good to say about anything? Really? I guess you really do just want people to blow smoke up your butt. I won't comment on any more of your reviews Andre.

 

[mep]

Volume control implementation has a MASSIVE impact on sound quality. Maybe some of our esteemed manufacturers can chime in.

Nobody said it didn't. Francisco just commented on your review to let you know this type of implementation is not something new.

 

[Andre Marc]

So you and everyone else on this forum see me as a black cloud? Really? I rarely have anything good to say about anything? Really? I guess you really do just want people to blow smoke up your butt. I won't comment on any more of your reviews Andre.

Yes, rarely anything with even an iota of positivism about any topic.

Yes, please don't. The funny thing, based on your system, I know you would have zero interest in a lowly $2200 integrated amp.

 

[Andre Marc]

Nobody said it didn't. Francisco just commented on your review to let you know this type of implementation is not something new.

Understood. But 200 volume steps is rather rare. I happen to be personally a fanatic about volume steps.
For me it really adds to the enjoyment of the listening session if I can get the volume precisely where I want it
for every album.

 

[mep]

Yes, rarely anything with even an iota of positivism about any topic.

To make a statement like that, you obviously haven't read many of the threads I have started or other threads I have commented on. I'm done with you now.

 

[Andre Marc]

To make a statement like that, you obviously haven't read many of the threads I have started or other threads I have commented on. I'm done with you now.

Thank God!!!

 

[NorthStar]

---- ---------------------------------------------- ... Just had to, too funny!

 

[Andre Marc]

---- View attachment 9228 ---------------------------------------------- ... Just had to, too funny!

LOL. At least it was not some "let's all just get along" ****...

 

[microstrip]

I will not comment on this review, but considering that Densen had a matching CD player I would like to present my point on this type of integrated amplifiers.

I have found that usually using the matching CD player from the same manufacturer with the integrated we can get a system that surpasses the quality of the pieces taken individually. The synergy that both pieces designed to operate together can achieve is a great capital gain in this class of prices. IMHO making separate reviews is not the best way of doing justice to them.

My opinion is supported by listening to several systems in my room - Krell S300i + S350, Bow Wazzoo + Wizzard, Audio Analogue Verdi + Puccinni , Thule (... + ..., sorry do not remember the references). And always I found that if I was free to change cables or speakers the best approach was using the ensemble. (Yes, I change my wife's office audio system from time to time ... )

Others will think differently, but my point is that reviewers are at most emitting opinions about systems, and readers often forget it.

 

[Andre Marc]

I will not comment on this review, but considering that Densen had a matching CD player I would like to present my point on this type of integrated amplifiers.

I have found that usually using the matching CD player from the same manufacturer with the integrated we can get a system that surpasses the quality of the pieces taken individually. The synergy that both pieces designed to operate together can achieve is a great capital gain in this class of prices. IMHO making separate reviews is not the best way of doing justice to them.

My opinion is supported by listening to several systems in my room - Krell S300i + S350, Bow Wazzoo + Wizzard, Audio Analogue Verdi + Puccinni , Thule (... + ..., sorry do not remember the references). And always I found that if I was free to change cables or speakers the best approach was using the ensemble. (Yes, I change my wife's office audio system from time to time ... )

Others will think differently, but my point is that reviewers are at most emitting opinions about systems, and readers often forget it.

microstrip..excellent point.

I have reviewed such matched components..(integrated and CD player) from Unison Research, Bryston, Marantz, Onkyo, and a bunch more.

In the case of the Densen, the importer simply does not have the "matching" B-410 CD player in stock. He does have the flagship.

It would have been nice to match the B-110 with the B-410.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Good to see integrateds getting good press.

Tim

 

[Andre Marc]

Good to see integrateds getting good press.

Tim

Thanks Tim.

 

[NorthStar]

It's the effort that counts; thx Andre.