Denon AVR-1610

The AVR-1610 is an audio/video surround-sound receiver amplifier manufactured by the Denon Corporation, in China. It is a 5.1-channel system, and all the channels are rated 75-watts (8 Ω, 20 Hz to 20 kHz, 0.08 % THD.) It also has a subwoofer connection, for connecting a powered sub-woofer loudspeaker. Its dimensions are 434 mm × 171 mm × 378 mm, and weight 9.2 kg. It has some useful functions such as the Dolby Pro Logic IIz processing which provides height dimension to the sound, however you will need active loudspeakers or perhaps another amplifier. There is also an analogue to HDMI up-converter, which converts composite and s-video signals to digital. The remote control it requires is RC-1120.

One great feature is that it can automatically configure the surround sound system by way of an external microphone. The Audyssey MultiEQ measures the acoustic characteristic of the room for the best equalization. On the downside there is no RIAA phono inputs for a record player or turntable, and no BlueTooth. For me, BlueTooth is not so important, but for once I would love to see a surround sound system that can also decode legacy systems such as quadraphonic SQ. Otherwise, you can always build your own quadraphonic decoder as I did.

For connectivity, it requires an optional ASD-11R dock, which would allow one to connect an iPod. This is not much use for me, however if they made a dock for connecting a Samsung Smartphone, then there would be many more customers buying that! However, one intriguing technology this amplifier has is the compressed audio restorer to enhance digital music files. This could be useful to almost everyone who has music stored in MP3 files.

Review

The build quality is excellent with robust bridge rectifiers and voltage regulators and extremely good heat sinking. The printed circuit board and components are all high specification and mounted onto a sturdy chassis. I will not be surprised if these amplifiers are still around decades later. The technology employed in the power amplifier section is first-class also, and consequently it sounds as well as it looks. Consequently, you do not need me to tell you how smooth and velvety the sound is, because you can see the inside electronic engineering for yourself in the photographs of this multi-page article.

This amplifier consumes 0.3-watts of power in standby mode. With the high cost of electricity, it is good to see manufacturers place a physical switch on the front-panel so you can completely switch OFF the amplifier.

The power output stage consists of a complementary pair of silicon transistors in a push-pull arrangement between split-rail power supplies. Here, they use the 2SD2390 (NPN) and its complementary 2SB1560 (PNP), manufactured by the Sanken Corporation of Japan. These are extremely robust Darlington transistors with maximum collector rating (Ic) of 10 A. What makes them sound great is the intelligent driver circuitry and in this design they are able to achieve 0.08 % THD, which is very respectable.

Price/eBay

These amplifiers are usually for sale on eBay and the cost can vary depending upon condition. A unit in good working order with the remote would be worth around fifty pounds or more. However a unit in mint condition together with its original box, manuals, and remote control would cost well over a hundred pounds. It is popular for good reasons, which are sound quality, functionality, and build quality. If you get a pre-used one, then make sure it comes with a remote control because these are expensive to buy separately, and many of the functions are available only through the remote. Before you rush off to eBay to grab a bargain, be sure to view all the pages of this multi-page article where I show the insides of one that I bought cheaply for repair purposes.

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