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Amp/Preamp Asylum: REVIEW: Denon PMA-2000 R Integrated Amplifier (SS) by MarkgM

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REVIEW: Denon PMA-2000 R Integrated Amplifier (SS)

68.157.40.76


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Model: PMA-2000 R
Category: Integrated Amplifier (SS)
Suggested Retail Price: $1000
Description: Integrated Amp
Manufacturer URL: Denon
Model Picture: View

Review by MarkgM ( A ) on November 05, 2003 at 22:20:12
IP Address: 68.157.40.76
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for the PMA-2000 R


PMA-2000 IV R product sheet

I have owned this amp for the past 3 years, and have listened primarily to an Odyssey Stratos with a Norh ACA preamp for the past 18 months. I've recently downgraded by selling off the Odyssey and Norh for funds, falling back on the Denon.

The PMA-2000 R is a previous generation of what is now offered; the PMA-2000 IV R, I presume the fourth generation of the model. The R in the model also stands for Remote. This model is replaced by the current generation, which in response to popular demand now has features that the 2000R does not, and one or two other parts upgrades. The 2000 IV R has the ability to use this amp with a different pre-amp, and it can also act as an A/V bypass, using this amp for two channels of a multi-channel home theater system.

I felt like this amp was good enough, or I certainly like it enough, to add the model to the database and give it a proper review. I have many comparative statements to make against the venerable Odyssey Stratos (w/cap upgrade).

In performance, the Odyssey excels quite a bit beyond the Denon. The Stratos has considerably more speed and control. The damping factor must in actuality be quite high, especially for it's price range. In the bottom octave, the Stratos delivers tightly and with control unlike any amplifier I have had these speakers hooked up to, including; the Rotel RB 1090, the Bryston 4B ST, a $3200 Proceed, a 200 watt Rotel, and a Sunfire multi-channel amp and an old Heathkit amp. It appears to deliver flatly throughout the audible range, and it keeps my 8" drivers linear to their maximum travel, where the peaks are some 20 db beyond the 1 watt rating.

But where I would describe the sound of the Stratos as refined, I would describe the sound of the Denon as liquid, musical, and moreso immediate and emotionally involving. Compared to the Denon, the Stratos can sound laid back.

Tonally, I like both of these amps as being quite neutral sounding. I also felt the Rotel amps to be quite neutral in tone, very much to my liking there. (And the Bryston a bit clinical - by the terminology of some a tad bright, and the Proceed nicely musical but a little too dark) The Denon was a bit boomy in the bass and slightly more forgiving in the treble as compared to the Stratos. But also please note, most amplifiers are a little boomy in the bass compared to the Stratos - it's quite remarkable there. My speakers also have a bit of a brightness about themselves, it appears by in-room measurements that there is a hump in the treble between 5K and 7K. It doesn't show up on many recordings, but on others it certainly does, and the Odyssey is quite unforgiving on this. Meanwhile, as I say, the Denon is easier to listen to when this is happening.

So perhaps it is sluffing off on the frequency extremes? Perhaps it is a little slower, and that gives it the enjoyable sound it produces? I don't know if these things are mutually exclusive! Well, I certainly hope not, because I will be curious about someday combining the vitures possessed by each.

The Denon is rated at 80 watts per channel, but it did, as I recall, readily blow by a 125 watt NAD C370 with its dynamicism I had A/B'ed it against back in 2000 about the time of buying the Denon. The Denon does seems quite powerful for its rating, no doubt attributable to its solid, 45 pound high-current construction, but the 150 watt Odyssey with its great speed also gives me more. After that, I don't know how to test for more power, my drivers don't go any farther ;-)

I also have a pair of North Creek Borealis speakers, and I find them easier to drive, and easier to control. This 80 watt amp will drive those to their full output, as it also will these Fuseliers, but well controling the drivers at high volumes simply needs more than what the Denon can umtimately deliver. Even so, it still sounds quite nice when producing 20 db more than the 1 watt rating, in either case. Actually, it is heavy bass demands that can show where control of the drivers starts to fail.

This amp is really quite enjoyable, and I think it very pleasing to be able to fall back on it in my present financial times. It images very well and has a very good 3-dimensional soundstage, but it will not show the same degree of consistency as the compared separates, and I mostly notice this on very low volumes.

On the amount of detail being captured, I have mixed feelings. The more refined sound of the Odyssey simply sounds more consistent in it's ability to deliver equally the lows, mids, and highs simultaneously, but the Denon has comparable delivery of slight details. I think it's more likely for the Denon to dip a bit here while delivering there when compared to the Odyssey/Norh separates.

Wow, I've ramblied on so much! I should stop. In conclusion, I think the Denon amp is true blue audiophile gear, it should be measured against equipment costing as much if not more. And take great heed in the following warning: it can be quite horrible out of the box, and it has to have 100 hours of break-in and it will change radically during that period. After that, I noticed it appeared to fully mature in its 3-d imaging and liquidity after a good 6 to 8 months of use.


Product Weakness: see review
Product Strengths: see review


Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: Odyssey Stratos
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Norh ACA 1
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Meridian 500/566, Dual TT
Speakers: Fuseliers, 87db, Borealis 85 db
Cables/Interconnects: Transparent
Music Used (Genre/Selections): various
Room Size (LxWxH): 15 x 12 x 8
Time Period/Length of Audition: 3 years
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): none
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




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Topic - REVIEW: Denon PMA-2000 R Integrated Amplifier (SS) - MarkgM 22:20:12 11/5/03 ( 9)