Denon AVC A110 review and how it compares to the AVC 8500

It’s the 110th anniversary of Denon and Covid or not, Denon is determined to have a celebration. They have done so by releasing a series of products, including the AV amplifier the A110. Now depending on where you live, eg in the States, you get the AVR version, and in Europe as well as Asia Pacific, you get the AVC A110, which is the same unit sans the built in tuner.

For casual observers, it will bear an uncanny resemblance to their other flagship product, the AVC 8500H. Which I reviewed here:

(http://peteswrite.blogspot.com/2018/02/denon-avc-x8500h-review.html )

Which will remain in production and be upgraded to the HA designation, which means it will be equipped with the HDMI 2.1 board.

So with such a close relative costing around 1-2 grand less, what gives? Apart from the change in logo, a new color scheme, how different are they? 

First the tech blurb from the official websites:

https://www.denon.com/en-gb/shop/avreceiver/avca110  

https://www.denon.com/en-us/product/av-receivers/avr-a110

Now it’s pretty important you check out what the AVC X8500 can offer first and how well it is regarded by owners, and there are many reviews out there since it emerged in 2018.

What are the main differences?

“Boasting a limited-edition silver graphite colour, iron diecast feet, copper transformer plate, and new premium back panel and speaker panels, the AVC-A110 is specially crafted for the most dedicated fans. Designed and engineered with aspiration in mind, the AVC-A110 is as elegant on the inside as it is on the outside, featuring an all-black interior to truly differentiate from any other AV receiver or amplifier in the market.”

So it’s purely cosmetic? 

Well apparently no as they follow on with:

More quotes:

“The AVC-A110 was developed with the goal of achieving performance exceeding that of the AVC-X8500H, the flagship model of the AV amplifier, by introducing all of the technology and know-how that we have at the time of the 110th anniversary of Denon's founding. It was. When the AVC-X8500H was developed, we reviewed all the ideas for high sound quality that were not adopted due to various factors such as development period, cost of parts, resources required for verification, etc. AVC-A110 was reconstructed according to sensitivity. In addition to block capacitors, power transformers, cast iron feet, pure copper transformer bases, film capacitors and inductors for power amplifier circuits, there are hundreds of newly developed and adopted parts. As a result, the AVC-A110 gained a magnificent sense of scale that spreads forever and the density of the sound image that can be touched if you reach out, and realized a sound that is "another dimension" as a sound manager. The digital video circuit supports 8K video signals and a wide range of HDR formats, similar to the world's first 8K compatible AV amplifiers AVR-X4700H and AVC-X6700H that were announced earlier, and enjoy video and audio with unprecedented quality..”

And

“The AVC-A110 was developed with the goal of achieving higher performance than the current AV center flagship model "AVC-X8500H." When developing the AVC-X8500H, we reviewed all ideas for high sound quality that were not adopted due to various factors such as development period, cost of parts, resources required for verification, etc., sensitivity of sound manager Yuuki Takahashi It becomes a model rebuilt by.

For example, when making a thin film of a capacitor, pull it out slowly and wind it with a weak force to produce a low tone. The AVC-A110 uses this condenser, but it alone produces a low-pitched bass. Therefore, he also examined other parts and rebalanced the whole so that a more powerful and tight low range could be reproduced. With regard to the DAC, S/N is also improved by making the board foil thickness 70 μm, which is twice the conventional thickness.

Although the circuit configuration itself has not been changed from the X8500H in this way, it has been newly developed and adopted such as a block capacitor, power transformer, cast iron foot, pure copper transformer base, film capacitor and inductor for power amplifier circuit. With hundreds of parts, you get a magnificent sense of scale and the density of the sound image that you can touch with your hands. It seems that Mr. Takahashi himself has realized a sound that is "another dimension".

Similar to the recently announced new product lineup, video signals support 8K video signals and a wide variety of HDR formats, so that you can enjoy both video and audio with unprecedented quality.

The front panel uses graphite silver, a color exclusively for the 110th anniversary model. It also comes with a 5-year warranty service.”

So the main thrust is there are” hundreds of parts” that have been changed, and some pixie dust sprinkled on it by the boffins at Denon to make it sound better.

Well first, I have covered most of the functions in my past review on the 8500, and the user interface, the remote and most of the user experience is the same. The same heft, premium feel is there, but it does not feel like quantum leap better in tactile feel because the original 8500 was already one solid amp. 

When you peek into the chassis, the transformer has a “110” on top, and the color scheme is different, and the feet are also different. But essential if you know how to operate any modern day Denon, it will not feel different. There is more copper shield and the official site will show photos of some of the components which have been upgraded. 

When you first get it, the box is double boxed, and there is a photo which can be propped up of the Denon, some additional info on the Anniversary model, but essentially, the supplied parts are similar to what you get with the 8500. 

The front of the amp is no longer festooned with stickers indicating what are the features. Instead it looks almost like something designed for Batman with a drab exterior especially if it has not been turned on. 

After running in for a week, I went to see if it does sound better. 

So does it?

Just a general comment on it’s performance first in case you have not read my 8500 review here 

(http://peteswrite.blogspot.com/2018/02/denon-avc-x8500h-review.html ).

The A110 / 8500 gives you excellent steering, good bass output, accurate placement with a low noise floor. The user interface is simple enough, and allows you to access the full Audyssey XT32 suite as well as the additional cost app to configure to your room. It’s no DIRAC, and if you want better results you must be prepared to expend some elbow grease and do the sub crawl, use a SPL meter to get the levels right. A UMIK / Mini DSP add on will give you even better results. It has enough power to make you forgo a power amp, even if you have some 4 ohm speakers, if you have a subwoofer or two to do the heavy lifting.

In stereo it’s not shabby at all and will give you a very good account of your music collection. Very sweet imaging, tonality and depth. It also comes with all kinds of modern streaming functions and will rival the entry level standalone streamers especially with it’s compliment of top level AKM DACs and other chips that will make sure you can more than make do with this amp if you do not want to add another stereo amp for your music collection.

But will twice the price get you more sound?

Now comes the comparison…

I have both amps in the same room, with the same calibration and also the same partnering equipment.    

You can see what I’m using here:

( https://peteswrite.blogspot.com/2020/02/my-setup-22020.html )

In summary, for HT, there are far more variables that will influence the outcome that will disguise any differences due to the two amps. The internal decoding chips, DACs and CPU are identical and the general sonic signature is essentially the same. Bear in mind, a slight difference in microphone position or the calibration will make the slight differences moot.

So moving onto stereo music. This I feel is where one should hear the most difference between the two. Denon has posted that they have changed more than a hundred components and are these purely for musical improvements or is it merely marketing because the original chips were not available? The proof is in the listening..

I used a few sources, from a Sony 1100ES UHD player playing the CD, then using the lossless streamed version and I also used the same song via USB to the two amps. I restricted myself to just three songs so the audience can remember how it sounds. I used a favourite song of mine, a Corrs unplugged version of “Everybody Hurts”, which is my current test song that showcases good separation, depth and imaging. I also used Spanish Harlem from lovely Rebecca Pidgeon in three formats and lastly the Magnificent Seven (Telarc) also in three versions. The last is an orchestral piece with multiple pieces and a lot going on as well as some thunderous bits to test the bass of my Dynaudio Confidence Platinum 1. Finally I threw in a lossly song “Budapest” (256 kbs streamed via Airplay) just to see how a less than perfect recording will sound.

I had some mates over too, and together we did some sighted and blinded tests.

So who won? 

The winner was…. The Harmon Kardon Soundsticks III… yep, before we started, I was quietly using this to familiarise the listeners with the various demo pieces. 

There was general praise for the bass, separation and even a bit of imaging of the HK! Bear in mind, this is a 2.1 computer speaker setup I placed on the same console just for laughs. 

Ok ok, before owners of the two amps get a cardiac seizure, I’ll say, these out of production speakers are a real gem for their price. There are still a few on sale here and there as they get replaced by Version IV, which I feel looks worse.

As for the AVR 110 vs AC 8500 slugfest, there are a few things you must know. You have to listen hard to hear the differences. The source, the song should be well recorded and you have to pay attention. I know I said the last part twice.

So I guess you know my answer already..

Whilst warming up the AVR 110, I was very impressed with how it sounded out of the box. I stopped doing what I was doing, and decided to pay attention. What was meant to be a background music session to run in the amp turned into a listening session because it was simply superb even with no hours on the clock. Whatever I threw at it, it sounded good. It resolved well, the imaging was good and it could hold it’s head high even when compared with a mid level stereo amp. When I compared it to my Marantz PM 11 S3, there was a clear difference, but that amp costs around the same new and it only does stereo. So it was not a fair fight.

However in critical comparison with the AVC 8500. Listeners loved the casework, the build and even the color. But when we got down to the critical listening, the audience had to work really hard to hear a difference. I had a few sets of friends come down to do this, and whilst they were all impressed with the sound, basically everyone struggled to hear a difference between the two unless they were pressed to come up with some.

The AVR 110 had a smooth sound, a bit more bass response and a generally sweeter sound. But you had to be pay attention to the sound. It was a very slightly better match for the brighter KEF LS50 I had around and I think the seven of those LS 50 with the Denon will make a very sweet home theatre system that will sound fabulous for music. 

Essentially those who are waiting for me to report a day and night difference in sound will not find one. Not twice the sound at least. This is a testament to the high quality of the original 8500, rather than a bad thing with the Anniversary model.

Will you hear more differences with a better setup? Perhaps, and I have to say, there are better speakers out there than my Dynaudio Confidence Platinum setup, so your own mileage may vary.

So who should get the new model?

Well it will appeal to those who like limited edition models, with a penchant for such history and don’t forget, the price of the upgrade board is built into the price, so that goes some way towards accounting for the price tag.

With a similar interface, buyers will find no trouble adapting to the new amp interface and will be comforted to know that the sound quality is good and there is some gap to the current flagship. Buyers are likely to be using pretty decent setups so they will hear the differences. 

So if I had a bit of spare cash lying around, want the best for my best and it has to be a Denon, plus I want a bit of history, I'll pick this. However if I want a tip top amp and I want to save some money for a brace of subwoofers or a shelf of UHD discs, I'll pick the 8500. 

Here's the elephant in the room..

The new Denon AVR 6700: For a lot less coin, you get the same calibration system, pretty much the same pre-out capability sans the audiophile bits offered by the two flagship models.

For the savings, you can get a couple of very decent subwoofers and plenty of change for a collection of Blu Ray discs as well as a Blu Ray player to play those discs. So choices, choices, choices.. 

Footnote: OH... do spare a bit of change and grab that HK Soundsticks III too ;)