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Denon DVD-A1XVA ◆ £2,700 (approx) ◆ 01234 741200 ◆ www.denon.co.uk
Making the best
even better
The DVD deck we once described as ‘having no equal’ is back – only now
it’s even better, as a mesmerised John Archer discovers
ack in issue #115 Home Cinema
Choice was lucky enough to
B
spend some quality time
with Denon’s fl agship DVD player,
the DVD-A1XV. What we discovered was
a deck that set wholly new standards
of video and audio performance.
So forgive us for being ridiculously
excited by the arrival of a souped-up
version called the A1XVA.
So what’s new? Well, Denon has
added a 1080p output to the deck’s
upscaling talents. But, before I get
into whether the addition of 1080p
really adds anything to the exceptional
video quality that this deck already
delivers with its 1080i/720p upscaled
options, it’s worth recapping on
why the A1XV sits at the top of the
DVD tree...
Build and connections
For starters, it’s built like the proverbial
brick outhouse; it’s so outrageously solid
and robust that some might be put off by
its considerable bulk.
Connectivity is outstanding. For
instance, while most upscaling DVD decks
only provide one digital video option,
the A1XVA has two: one HDMI and one
DVI. Other notable connections include
a duo of component video outputs for
progressive scan duties, and twin i.link/
IEEE1394 ports capable of piping full
high-resolution multichannel audio
streams (from DVD-Audio and Super
Audio CD discs).
The unit also has the latest iteration
of DenonLink3; a proprietary Denon
interface able to transfer audio
data between high-level Denon kit at
lower than normal voltages, making
it less susceptible to jitter. It’s this
connection which should be used for
audio if you’re lucky enough to partner
the A1XVA and a suitably equipped
amplifi er/receiver like the brand’s own
AVR-A1XV.
On top of all this, of course, you get
the normal attributes like digital and
coaxial digital audio connections, an RGB
Scart output, and analogue line-outs for
six-channel mixes.
Dig inside the A1XVA and you’ll fi nd
the true heart of the beast: its advanced
picture scaling system. Of course, there
are decks costing under £100 that now
boast HD upscaling. But the quality of
Denon’s proposal frankly eats the budget
brigade for breakfast…
It’s based around two core
components: a single-chip version of
RATINGS
Highs: 1080p performance; general
excellence; awesome build quality
Lows: No DivX support… and it’s
very big!
Picture
Sound
Features
OVERALL
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
Silicon Optix’s hugely acclaimed Realta
Hollywood Quality Video picture
processing; and Anchor Bay/DVDO’s
10-bit Precision Video Scaling system.
Denon’s marketeers love to remind us
that a ‘full’ version of the Realta system,
as used by numerous Hollywood movie
studios in Silicon Optix’s ‘Teranex’
processor, would set you back $60k – so
getting a version of it on a £2,600 DVD
deck rather seems like a bargain.
The new 1080p element of the A1XVA’s
processing actually comes from DVDO,
SPECIFICATIONS
ITEM SUPPORT DETAILS
Video upscaling
Progressive scan
Multiregion
Composite video
Phono stereo audio ●● Plus 5.1 line outs
S-video
HDMI/DVI
Scart
Component
DV (i.Link) input
Digital Audio
Dimensions : 434(w) x 170(h) x 432(d)mm; Weight: 19kg
Also featuring
THX Ultra specified, HDCD decoder; Anti-vibration mechanism and four
layer chassis base; Dolby Digital and DTS decoders; 10-bit Denon pixel
image correction; Dual 216MHz 14-bit video DAC; four Burr Brown
14-bit 192kHz PCM-1792, with no cross conversion of DSD and PCM
signals; Advanced proprietary AL24 processing; Bass management for
HDMI; Pure Direct mode; SRS TruSurround; Source Direct mode for PCM
and SACD/DSD bypasses bass management but permits channel level
and delay time adjust without conversion of DSD to PCM; simultaneous
video out from component (progressive), DVI, HDMI as well as composite
and S-video
● Upscales to 720p/1080i/1080p
● Compatible with 480p with 576p
Region 2 out of the box
● 2 phono outputs
2 outputs
● 1 HDMI, 1 DVI
1 RGB
1 output
For digital multichannel audio
Electrical, optical and Denon Link 3
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COMPATIBILITY
DVD- V
DVD- A
SACD
CD
MP3
WMA ✕
JPEG
MPEG4 ✕
CD-R
CD-RW
Video CD
●
SVCD
●
DualDisc (CD) ✕
DualDisc (DVD)
●
●
DivX ✕
DVD+R
●
DVD-R
●
DVD+RW
DVD-RW (Video) ●●
●
DVD-RW (VR) ✕
DVD-RAM
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LAB REPORT
Excellent
PLAYBACK
Video jitter (3ns) ✓
Signal-to-noise ratio:
Composite (66.6dB) ✓
S-video (72.3dB) ✓
Component (68.2dB) ✓
Chroma AM/PM
AM (-75.0dB) ✓
PM (-68.3dB) ✓
Chroma crosstalk (-58.2dB) ✓
Freq response @5.8 MHz
Composite (-0.9dB) ✓
S-video (-0.0dB) ✓
Component Y (-0.3dB) ✓
Audio jitter (195.3ps) ✓
Good
with the whole processing kit and caboodle
further backed up by Denon’s own Pixel
Image Correction algorithms for processing
●
colour and brightness improvements at a
●
‘per pixel’ level.
●
●
●
More prosaic but no less useful
features at your disposal include
a life-sappingly long list of manual
picture tweaks, playback of both Super
●
Audio CD and DVD-Audio formats, and
Denon’s AL24 processing for injecting
more life into the digital-to-the-analogue
audio conversion process. The only
Aver age
signifi cant feature absent from this
Poor
stunningly specifi ed machine, in fact,
is DivX playback support.
Finally getting to the deck’s playing
capabilities, I decided to remind myself
of the quality of its 1080i/720p
performance before examing the new
1080p output. Has the passage of time
diminished the impact of deck’s
720p/1080i delivery?
Nope. Its images still stand above
anything else in town, even Marantz’s
impressive £1,500 DV9600 reviewed
in issue #128. There are various reasons
for this, but the most telling is the
way the scaling engine does its thing
without any of the customary noise-
related disadvantages.
The A1XVA adds a level of texture and
detail to a standard-defi nition picture that,
while often subtle, is undeniably effective.
New Year’s Resolution
And so onto 1080p. Can this ‘Full HD’
output really eek any more from a
standard-defi nition DVD source?
Well, I’ll argue that it can. Video displays
able to show 1080p feeds in their native
format remain in short supply – but fi nd one
and you’ll see. I managed to borrow the
1080p-capable Sony VPL-VW100 ‘Ruby’
projector (an HCC award-winner) as a
source and noted several refi nements.
Pictures appear to have at least an
enhanced sense of texture, if not more
actual detail. The result is a more three-
dimensional viewing experience. Images
have a fi lmic solidity that gets closer to
recreating the sort of experience you’d
enjoy in a real cinema than on any other
DVD deck I’ve ever seen.
Also, the A1XVA’s motion-handling
seems to be marginally improved in
1080p mode.
There’s no need for me to dwell on
the A1XVA’s outstanding audio capabilities
again here; they’re unchanged from the
deck’s earlier incarnation, so all I need do
is reiterate that its performance is of
audiophile grade, particularly if you take
advantage of the brand’s proprietary
DenonLink audio interface.
Conclusion
Even without 1080p, Denon’s A1XVA is
without peer when it comes to DVD delivery.
This latest iteration is just the icing on the
cake. Perhaps the bigger question is whether
a buyer can justify its cost, with true HD
hardware drifting onto the global stage.
I would advocate you can. This is not an
either or situation. With most enthusiasts
owning a substantial library of DVDs, and
the format unlikely to fade as the defacto
standard for video, there’s every incentive
to squeeze the most from the format.
And squeeze the A1XVA does, in a
deliciously vicious way ■
Check out those logos. Apart from
DivX the Denon has a complete set
52 HOME CINEMA CHOICE
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The remote is ordinary except for
its back-lit buttons
The A1XVA is about thrice the size of a regular DVD deck
JUNE 2006
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