Denon Design Series

paul dimer y loved the look of this audio tri o. do they have the sound and feature s to match?

Final verdict Aside from a small streaming issue, this set of hi-fi units is a real pleasure: stylish and sonically stunning.

dcd-50 cd player Price £449 compatible discs CD, CD-R/RW, SA-CD, WMA , MP3, AA C DRA-100 NETWO RK RECEIVER PRICE £699 ST REAM ING SERVICES AirPlay, vTuner, Spotify Connect PMA -50 CLASS -D AM P PRICE £449 output power 50W/30W url denon.co.uk

Once I’d finished drooling over how these three separates look, I turned my attention to what else they have to offer – namely, sound quality and overall functionality.

Inserting a CD into the DCD-50 player (Ella Fitzgerald, since you’re asking), I found myself doing an Alan Partridge and mouthing the words, “Nice action” to no one in particular. As the disc glides into the slot (there’s no tray, which also means you can stand the unit up vertically), it really does give off a premium feel.

The PMA-50 amp really excels when playing jazzy stuff such as this, bringing out all the little nuances – every string and trumpet – even at high volume (and this thing is loud!). It’s hard not to love that big, physical volume wheel in the centre, too – I can’t be the only one who hates volume buttons!

So far, so good, then – but what about the DRA-100 network receiver? The services it offers (see Specifications box) should be more than enough for the common household, but I did encounter the occasional Wi-Fi dropout, and this was with my new “super-fast” Virgin broadband. To be fair to Denon, this isn’t the first time I’ve suffered this kind of thing, but it is a bit frustrating when you’ve spent 700 quid and your favourite song cuts out just as you’re belting out the final chorus.

So it’s not quite perfect, but Denon’s Design Series is certainly up there with the best audio systems I’ve tried. With the advent of Bluetooth speakers, I never thought I’d go back to separates. But with this, it could be time for a rethink.