Weakening foreign currencies against soaring yen are slowly affecting the prices of Made-In-Japan electronic goods, globally; even the already high-price Denon flagship DVD-A1UD Universal Blu-Ray player can’t escape the reality. For the latter, there’s more frustrating news than price adjustment, the Japanese firm has once again postponing the launch of the World’s first Universal desk, but this time, much further behind to mid of October.
Denon set tone with the announcement of DVD-A1UD (DVD-A1UDCI, US release), the world’s first universal desk with inclusion of SACD, DVD-A, HDCD in their flagship Blu-ray universal player months ago, and was scheduled to due this month. Interested buyers with deep pocket may have to wait couple months longer, the $4,200 do-it-all desk has been postponed to due in March.
Given the ratio of DVD player owners to Blu-ray player owners, you could argue that any of the high-definition decks are “high end”; however Denon Japan have announced what they’re claiming is the world’s first high end Blu-ray universal player. The posh title is to take into account that the DVD-A1UD is capable not only of playing the usual Blu-ray and DVD video discs, but also DVD-audio, SACD and standard CDs. It also comes with the company’s DENON Link 4th technology, which apparently improves performance even from standard-definition sources.
Denon have announced UK availability of the AH-NC732 Noise-Cancelling Headphones, a high-end set which promises up to 99-percent noise reduction. Dual 40mm drivers work with the active cancellation system to adjust the sound pressure balance in front of, and behind, the diaphragm; the result is a “cone of silence”.
Biggest news this week has been in gaming, with Nintendo announcing the latest iteration of their DS handheld. The DSi introduces new multimedia features – for instance a 3-megapixel camera – and an even thinner body, at the expense of battery life. Don’t get too excited, though; the US won’t see the DSi until “well into” 2009.
In netbooks, ASUS slipped in a few new models at both the low and high-end of the market, with the Eee PC 900HA and 904HA offering bargain 160GB storage while the S101 corners the more-fashionable (and expensive) end. That’s a niche the ASUS N10 already occupies; that netbook ran the review gauntlet this week, proving “technologically clever” but simply too expensive. ASUS – and MSI, whose Wind U90 was panned too – must be looking enviably at Gigabyte’s M912M convertible touchscreen netbook, which was good enough to pull a credit card from the wallet of one reviewer.
Denon announced today at Tokyo International Audio Show with a high performance SACD and redbook player. A Flagship DCD-SX SACD player features a multitude of technical advancements and battleship-like construction quality designed to meet the demands of most discriminating audiophiles.
Denon Electronics has announced that they will begin shipping a lower-cost Blu-ray Disc player next month. The new DVD-1800BD only supports Bonus-View (profile 1.1) and bitstream of all HD audio codec including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio but guess what. It is retailed at $749! But for that price, they will kindly throw in Burr-Brown DACs for two channel analog output. Nice!
Half of me wants to call this a hoax, while the other half of me is wondering whether not using Denon’s $499 AK-DL1 ethernet cable means my broadband is depressed and sluggish. At over $8 an inch, the 1.5m cable is, obviously, intended for the “audio enthusiast” (read: “gullible rich guy”), and the ideal way to hook up your Denon Link components.
Earlier this year we informed you of a new Blu-Ray player from hell coming from Denon that was to have DivX capabilities as well. But the release was delayed and speculation was made.
Denon is pushing the release date on the $1,999 Blu-ray player further to March. The flagship DVD-3800BDCI announced back in July 2007 featuring onboard DTS-MA decoder and 7.1 analog outputs was suppose to make its first appearance last Fall. It was put off to late December due to Denon uncertainty in Blu-Ray forecast, which I doubt it has anything to do with Paramount decision to back HD-DVD exclusively…Right! It will be a great match-up against Marantz BD8002 which will be released around the same time; we just have to wait until Spring break. The delay doesn’t affect Blu-ray transport DVD-2500BT. But hey, I’m all for it if that is what it’ll take to add a RJ-45 (profile 2.0… but in my dream)
[via Impress]
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