Price Paid:  $240.00

Summary:
Very good value, features and built. More maker and products like these please. :-)

Strengths:
This CDP is under-rated, grossly. Most who are just starting out on this Hi Fi hobby will be looking for either entry or budget level gear. There are so many products out there dressed to kill but disapponiting if compared to a product like the Denon DCD835. My comparison is against some very well reviewed players by magazines. Makes one wonder ???. The DCD835 reproduced very good detials, even music, be it vocals, bass or treble. You will hear the significant improvement when you turn off the display. The music is very focused and well placed. I am using it with B&K Components Pro-5 (Pre amp) and ST202 (Power amp), Dynaudio Audience 50 on two feet sand filled stands. Very good value for money and honestly excellant product.

Weaknesses:
For this type of money nothing.

Summary:
I have to say this Denon is a real value-for-money CD player. It reproduces the information on my discs with a really engaging quality; so much so, I am often induced to prolong my listening sessions. Yet I cannot really ascribe any distinctive sonic character to the DCD-835. It just seems to provide a neutral, open window on the music: neither adding to, nor taking anything away from the inherent sound quality on my discs.

Music of all genres fare well on it. The subtleties of classical chamber music, the delicate nuances of jazz, the full throttle of a rock band... the 835 does them all with flying colours. Build quality is very nice, the layout of the remote even nicer still. All in all, this Denon is a real peach. Cost-wise, it happens to be the cheapest component in my set-up (my speakers cost nine times as much), yet it has not disgraced itself at all. This should be a good measure of its phenomenal value!

Price Paid:  $499.00

Summary:
The 835's main strengths lie in its neutrality and excellent timing. It puts forth the music boldl, simply and powerfully, without imposing any personal idiosyncratic colourings upon it. Not a first choice for those who want a romanticised/warmed-up/bassed-up rendering of their favourite discs then... (psst! Look to the Arcam 7SE and Marantz 6000 OSE instead ;-)

Even so, this lack of a noticeable sonic "character" does not imply that the Denon lags behind the 7SE and 6000 OSE in musicality. Au contraire! The 835's directness of approach and nimble timing makes for one very expressive communicator. The nuances and delicacy of Sade Adu's voice in "Lovers Rock" are reproduced with seductive, bewitching accuracy. Ditto kd lang's in "Drag". Detail retrieval is very accomplished too. The 835 never gave me the impression that it was holding back anything significant from my ears.

It is with classical music that this CDP is truly at home with. Its awesome stereo separation and delicious reproduction of instrumental timbres breathes new life even into the most poorly-recorded of my discs! If, like me, you have a collection of 1950s, 60s and 70s AAD discs, you will discover to your delight that the 835 puts more "air" around the various orchestral instruments, making the entire performance sound more alive and realistic. The tones of David Oistrakh's frenetic fiddling in his 1960 Philadelphia rec. of Tchai's Violin Concerto are marvellously realised. Likewise, Heinrich Schiff's cello in the two Vieuxtemps Cello Concertos. Needless to say, with modern classical discs like Bernard Haitink's Mahler 6th Symphony, the 835 performs stunningly. This is a deceptively powerful CDP... it cannot be caught out by even the most demanding of orchestral tuttis. I am impressed! Yup, I think I can happily live with the 835's performance before the upgrade bug bites again. Well done, Denon.


(nb: I use the 835 with QED's Qunex 2 interconnect; another excellent product)

Strengths:
Breathtaking timbral accuracy... deceptively powerful... flawless timing... excellent stereo separation... masses of detail... well-designed remote... build quality second to none...

Weaknesses:
None, unless your speakers have excessively sharp treble... you could expect bright-city then.

Similar Products Used:
Arcam 7SE, NAD C540, Marantz 6000OSE, Rotel RCD-971.

Summary:
Very enjoyable player. High quality build and sound. Stood out against rivals tested on same system (Denon AVR1100RD for amp and Acoustic Energy Aegis 1 spkrs.)

Strengths:
Good build and styling (as black boxes go), sturdy platter of much better construction than all rivals tested, OK remote. Sound very even over range, a clear sound, (no ragged or mushy chords heard with some), without being too analytical. Engaging without being too coloured or too warm.
Worked well with two different systems.

Weaknesses:
Occasional slight sibilance.

Similar Products Used:
Tested against, Marantz, Technics, Rotel, Arcam at same or higher price.