Denon DM-3 Mini Systems

Denon DM-3 Mini Systems 

USER REVIEWS

Showing 11-20 of 33  
[Mar 05, 2000]
Mark Kaplan
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

-Transparent sound quality
-High volume with low distortion, amazing sound for a system of this size
-Beautiful build quality (brushed stainless, smooth operation of the CD drawer)

Weakness:

-You can't pause the CD player or mute the volume from the remote, a real pain when the phone rings (you either hold the volume minus key for a while, run to the unit to hit pause, run to the unit to crank the volume know quickly, or stop the CD and lose your place!).
-No bass/treble control. There are presets, but no way to manually set bass/treble.
-You can't browse radio presents from the unit itself, only the radio.

I love my little Denon, which sits unobtrusively in my bedroom. Inexcusably poor ergonomics mar an otherwise stellar unit. But honestly, for the price, you're getting a true high-end audio experience.

You can get reasonably decent volume out of it (so much so, the lady from the house next door came over and yelled at me one day).

Upgrades I've done: I bought single-strand copper speaker wire ($1 a foot) which tightened up the sound a bit and is definately recommended.

I added a 10" powered mission subwoofer to it, as well (It was on clearance so I couldn't resist)...it needs to be kept at very low gain levels (1 or 2) to not overpower the rest of the system, but it does add a rich bottom end.

Pay close attention to the recommended speaker placement, it matters (they tell you to put the speakers further apart than you'd expect...)...the measurements are in centimeters, take the time to do the conversion it's worth it!

Similar Products Used:

Panasonic SA-PM01

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 02, 2000]
Dan Remillson

Strength:

Excellent sound quality; wonderfully smooth and detailed sound while still capable of playing at high volumes.
Build quality is terrific - an all metal shell covers what appears to be high quality internal components. The fit/finish is MUCH better than the JVC which wasn't bad, but was much more typical of a $340 unit (eg. lots of metalized plastic).

Weakness:

ARCH!!!! What the hell is so damn difficult about putting a mute button on these darn things? The JVC didn't have one and neither does this! Lets think about this for a minute! The design objective for a unit of this sort is to create an audio system that produces high quality sound while coexisting peacefully in an office environment. ...Doesn't this sort of environment include occassional phone calls and knocks on the office door? It sure would be great to simply hit the "mute" button, rather than race to lower the volume. To make matters worse, the Denon doesn't even allow you to pause the CD player from the remote! I'm forced to hit STOP whenever I'm listening to a CD and someone calls or knocks.

My wife thinks I'm insane. ..2 weeks ago I bought a JVC 7000 to use in my home office. The sound, aesthetics, and build quality made it a decisive winner any one of those absurd boom boxes that I had considered. I enjoyed the JVC for the short time I had it.

Unfortunately, ...I couldn't leave my purchase pass without surfing around the net to see "after-the-fact" if I made a smart purchase. Wouldn't you know, I read all these rave reviews of the Denon and decided I should go and look at one while I could still return the JVC. I bought it! Yeah, it was another hundred bucks but the ruggedness of the unit led me to believe it will likely last longer. Plus, even if the unit dies (hopefully not until we all own jet-packs), the speakers could still be used with whatever replaces it.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[Dec 27, 2000]
Erik
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

As close to hi-fi as you can get for this kind of green. Compact size perfect for small room.

Weakness:

The remote is pathetic. Cheap CD tray and loading mechanism.

I bought this system in September '99 based on reviews in a few audio magazines. Originally I had the speakers mounted on cheap wooden stands, and used the supplied zip-cord speaker wire. At the time, I was still impressed with the detail and overall sound of the system. Recently I mounted the speakers on sand-filled Target stands and hooked them up using $0.60/foot Audioquest FLX 16/2. Oh, and I mounted the amp/tuner/CD unit on Audioquest gel feet. What a difference! I had major problems with the other wobbly stands, and the system resonated from any bass notes. Now with everything secured, the system really shines! I can't believe the sound that comes from this system! No surprise that Stereophile and What Hi-Fi speak so highly of it. I encourage serious listeners to use sand-filled stands and non-zip-cord cables- you'll be very, very happy. This $400 unit sounds far more impressive for the money than my previous Onkyo 80-watt receiver, JVC CD deck, and Boston Acoustics A70 Series II system that I paid $950 for in '90!

Similar Products Used:

None.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[May 16, 2000]
Cj Stremick
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Very good tone. Especially at office-volumes.

Weakness:

Remote stinks. No pause or mute!

This is a very good, compact system for a den or office. I'm extremely happy with it. Suits all music styles.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[Dec 31, 1999]
Eleen
Casual Listener

Strength:

This system has good qualty sound. The speakers are very small, but have powerful bass. It is easy to use, and has alot of useful features.

Weakness:

The remote has a useless lid attached to it and gets bothersome when I use it.

I would recommend this product to anyone who enjoys listening to music.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Dec 19, 1999]
john blousen
Audiophile

Strength:

it is one of the best mini audio systems i have ever heard. its verry crisp and compact

Weakness:

i still havent found any

this is the perfect gift for any person in the family i recently bought this same system for my teenage son. he put it in his room and he loves it. it may seem a bit over the top but this thing will last a long time.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[May 15, 2001]
Gary Sirles
Audio Enthusiast

Weakness:

DID NOT WORK...BUYER BEWARE...CD player stopped playing after ONLY 30 minutes usage.

DID NOT WORK...BUYER BEWARE...CD player stopped playing after ONLY 30 minutes usage.

OVERALL
RATING
1
VALUE
RATING
1
[Jan 24, 2002]
Max K
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Good sound, seems to be well built, cheap but still Mission speakers.

Weakness:

No dimmer for the screen. I would also like the capability of having the clock displayed all the time after it turns off, without the need for the extra buttons pressed.

*******This is a review for DM30, which does have the pause for the CD.*********** ;-)

The sound of this system is quite good for the money. However, you do need to work on the speakers placement to achieve the best sound, but that is expected for the system that has to descent speakers.

I did some shopping around, and looked at primarily at two brands: Yamaha and Dennon. I have a Yamaha receiver for my HT and I love it, so I wanted to stay with Yamaha brand; however, I liked the Dennon sound better than that from Yamaha Pianocraft. Possibly because of the speakers. But the only people who don't need to worry about positioning of speakers for stereo, are the once who've already done that and the once who've purchased the Bose Wave radio. The former once had spent some time, the later once overpaid $399. (Sorry, I had to do that! ;-)).

The unit itself is pretty heavy for its size (don't know the exact weight, but it is in the manual) and so are the speakers. There are few sets of inputs on the back to hook up other sources. Good bonus.

The unit did come with all of the wires and antenna in the box. Setting it up was easy, I did not need the manual which I browsed through looking for some unusual caution notes. I cannot comment on the quality of the manual, because I have not really read it, since I've not used any of the advanced features (Alarm/timer for example).

Overall, I am pleased with the purchase. If anyone is thinking on above average clock/alarm stereo combination, I would greately advice this system. I use it in the bedroom, and it seems to workout quite well.


Similar Products Used:

None

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 18, 1999]
Jim
a Casual Listener

I received this system as a Christmas gift and am thoroughly enjoying it. I have the system set up in my office and it is perfect. The sound quality is excellent for a sytem under $400, and the remote control works well for the lazy listener like me. Surprising power and clarity as well.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
[Jul 04, 1999]
TomJ
an Audio Enthusiast

This system is somewhat of a revelation. I have been an audio enthusiast for many years, and have auditioned a lot of equipment. I wanted something small and relatively inexpensive for my office. I went around to various dealers in New York, and auditioned the funky JVC executive series, some Sonys - whatever I could find for under $500. Then I chanced across this system. Even in the store it was apparent that it performs at a level beyond anything else I have heard in this class. After listening to the nice little Kenwood next to it, I was convinced that the DM3 was actually a much larger (and much more expensive) system THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAD JUST TURNED ON. I could not beliwve that what I was hearing came from this little marvel. The soundstage, relative to the Kenwood, just exploded in front of me. At home, my wife, a professional classical singer, was entranced. She likes it BETTER than our main system which cost well over $2000. The bass is weak, and you won't get much volume. But what you do get is excellent, clean sound. The speakers are little marvels.Highly recommended for anyone looking for an small, inexpensive but high quality system.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
Showing 11-20 of 33  

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