Denon has been the undisputed leader in both the audio/video and stereophonic sectors for many years. The Japanese manufacturer has consistently achieved success on all fronts, taking home an EISA award this year (for its PMA-1500AE integrated stereo amplifier). This success is also due to Denon's undeniable market savvy, which allows it to never miss a beat and always find the right product for every price range. Denon products are also highly valued on the used market, allowing for easy and highly satisfying resale.

Player par excellence
One of the undisputed leaderships of the Japanese manufacturer is that of players, both audio only and audio/video. Denon's path in DVD players, in particular, started from the dawn of the standard, and was immediately characterized by a very rich catalog of models, all of great quality and technical sophistication. This
The DVD-3930 has a lot of ambitions, being positioned just below the top of the range
DVD-A1XVA, and representing the alternative.
Alongside it, three other recently introduced models, the DVD-2930, the DVD-1930 and the DVD-1730, capable of effectively responding to many needs, both qualitative and economic.

Attention to detail
To create a machine significantly better than the DVD-3910 - already the market leader - and predecessor of this DVD-3930, Denon engineers had to work hard, designing an innovative audio and video platform that could respond impeccably to the needs of a demanding and attentive clientele.
The result is an excellent player, with attention to every point of view, starting from the chassis, made up of a 3-layer base and 2-layer cover; this is to combat vibrations and ensure that the latter do not alter the functioning of the mechanics and circuits.
Regarding chassis and aesthetics, the DVD-3930 is available in three colors—premium silver, black, and silver gray—and in its appearance, it more or less faithfully follows Denon's usual standards. A massive aluminum front panel, a large, extremely comprehensive dot-matrix display, and a few well-placed controls are readily available. For programming and setup, the DVD-3930 features a simplified, highly effective graphical interface, in addition to the display. Everything can, of course, be controlled via the included remote control.
Let's get to the many circuit features of this DVD-3930. First of all, there are multiple power supplies dedicated to each circuit; a core transformer for the audio sections equipped with large audio-grade filter capabilities, combined with a capable multi-section switching for all video and digital circuits. But one of the biggest innovations of this DVD-3930 lies in the video processor, which for the first time in a commercial machine is entrusted to the Silicon Optix Realta chip, already on board prestigious professional video processors and used in the top-of-the-range DVD-A1XVA. It is assigned the delicate task of deinterlacing/duplicating and scaling the video signal up to the maximum resolution of 1080p (with 480p, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p steps) and support for PC resolutions (VGA, XGA, WXGA, SXGA). This chip works with 10-bit accuracy, and is coupled with high-precision 14-bit, 216 Mhz video DAC (digital to analog) converters and, finally, separate analog output circuits for all signal types and according to the exclusive Denon DDVC technique (Dual Discrete Video Circuit). It goes without saying that the DVD-3930 does not lack an HDMI 1.1 digital video output, coupled directly to the Silicon Optix Realta chip. As for the audio part, Denon has adopted high-quality audio DACs (Texas PCM-1796) and dedicated particularly refined and separate circuitry for the left and right channels, in order to magnify stereo performance.

Go to the technical specifications of the product on the manufacturer's website

A Japanese brand with more than a century of history

Denon's roots date back to 1910, when American entrepreneur Frederick Whitney Horn founded the country's first record company in Japan, from which the company would evolve. The name derives from Nippon Denki Onkyo, the company that merged into Nippon Columbia after the war, and for decades the brand worked primarily in the professional world: recorders and playback equipment for the studios of NHK, Japan's public broadcaster. In 1972, Denon introduced the DN-023R, which the company claims was the world's first digital recorder.

Since 2002, Denon has shared the group with Marantz, first as D&M Holdings and then, since 2017, under Sound United; in 2025, Sound United was acquired by Harman International, a Samsung Group company. The flagship models are developed and built at Shirakawa Audio Works, the Japanese factory established in 1983, and each new product undergoes a thorough review by Sound Master Shinichi Yamauchi before going into production.

Technologies and symbolic products

The longest-running product in the catalog is the DL-103 moving coil cartridge, originally designed as a working tool for NHK broadcasters and still handcrafted in Shirakawa today. It is accompanied by the DL-103R, an evolution with 6N copper coils, and the DL-110, a high-output moving coil that connects directly to the amplifier's moving coil input without transformers or preamps.

In digital, the common thread is AL32 processing, Denon's oversampling and bit-stretching algorithm that reconstructs the signal before conversion: in the Ultra version, AL32 equips the DCD-3000NE SACD player, while Advanced AL32 Processing Plus works in the PMA1700NE amplifier and the DNP2000NE streamer. The HEOS platform, introduced in 2014, handles streaming and multiroom listening on network devices.

The Denons available from us

For those building a traditional stereo system, there are the PMA-600NE, PMA900HNE, and PMA1700NE integrated amplifiers and the DCD-600NE, DCD-900NE, and DCD1700NE CD players. The top of the line is the DCD-3000NE SACD player and the DP-3000NE direct-drive turntable with a quartz-controlled motor. The selection is rounded out by the DNP2000NE streamer, the DRA-900H network stereo receiver, and the DL-103R and DL-110 cartridges.

How to choose from the range

The first criterion is the source. Those who primarily listen to optical discs will find a clear progression in the DCD series, up to the DCD-3000NE, which also plays SACDs; those who have switched to liquid music can pair the DNP2000NE with an existing integrated amplifier or choose the PMA1700NE, which also accepts digital signals and has a phono stage for MM and MC. For vinyl, it's best to think about the entire chain: the DL-110 is the simplest route to any MM input, while the DL-103R, with its low output, requires a good MC input or a suitable transformer.

The DRA-900H is a sensible choice when your stereo system also needs to serve your TV, thanks to its HDMI connections and integrated network, without having to upgrade to a true multichannel system. Power should then be evaluated in relation to the room and the sensitivity of the speakers, rather than the declared number of watts.

Buy Denon from Audiocostruzioni

In our Carpi showroom, you can listen to Denon equipment in the listening room, compare it with your speakers, and get advice on matching it. The same models can be ordered online at audiocostruzioni.com with shipping, asking us for advice first by email if needed. We'll also consider trading in your current equipment to make the transition to a new Denon component easier.