Denon PMA-900HNE Integrated Stereo Amplifier

Excellent power amp. Great price for power and features that other amps costing $5,000 more can’t give you. This amp runs very hot, not made to be put into a cabinet nor to have anything sit on top of it. Bluetooth connects easily and has USB port also. One of the few amps on the market with the options for moving magnet or moving coil on the phonograph input. Crisp clear power is what this amp gives you, very good value for less than $1,000.

Summary: Good bedroom amp if you only plan to use headphones. A very poor purchase for anyone else. I got this used as new (with a major chip on the surface) for $500 and will be returning it. This unit isn’t worth more than $300, if that.

Now for the details.

Denon’s PMA-900HNE, released 2022, is a newer version of the PMA-800BE amp, combined with the DNP 800 streamer. The two individual 800 units cost about $400 in the secondary market, so you’re asked to pay $200 for the convenience of saving space (two units in one). There are no significant improvements I can see.

First, the good. The headset out is really good. The HEOS app lets you drive the amp remotely, including its EQ settings, whether you’re streaming or using other input. There’s a clear way to toggle (or even combine) two sets of speakers, including a dedicated subwoofer out, which are all features that Denon purposively omitted from the more expensive PMA 1600 and (less so) PMA 1700 amps, so as not to compete with the significantly better (and pricier) Marantz models that are produced by the same company. This makes for a very convenient package deal.

Now for the bad. This amp just sounds bad and is sonically compromised if you hook it up with bookshelf, let alone floorstanding, speakers. It’s not configured to drive anything but low volumes, and if you move it into anything but small, contained rooms, the sound quality is incredibly poor. A ten year old Rotel unit, which you can get on the secondary market for $200, sounds better than this.

The internal DAC chip is ok but certainly not great. It reproduces sound, and sound stage, at all but low volume, and becomes incredibly bad once you hit middling volume. This means the amp would make a great gift for a teenager getting started on audio, for their own little room. It’s not something for the living room.

And now for the ridiculous. To fully utilize this unit, and remotely justify its inflated asking price ($950 at the time of writing, but will go up in 2023 for no reason whatsoever), this unit chains the user to the HEOS interface. It’s hard to overstate how awful HEOS is. First, HEOS has licensing agreements with certain streaming platforms but not others. Really good platforms like Qobuz are kicked out, and you have to circumvent HEOS, and pay for third party extra apps, to get the 900HNE going – at which point you can as well buy the much cheaper PMA600 unit from Denon (at less than half the price) and use its Bluetooth function. Next, HEOS interfaces with streaming platforms like Tidal but then does not give you the necessary hardware (MQA) to decode the incoming audio signal at high resolution. Very conveniently, the HEOS app HIDES critical information like the resolution quality of the audio signal (bitrate) that other apps show – precisely so as not to let you in on the fact that you get subpar signal. You will still hear the difference right away, so hiding the fact is just a very poor design decision to fool people in store prompted into an impulse purchase. FInally, when trying to update your wifi network – which takes all but 20 seconds on other interfaces – you have to delete the app and re-up all your streaming preferences, playlist history, etc., to recoup where you were previously. This is incredibly unnecessary and inconvenient, and evidences the fact that the app isn’t really well designed at all, and sees little support despite having been out for years with documented customer issues.

Finally a word on HEOS hardware. No words describe the limited utility, and planned obsolescence, of hardware that only functions with one company’s software platform. This 900 amp basically asks you to go out and buy HEOS speakers which are guaranteed to only work with Denon’s HEOS amps. It’s a way to box you into a very small eco niche of products that work with one another but not others. Testing this amp with a variety of speakers, I see no reason why this limitation makes any sense whatsoever. On the other hand, speakers driven above low volumes will sound muffled anyhow, so who cares? Maybe the hundreds of HEOS speaker customers who’ve described their experience on Reddit and elsewhere: you can’t use a HEOS speaker unless you agree to use the latest software updates, but those software updates frequently render some HEOS speakers inoperational for weeks and even months. I hope you’re not one of those. If you are, look up the terms “sunk cost” and “purchase regret” and ask yourself (or your spouse) honestly if that describes you.

On a much less bleak note, let’s suppose buying this amp would be your first step into the world of HEOS. In that case, ask yourself: why jump through all the needless hoops Denon has put between you and actual audiophile listening experience, only to pay them a premium on top? A much cheaper Yamaha amp with an external DAC you can plug your iPhone into (as your streaming platform) will beat the Denon 900hne’s performance easily—stream Qobuz at maximum audiophile bit rates— at a fraction of the cost. I did A/B listening tests between these amps, for hours, to confirm exactly that.

In sum, not remotely worth the asking price, when you can get better below $500.

P.S. If some of the above sounds like Denon bashing, it isn’t. I can wholeheartedly recommend Denon’s current CD players though, which I think are sonically excellent and don’t force you into the weird HEOS ecology.

This is very easy to setup and has been what I’ve been looking towards for a long time. By using the HEOS app (Home Entertainment Operating System) we can now listen to our vinyl wirelessly in all rooms of the house.

We connected our Denon turntable that uses a MM cartridge, thus no need for a separate pre-amp. A huge plus! The Denon HEOS app works well to setup the wireless speakers around the house. We have multiple Denon Home 150s in many rooms. The speakers also have Alexa built in when we switch from vinyl to streaming music.

This also has Alexa and streaming music built in and connections for wired speakers. You can also stream from your device with any stored music or podcasts.

The Amp looks great and is made specifically for music about the home. I’ve owned many Denon amps throughout the years, but this brings us the quality sound reproduction with the wireless connectivity that we’ve wanted.

I would choose a different Amp for home theater if that is your main thing. I’d suggest that this is best for audio reproduction of a high level. They didn’t cram too much into this leaving room for great audio.

Dust off those vintage records, or a new pressing and be ready for a great experience throughout your home!

Tudo certo, entrega efetuada bem antes da data agendada, aparelho entregue em perfeitas condições com todos os itens, na caixa do fabricante lacrada, com nota fiscal e sem nenhuma avaria. Recomendo o vendedor.

Denon did not turn me down, crystal clear sound produced. Recommended

I was in the sound business for over 20 year’s so I’ve been through a few high-end receivers et al. I’ve become something I never thought I’d be. Yes, it’s true…I’ve become an audiophile. Great receiver!