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Denon Set to Roll Out AirPlay on Existing Home Stereo Equipment

baryon said:
Wow... a firmware update... on a Hi-Fi... What's next? A new OS for my washing machine... or a security patch for my car's airbag... :D
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Where have you been? AVRs have been having firmware updates for years and yes, even more-expensive washing machines might need them if they develop a fault.

Airbag controllers of various types also need firmware.
 
ten-oak-druid said:
I got excited for a moment that my Denon would be able to get the update but I realized mine is a lower end, older model.
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You should look at one of these:

http://www.usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/5067.asp

It's already networked so you can plug your iPod directly into your Denon and still receive streaming content from third-parties and DLNA servers. It runs the same basic OS as newer Denons so there's also a good chance it will be updated to become an Airplay hub.

It will work with any receiver. It's a self-contained unit with it's own remote.
 
tkermit said:
Good for the people who already own it or were set on buying it already. For everybody else:

You either buy this for $2000....or simply add a $99 Airport Express (providing bit-perfect digital audio output) to your existing stereo - which you have been able to do for 6 years now. Hmmm...Let me think that over.
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Not really. I have a Wadia iPod dock that bypasses the 20 cent internal IPOD DAC to get lossless cd quality sound direct to my Denon receiver.

But the main rationale for any Av receiver or preamplifier is surround HT sound first and Ipod and streaming do take a rear burner to the HT benefits.

By the way, the Denon will allow for a 11.3 Audyssey DSX surround system for your HT system.

And, unlike purchasing Apple products (I have many) the Denon's are always pretty heavily discounted.
 
Or, I could just pop $99 for an AppleTV, and Bob's yer Uncle.
Yeah... I think I'll do that instead.
 
tkermit said:
Good for the people who already own it or were set on buying it already. For everybody else:

You either buy this for $2000....or simply add a $99 Airport Express (providing bit-perfect digital audio output) to your existing stereo - which you have been able to do for 6 years now. Hmmm...Let me think that over.
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The output is analogue but on this level this doesn't matter. This is the harbinger of technologies that will change the way we use our media. What needs to be removed from the chain is that pesky 'always on' computer. So the next step will be TV sets and AV processors that contain many of the functions of a PC (PC used in the broadest sense, an iMac is a personal computer as well).
 
ArcaneDevice said:
All the dials, displays and inputs mean nothing in the overall cost. That's why you can pick up AVR's for a couple of hundred that still have those features.

It's the quality of the audio and video circuitry and amplifier inside that ups the cost. That's why you can buy dedicated amps and processors with very little interface control and limited inputs (Like Classe and Cary) that put Denon's price in the shade
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thank you
people comparing Marantz to Insignia was making me nauseous
 
phlavor said:
While I find the integration cool, at this point it is far more economical to add an AppleTV to an existing AV Receiver than to buy one with wireless functionality.

What I would rather see companies like Denon and Onkyo doing is rolling out AV Receivers with wifi control interfaces and iOS remote applications.
Click to expand...

There are various apps available to control a LAN enabled Denon via iPhone/iPod/iPad. I'm using DeRemote in combination with Apple Remote to control iTunes and a Denon 3808A via WiFi from an iPad and iPhone.
 
GoodWatch said:
The output is analogue but on this level this doesn't matter.
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If you're talking about the Airport Express - it has an optical digital output as well as an analog one. I know, because I've been using it it in conjunction with an external DAC for half a decade.
 
ArcaneDevice said:
Where have you been? AVRs have been having firmware updates for years and yes, even more-expensive washing machines might need them if they develop a fault.

Airbag controllers of various types also need firmware.
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Wow... well I guess my household stuff is pretty old-fashioned then! Everything is controlled by computers... They can literally take over the world now!
 
tkermit said:
If you're talking about the Airport Express - it has an optical digital output as well as an analog one. I know, because I've been using it it in conjunction with an external DAC for half a decade.
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I'm holding one in my hand right now, from left to right I can see: an Ethernet port, a USB port and the 3.5 mm analogue output. Where is the optical output?
 
I just spent a month in "demo" mode with a Denon AVR-3311 (on step lower than this) and features like this are already in place (sort of)
the DLNA capability allowed me to stream iTunes files to the receiver from my MacBook wirelessly, plus Rhapsody and Pandora integration
it was slightly clunky in it's functionality:
select NET - (server) - iTunes - artist/album/song - play
then if you happened to back out of it, there was not a way (that I noticed) to go directly back to the "playing now" track. (in case you wanted to play another song off the same album for instance). you had to go through the file tree all over again. also, I don't recall album art being supported

the best (or at least easiest) way to listen to your audio files on your home audio system is to get a stereo to mini cable and jack directly from the audio out on your Mac to the front AV in of your AVR
 
GoodWatch said:
I'm holding one in my hand right now, from left to right I can see: an Ethernet port, a USB port and the 3.5 mm analogue output. Where is the optical output?
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The 3.5mm jack doubles as the optical jack. I use an old 802.11g Airport Express that way. I plug the AirPort into the switched power on the receiver and the 3.5 jack to one of the Toslink connectors. This way it isn't power on 24/7.
 
GoodWatch said:
I'm holding one in my hand right now, from left to right I can see: an Ethernet port, a USB port and the 3.5 mm analogue output. Where is the optical output?
Click to expand...

Google for a toslink to mini cable I have also been using digital output on my Airport Express units for like 5 years.
 
hugodrax said:
Wow 2 Grand for a made in Asia product with 40-50 bucks worth of components slapped together and a buck fifty worth of labor.
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Don't forget the $2 chunk of lead in there to make it weigh 38.2 lbs. :rolleyes:

Clueless noob!

Denon is not the be-all, end-all of audiophile gear, but it is pretty good stuff. And to integrate with yet another input format via a firmware upgrade is very convenient.
 
Denon does have truly high-end gear, like the 5308CI. For receivers, I rather like the Anthem Statement D2v. The Berkeley Audio Design Alpha is a really good reasonably priced outboard DAC.
 
GoodWatch said:
I'm holding one in my hand right now, from left to right I can see: an Ethernet port, a USB port and the 3.5 mm analogue output. Where is the optical output?
Click to expand...

You plug an optical mini jack into the 3.5 jack plug and it delivers optical.
 
GQB said:
Or, I could just pop $99 for an AppleTV, and Bob's yer Uncle.
Yeah... I think I'll do that instead.
Click to expand...

Like it's been said before, no one is going to go out and buy this Denon strictly for the AirPlay feature. This feature is just a little bit of icing on the cake. Also if history is any indication, Airplay will make it's way into lower end brands at some point.

Denon offers great bang for the buck, even though personally I prefer Rotel. For those balking at the price point, $2,000 is relatively cheap compared to what else is out there, and it puts high quality sound and video processing within reach of the average person who can justify paying for it.
 
There is some really erroneous info in this article. The AVR-4311 is not an existing model on the Market that will be retrospectively updated. The 4310 is the model that was released in April. The 4311 is being released now and will have the full software support for AirPlay added to it's firmware in November. Because this is a brand new receiver entering the market there is no way of telling whether or not there is some form of hardware component that is installed in this AVR being activated via firmware when the software is completed- hence if there is a hardware component previous model Denon AVRs won't be able to be upgraded. We'll have to wait for more info on this. The more interesting model line to watch is the Marantz AVRs as they too have announced AirPlay support and have just refreshed their model line. Unlike most AV manufacturers these days, Marantz do not refresh their models every year- they tend to skip a year between AVR refreshes- so it would seem odd of them to taut support for AirPlay now if we wouldn't see it's debut on their kit for two years.
 
hugodrax said:
Wow 2 Grand for a made in Asia product with 40-50 bucks worth of components slapped together and a buck fifty worth of labor.
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You obviously haven't used and don't own a Denon. I've used, was very impressed, and bought another brand with similar features. If I hadn't used the Denon, I might have purchased inferior products because I didn't know that such features existed. Instead, a high-end Denon defined my shopping list - if it wasn't better than the Denon - reject it.


cRuNcHiE said:
Do their receivers already come with ethernet/wifi then?
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My AV receiver, my DVR, my BD player and my TV all have RJ-45 Ethernet jacks. I need a gigabit Ethernet switch for my home theatre cabinet.

But, these components are not sold at Wal-Mart. Native Ethernet (usually via wired RJ-45, but since RJ-45 to 802.11 adapters are under $50 any device can be made "wireless") is common on higher end devices - the only device in my home theatre setup using 802.11 is the Latitude X1 that's my music player (connected to the 600 GB music library on my home server via NAS).


cRuNcHiE said:
What purpose does networking serve on them already?
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Firmware upgrades automatically downloaded, TV schedule updates, Netflix, remote access (I can add items to my DVR schedule from any browser from anywhere in the world), other online services (Amazon, for example),....

If your AV component doesn't have a page for "Network settings" in the setup menu, it's an antique.
 
yea great. What about sub $500 receivers?

Considering this is price range for 90% of home stereo setups, i think it matters a little more.

2k for a denon in the living room...LOL!!
 
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