2. amps-preamps
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Denon x4700h DAC change

Hello 'PRO'S",

was hoping to get an expert opinion.. I have the Denon 4700h. I can still return it. Previously, it had the AKM 4458 DAC. Now, it has the TI PCM5102A DAC. Is this a notable decrease in performance from the chips. From what I am reading, it seems that these chips are inferior to AKM. The original test bench showed very good results with AKM. I searched high and low for tests on the PCM 5102A  with zero luck. 

 

Thanks,

Anthony

128x128antho768
fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,624 posts
 

Don't worry about it. Do they actually sound different.

antho768's avatar
antho768 OP
16 posts
 

Thanks for posting. Not able to compare. Maybe at this point it's just principle of Denon hiding it until someone discovered it and many consumers called them out. You want what you pay for. It sounds good to me, but could it sound better? 

imhififan's avatar
imhififan
2,204 posts
 

Due to the fire at Asahi Kasei manufacturing (AKM) plant on October 20, 2020, Denon need to look for new chip to continue production of 4700h.

Denon AVR-X4700H

2021年春頃よりD/AコンバーターICを変更しています。DACは製品の音質に特に大きな影響を与える部品であるため、その変更に際しましては、回路の再設計およびサウンドチューニングを新製品の開発時と同様のプロセスで行い、DACの変更後も以前の製品と同等の音質、性能、機能を維持したまま、引き続き従来と変わらぬ品質の製品をお届けしています。

Google translate above text:

We are changing the D/A converter IC in 2021. Since the DAC is a part that has a particularly large impact on the sound quality of the product, we will need to redesign the circuit and tune the sound when developing the new product. Following the same process, even after changing the DAC, we continue to deliver products with the same sound quality, performance, and functionality as the previous products.

 

 

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