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Denon DCM-390 5 Disc CD Carousel w/ Built in HDCD Decoding

Denon DCM-390 5 Disc CD Carousel w/ Built in HDCD Decoding

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Brand: Denon
Category: CE

Buy New: See price in cart



New (6) Refurbished (1) from $140.00

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars 8 reviews
Sales Rank: 12399

Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Batteries: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 14
Dimensions (in): 16 x 17 x 5

MPN: DCM-390
Model: DCM-390
UPC: 081757506991
EAN: 0081757506991
ASIN: B000FPHJ0E

Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

Features:
  • 20bit Burr Brown DACs
  • Dual direction carousel rotation
  • Optical and coaxial digital outputs
  • Serial IR remote ports
  • Tray rotates both clockwise and counter-clockwise for easy loading and unloading of discs

Accessories:

  • Panamax MFP-400 Flat-panel Power Protection
  • Panamax M8-HT-PRO Power Line Conditioner and Surge Protector
  • Monster Cable Interlink 200 Interconnect Cables 2 Meter
  • Monster Cable I400MKII-2M Interlink 400 MkII Advanced Bandwidth Balanced Audio Interconnect
  • Monster Cable IDL100-2M Interlink Datalink 100 6.56-Foot Low-Loss S/PDIF Style Digital Coaxial Cable

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
The DCM-390, a 5-disc carousel CD changer equipped with HDCD, MP3 and WMA decoders, lets you not only enjoy regular audio CDs, but also HDCD discs, MP3 and WMA encoded CD-R/RW discs.The DCM-390 plays finalized CD-R/RW discs containing MP3 or WMA audio files. CD-R/RW discs containing a large number of MP3/WMA files are ideal for use in long-play applications such as background music.The DCM-390 features a Multilevel Noise Shaping DAC. This multi-level modulation powerfully removes the adverse effects of jitter, and because it is built into the output amp, a clean analog output with suppressed high-frequency interference can be directly obtained.When the DCM-390 is cable connected to an amplifier or receiver that supports the Remote Control IN/OUT feature, you can operate the DCM-390 via the remote sensor on the amplifier or receiver. This feature is very handy when the DCM-390 is placed in another room.The DCM-390 lets you combine up to 32 tracks from the five or fewer CDs which are loaded.

Amazon.com Product Description
Enjoy continuous play from your CD collection as well as CD-R/RWs burned with MP3 and WMA files with the Denon DCM-390 5-disc CD changer. It also provides encoding for HDCDs, the newest audio playback format that provides pristine sound reproduction. The carousel changer's play exchange feature lets you swap up to 4 discs while a fifth is playing, and you'll only hear the music, thanks to Denon's quiet changer mechanism.

The DCM-390 features a Multilevel Noise Shaping DAC, which removes the adverse effects of jitter and, because it is built into the output amp, provides a clean analog output with suppressed high-frequency interference can be directly obtained. The 8x oversampling digital filter makes possible an extraordinary degree of attenuation and reduces frequency irregularities in the audio range to an absolute minimum.

Ensuring top-flight sound regardless of the source disc, the DCM-390 features a multilevel noise-shaping digital-to-analog converter. Multilevel modulation removes the adverse effects of jitter. And because the feature is built into the player's output amp, the player directly obtains a clean analog output with suppressed high-frequency interference.

You can customize a song sequence with 32-track programming, which lets you create a a custom music mix from the remote control. Program any combination of tracks from the 5 discs. Three-mode random playback includes full random, program random, and disc sequential random modes. The display shows total remaining time on the disc, elapsed track time, and remaining track time. Four-mode repeat play loops 1 track, 1 disc, all 5 discs, or a programmed sequence.

When this changer is connected to an amplifier or receiver that supports the Remote Control IN/OUT feature, you can operate the DCM-390 via the remote sensor on the amplifier or receiver, which is handy for controlling the player from another room. It offers the both coaxial and optical digital audio outputs, a headphone jack on the front of the unit, and RS-232C terminal.

Tech Talk
The HDCD (High Density Compatible Digital) audio CD format is encoded with 20 bits of information instead of the 16 bits found on standard CDs. A player or receiver with an HDCD decoder chip is required to achieve the true sound of an HDCD disc, but it can be played on a standard CD or DVD player (minus the enhancement). Additionally, because an HDCD decoder chip includes a high-precision digital filter, HDCD-equipped players help to improve audio quality for even traditionally recorded CDs and DVDs.

What's in the Box
5-disc CD changer, remote control (with batteries), printed operating instructions


Customer Reviews:   Read 3 more reviews...

2 out of 5 stars The "Yugo" or "Trabant" of CD Players   December 7, 2008
I bought a Denon DCM 390 to replace my 15-year old Sony player. We built a house 5 years ago and, while I wasn't paying close attention, we ended up with Denon gear. Except I kept my Sony, which I loved but which eventually died. And so I decided on a 390 as a replacement, which might be more compatible with my Denon amplifier (also a dog).

The good news is that the DCM 390 works, after a fashion and at least for now. Practically everything else is the bad news. Features supported by my elderly Sony, things I took for granted, either aren't available in the DCM 390 or can only be executed in the most clunky, time-consuming and counter-intuitive manner. To give two examples, I usually play all the disks on the carousel in the "repeat all" mode. The Denon will do that, but every time you turn on the gear you must remember to punch "repeat" three times, i.e., your preference is not "saved." Otherwise it will play one disk and stop. And the front panel display for repeating all disks doesn't say "Repeat All" or something logical; it says "Repeat Disk" (singular). Also, there is no efficient way to exchange non-playing disks during playback of the current disk. You have to stop playback and do your exchanges individually, then start everything again. Oh, and when you do this you've also turned off Repeat. It must (again) be set to your preference, even though the player has remained "on" throughout.

The DCM 390 has a programming function, something I didn't have with the Sony (but did have with my 1985 Teac). The problem is it only works for tracks on the disk currently being played. (This is according to the manual; I haven't tried using it yet.) If you want to program playback of all of disks 1, 3 and 4, but not disks 2 and 5 - too bad. You have to go to the unit and physically remove disks 2 and 5.

As for compatibility with the amp, there's little of that. Only a few things (basically play and stop) can be executed with the amplifier remote. For most features you must use the dedicated CD remote or try to locate the necessary (and tiny) buttons on the vision-unfriendly flat black front panel.

Then there's the noise. The prominent, distracting Kur-KLUNK as the disks change doesn't inspire confidence. It brings to mind what must have been the sound of one's great-grandfather using a hand-crank to start his Model-T on a cold morning.



3 out of 5 stars Great sound but unreliable operation   November 20, 2008
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

I've had 3 of these machines over the past couple of years. The first one, bought brand new, sounded great. After a few months, it started acting up - would not read discs at all or would skip, etc. Then I began to clean it regularly using a lens cleaner. That helped, but about a week after the each cleaning the machine would once again begin to function defectively.

After about 6 months, the tray (which is all plastic and not very substantial) would simply not open at times for no apparent reason. Turning the player off and back on helped alleviate this situation for a while. But eventually the tray just would not open at all. The machine was history.

I phoned Denon at the number on its website, but the phone went unanswered. It was a regular weekday so I was pretty amazed. The phone rang and rang - no voicemail, no machine...? This is supposed to be a high tech audio company, after all. Of course I tried a few more calls over the following couple of weeks, but always got the same result - A phone that rang and rang with no answer whatsoever. Since no one answered the phone, I assumed that if I sent the unit to Denon for repair no one would open the box.

Well, because the DCM-390 sounded so good - big, three dimensional soundstage; excellent detail and timbral balance - I bought another. This one was refurbished. It too sounded great, and worked flawlessly for about 8 months or so. Then it began to skip. I cleaned the lens and the machine worked fine - for about a week. Then it began skipping again.

I found myself cleaning the lens once a week - and also spraying the back of the tray (into the machine) with compressed air. This really helped, but was too much maintenance as far as I was concerned.

One day, after about a year or so, I was listening and suddenly the sound became distorted. Cleaned the lens; it helped somewhat but the distortion remained. Long story short - the machine had given up the ghost. Distorted sound regardless of the CD. Soon the machine ceased to read any CD at all. Denon DCM-390 (number two) was history.

Denon DCM-390 (number three) - also refurbished - was defective right out of the box. It emitted a horrendous grinding noise while playing any CD. I took the machine apart in an attempt to fix it, but the grinding noise appeared to be coming from the play motor itself. I lubed the motor and did some other work on it, but it soon became clear that this machine was history as well. Number three went into the trash.

When and if any Denon DCM-390 will operate properly is apparently a very dicey proposition, based on my experience. I won't be buying another.



1 out of 5 stars Simply TERRIBLE, and I've gone through TWO of them.   October 20, 2008
FEATURES:

Deceptive "Denon" Name. Not your father's Denon, let me assure you.

Weight. If it were any lighter it would be made of balsa wood.

Remote Control. The remote does not light up when used and does not have a power on/off button.

5-CD carousel, reads multiple formats, digital output: I have been unable to verify if these features exist because I haven't owned a Denon DCM-390 that works, and I've been through two of them.

EXPERIENCE:
I bought the Denon DCM-390 because it offered a lot of decoding features (mp3, wma, wav, HDCD decoding) and, well, it's a Denon. My last Denon CD player lasted over 20 years.

The DCM-390 didn't work out of the box. It would only sporadically read CD's -- and I'm talking about REAL CD's purchased from Amazon, not discs I burned on my computer. The problem was incredibly aggravating because it was nearly impossible to get the carousel to stop spinning as it searched through all the CDs, unable to read any of them.

So I received a second CD player. This one was worse -- it would lift a CD out of the carousel and never return it. Tapping and jostling the player didn't help. In fact, it made the problem worse because the CD dropped while the carousel drawer was out. When I pushed the button to close the drawer, CRUNCH! There went my CD -- eaten. No way to get it out, no way to either close or open the carousel.

Support from Denon? NON-EXISTANT, as others have pointed out in their reviews.

CONCLUSION: Denon is not the company it once was. The DCM-390 is light-weight, poorly manufactured, and unsupported by Denon. I wouldn't recommend buying this product for any price -- I wouldn't even accept one for free, considering the damage it did to my CD's.



1 out of 5 stars Total failure after 7 months   March 18, 2008
 2 out of 4 found this review helpful

Really enjoyed the sound from this changer until it totally failed after only 7 months of very moderate use. For the price of this deck, I would expect better. The player will play a disk for 37 to 40 seconds before stopping, regardless of the disk or carousel position.


2 out of 5 stars Don't waste your money!!!   January 24, 2008
 3 out of 6 found this review helpful

Ok....Music is my life!!! I play it morning, noon and night.Ever since my prize Sony player went on the fritz (owned it about 10yrs), I'd been shopping around for a quality replacement player.I was very aware of Denon's standing in the audio world. I had even owed a Denon reciever about 12yrs ago. And that experience had been great. I came across a couple of great Denon-390 reviews on Amazon and was impressed.The super quiet exchange of CD to CD hooked me. But even then looked for reviews on other site...couldn't really find any. Now i realize why!!! After finding a great price for this player, I made the purchase. Very excited!!! When i connected everything the player shuffled through the Disc and I was floored as to how very LOUD it was. And how slow it was. The exchange that is. And though it has great bass, the overall sound is rather hollow. Very unhappy with this purchase. Out $250 buck and stuck with a crappy player.

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