Denon DRA-1035R A/V receiver Review

The Denon DRA-1035R, a powerful and flexible AM/FM stereo receiver, also provides video and audio control facilities for two VCR’s and a videodisc player. Although we have seen receivers with similar features identified as “audio/video” (A/V) components, Denon has wisely refrained from following suit. Current convention seems to require that a true A/V receiver contain some form of Dolby Surround decoder and at least two additional power amplifiers for the surround speakers. Denon does make such receivers but has designed the DRA-1035R for those who primarily want a high-power, high-performance audio receiver without a lot of extra video-related features.

The DRA-1035R is rated to deliver 130 watts per channel into 8-ohm loads from 20 to 20,000 Hz with no more than 0.015 percent total harmonic distortion (THD). Although it is not rated for loads of less than 8 ohms, the receiver has outputs for two sets of speakers that can be driven individually or simultaneously. The outputs are marked to indicate a minimum allowable speaker impedance of 4 ohms when one set is driven or 8 ohms when both are driven.

The DRA-1035R has a digital frequency-synthesis tuner with forty preset memories, each assignable to either an AM or an FM frequency. There are input jacks for a moving-magnet or moving-coil phono cartridge, a CD player, and a videodisc player, plus recording and playback jacks for two audio tape decks and two VCR’s. There are also video inputs and outputs for two VCR’s, a video input for a videodisc player, and a video output for a monitor. The receiver has separate preamplifier outputs and main-amplifier inputs, which can be joined or separated by a pushbutton on the rear apron.

The speaker outputs are insulated binding posts that accept stripped wires or dual banana plugs. The tuner antenna inputs include an F-type coaxial jack for a 75-ohm FM antenna and spring-clips for connecting the supplied AM wire-loop antenna. There are four AC outlets, three of them switched, and jacks for controlling a compatible Denon tape deck through the receiver and for controlling the receiver from other rooms via a Denon Room-to-Room remote-control system (sold separately).

The basic front-panel controls are a large volume knob and smaller knobs for bass and treble, balance, and loudness compensation. The loudness control, operating independently of the volume setting, provides a flat response at its clockwise limit; counterclockwise rotation reduces the level of the middle frequencies more than that of low and high frequencies. This system allows a wide range of loudness compensation at any listening level, independent of program level or speaker sensitivity.

Small buttons to the right of these knobs create a simulated-stereo effect with mono programs, bypass all tone controls and other signal-processing circuits (source direct), and select stereo or mono amplifier operation. Other front-panel controls include independent activation buttons for two sets of speakers and the power switch.

Near the center of the panel, across most of its width, is a row of rectangular pushbuttons. Twelve of them are the tuner preset controls. Others select the band (AM or FM), FM mode (stereo or mono), tuning mode (autoscan or manual), IF bandwidth (wide or narrow), and tuning direction. Above these buttons are the input selectors, a REC OUT button that selects the audio source for recording independently of the program being heard, and a video select button that selects the video source being sent to the video-recording and monitor outputs. The volume knob, to the right of the program selectors, has an illuminated index mark and is motor-driven when the remote control is used.

The display window, at the upper left of the panel, shows the receiver’s complete operating status. Normally, only the information pertinent to the current mode is visible. The tuner frequency, band, and preset channel number (if applicable) are accompanied by the status of the auto-tuning, wide/narrow bandwidth, stereo/mono mode, and muting circuits. Other information includes the status of the speaker selectors and the source of the signal being sent to the speakers or to the REC OUT terminals. The independent selection of program and recording sources makes it possible to reproduce or record simulcast TV/FM programs.

The DRA-1035R is supplied with a highly versatile remote control, which is designed to be used with a number of other Denon products as well, including surround-sound receivers. Through the DRA-1035R, it can also operate compatible Denon CD players and cassette decks. In addition, the remote control can memorize the infrared codes used by most other audio and video components.

The DRA-1035R’s FM tuner section has excellent specifications, including a stereo 50-dB quieting sensitivity of 37.3 dBf, a stereo noise level of -82 dB and distortion of 0.09 percent, a capture ratio of 1.3 dB, 80-dB image rejection, and 55-dB stereo channel separation.

The DRA-1035R is a large and fairly heavy receiver, measuring 17-1/8 inches wide, 15-7/8 inches deep, and 6-3/8 inches high. It weighs just under 27 pounds. The supplied remote-control unit, 9-1/4 inches long, 3-1/8 inches wide, and 1 inch thick, is powered by four AAA batteries. Price: $1,000.

Lab Tests

The DRA-1035R’s power amplifiers comfortably surpassed their power ratings. While the receiver was driving 8-ohm loads at 1,000 Hz, the front channels clipped at 155 watts, and it delivered 215 watts per channel into 4 ohms. The clipping headroom (8 ohms) was 0.76 dB. Because of the receiver’s power ratings, and the admonition not to use loads of less than 4 ohms, we did not attempt to measure continuous power into 2-ohm loads.

The receiver’s dynamic power output was an impressive 203 watts into 8 ohms, 350 watts into 4 ohms, and 505 watts into 2 ohms (the 20-millisecond tone bursts of this measurement do not pose a risk to the output transistors or fuses). Dynamic headroom (8 ohms) was 1.94 dB. Total harmonic distortion plus noise (THD + N) of the power-amplifier section at 1,000 Hz (into 8 ohms) was 0.012 percent at a 1-watt output and 0.0039 percent at 65 and 130 watts.

A line-level (CD) input of 13.8 millivolts (mV) drove the amplifier to a reference 1-watt output. The sensitivity through the phono input was 0.24 mV for an MM cartridge and 0.02 mV for an MC cartridge. The respective A-weighted noise levels were -84 dB (CD), -81.2 dB (MM phono), and -75 dB (MC phono).

Frequency response (CD input) was + 0.25, -0.55 dB from 20 to 20,000 Hz. The phono response was extremely flat, remaining within ±0.04 dB from 20 to 6,000 Hz and rising slightly to + 0.13 dB at 20,000 Hz. The overall response of the preamplifier section was within ±0.25 dB from 60 to 20,000 Hz and down 0.55 dB at 20 Hz.

The bass tone control affected frequencies below 600 Hz, with a maximum boost of 12 dB in the 30- to 50-Hz range and a cut of 10 dB between 20 and 40 Hz. The treble control’s response hinged at 2,000 Hz, with a maximum range of ±10 dB at 20,000 Hz. The loudness-compensation control reduced the midrange level by a maximum of 16 dB at 1,000 Hz. Both high and low frequencies were affected to a lesser degree, giving a maximum effective bass boost (referred to 1,000 Hz) of 8.3 dB between 20 and 50 Hz and a maximum treble boost of 6 dB between 15,000 and 20,000 Hz.

The DRA-1035R’s FM tuner section had excellent characteristics. Most tuner measurements were made with its wide IF bandwidth setting. Usable sensitivity (mono) was 13 dBf (1.25 microvolts, or yaV, into 75 ohms). The 50-dB quieting sensitivity was better than 32 dBf, which is outstanding. Distortion was typically about 0.05 percent in mono and 0.065 percent in stereo, and the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) was an impressive 85.2 dB in mono and an astonishing 83.6 dB in stereo. Channel separation was almost 55 dB at 400 Hz, falling to 40 dB at 30 and 8,000 Hz and 31 dB at 15,000 Hz.

Switching to the narrow IF mode had a negligible effect on sensitivity and S/N. Separation was slightly reduced, to about 41 dB over much of the frequency range. Distortion, as expected, rose in this mode of operation, to about 0.15 percent in either mono or stereo.

The most obvious effect of the bandwidth setting was on selectivity and capture ratio. The narrow-mode selectivity was an outstanding 92 dB for alternate-channel spacing and 20 dB for adjacent-channel spacing. In the wide mode, the readings were more typical of FM receivers, 58 and 8 dB, respectively. Capture ratio, a very good 1.5 dB in wide mode, deteriorated to a fair-to-poor 4.1 dB in the narrow mode. The AM tuner section’s response was fairly typical, within ±4 dB from 30 to 2,200 Hz and down 6 dB at 2,700 Hz.

We encountered a unique (and so far unexplained) effect when attempting to measure the tuner’s image-rejection ratio (rated at 80 dB or better). It was not possible to detect the image signal within the 132-dB range available from our signal generator. That does not mean the tuner has a 132-dB image-rejection ratio (a highly improbable figure), but we were unable to establish the reason for this anomaly. At any rate, the receiver is not likely to be susceptible to FM image interference.

Comments

In most of its performance characteristics, the DRA-1035R ranks among the finest receivers we have tested. Indeed, few separate tuners can match its FM performance, and its amplifier section is certainly among the most powerful (in actual performance, especially with dynamic signals) to be found among today’s stereo receivers. Although we did not use it as a video control center, its video functions are limited to switching and are not likely to result in any significant degradation of picture quality.

In general, the receiver’s controls are laid out logically and are easy to use. The display window is informative, for the most part showing the user only what he needs to know about the receiver’s operation. The one exception is the appearance of the word video, audio, or REC below the name of the selected program source, which has to do with the routing of the selected signal. The significance of these labels is not intuitive and is poorly explained in the manual.

Since the remote control supplied with the DRA-1035R is actually a system control for a number of Denon components, only a handful of its many buttons have any function with this receiver. It seemed to be unnecessarily confusing for use as a single-component control.

Such minor criticisms pale into insignificance, however, when viewed in light of the receiver’s overall performance. The DRA-1035R offers an exceptional combination of a superb FM tuner with an enormously powerful amplifier, and it has more than enough control features and operating flexibility to satisfy almost anyone in the market for an easy-to-use receiver with a minimum of performance compromises. It’s well worth its price even if you don’t plan to use all of its video control features.

Read all

Denon reviews

Read all