Pine Brook, NJ, July 5, 2005 Denon Electronics, an industry leader in home entertainment technology, today announced the first products in a planned family of advanced S-Series integrated home entertainment systems. The two Denon 2.1-channel surround sound DVD home theater systems, Models S-301 (SRP: $1,599) and S-101 (SRP: $999) are the world’s first home entertainment products to provide simple, convenient connectivity and control of today’s portable digital music devices, including the popular Apple iPod series of portable players. In addition, the S-301 includes a front-panel USB port that lets users easily connect with Rio and other popular portable MP3 players, as well as USB Flash memory devices; both units provide an analog connection to all makes of portable devices via their headphone jacks. Designed as total high-performance home theater entertainment solutions, the new S-Series systems are complete and compact, featuring integrated DVD/receiver units with a stylish remote, dual satellite speakers and high-performance subwoofers.
Total Simplicity of Operation, Set-Up and Connectivity
Denon engineers designed both new S-Series systems from the ground up with the goal of fusing high-quality audio performance with elegance, ease-of-use and advanced connectivity. For simplicity of operation, users can access all features and functions of the systems either via the remote, the front panel controls or by using the intuitively designed onscreen interface. An easy onscreen Help Menu takes users through every step of the simple set-up process. A component video conversion feature in both systems adds to their flexibility in multi-component home theater system operation, letting users send signals from either composite or S-video sources directly to their display device via a single connection.
Jeff Talmadge, Marketing Manager for Denon USA, noted: “As home entertainment products become more and more advanced, they can also unfortunately become more complicated to operate. Our S-Series systems are designed to make it easier than ever before for consumers, including today’s digital music generation, to take full advantage of today’s most advanced audio/video performance features and functions, offering a simple and elegant way to expand and enhance their home entertainment experience. In addition to providing a complete “out-of-the-box” home theater surround sound solution, for example, our first two systems let users easily connect their iPods and other portable music players to enjoy their favorite songs in a way they may never have realized was possible.”
Denon S-301: No-Compromise Audio and Video Performance
In addition to its unprecedented capabilities in connecting digital portable digital music players, the Denon S-301 system is designed for total no-compromise audio and video, featuring state-of-the-art sound and image-enhancing technologies. The S-301’s high-performance universal DVD player provides compatibility with all disc formats, including DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD (SACD). Key to the S-301’s outstanding picture and sound reproduction quality is the inclusion of dual discrete Analog Devices 7310 12-bit/216MHz video D/A converters, one for the progressive scan video circuit and one for the interlaced circuit, as well as built-in Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound decoding, 192kHz/24-bit audio D/A converters, an advanced Faroudja FLI2310 DCDi chipset and much more. To maximize image quality with today’s high-definition displays, the S-301’s DVD player features HDMI digital video output with scaling (480p/720p/1080i), providing pristine, artifact-free upconversion to HD resolution video.
The S-301 includes a full selection of audio and video connections, including the digital USB port, HDMI digital audio and video output, component and composite video outputs, coaxial and optical digital inputs, a +12v output trigger and an RS-232C port for third-party controllers.
Advanced Dolby Technologies for Room-Filling Surround Sound
In addition to their elegance and total ease-of-use, both systems offer many of today’s most advanced high-performance audio capabilities. To provide listeners with an unprecedented surround sound experience using only two speakers, for example, both the S-301 and S-101 systems feature the critically acclaimed Dolby Virtual Speaker technology. A practical alternative to multi-speaker systems, Dolby Virtual Speaker utilizes breakthrough digital audio processing techniques to yield the most accurate and natural virtualized surround sound listening experience ever achieved. And with the addition of Dolby Pro Logic II decoding, included in the S-301, the process can enhance the playback of any program material, from stereo music CDs and MP3 files to 5.1-channel DVDs.
Dolby Virtual Speaker and Denon’s engineering design ensure the integrity of the virtual 5.1 soundfield by reproducing the entire sonic signature, and its multiple reflection tails, which can often vary significantly in level and spectral balance from the direct sound. The further addition of crosstalk cancellation maintains the integrity of each processed signal, thereby insuring a highly realistic and natural sounding 360-degree sonic environment.
The Denon S-301 and S-101 systems also feature Dolby Headphone signal processing, which delivers a comfortable natural-sounding surround sound listening experience from any set of connected headphones. It is an ideal technology for late-night movie viewing, video game playing, or private listening to audio- or video-based entertainment.
A Dedicated, Super-Convenient iPod Connection
Both the Denon S-301 and S-101 systems provide optimum audio performance from Apple iPod portable digital music/photo players, as well as the industry’s most convenient and complete on-screen operations menu control. Using the specially designed front-panel connector and the supplied plug-and-play Connect iPod cable, users enjoy full access to all features and functions of 3rd and 4th generation iPods, including the familiar iPod navigational menu displayed on their main home theater screen. The onscreen display mimics the iPod’s own menu display, offering easy and familiar control capabilities. Once connected (using the simple onscreen setup guide provided), all basic iPod features, including volume control, menu navigation, play, stop and skip, can be accessed via the Denon remote control. Users can even recharge their iPods while connected. Both systems fully support all iPod generations, and the S-301 extends this command and control connectivity to all other portable digital music players via its USB port.
In addition to being able to play back iPod music with crystal clear sound quality, both the S-301 and S-101 systems lets users enjoy all the features and capabilities of iPod photo, showing and controlling all their photos with music on their main home theater display.
Breakthrough Designs Combine Form and Function
Featuring a familiar and gentle round-form design, the S-301 and S-101 systems are designed for easy connectivity and visually pleasing integration with today’s multi-component home entertainment systems. For full-sounding, well-balanced acoustics, both systems include high-performance loudspeakers engineered and fine-tuned by top European speaker designers. All speakers are specifically designed for matching and fitting along side flat-panel displays, with high-quality sound that matches their striking cosmetic. The S-301 satellites feature a vertical line design with a punched metal front and aluminum sidebar; the S-101 speakers are distinguished by their clean horizontal-line design. Both the S-301 and S-101 satellite cabinets are made of metal (barium sulfate), with filling plastic in order to decrease unwanted vibration. Advanced 1-inch tweeter units in both the S301 and S-101 satellites (soft dome in S-301, polyetherimide in S-101) provide optimum audio reproduction. Both the S-301 and S-101 satellites come with solid steel stands for tabletop use; both systems feature mount brackets for easy wall-mounting, as well as universal screw holes for wall-mounting brackets available from other manufacturers.
The compact, high-performance subwoofers for both systems feature an attractive metallic finish with front and rear baffles and tapered edges for unobtrusive elegance. An innovative 360-degree design lets users place their subwoofer virtually anywhere in a room, providing a pleasing aesthetic from any angle. The integrated DVD/receiver units for both systems also feature strikingly modern and aesthetically pleasing designs, with metallic silver finishes and easy-to-use front panel controls.
The Denon S-101 and the S-301 will both be available in August.
About Denon Electronics
From its beginning in 1910 as a supplier of professional recording studio and broadcast equipment, Denon has become a world leader in the manufacture of the highest quality home theater, audio and software products. Denon is recognized internationally for innovative and groundbreaking products and has a long history of technical innovations, including the development and first commercialization of PCM digital audio. Denon Electronics is a wholly owned subsidiary of D&M Holdings Inc.
About D&M Holdings Inc.
D&M Holdings Inc. (TSE II: 6735) is based in Tokyo and owns the Denon, Marantz, McIntosh Laboratory, D&M Professional, ReplayTV, Rio and Escient brands. Denon, Marantz, McIntosh and D&M Professional are global industry leaders in the specialist home theater, audio/video consumer electronics or professional audio markets, with a strong and long-standing heritage of manufacturing and marketing high-performance audio and video components. The ReplayTV, Rio and Escient brands represent award-winning technologies in digital home entertainment. Additional information is available at www.dm-holdings.com.
About Apple
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning desktop and notebook computers, OS X operating system, and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital music revolution with its iPod portable music players and iTunes online music store.
About Dolby Laboratories
Dolby Laboratories creates technologies that intensify and enhance the entertainment experience. For nearly four decades, Dolby has been instrumental in defining high-quality audio and surround sound in cinema, broadcast, home audio systems, cars, DVDs, headphones, games, televisions, and personal computers. Based in San Francisco with European headquarters in England, the privately held company has entertainment industry liaison offices in New York and Los Angeles, and licensing liaison offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, and Tokyo. For more information about Dolby Laboratories or Dolby technologies, please visit www.dolby.com.
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