This months HFC - new Densen CDP slated

Sheva

Wammer
Wammer
Apr 4, 2006
5,206
27
93
Chiavenna
AKA
Sheva
The new £1000 410 Model gets only 59% overall (value lower at 50%). Is this a record low rating, particularly for a brand that seems to have been universally praised for previous models?

 

Gromit

Wammer
Wammer
Nov 17, 2006
7,614
7,210
158
Yellowbellyshire
AKA
Richard
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
If HFC slate a piece of equipmentI'd say that's all the more reason to buy it.
wink.png


Nowt against journos but most hifi reviews are just...well...it rhymes with tank.
tongue.png


Motorcycle journos are no better.

 
E

earl of sodbury

Guest
I seem to recall this isn't the first time Densen have dropped a bollock with a CD player, at least according to the press...

 

nixon_fiend

Wammer
Wammer
Jul 31, 2005
791
1
0
Leeds UK, ,
Oh thank god! this could be the start of something big !!

I read a HIFI news review of a 'lizard wizard' magnetic amp today that scored only 50% !!

I'm fed up of immaculate 'clean slate' reviews in mags today.. if the product has a number of major flaws, it's generally brushed under the carpet and explained away as a 'system matching' issue
71_71.gif.3e6d891ee0cc25b2acfe143a79a91cc1.gif
then given 76% for good measure...

Problem is, the REALLY good kit can't shine when it's rated only 6% better than a competing hunk of shit from the same grouptest.

I always love reading OLD reviews .. to be found on the net from 10 years ago.. when the journos would often rip kit to shreds! And I do realise that the newer kit is better . and maybe only the 'best' hifi companies have survived (?) but I still think products should be judged by the standard of their peers .. to have a meaningful appraisal.

WHF's only redeeming feature IMO is their complete willingness to trash kit (verbally!) and they were (until now?) alone in this regard ... except KK, bless 'im

 

mhuk

Wammer
Wammer
Dec 9, 2006
160
0
0
Worcester
AKA
Mark
"maybe only the 'best' hifi companies have survived"

Or the ones with the best marketing dept. ?
wink.png


 

darrenm

Wammer
Wammer
Aug 18, 2005
3,202
0
0
, , United Kingdom
HiFi mags are crap, especially What HiFi's bumming of Monitor Audio, who are the crappest brand ever!!

It's all irrelevant anyway as the mags have different rooms and systems!

 

nixon_fiend

Wammer
Wammer
Jul 31, 2005
791
1
0
Leeds UK, ,
^ yeah, ironic innit . that WHF spend over one mill on a dedicated souped up room and we diss their findings ,

yet our beloved HFW (mine too .. love you guys!) lend the bits out to the relevant writers.. whose systems aren't always 'benchmark' .. Dominic Todd's was displayed a while ago , and I swear the whole thing could be picked up for under 700 quid on eBay!
ohmy.png


 
A

Alex A

Guest
I find it hard to believe Densen messed up. I had their B-400XS for a month and it really was brilliant. Then again, the DAC on that top player is very different to the 400+ and 410 models.

 

The Hifi Gallery

Wammer
Wammer
Sep 1, 2005
1,236
40
93
Kinross
AKA
Paul
HiFi Trade?
  1. Yes
you lot never happy, they praise all kit you moan, now they slate some kit and still you moan, take things in perspective, I bet the densen is no more crap than anything else, just so happens that in the contexct of the kit used, the reviewers room and ears/taste, one guy didn't like it. I'm sure plenty will

 

TIU

Artist and daft as a brush
Wammer Plus
Dec 17, 2005
13,656
7,754
208
Birmingham
AKA
Gary
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
darrenmayne wrote:

HiFi mags are crap, especially What HiFi's bumming of Monitor Audio, who are the crappest brand ever!!
Why?
71_71.gif.3e6d891ee0cc25b2acfe143a79a91cc1.gif


In the title, when Sheva said "this months HFC', did he mean this months, or probably July 2007? :lmao:

I'm pleased that a new piece of kit has scored a lower mark (nothing against this brand per se). Just lately in HFC everything was getting over 80% and best buy awards. In the May issue last year the editor commented on the reviews section featuring its highest ever average score. This pleases the manufacturers but makes it very difficult to choose between similar priced kit.

Surely as with cars, some components are going to score between 50 to 60%? Maybe Jeremy Clarkson should have a go with 20k's worth of kit? Then the little one (Hannon?) would try to break a record with it by attempting to drive 20 pairs of speakers off a T-amp, and the other scruffy toff one would snigger and champion the good old English gear.

 

The Strat

Wammer
Wammer
Aug 17, 2005
13,950
143
123
Buckingham, UK
AKA
Lindsay
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Paul wrote:

you lot never happy, they praise all kit you moan, now they slate some kit and still you moan, take things in perspective, I bet the densen is no more crap than anything else, just so happens that in the contexct of the kit used, the reviewers room and ears/taste, one guy didn't like it. I'm sure plenty will
Exactly - you fancy it book a dem and hear it for yourself. The magazine review is just that - the bloke hasn't got your ears!

 

griffo104

Wammer
Wammer
Sep 30, 2005
7,311
2,733
158
Newport
AKA
Griffo
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Alex_A wrote:

I find it hard to believe Densen messed up. I had their B-400XS for a month and it really was brilliant. Then again, the DAC on that top player is very different to the 400+ and 410 models.
I find it quite easy. I owned their DP drive (the mc one) as my first phono amp and had nothing but problems, I almost gave up on vinyl at the time as I was new to it and it just wasn't doing it for me. The Densen finally broke and ended up in the bin and I bought the Dino - unbelievable difference so much better it was embarrassing.

When PM reviewed the Densen tuner he had to have 3 of them before he got one that worked properly.

 

Jasper

Wammer
Wammer
Jul 29, 2005
1,087
0
0
In the country, , Un
I may be biased as I own some Densen kit but at least Densen offer a lifetime warranty. I suspect there may be more to the bad HFC review than meets the eye. My recent experience of HFC is that it has tended to give almost everything 80%+ marks.

I will certainly be listening to the CDP before I accept the word of a journo from HFC.

 
E

earl of sodbury

Guest
I also seem to remember one of the mags having huge problems with a Densen Beattuner - they got through 3 review units without finding one that functioned correctly.

Densen make some teriffic kit, but are fallible just like the rest.

 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
113,444
Messages
2,451,263
Members
70,783
Latest member
reg66

Latest Articles