Denon DRS 810
The Denon DRS 810 is a three-head stereo cassette deck. The documentation has survived better than the collective memory. There is solid technical data from the service manual and a spec-sheet entry, but almost no period press, no user reports and no market history. What follows is what's on the record.
The service manual cover prints "Silent Mechanism" prominently. That's Denon's marketing term for the transport design. The deck has three heads (separate play, record and erase) and a DC motor. Denon described the transport as using shockless parts and insulated construction. The electronics are built around an op-amp head amplifier, and the deck offers Dolby B, C, and S noise reduction. There's a manual bias and equalization selector for Normal, Chrome, and Metal tapes, plus both line and microphone inputs.
The numbers are respectable for the era. Wow and flutter is rated at 0.033% WRMS (0.05% DIN). Frequency response runs 20 Hz to 21 kHz on metal tape, and 20 Hz to 19 kHz on normal and chrome. Signal-to-noise is 78 dB with Dolby C engaged. The service manual also lists 68 dB with Dolby S, but the hifiengine spec sheet only mentions Dolby B and C, so it's unclear whether Dolby S was standard or a variant. Line input sensitivity is 100 mV into 50 kΩ. Line output is 0.45 V at 1.8 kΩ impedance. The deck draws 17 W, measures 434 x 127 x 283 mm, and weighs 5.6 kg. A remote control was included.
There's one odd gap. The service manual lists a microphone input sensitivity of 0.35 mV, but no maximum input level for the mic is documented. No proper review of this deck has turned up in the period literature checked so far. Contemporary ads in HiFI-Stereo (March 1992, p.66) show the broader cassette deck market of the time.
No production years, original price or model hierarchy information has been found. There are no owner reports, no common-failure notes and no current market pricing data. If you own one or have serviced one, the archive would welcome the input.
Known Specs
- Three heads (1 play / 1 record / 1 erase), DC motor
- Wow & flutter: 0.033% WRMS
- Frequency response: 20 Hz – 21 kHz (Metal); 20 Hz – 19 kHz (Normal, Chrome)
- SNR: 78 dB (Dolby C); 68 dB (Dolby S, per service manual)
- Dolby B, C, and S noise reduction
- Line in: 100 mV / 50 kΩ; Mic in: 0.35 mV
- Line out: 0.45 V / 1.8 kΩ
- Dimensions: 434 × 127 × 283 mm; 5.6 kg
- Power: 17 W
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