Denon DTU-1600AL (1998)
The DTU-1600AL is a CS-PCM stereo tuner released by Denon in 1998 at ¥75,000 — a dedicated receiver for Japanese digital satellite broadcasts, not a conventional FM/AM tuner. It tunes the JCSAT band (J1–J32, 1,000 MHz–1,770 MHz) and takes its signal through a CS-IF input terminal.
The interesting part is the audio engineering Denon put into what was essentially a set-top box. The D/A converter uses Denon's ALPHA processor with analog waveform reproduction technology. It interpolates digital data to approximate the original analog waveform, reproducing 16-bit data with 20-bit quality. A 20-bit Lambda S.L.C. converter is mounted independently for left and right channels, with a correction circuit meant to eliminate zero-cross distortion. A newly developed Viterbi complex IC handles demodulation. Denon claimed it ensured accurate reception even with a small antenna or degraded signals in bad weather.
The output section is generous for a tuner of this type. There is one analog audio output, two optical digital outputs (one front, one rear, intended for direct digital-to-digital dubs to MD or DAT), one coaxial digital output, a headphone output, a data broadcasting output, and a bit stream terminal for message broadcasting. It also has scramble display, main/sub audio switching, timer recording integration, and a continuously variable signal level display with an antenna adjustment switch.
Rated performance in B-mode: frequency response of 4 Hz–22 kHz, THD of 0.005%, and a signal-to-noise ratio of 110 dB or more. It draws 20W and weighs 7.7 kg, measuring 434 × 134 × 344 mm. A wireless remote was included.
J-GLOBAL's scramble report on the new product praised its cost-performance and high-resolution sound quality. Beyond that, the record is thin. No owner reviews or long-term reliability notes have surfaced. A Yahoo! Japan auction listing (power-on confirmed, with scratches and dirt) suggests units still circulate on the used market, though no final sale price was recorded.
- Type: CS-PCM stereo tuner (JCSAT, J1–J32)
- Price: ¥75,000 (1998)
- Input: CS-IF terminal
- Outputs: 1 analog, 2 optical, 1 coaxial, 1 headphone, 1 data broadcast, 1 bit stream
- Dimensions: 434 × 134 × 344 mm; 7.7 kg
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