Denon PMA-380V (1989)
The PMA-380V is a compact integrated amplifier Denon released in 1989 at ¥36,400. It's remembered today as the forerunner of Denon's well-regarded 390 series. It packs a genuine phono stage (MM, 2.5mV/47kΩ), three video inputs with switching, and a remote control, which was still something of a luxury in this price class at the time. The included RC-115 handset handles power, input selection, volume, and muting.
Rated output is a modest 37W + 37W into 8Ω (20Hz-20kHz), with dynamic power stretching to 70W into 4Ω. Total harmonic distortion is rated at 0.003% at 1kHz/18.5W, and line inputs are sensitive at 150mV/35kΩ. Line frequency response runs from 5Hz to 150kHz (+2/-3dB). S/N ratio is 100dB on line inputs and 72dB on phono. Power consumption is 80W. The whole thing weighs just 5.3kg, and dimensions are 434 × 100 × 273mm.
Denon's design approach here was straightforward: a simplified motherboard layout with optimized part placement and wiring, plus video routing for three sources feeding a monitor output. It's not a heavyweight in any sense, but it's a thoughtfully equipped little amp that anticipated where affordable integrateds were heading. Japanese-market units run on 100VAC, so keep that in mind if you're considering one today.
A Russian seller listing described it as a "small but high-quality amp" that had undergone preventive maintenance. Documentation in English is thin, but the Japanese Audio Database entry (accessed via audio-database.com) has the full spec sheet. No price was listed in that Russian ad. Working examples show up intermittently on Japanese auction sites. One non-working unit went for ¥1,430 in late 2021, while a functioning example was bid to ¥4,000 in spring 2026.
- 37W + 37W (8Ω, 20Hz–20kHz)
- Dynamic power: 70W (4Ω)
- Phono MM input, 3 video inputs with monitor output
- Remote control (RC-115) included
- 5.3kg, 434 × 100 × 273mm
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