Denon PMA-890D (1989)
The Denon PMA-890D is a big integrated amplifier from 1989. It builds a digital input section into the chassis, with a real 20-bit DAC with independent left and right channels. Denon called it a "pre-main amplifier with digital multi-interface," and sold it in two versions: the standard black PMA-890D at ¥89,800, and the PMA-890DG, a gold-faced version with side wood panels, at ¥93,800. The DG is also larger and heavier (470mm wide and 19.4kg versus 434mm and 18kg for the standard model).
The amplifier section is serious hardware. Rated output is 110W per channel into 8Ω (130W into 6Ω), with dynamic power figures of 170W at 8Ω, 275W at 4Ω, and 350W at 2Ω. Denon's design brief was aggressive. A "Penta Block Separated" chassis divides the amp into five shielded blocks to keep power supply flux and digital noise away from the analog stages. The output stage has what they called an "optical Class A" circuit, which uses an optical element to isolate the bias control signal from the main signal path. The power supply uses a hefty 6.3kg shielded transformer. The phono stage covers both MM and MC with a DC servo design. A source direct switch routes any input straight to the power amp, bypassing the tone controls.
On the digital side, the DAC accepts coaxial and two optical inputs, with a 20-bit, 8× oversampled digital filter feeding the converter. The digital interface automatically detects sampling frequency differences between CD, DAT, and satellite sources. It uses a dual-PLL configuration to suppress jitter. The DAC section specs are 105dB S/N, 100dB dynamic range, and 0.0025% THD.
The PMA-890D's place in Denon's lineup and its market context are not well documented. The record is essentially one detailed spec source plus a handful of owner reports. No professional magazine reviews turned up in the research, nothing in Audio or High Fidelity to cite, and there is no official English documentation. One owner reported that Denon itself could only supply the manual in Japanese, which suggests this may have been a Japan-market-only model. Owners who have written about it are enthusiastic. One forum post calls it "rare" and another says it bests a similarly-specced Sony TA-F700ES for "finesse, control and presentation." A service bulletin and downloadable schematics are also around for the repair-minded. A used example in Sydney was listed at $699 AUD.
Known specs, in brief:
- Rated output: 110W + 110W (8Ω), 130W + 130W (6Ω), 20Hz-20kHz
- THD: 0.004% (55W, 8Ω); DAC section 0.0025%
- Dynamic power: 170W (8Ω) / 275W (4Ω) / 350W (2Ω)
- DAC: 20-bit, 8× oversampling; inputs: 1 coaxial, 2 optical
- Phono: MM 2.5mV/47kΩ; MC 0.2mV/100Ω
- Weight: 18kg (PMA-890D) / 19.4kg (PMA-890DG)
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