Denon PMA-930V (circa 1985)
The Denon PMA-930V is a pre-main (integrated) amplifier from the mid-1980s Japanese market, originally priced at ¥54,800. Documentation on this model is thin - no production years beyond "around 1985," no owner reviews of substance, and no family/lineup positioning have surfaced. What the record does show is a technically ambitious design that fits squarely in Denon's mid-1980s engineering push.
The power amplifier section is a non-feedback 0 dB design. The voltage amplifier stage and power amplifier stage are completely electrically separated, which cuts dynamic distortion such as TIM. A 100W power transistor handles the output, and the back electromotive force from the speakers is suppressed before it can reach the predriver stage. The transformer is multi-shielded and paired with a 16,400 µF block capacitor. The phono section uses a "super equalizer" for wide bandwidth. The MC/MM switch is handled by remote control, so the wiring doesn't degrade the signal-to-noise ratio. A wide-band real-time tone control, subsonic filter, and high-speed protection circuit round out the feature set.
Rated output is 80W + 80W into 6 Ω, or 70W + 70W into 8 Ω, with total harmonic distortion no higher than 0.007%. The slew rate is rated at ±150 V/µs or more. Frequency response at 1W runs from 4 Hz to 250 kHz (+0/-3 dB). The phono stage takes both MM (2.5mV/47kΩ) and MC (0.2mV/100Ω) cartridges, with RIAA deviation of ±0.3 dB from 20 Hz to 100 kHz on MC. Signal-to-noise is 106 dB on line inputs, 86 dB on MM, and 70 dB on MC. Tone controls give ±10 dB at 100 Hz and 10 kHz, and loudness compensation adds +7 dB at 100 Hz and +6 dB at 10 kHz. Power consumption is 150W, dimensions are 434 × 112 × 393 mm, and weight is 9.3 kg.
Evidence of the PMA-930V in the wild is mostly fragmentary. There is a Russian forum listing from 2007 offering a "Japanese market" unit, and a YouTube video pairing it with Kenwood LS-V710 speakers. One forum commenter remarked, "Denon is not a fool, as they write" - though the surrounding discussion is largely garbled and not clearly about this model's performance. No current market prices, common problems, or service information have been documented. A remote control (part number 2120246014) and replacement parts do appear to be available.
Beyond its specification sheet, the PMA-930V remains a lightly documented piece of Denon's mid-1980s catalog, and its real-world reputation was never extensively recorded.
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