Denon POA-2200 (1985–1987)

A solid-state stereo power amplifier built in Japan with a fully capacitorless signal path and twin monaural construction.

Overview

The Denon POA-2200 is a solid-state stereo power amplifier made in Japan from 1985 to 1987. It uses a dual super non-feedback amplifier circuit and a fully capacitorless (DC) signal path, so there are no coupling caps in the way of the signal. Construction is twin monaural, with a separate power supply for each channel. That helps channel separation and stability. There are two input modes, Normal and Direct. Direct bypasses the volume control. A bar line multi-display on the front panel gives real-time monitoring and self-diagnosis for overload, DC offset, and temperature.

Specifications

Product Type	Solid State Stereo Power Amplifier
Power Output (8 Ω)	200W + 200W (audio-database.com) / 2x 200W (thevintageknob.org)
Power Output (4 Ω)	300W + 300W
Power Output (2 Ω)	600W + 600W
THD	0.002% (Output 100W, 8 Ω, 20 Hz to 20 kHz, audio-database.com) / < 0,002% (8 Ohm, thevintageknob.org)
Slew Rate	±500 V/μs
Frequency Response	1 Hz – 300 kHz (+0 / -3 dB, 1W)
Signal-to-Noise Ratio	124 dB (audio-database.com) / 123 dB (IHF-A, thevintageknob.org)
Output Impedance	0.1 Ω or less
Input Sensitivity / Impedance (Normal)	1V / 25k Ω
Input Sensitivity / Impedance (Direct)	1V / 50k Ω (audio-database.com) / 1.3V / 30k Ω (thevintageknob.org)
Power Consumption	340W (audio-database.com, hifi-wiki.com) / 320W (thevintageknob.org)
Power Supply	100 VAC, 50Hz/60Hz
Speaker Load	6–16 Ω (A or B), 12–16 Ω (A+B)

Design

The POA-2200 uses a dual super non-feedback design with a three-stage differential FET input and a fully capacitorless DC signal path. Each channel has a 4-parallel push-pull output stage built from high-speed, high-capacity transistors (Pc130W), driven by a 150 MHz pre-driver transistor. The voltage amplification stage ends in a Pc25W large-capacity transistor. A Unity Current Interface (UCI) optimizes current transfer from stage to stage, especially when the amp is paired with the PRA-1100 preamplifier. The power supply has an 800 VA toroidal transformer and eight 10,000 μF block capacitors, with a pure dynamic power supply system and a complete monaural configuration for each channel. Wood side panels were optional. The power cords are heavy-gauge and carry polarity indication.

Context

It was originally priced at ¥160,000 around 1986.

Market

The POA-2200 has turned up on the collector market. One unit was listed for €1,490 in Germany in 2019. Forum users have said they would buy one at around $250, so perceived value varies with condition and region.