Denon TU-450

Name: Denon TU-450
Brand: Denon

The Denon TU-450 is a digital frequency synthesis FM/AM stereo tuner from a period when Denon was producing a broad lineup of tuners that shared a common design language. The record shows a competently specified tuner with a well-thought-out RF section.

The TU-450 has a 5-gang variable capacitor FM front end feeding a ceramic filter IF section, with a PLL quadrature detector and a PLL stereo decoder. A muting relay protects the output. Tuner people care about these details, and they point to a design that took reception quality seriously. HiFI-Stereo (February 1988, p.128) listed the TU-450 among tuners with digital synthesis tuning, low-impedance output, and auto-scan capability. That puts it in the mid-to-upper tier of its era.

The FM figures are well corroborated across multiple sources. Usable sensitivity is 1.8 µV (IHF). 50 dB quieting comes at 20 dBf mono and 40 dBf stereo. Signal-to-noise is 70 dB mono and 65 dB stereo, and distortion is 0.3% mono and 0.5% stereo. Selectivity is rated at 60 dB, capture ratio at 1.5 dB, and stereo separation at 40 dB at 1 kHz. Image rejection is 80 dB, IF rejection 100 dB, and AM suppression 60 dB. Frequency response runs 20 Hz to 15 kHz ±0.5 dB. The audio output is fixed at 1.0 V from a 2.2 kΩ impedance. The AM section covers 522-1611 kHz, though no sensitivity or distortion figures for AM are documented.

The front panel has FM and AM dial scales, a stereo indicator, signal strength and center tuning meters, and a muting switch. The antenna inputs take both 300-ohm balanced and 75-ohm coaxial feeds, and there are two fixed audio outputs. Power consumption is a modest 10W.

Production years, original pricing, dimensions, and weight are not documented in available sources. No owner reviews or market context have surfaced either.