Denon D-M38DAB
Just Tested
Preamps
McIntosh D100
This entry-level McIntosh is a solid and entertaining performer that offers plenty of functionality
Read
Phono amps
Cambridge Audio 651P
Fine sense of timing and plenty of excitement makes this a fine buy
Read
Blu-ray players
Samsung BD-F6500
As a low-cost option, the Samsung isn’t a bad shout – not the best in class but still competitive
Read
In this month's mag
August 2013
GROUP TEST: Floorstanding speakers from £440-£500
GROUP TEST: TV Titans – 55in tellies from £2300-£2500
ULTIMATE GUIDE: DACs from £180-£4995
© 2013 Haymarket Publishing
Comments
Thanks to Whathifi for all your reviews. You are a great help for a lot of people!
I got this system about a week ago. I don’t experience any hum, but what I do experience is a little bit of white noise, present on all sources including the headphone. It’s only noticeable when listening on very low volumes. The “good news” is that the noise is primarily a result of using the SDB/TONE settings so if you can live without equalizing your sound then use the SOUND DIRECT option instead and the amount of white noise drops DRAMATICALLY.
I agree with WhatHifi that the sound is tight and has good punch and precision.
Another thing: The M38 is not as bright as you may expect a budget “All-in-one” to be. I have them paired up with my B&W 685’s and I was thinking that their dark and warm nature would be opened up quite a bit by the M38, but actually that didn't happen. So the M38 is definitely not adding significant brightness to the speakers.
It can easily play up our 40m2 living-room. Volume levels go from 0 to 40. Regular playing is around 12. Loud playing starts at around 20. I haven’t been over 25 yet. This will of course vary from speaker to speaker.
This is a good system for the money. You get a lot of functionality in a single box - and it plays well!
I've just bought one of these and beforehand was worried by posts describing the headphone hum problem. I've found it's there at times, but disappears if you jiggle the plug slightly.
Otherwise, this is a very good device for the money especially the radios. It's some way behind my Arcam separates system, but that's an unfair comparison as each component cost more than the Denon.
The M38DAB is magic value for money! I've biwired a pair of Mision MX1's to it and the sound quality is very good, from DAB, CD and Sony Walkman MP3 ( through the USB port). Even bought an inexpensive turntable and am now enjoying all my old vinyl as well, and it records and plays well through my old TEAC tape deck. Even on it's own it's a great small footprint music system.
But the fact thet one can add extras through the various inputs adds real value. It scores 10 / 10 from me on value, sound and ease uf use.
After much debate, I opted for the Wharfedale 10.1s, rather than the WhatHiFi recommended options, and am delighted with my choice. I do believe these Wharfedales should have retained their 5-star ratings on WhatHiFi, at their "on the street" price-point. The WhatHiFi review benchmarks them against speakers costing over 60% more.
Bottom line is that the Denon DM38-DAB is outstanding value for money and should delight all but the most critical owners.
Just bought this Denon after Christmas, my Cambridge 640 amp blew up again lol.
This little system is awsome for the money, sounds better than my Cambridge A640 and C640 system.
Have this connected to Kef IQ 5's with Qed Silver XT cable, Bass is nice and tight, and mid and treble is accurate and sweet.
Play most of my music now from usb drive and it sounds superb !
Spot on review What HI-FI
As for the bad reviews of hum, i have to say i don't hear any so could just be unlucky purchase
Hey guys and gals
I've made up my mind and am going to go for this system BUT need to decide what speakers I want to get with it (am looking at speakers around the £150 mark)
So far looking at :- Tannoy Mercury V1
Mission MX1
Q acoustics 2020i
and the Wharfdale 9.1 (although this might be outdated now)
Any quick advice will be apreciated
Cheers Daniel
If you are tight for space and on a budget, £40 gets you Diamond 9.0 from Richer Sounds. I bought these for my kids, so price was slightly more important than total fidelity, although I use 9.0 as my surround satellites and they have impressed in that role. And here too with the M38DAB, I am mightily impressed and consider that my kids have done very well and have a micro system I'd be happy to live with myself.
I also had a pair of 9.1's as fill in's on my own system and had to spend a lot of money before I could really justify changing them at all. So I can recommend them heartily too.
Hi Daniel, you might be better off posting this question in our Forums as you're more likely to get a response there.
I got the Superfi deal with the Wharfedale Dimond 9.1 speekers.
Its my first good hi fi . And I have to say . I have been blow away.
At first it did not sound as good as I thought it would. But after leaving it for a few hours the speekers are sounding 100 times beter. They do need run in.
I am into electronic music and it is playing it back with a full meaty sound. The onbourd DAC for the Ipod works great and is making my 320kbs albums sound like flac or CD.
Dab radio is working well here in Ireland with RTE stations only. I cant tell the difference between the dab and the RDS quailty TBH.
The remote is a bit of a pain would be my only downside on the first day of ownership.
I would like to get the matching sub for the Dimonds speekers in the future. Not that it is needing it.
Just bought the Denon D-M38DAB for the bedroom.
I've hooked up the amp to a pair of Mordaunt-Short Aviano speakers using my 160GB iPOD as the music source.
All that I can say is I'm loving it! It's straight-forward and easy to use, though the buttons on the remote control especially for navigating the iPOD can be tad bigger.
Other than that, it is superb!
Superb one. Thanx team.
Hooked mine up to Q Acousitc 2010's like paul1959j did along with matching stands for my office. It has been a dream since. Sound is precise, dynamic & dramatic. I keep mine to volume setting 10-12 but the manual states it will go to 48! Mainly use an iPod with it but both cd & radio is a high standard
I've just bought a DM38 to replace a Naim (God how i miss it)system i had in my bedroom and believe it or not it has helped to ease the Naim withdrawal symptoms.
I matched it with Dali lektor one speakers and it really does sound excellent.
Nice unit but mine had an unacceptable mains hum on the headphone output - therefore was returned.
The reason the Denon D-M38DAB has a neat little usb socket, rather than an ugly integrated ipod dock is because it will play audio (through its internal dac) from other usb devices (memory sticks, mp3 players, ipods and apparently hard drives). I think you missed this point in your review.
Well, got one of these for our dining room, complete with the Q Acoustic 2010s and some QED cable. Can't fault it for less than �300.00. This is a seriously good little set up for the price.
Can easily live with a USB socket and I think it is a far better option than a dock on top of the set.
Brilliant all round!
I've had a DM38DAB for 3 days now and it's driving me nuts making so much 'transport' noise when playing a cd, especially intrusive at lower levels. Also a constant hiss through the speakers (gale gold monitors) which wasn't there with the last hifi through these speakers, and headphones are a no-go as the background hum is so great that unless it's cranked up to deafening levels all you hear is hum!!
When it's louder the sound quality is great though...
Someone tell me I've just got a rubbish one and they're not all like this after such glowing reviews!!!
Well... I bought Mission MX1 for this denon. I can't bolive that for that little money you can have such a god sound system. Denon M38 and Mission MX1 is synergy. I highly recommend!
Couldn't decide between Denon and Marantz at first, listenet to both with Diamond 9.1 in Superfi, and got Denon dm38DAB for 179 with 2 years of warranty.
It is not that perfect as it's described in review, but I must say pros are so outshining that most of users will ignore cons considering it's price.
Hooked it up to old Denon sc-m50 (from mission) speakers, pretty small and cheap (25 quid 2-nd hand). I must say I was nicely surprised (well after turning treble up to 8 and bass to 6), detail and bass so good. I can't think what would it be like with better speakers recommended by other users.
After hard studying it for 24 hour I found fallowing
Pros:
- sound outstanding, doesn't matter what source CD, USB, Ipod,
- DAB reception and sound quality brilliant (at least in Winchmore Hill- North London),
- don't need to buy dock to run iPod,
Cons:
- CD tray should be finished better on the front, than just painted plastic ( it wouldn't be expensive to stick brushed aluminium stripe),
- volume control should be improved (this one is long story)
When turning up volume between 2-4 it doesn't change and than steps are significant.
When listening closely on headphones, on low volume when increasing or decreasing it you can hear step cracking, but it's insignificant.
Volume knob is very hard to turn when new, after using it for a while gets better.
- when you adjust treble control to maximum You can hear hum but only on very low volume listening closely.
- you can't change DAB stations without remote.
Took me long to describe cons, but it's not something what you will discover during normal usage bu when you want fin it.
I hope I didn't put anyone off buying it, because it is very good hi-fi and and if I had another go I would still chose Denon for it's sound (not Marantz cr502dab with its plastic top, which looks like my canon printer).
9/10 for me