Denon POA-A1HDCI 10 Channel Power Amplifier Review

Denon POA-A1HDCI Introduction

Somebody forgot to tell the engineers at Denon that just because you can build a thing, doesn’t necessarily follow that you must build that thing. The more familiar I become with Denon flagship products, the more I realize two things: Denon is always the first to implement new technologies without consideration if the end result is a box that weighs and costs more than most mere mortals can swing. Enter the new POA-A1HDCI 10 channel amplifier whose name may be forgettable but its momentous stature isn’t. When I first saw the prototype at CES two years ago, I remember thinking I can’t believe they actually produced a multi-channel amplifier that makes their AVR-5805 flagship receiver feel envious. Standing in at a hefty 132 lbs, it’s the largest and heaviest amplifier I’ve ever tested. When Denon shipped it to me with their matching AVPA1-HDCI pre/pro on a large palette, my wife was concerned where the shipper was going to place it while I was trying to figure out how I would hoist these monsters up my flight of steps. The Denon separates actually took priority in my garage over my Acura TL, at least until I managed to get them installed into my theater room. I was more than a little excited to test out the new Denon gear which I pegged as being the hottest items to review in 2008. Now that they had finally arrived, I wanted to be sure they would live up to all the hype and deliver true high end performance one would expect from the very best “separates” components.