This year, I have fallen back in love with my CD collection and have even started buying new CDs again. This has led me on a hunt to find the best affordable new CD players on the market, which includes this Denon DCD-900NE review.
For years, I’ve had my eye on the Denon DCD-600NE CD player but then I noticed Denon released a new CD player, the DCD-900NE.
I couldn’t find many reviews on the 900NE when I purchased one and after a few weeks of listening, I wanted to share my thoughts on the player here.
I hope to answer the following questions in this review:
- Will the 900NE be a good CD player for you to purchase?
- How is the sound performance?
- Is it worth upgrading in the event you already own the 600NE model?
- More importantly, is the 900NE the best CD player of 2022?
Let’s begin answering those questions by first looking at the overall specs of the 900NE…
Denon DCD-900NE Specs
The Denon DCD-900NE is a single drawer CD player that currently retails for $550.
The aluminum finish on the front of the player is a great choice for this price range, ensuring the player doesn’t have a cheap look. I also like the raised feet that elevate the player to help resist vibrations that might interfere with the sound playback.
The player has “extended CD playback” which means it can play CDs, and CD-R & RWs. This model does NOT play SACDs which is only available on the DCD-1600NE model, which I noticed has been recently discontinued.
The front of the unit has an input where you can insert a USB stick to add playback of FLAC files up to 192kHz/24bits or DSD at 2.8MHz/5.6 MHz. The front-panel USB port does not support playback from Apple iOS and Android devices, USB hubs and card-readers, or computers.
The CD player comes with a remote control that is what I like to call a “combo” remote that’s typical of these players, meaning, the remote is built to control more than one component, in this case the remote can also control a Denon amplifier that they suggest pairing with the 900NE.
Denon offers two “Pure Direct” modes which turn the display off during playback in order to minimize interference that might color the sound. If you are using the digital outputs, the Pure Direct Mode 2 option will also turn off the digital outputs meaning you will no longer have audio playback. That second mode will only be a benefit if you are using the RCA outputs on the player.
Speaking of the display, the only information provided is the track number and timing in a sort of light green color that reminds me of an old computer monitor.
On the rear of the player you will see a variety of output options including RCA analog and digital coaxial and optical outputs which will allow you to hook up an external DAC to the player if you so choose.
Now, let’s talk about how the 900NE sounds next…
How does the Denon DCD-900NE sound?
I listened to the 900NE via my Emotiva PT-100 preamp connected to a vintage McIntosh MC 2505 amp powering Klipsch RP-600M II bookshelf speakers.
The 900NE uses a 32-bit/192kHz ES9018K2M DAC with Denon’s AL32 processing plus digital filter.
Denon’s marketing materials uses a lot of scientific words like algorithms and interpolation to explain the AL32 filter but I’ll simply tell you that while listening via the RCA analog output, the 900NE produced playback in a lovely manner, not too bright or harsh, something that CDs are known for.
Also, I could hear plenty of bass represented and the overall soundstage and imaging met my expectations.
I also connected the 900NE using the digital coaxial output to my Emotiva preamp which has an Analog Devices DAC that I have really grown to love. Every CD or blu-ray player that I’ve connected digitally to the Emotiva preamp sounds more controlled and focused to me and this was also the case with the 900NE.
This doesn’t mean the 900NE’s RCA output sounds poor. I think most people will love the sound when using the internal DAC via the RCA output. But, what I’ve come to enjoy the most about modern CD players is instead using the digital output with an external DAC of choice and listening for subtle sound differences in each.
Since the 900NE gives you a digital output option, you know that you’ll have the ability to swap DACs in and out over time and use the 900NE as a transport, bypassing the internal DAC on the player if you so choose.
If you aren’t sure how to connect an external DAC to your CD player, I have an article showing you how to do so here.
One more thing…regarding the Pure Direct sound modes…I could not hear a noticeable difference in sound when turning off the display, but perhaps my system (or even my ears) aren’t discerning enough to hear a change.
That being said, I agree with the overall theory of the Pure Direct sound option and can understand how it would help improve the sound, I just couldn’t hear enough of a difference on my current system.
Now, let’s quickly compare the 900NE to the cheaper 600NE model to help you decide if you should upgrade models or which one works best for your system overall…
Denon DCD-900NE vs the Denon DCD600NE CD Player
Before we get into comparing features, let’s compare price, as the 600NE will cost you $430 while the 900NE is $550 for a difference of $120.
So what are the differences between the newer and older model? Honestly, the most noticeable difference I could tell between is the addition of the USB input on the front of the 900NE allowing you to connect a USB stick and playback FLAC or DSD files.
One other small item to note – the RCA outputs on the rear of the 900NE are located farther apart than on the 600NE, which I imagine helps eliminate channel interference.
Unfortunately, I do not own the 600NE and therefore cannot give you an accurate sound comparison between the two models. My research shows both models use the same DAC chip and AL32 filter, but the 900NE also supplies a digital master clock design that reduces jitter during playback.
My guess is the 900NE’s new features like the digital master clock and distanced RCA outputs on the rear may offer some improvement in sound, but I’m not sure if it’s enough to warrant spending $120 more if you are trying to decide between the 600 and 900NE.
So, to sum things up, if you are deciding between the 600 and 900NE, I would base your decision on whether or not you need the USB input on the front of the unit. If not, I would suggest saving $120 and buying the 600NE and instead, putting that money saved into a proper external DAC for playing back your digitally stored files.
Is the Denon DCD-900NE the best CD player of 2022?
Well, that depends on your preferred features when shopping for a CD player.
For instance, if you want SACD playback, you might try something like a Sony blu-ray player instead, as the 900NE does not play SACDs while this less expensive blu-ray player does.
Do you need a USB input on the front of the unit? If so, you can still get that feature with a less expensive blu-ray player.
Do you want to avoid dealing with a blu-ray player and own a dedicated CD player without worrying about USB inputs, SACDs, etc, and just want a great player for a great price?
If so, you might want to save $120 and consider the 600NE at $430 or even the Cambridge AXC35 which I reviewed earlier this year for just $349.
So I wouldn’t go so far as to say this is the BEST CD player of 2022, but the 900NE is still a sound choice for your digital playback needs.
