John Darko
A shoebox-sized streaming amplifier with HDMI eARC, TOSLINK, (digitised) analogue, HEOS streaming (for Tidal, Deezer, Amazon), Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Bluetooth, 100wpc into 8 Ohms of direct digital amplification*, capacitive front-panel touch buttons and a meshed-metal top plate?
No, it’s not the recently reviewed Marantz MODEL M1 but an all-new model from Denon called the Home Amp.
Intended as a replacement for Denon’s HEOS DS2 amplifier – and with thirty extra Watts per channel to boot – the Home Amp has been tuned by the Denon Soundmaster, one Yoshinori Yamauchi, for a more dynamic sound. The Home Amp’s front panel also features three preset buttons not found on the MODEL M1 and comes wrapped in a curvier chassis than the Marantz. However, the subwoofer output on the Home Amp’s rear still talks to the HEOS operating system and its independent low- and high-pass filtering system.
For those not in the know, Denon and Marantz share the same owner, Masimo, which might explain why the two streaming amplifiers appear more similar than different. My Masimo contact tells me that internal part selection differs significantly between the two models. However, the biggest delta here is price: the Home Amp will sell for €799/US$799, a full €200/US$200 less than the MODEL M1.
Further information: Denon
* 125wpc into 4 Ohms — just like the MODEL M1.
