Denon S-52 Wireless Network Music System with Built-in Speakers and Alarm Clock
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Technical Details
- Built-in iPod Dock- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g Certified
- Audyssey Dynamic EQ
- Slot-loading CD Player
- AM / FM / HD Radio Tuner
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By James P. Madigan III (Washington, DC USA)
I absolutely love this Denon Unit. It has every feature possible in a CD/Radio/WiFi connected device. It sounds awesome ... better than the Bose unit that I own. Quality is top notch and the unit is substantial (heavy for its size). Highly recommended.
By A. Ioannides (Park City, UT USA)
When my oldest daughter turned 13 I got her a shelf stereo that she has enjoyed for years. Great sound, mutli CD player and easy to use. Three years later I wanted to get the same stereo for my youngest daughter when she turned 13, but the system I purchased before was not available. A quick review of compact systems revealed that the landscape had dramatically changed, and I could not find the quality sound I was looking for.
A little background, I'm one of those people that thinks records sound better than CDs and have no problem investing thousands of dollars on a turntable tone arm. Yes, I'm one of those audiophile crazy freaks.
Knowing that Denon used to pair up with Mission to produce a nice component system, I started researching and found the tabletop radios. I have always been turned off by the tabletop radios because of the Bose. Personally, I believe Bose has one of the best marketing departments in the business, but the sound is less than what I would like to see in that price range.
I like the idea of HD radio, iPod Doc, Internet Radio and USB all in one unit. I know that Denon knows quality sound do I decided to give the unit a try. I was pleasantly surprised.
The S-52 is built well and looks nice on a table. It is large, but with all of the features included, I can understand the big footprint. When I turned the unit on, it found my wireless network and automatically updated the firmware.
The first thing I did was tune in an FM radio station. We live in the Rocky Mountains and getting FM reception is always a problem, but this unit picks up more FM stations than any other unit in the house and once it switches to HD, the sound quality is excellent.
I've never been a huge fan of the sound quality of Internet Radio, but this unit seems to use filters to make them sound good, real good. Once you find an internet radio station you like, simply add it to our favorites (this works for AM and FM as well) and you can easily access it in the future.
The iPod integration is also very good. Supporting my iPod and iTouch with no problems. And once again the sound quality is excellent. I like that fact that I can use the remote to skip songs and change the volume.
This was not the easiest unit to setup. And thus the 4 star rating. The interface was designed from the perspective of the source content and not from the perspective of the end user. Once it is setup, my 13-year-old daughter had no problems setting the alarm(s), finding favorites and playing her iTouch.
The WiFi reception is Excellent. The radio connects in rooms where our HP and Apple Laptops will not. That was a pleasant surprise. I was prepared to run Ethernet to her room, but the radio connects with no problems.
One problem, I like keeping my digital library in MP4 format because of the better sound quality of the new codec. The S-52 does not support MP4, it does support MP3, ACC and most other common formats, jut not the one I like to use. It did connect to my Windows Media library quickly but no joy because of my format choice. I do wish the unit would connect to iTunes library and don't understand why that would not be included as a feature. I would think more folks would use iTunes than Windows Media. I'm strange in that I use Windows Media Player and iTunes to access the same library. Maybe Denon will provide MP4 and iTunes functionality in a future firmware upgrade.
Having listed to other radios, I can see no reason why anyone would purchase the Bose or any other radio in this price range. In fact, I liked the radio so much, we how have a second one in my bedroom.
By Pedro G. Janowitzer (Boston, USA)
Finally a true all in one sound system! This thing has all sources you need (ipod, aux, interner radio, USB, xm radio, CD and computer). The sound quality is very decent and I only wish that it would have connectivity with Macs but unfortunatelly it will only stream music from PCs.
Overall I highly reccomended purchase for those looking for a all in one.
By Maxwell Johnson (Orlando,, FL, USA)
I selected the Denon S-52 because of its extraordinarily broad feature set and despite its relatively high price. It offers AM, FM, and HD radio, CD capability, wired or wireless internet radio, Rhapsody, and playback from a PC or USB storage device, as well as satellite radio compatibility. This range of inputs in a tabletop system is unique in the American marketplace at this time.
Let me address a couple of the most discussed issues related to the S-52 and then wrap up with a quick summary. I'll try not to repeat too much of the material covered by other reviewers.
First, sound quality. I note for the record that I am a professional musician with excellent ears and a very high quality home sound system. Judged by that standard, the S-52 does not produce sound of extraordinary quality. It has substantial bass boost and the mid and upper ranges are forward and brilliant, tending toward harsh in a few instances. This choice was made, I suspect, to increase competitiveness with the various Bose systems that many consider to represent audio excellence. Those who hold the Bose sound in high esteem will likely find the S-52 sound familiar and satisfying. Those who adhere to a higher standard of reproduction will be disappointed if they compare the S-52 to a quality audiophile system.
But...how many people listen to a table radio with the critical attention that they bring to their music room or to the concert hall? If this is your sole music source, and you are a discriminating listener, you may want to invest in better sonic performance. But if you will use the S-52 in your kitchen or office or out on your deck, as I suspect most will, the sound is just fine. As noted above, if Bose defines audio excellence in your ears, you may be pleased with the S-52 in any setting.
Second, ease of connection to the internet/general software usability. In this area, I align myself with those who conclude that Denon has stumbled in their software design. This is not the easiest system to set up, especially for routers that require manual entry of addresses. Persons lacking experience and/or intrepitude (Is there such a word? If not, there should be.) may find the setup process frustrating and tedious. My advice is to take a few deep breaths, read the manual closely, and follow the steps carefully. If that fails, consult the nearest teenage gamer, who will efficiently, if perhaps patronizingly, take the necessary steps on your behalf. I do not say this in a condescending manner; those of us who have earned some gray hairs did not grow up with this stuff and we do not take it for granted as our children and grandchildren do.
Now the summary. This is a quality product from a solid mid-range audio manufacturer. Appearance is unobtrusive and attractive without being trendy. Materials are substantial and build quality is excellent. Feature range is extraordinary. Everything works as described. Subject to the caveats above, the sound quality should satisfy most users. Those who are unsatisfied probably need to consider a different level of hardware altogether. Software setup can be challenging for the inexperienced. The price is high but, if you insist on the full range of inputs, there is nothing out there that is cheaper and all-in-one-box. You could cobble something together that would do all these things but the price would likely be just as high, the aesthetics less pleasing, and the overall quality no better.
I give the Denon S-52 a qualified positive recommendation. As always, you should look before you leap. I think most buyers will be well pleased.
By Brian Schilling (Battle Creek, MI USA)
I recently purchased the Denon S-52 during an Amazon lighting deal and was pleased with the purchase price of $349. Spec wise, the Denon S-52 has everything I was looking for, wifi enabled, cd player, ipod dock, radio, and a small form factor, with the wifi being the key feature. I found the setup to be fairly simple, including setting up the wifi access. Yes, the character input can be tedious but it's far from complicated. After a quick firmware update via the available option in the menu I quickly connected to an internet radio station with high expectations. The radio connected without flaw and soon was playing some random bluegrass station I choose, however, with lackluster audio quality. Chalking the audio quality up to a poor streaming radio station I plugged my iPod into the dock and switched the source over with hopes that the audio quality would be vastly superior to the internet radio, it was not. Surely streaming a mp3 from my laptop would sound better, it didn't. Well then, at least I can rely on a cd to produce that rich sound (of which can be expected for a small form factor, $350 radio) I had desired with this purchase. It too failed to impress.
While Denon managed to squeeze a ton of functionality into this small unit they failed to produce a sound worthy of all that functionality and price. Needless to say, the Denon S-52 has already been boxed up and is awaiting return to Amazon. While I have to pay shipping (~$16) to return this product (received free shipping from Amazon) I'm happy in knowing that I'm saving $333 from a potentially costly mistake with this purchase.
I can say whole-heartedly this product was a huge disappointment and would not recommend it to any buyer who is seeking sound quality better than loud laptop speakers (which is what my wife compared the sound to).
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