This was a quite " high priced " Entry - Level `High End´ Cd -Player . It was sold in U.K. in the late 1990`s for around 300 Uk -Pounds . Not cheap . O.K... it will read almost every Cd .It has a big sound . You can dimm the Display , but sadly Sound do not benefit so much from that . It has a warm and self assured Style . ..but .......

... it lacks Refinement ... Soundstage could be better ( more open ) ..bass could be more precise and high frequency more delicate ....there are simply several Cd - players at the price ( or lower ) , that are better .. gives you more information ....don`t missunderstand me ....a good player , but not a real winner... peter

Very musical for the asking price Gold version is very classy finish! Coaxial out & optical out.Drives 250 ohm headphones with great SPL! Good overall balance even with very revealing speakers.EG: Shahinians.

CD transport tray very wobbly (most are unfortunately) Can be under defined and a "smoothed" over sound .Lacks a bit of detail which the upper price range players give.

Having spent allot of time with the Denons over the years ,this player was hard to beat in that price range. I had the the 1015 AB''ed with it''s bigger brothers the DCD3000 and S10 (which was approx ten times the price then)and whilst the 1015 did not have the finesse and reality of the S10 it still fared very well.I really think that most of the cheaper players can do 95% of what the megabuck players can do sonically. Listening to Paul Simons Concert in the park cd reveals some foward mids in the vocals and little loss of focus ,identification and sharpness of the surrounding instruments in this live recording, but the overall presentation of the sound is still very balanced , very Denon. They really give the sound a nice smooth over with their DSP processing ...like nice icing on an average cake.

Similar Products Used:

Direct AB''s with Denon DCD3000 , S10 Also AB''d with HHB professional CR recorder and Alesis CD H/D Recorder.

The DENON DCD-1015 may not be the most "straightforward" and powerful cd-player in the class, but its Alpha-processor certainly gives it a very detailed and maybe a little clinic (positive and/or negative) sound, if that's what you're looking for. Its sound is definetely more light than dark, and this speaks for a careful matching with the rest of your equipment. I own the 1015 myself, and my degree of satisfaction with the player is very much depending on the music i put on. It reproduces the sound in an attractive, if a little laidback, and gentle way on acoustic and vocal records, but it may sound a little too harsh and light with rock music. As an example Suede's 'Coming Up' sounds WAY too bright and harsh on this player, but then again - I think this has something to do with the recording as well. Anyway, the tendency is there. Anyway, you should test this player carefully, with your own records, before buying it. It is not as neutral as many other players in this price class. But it has certainly got its qualities. Be aware of that the model now are four years old (introduced in 1995).

Detail, Warm and Clarity

This is one of the best CD players I have come across. This is how CD players should be, warm and accurate! CD recordings are greatly emphasized and bad recordings can easily be detected. Optical out takes this player to another level. Denon's make good amps and CD players... 5 STARS!!

I have been using this Denon DCD-1015 cd player for more than 4 years, and I'm still happy with its performance. I use it in my second system that includes a NAD 314 integrated amp, and a pair of outstanding Tannoy 631 speaker. Interconnect is AQ Ruby, and speaker cable is Transparent The Wave 100.
The strength of this player is clean, powerful, clear and fast. The bass is very tightly controlled, and it is very powerful. If you like tube or warm sound, then there is a big chance that you won't like this player. The mid-range is extremely clear and clean, and it does reveal everything from your CDs, both good and bad things. So, if you have many less-than-average recorded CDs, then don't buy this cd player. However, if you have many good recorded jazz and pop CDs, then you would enjoy to hear all the details from the CDs. In the high frequency region, the extension is excellent, and again, you would hear all the details. Its dynamic is also very good, it doesn't sound like an old Marantz cd player: warm, lazy, mellow and "fat".

Many people like to listen to music that is smooth, warm and big sounding. But I believe that there should be someone out there, like myself, who like to listen to every bit of detail and information from the music. This Denon cd player does not sound sweet, smooth and warm, but it is honest and it tells you everything that comes from the CD.

a solid built model, good sound quality, and though it's a 1994 model it has no problems with CD-R (some older players do not like them).

Search function and display mode only possible by using the remote control, not on the player itself

I now have this player for more than 6 years at the moment, it still works as well as in its first days. It even plays CD-R of all brands and kinds, which is most important for me because I digitized a lot of old analog stuff (vinyl and tapes) and want to hear it also on my secondary system, where the Denon has its place since I have the Yamaha 890 in my first system.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha CDX-890 (still in use), CDX-510

Produce deep bass and smooth vocal sound.

None so far.

I got a dirty cheap deal for this CD player as an open box item (came without remote, box, manual). I connected it with my pre amp by an optical cable. It sounds so clear and smooth. I love this CD player so far.

I enjoy using the big volume control buttons on my remote control. My 1015 is connected directly to SAE 501 (250 wpc) power amp. The setup is just loud enough for me. How about the sound? I don't feel that it sounds harsh. What is very important to me is that it doesn't distort at high levels. I used to have a two hundred dollars Sony cd player that totally drove me crazy.

This is a very easy going player with not many useful facilities. It does sound rounded but clear and precise. Bass control is superb, with other players sounding uncumfortable, this really puts across a tightly focused and precise bass sound.
The only problem with mine is that it sometimes skips and always has done so I'll be replacing it at some point. But whilst I had it, it has been reasonable. My sample cannot play CD-R discs let alone CD-RW discs, essential these days for any player.

The most useful facilities are the adjustable gain and pitch control. Why the pitch control? Because some music is deliberately speeded up to +3% especially some dance music. Just slow it down to =3% and you've got the original!

This CD-player is not only dull, it lacks detail and is way too bright! It costs around 400$ and you would be better of buying any player in that pricerange! Go for Cambridge insted (if you go for sound rather than design that is), but do not buy the Denon if you do it's sure to be a big disapointment!