We very much appreciate that HEOS is properly localised and doesn’t show services which aren’t available to Australia (as do most rivals, to the ongoing irritation of users). There are a good many other settings, some of them available only by crouching next to your CEOL and using the full-sized physical remote or front panel buttons to investigate. Under the ‘Audio’ section, for example, you can tweak the level of the headphone output, and switch off ‘Speaker Optimisation’, which is the adjustment Denon has made to match the amplifier to the speakers. It works well – leave it on! But should you ever switch out the speakers as an upgrade or for other reasons, you should remember this option and turn it off, or at least try the sound without it. Sorry this has turned into "help what should I do?" but how satisfied are people with features, performance & quality of the N11 and any other thoughts, suggestions on above? It seems there’s been quite some technological tweakery applied to the innards too. A new Class D amplifier, and new components and circuit design, have been used for supposedly improved clarity and reduced noise Denon CEOL N10 is a mini system with ambitions to be as light as a multi-room speaker – and it can also be a multi-room, as it has a built-in HEOS, which is the multi-room system of Denon and Marantz. You get all music sources except the turntable and cassette tape in the CEOL N10. Photo: Denon

We nearly forgot the CD player, so sidelined has this format become in our lives today. But those with silver to spin can be assured that this source was a highlight in terms of clarity and dynamics. The Painted Ladies’ version of Vic Simms’ Poor Folks Happiness drove forth with a full bassline, vocals and guitars well defined. Let’s just admit it: even for an (experienced) old stereo fan, there is not always time and desire to make a ritual out of listening to music. Sometimes you just want to press a button and move on with what you are doing.

Bonsai-stereo

Denon doesn’t cut corners on sound performance either. The punchy 60-watt amp means that you can get incredible volume and fantastic audio quality at every level. The mids are exceptionally clear, while the highs sound beautifully crisp. FLAC up to 192kHz/24-bit, WAV up to 192kHz/24-bit, AIFF up to 192kHz/24-bit, ALAC up to 96kHz/24-bit Another huge bonus of the Denon CEOL is its amazing amplification module, the Class-D power stage can deliver a massive amount of power, without muddying the sound spectrum. One of the biggest benefits of the RCD-N10 is its user-friendliness. The OLED screen keeps you informed with useful details about what you’re listening too. Plus, the large remote control makes it easier to manage your music.

HEOS also delivers multiroom operation. Put another HEOS-compatible player elsewhere in your home and the ‘Rooms’ section of the HEOS app makes it ever so simple to have the same music playing to several or to all HEOS devices at once, whether they be HEOS-equipped soundbars, wireless speakers, even monumental AV receivers. You can also play the inputs of one device over the network to other HEOS devices, but – importantly – only the analogue inputs, not digital ones. They also have built-in phono stages so they can be hooked straight up to a system, and both feature unique dust covers that can be removed and used to rest a vinyl album sleeve against.Not only can you select an input from the HEOS app’s ‘Denon CEOL’ pane, there’s a separate ‘inputs’ option. This duplicates the CEOL’s inputs, but if you have other HEOS products around the house, you will also see their inputs here, as additional functionality to the platform’s multiroom operation. A frequency sweep indicated that (in our listening room) the system was reproducing tones down into the 30s of hertz, finding its full strength in the 60s and 70s and rising impressively smoothly from there. Since the speakers are rear-ported, positioning will affect this somewhat, but can also be usefully employed to tweak it. Founded in 1910, Denon has a deep heritage of “firsts” in audio technology — from Japan’s first audio electronics manufacturer, to producing the world’s first commercial CDs. This focused investment in audio R&D ensures you get the latest technology and highest quality with every listening experience. As for more traditional sources there are screw-in antennas for the twin radio tuners onboard the Denon, delivering FM and digital DAB+ radio in addition to the internet radio delivered by HEOS. There’s no AM here, but all AM stations are almost certainly available at better quality via internet or DAB+ radio.