Denon DJ

Denon DJ, a trailblazer in professional DJ equipment, fuels the beats of legendary performances and electrifying events worldwide. Trusted by DJs pushing boundaries, their cutting-edge controllers and media players redefine the art of mixing, delivering unparalleled audio quality and innovation. Denon DJ sets the stage for sonic mastery and unrivaled DJ experiences globally.

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The future of professional DJ performance

Denon DJ

Founded by American entrepreneur Frederick Whitney Horn in association with Japanese partners, Nippon Denki Onkyō Kabushikigaisha (which literally translates “Japan Electric Sound Company”) first came into existence in 1910 as part of Nippon Chikuonki Shokai (the Japan Recorders Corporation). The two words – ‘denki’, the Japanese for ‘electric’, and ‘onkyo’, the Japanese for ‘sound’ – would become essential for the future of the company.

At the time, Denon’s parent company was making single-sided recording discs and gramophones, until then used for little more than voice recording. After all, this was only a few decades after Edison first invented his phonograph, which ‘wrote sound’ onto a wax cylinder, and Emile Berliner had only recently started the transition from cylinders to the kind of discs we still play, In the process coining the term ‘gramophone’. Back in America, shoppers were still being intrigued by a cylinder player announcing ‘I am the Edison Phonograph’!

The new company became not only the first consumer audio manufacturer to sell a gramophone, but also Japan’s first record company. That illustrates why Denon – as the name of the company soon became in the 1930s, taking the first syllables of Denki and Onkyo – has always been at the forefront of ‘Electric Sound’, not only producing the equipment made to reproduce music and movie audio, but also being a key part of the recording process.

Denon delivered its DL-103 phono cartridge in 1964, initially to NHK as a professional use device for playing the new stereo records. It went on to become one of the classic hi-fi products of all time, popular with consumers as well as broadcast users. It’s still in production at Denon’s own factory in Shirakawa, Japan, more than 55 years after it first appeared, and its technology and craftsmanship inform the special 110 Anniversary cartridge, the DL-A110. Still with a view to its professional users, Denon launched its first headphones, tFhe SH-31, in 1966, and then in 1970 released its direct-drive turntable for broadcast studios, the DN-302F, However, that year marked another major milestone for the company; for the first time the Denon name began to appear on products aimed at the consumer – and one of the first would be another product whose influence is still seen in the company’s range today: the DP-5000 direct-drive motor unit for record players, to which buyers could add their own plinth, arm and cartridge. It was followed two years later by the best-selling DP-3000 model, and in 1976 by the quartz-lock direct drive DP-7000, and these heavyweight Denon direct-drive turntables are still highly sought-after as previously used buys – if you can find them!

In 1972, Denon’s first integrated amplifier, the PMA-500, was released, but there was something even more momentous going on behind the scenes in the professional audio world, with the announcement of the world’s first practical PCM digital recorder – DN-023R - developed by Denon, ushering in the digital audio age. An eight-track machine the size of several filing cabinets, the unit was again adopted by broadcaster NHK – and it was for the broadcast industry that Denon would go on to develop the world’s first CD player for professional use, the DN-3000F. Launched in 1981, ahead of the consumer début of CD the following year, the Denon machine was designed for studio use, complete with advanced search facilities and instant start – vital in a broadcast situation. Denon’s first consumer CD player, the DCD-2000, was followed just a year later by the DCD-1800, using the Super Linear Converter created by the Shirakawa Audio Works, north of Tokyo – which is where many Denon products, including the Anniversary 110 series, are still made, at the heart of the company’s audio engineering expertise and craftsmanship.

Until 1985, all of Denon’s efforts had been focused on music recording and reproduction in stereo, but all that changed with the announcement of its first AV amplifier, the AVC-500. Denon was still in the age of the VHS video cassette back then but, in addition to audio and video switching for up to three VCRs, the AVC-500 also had what a contemporary review called ‘a surround -sound feature for adding ambience to stereo programs,’ and onboard amplification – 2x25W! – to drive either normal stereo front speakers or rear ambience speakers.

As history has proven decade after decade, Denon’s mission has always been to create products that combine the highest standards of sound quality and reliability to convey the passion and emotion of music and movies, the vision of musicians and creators. The people at Denon continuously pursue innovations that change everything, and they believe there is new excitement ahead. With the spirit of innovation, Denon moves on to the future.

Denon’s top selling product for Solotech over the decades has been the Prime Go. With up to 4-hours of built-in, lithium-ion battery power, Prime Go is the ultimate, backpackable, most portable standalone DJ console ever. Prepare DJ sets on a plane, train or car, use as a fully featured pro-grade back-up for larger events, or play outdoor, mobile, after-party or club gigs. Powered by a dedicated, multi-core internal processor, the Prime Go runs ‘Engine OS.’ A purpose-built embedded software platform built for DJs offering you super-fast track load times, intuitive navigation, management, and search, so you can be at your creative best. The mission for Engine OS is clear, to keep evolving, providing more creative features to enhance the DJ’s performance and experience.