Denon DN-508S 3-way Tri-Amplified Loudspeakers

The DN-508S is a compact 3-way tri-amplified speaker capable of exceptionally high performance, suitable for a variety of roles. It is ideal for situations where no-compromise acoustic performance is needed, but where complicated setups and elaborate stacks of external equipment are not feasible or possible. It features studio-grade acoustics, luxurious aesthetics, and innovative proximity controls for flexible placement options.

Top Shelf Components
The 220-watt DN-508S provides clear, dynamic sound reproduction for mid- and small-size meeting and presentation spaces. Combining 1-inch silk dome tweeter, a 5-inch woven Kevlar® midrange unit, and an 8-inch woven Kevlar® woofer, it offers a dynamic, wide-range frequency response, even exceeding the performance of speakers found in world-class recording studios.

Well-designed 3-way speakers—like the DN-508S—use a custom high-quality midrange driver specifically intended to cover the critical middle frequencies. Most of the everyday sounds we hear—voices, instruments like saxophone and guitar, naturally-occurring sounds like handclaps, footsteps and slamming doors—are midrange frequencies. Having a driver specifically dedicated to their reproduction maximizes clarity and detail, ideal for situations requiring exceptional speech intelligibility.

The midrange and tweeter are mounted in line with each other (the tweeter is mounted at the apex of the midrange) at precisely the same point in space. Doing so means the sound of the two drivers integrates perfectly, without the audibly-distracting time/arrival distortion of widely-spaced drive units. Instead, our in-line driver design propagates its output in a seamless, uninterrupted time envelope, markedly improving definition and clarity.

A fortuitous by-product of the in-line midrange/tweeter array is that the speaker’s cabinet is no larger than that of a conventional 2-way speaker.

The woofers and midrange are made of Kevlar®. This is an ideal driver diaphragm material: Incredibly strong, stiff and light (it’s even used in military body armor). It provides an incredibly fast transient attack, excellent sensitivity and great resistance to cone flexing and resonant breakup at high power levels.

The dome tweeter uses Ferro-fluid voice coil cooling for added reliability at high power inputs, and Its woven-silk diaphragm imparts virtually no harshness or “listening fatigue” at any SPL, as is often the case with less sophisticated tweeters.

Additionally, a concave integrated tweeter waveguide in front of the midrange cone precisely focuses and directs the treble energy into the listening field, ensuring a solid and stable sonic image while minimizing the random acoustic “scatter” that would otherwise cause the acoustic image to be unfocused and indistinct.

Finally, close attention was paid to the cabinet. It’s radiused at the edges to aid in dispersion and reduce audibly-destructive edge diffraction. The cabinet’s internal bracing has been optimized to ensure that the drivers have a solid, vibration-free platform from which to launch their sound, using computer calculations to determine the woofer port’s characteristics for the best possible bass response.

High-Powered Internal Amplification
Three individual internal amplifiers provide power to each of the three speaker elements.  These amplifiers are specifically tailored to the drivers they are matched with, for seamless operation and system synergy that is virtually impossible to equal using bulky, expensive outboard amplifiers and passive speakers.

Smooth-sounding, high-current Class A/B amplification (220 watts total) provides the speaker with ample headroom for even the most demanding situations. The carefully selected crossover points divide the frequency spectrum into very precise bands so that each individual driver only handles the exact frequency range where it is most accurate.

The amplifiers have specialized internal output current limiting circuitry to protect against distortion and overheating, as well as a muting on/off circuit to prevent speaker transient on-off “pops.” There is also a subsonic filter and an external mains fuse. All of this ensures ideal amplifier behavior at all times, without any unpleasant noises or distractions.

Comprehensive Control and Adjustment Capability
The versatile three-band EQ (± 6dB at 100Hz, 1kHz, 10kHz) gives you the flexibility to shape the sound to match your listening environment, without the need for expensive external equalization. The switchable low-cut filter LF cutoff switch (flat, 60Hz, 80Hz) is perfect for tailoring the speakers’ bass response for use with an external subwoofer.

A three-position proximity control adapts each speaker’s bass response for placement next to or away from walls, so its sound is always clear and well-balanced, regardless of its position in the room. Standard VESA mounting holes on the bottom panel of each cabinet expand the user’s placement options from just tabletops and shelves to walls and ceilings. Balanced XLR and ¼-inch (6.3mm) inputs ensure simple connection to common audio sources.

Total Capability
Everything Denon Professional has done in the design of the DN-508S yields a speaker of uncompromised quality, with acoustics suitable for demanding, no-compromise applications and the build quality to deliver that performance year after year.

As a finishing touch, the DN-508S comes with a detachable metal grille framed by an elegant liquid-smoke metallic trim. When powered on, a blue LED assists with placement orientation. The grilles attach to the baffle board by way of hidden neodymium magnets, which ensures a smooth, fastener-free appearance, adding the final refined touch to its sophisticated design.

$399.95