Big in Japan: Denon & Marantz Factory Tour

Tony O'Brien spends a memorable day at the Shirakawa Audio Works…
Some 190km (120 miles) northeast of Tokyo, lies the city of Shirakawa. It's home to stunning mountain views, not to mention some of the finest ramen that Japan has to offer. However, it wasn't the scenery or the noodles that drew me there, but the chance to tour the Denon & Marantz Audio Works that also calls Shirakawa home.
Bleary-eyed, I left my family in Kyoto in the early morning hours to take the Shinkansen bullet train – which is an experience in itself – to Tokyo Central, where I would meet my guides and make the final trek to Shirakawa. Extending the best of Japanese hospitality, my hosts had our small party on the bullet train in no time, with lattes in hand. We then enjoyed a brief lunch in Shirakawa before making our way to the factory – and it did not disappoint.
It is juxtaposed against the beautiful snow-capped mountains that the region is renowned for. As we entered the factory, I was struck by its efficiency and cleanliness. In true Kondo fashion, there's a place for everything, and everything's in its place, while the factory is clean enough to rival a dental clinic.
The first stop on the ticket was the Denon/Marantz museum – yes, there is such a thing! It's a veritable time capsule and a shrine to all things Denon and Marantz. Here, I discovered everything from a venerable Nipponophone Symphony Phonograph record player (1918) to tube amplifiers dating back to the nineteen fifties.
As a child of the eighties, it was hard not to fawn over the button-laden amplifiers or early CD players from the MTV generation. But what truly captured my attention was the treasure trove of multi-channel amplifiers, including such notables as the Marantz SR-17EX and Denon's AVP-A1HD/POA- A1HD pre-pro and AVC-A1XV. Manufactured in the mid-noughties, the latter harks back to the days of monstrous AV receivers, bigger than a large microwave oven. This was rather fitting, given the demonstration I would later undertake of a certain new receiver from Denon...
Next stop was the room where Denon DL-103 phono cartridges were being hand-wound. The process epitomises Japanese kodawari(pursuit of excellence), watching someone hand-wind a piece of wire thinner than a strand of hair. Needless to say, it requires an extraordinary amount of patience and dexterity. For this reason, it's typically a job reserved for the more graceful gender. It's also why it has a dedicated work area, shut off from the rest of the factory, free from noise.
Mind you, I was struggling to find a part of the factory that wasn't quiet. Even the factory floor was surprisingly silent, save for the odd occasion when the beeping of a robotic cart ferrying parts around interrupted the peace. Established in 1983, the factory covers 87,395m2 (1.8 times the size of the Tokyo Dome), with a total floor area of 33,840m2. It employs generously from the local populace, with those demonstrating an interest in audio being preferred candidates.
The Shirakawa facility focuses on producing Denon and Marantz's higher-end models. 55% of its production is dedicated to AV amplifiers and 28% to hi-fi amplifiers, with the balance split between CD, network, PU and HP products. Almost half of its products find their way into European homes and nearly 30% into American homes, with the balance split equally between Japan and the Asia Pacific region.
Everything is handled internally, and I mean everything! The Shirakawa facility takes care of development, design, parts production, final assembly, quality control, and shipping. And, as I soon discovered, quality is everything to the Japanese facility.
The tour of the factory proper started in the parts warehouse. Naturally, some parts need to be outsourced, and they go through rigorous testing before proceeding to manufacturing. Here, Denon and Marantz employ a dedicated team to hand-test parts, with any parts not passing muster returned to their respective suppliers.
As impressive as the operation's size is on paper, you can't appreciate the sheer size of the factory floor unless you see it for yourself. Bathed in bright fluorescent light, it's as spotless as the rest of the facility, seemingly stretching on forever. Here, Japanese kodawari is once again on full display. It's an attitude that permeates the organisation at every level, including its workforce.
Nothing is left to chance. If there's a piece of machinery suited to the job, then it is employed, but if a process is better done by hand, an employee will perform it. For instance, the plant uses robotics to create its hand-printed circuit boards (PCBs) and pick-and-place machines to mount small parts onto circuit boards. These are subsequently sent on to other machines, which conduct the heating and subsequent soldering of said parts to the board. Although hand-soldering of specific parts, as well as assembly and packaging is all conducted by employees.
Given the high precision of the machinery and robotics being used, I was surprised to discover how much of the operation is devoted to quality control. Parts undergo multiple checks before they're allowed to proceed to the next production step. For example, PCBs are subjected to X-ray against a master template, enabling the smallest of errors to be either corrected or the PCB in question to be discarded.
After assembly, all products are updated and final-checked before being packed. And, let me tell you, there's nothing more satisfying for the inner geek than watching an AVC-A1H go through final assembly and packaging, where everything from brochures to Audyssey microphones and remotes are added.
I rounded out my factory tour with a visit to the room where Denon and Marantz amplifiers undergo tuning by their respective sound masters. Even by Western standards, it's a large listening room complete with a home cinema projector and screen, utilising 17 B&W speakers and subwoofers to create a 7.4.6 Atmos configuration. These were in turn connected to a Marantz AV10/AMP10 combination, and the new Denon AVC-A1H.
Here, I was lucky enough to be treated to a demonstration by Denon and Marantz Soundmasters Keita Watanabe and Yuki Takahashi. I was guided to the main listening position, which is 12 feet from every speaker in the room so that no delay need be applied. Neither Audyssey nor Dirac were used during the demonstration, nor where they used during the tuning process of either amplifier.
The demonstration included select scenes from the Blu-ray of The Wolverine in DTS-HD and the 4K Ultra-HD of The Shallows in Dolby Atmos. It was my first time listening to Denon's AVC-A1H, and although I've already spent considerable time with the AV10/AMP10 combination, nothing beats listening to them in the room they were tuned in with their respective Soundmasters present!
As expected, the Marantz combination put in a wonderful home cinema performance, striding that fine line between musicality and home theatre dynamics exceptionally well. Switching to the Denon AVC-A1H, I was surprised to discover there was seemingly very little difference in power between the two, at least in this room. Like the Marantz, there was plenty of power on tap, the AVC-A1H favouring a more dynamic sound that wasn't as musical as the Marantz. Of course, I only spent a short amount of time with both units, and it was agreed that a review sample of the Denon AVC-A1H would shortly be making its way to Australia for review…
Demonstration completed, it was time to take a bullet train back to Tokyo with my hosts before making the final leg of my trip back to Kyoto. I was duly informed by said hosts that it is a tradition to have a drink together at the end of such a day, followed by an impromptu education on the subtleties of sake... more to follow!
THE VERDICT
I have often touted the virtues of AV products made in Japan, particularly the more recent Denon and Marantz amplifiers from the Shirakawa factory. Indeed, we've all come to accept the higher quality associated with products that are made in Japan but rarely give a thought to what that means. At Shirakawa Audio Works, I had a rare glimpse into what difference it really makes.
The pursuit of excellence is ingrained in Japanese culture, and is evident in everything they do. If you have ever been to Japan, you'll know exactly what I mean – and it's an attitude that permeates. Coupled with the desire to create the best products at a given price point, it's a force to be reckoned with. My tour of this facility is something that I won't forget anytime soon.
[Special thanks to Kazuma-san, Nathan-san, and Phillip-san for your gracious hospitality. Thank you also to Keita-san and Yuuki-san for the demonstration, it was the highlight of an extraordinary day.]

Tony O'Brien
As the owner of Clarity Audio & Video Calibration, Tony is a certified ISF Calibrator with over a decade of experience. Tony is an accomplished Audio-Visual reviewer specialising in theatre and visual products for over a decade at StereoNET.
Posted in: Hi-Fi | Headphones | Home Theatre | Industry
JOIN IN THE DISCUSSION
Want to share your opinion or get advice from other enthusiasts? Then head into the Message
Forums where thousands of other enthusiasts are communicating on a daily basis.
CLICK HERE FOR FREE MEMBERSHIP
Trending
applause awards
Each time StereoNET reviews a product, it is considered for an Applause Award. Winning one marks it out as a design of great quality and distinction – a special product in its class, on the grounds of either performance, value for money, or usually both.
Applause Awards are personally issued by StereoNET’s global Editor-in-Chief, David Price – who has over three decades of experience reviewing hi-fi products at the highest level – after consulting with our senior editorial team. They are not automatically given with all reviews, nor can manufacturers purchase them.
The StereoNET editorial team includes some of the world’s most experienced and respected hi-fi journalists with a vast wealth of knowledge. Some have edited popular English language hi-fi magazines, and others have been senior contributors to famous audio journals stretching back to the late 1970s. And we also employ professional IT and home theatre specialists who work at the cutting edge of today’s technology.
We believe that no other online hi-fi and home cinema resource offers such expert knowledge, so when StereoNET gives an Applause Award, it is a trustworthy hallmark of quality. Receiving such an award is the prerequisite to becoming eligible for our annual Product of the Year awards, awarded only to the finest designs in their respective categories. Buyers of hi-fi, home cinema, and headphones can be sure that a StereoNET Applause Award winner is worthy of your most serious attention.