After buying a freshly refurbished Denon 900V (which I gave to a friend as a present) I was blown away by the grip and control of this old Denon - I can only describe the sound as beastly... sound like it's eating those medium-sized Onkyo speakers alive.
Having bought some smaller amps here and there I needed a quick higher wattage fix for a low price and acquired a 920 from a German seller.
After setting up the "big boy" and listening a bit (source ASUS Xonar ST / speakers MB Quart 390s) I was a bit disappointed. Compared to the Akai AM-49 and especially the Pioneer A-66x the PMA-920 sounded kinda thin. Luckily the amp has the option to be used as a pre- or power amp and so I connected the sound card directly, and...
much better. I listened to the soundtracks of "Dawn Of The Dead" & "Day Of The Dead" and my mood lightened up a bit when I could feel the grip and control of a big-ish amp. Not in any way in a league with the PMA-900V but still a satisfying presence and steamy girth in the lower regions. Mids & highs always seem to be very present on these past 80ies Denons and the 920 is no exception. In my opinion these are a bit too pronounced. On top of that the amp has a very "wall of sound" like characteristic - seems like the music comes out of the speakers as a kind of brickwall cutting you down. Not good for "real music" but if you go the Rock / Pop route you'll be greeted by a quite thick and aggressive sound that may fit perfectly in some cases(e.g.: Slayer's "Hell Awaits" sounds positively nasty).
Verdict
since I only paid 65 Euros for it in near mint condition I'm very happy with it. It's not in league with its forbearers but is more of a niche amp for a certain kind of style and taste. And to end this review on a positive note - the PMA-920 has power for days!
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