Denon CEOL N11DAB

[What Hi-Fi?]

Denon's CEOL N11DAB is a great solution for those looking for an all-in-one system for streaming, radio and CD playback.

Denon CEOL N11DAB : Read more

 

[splinternet]

Any recommendations for possible speaker upgrade and/or subwoofer? I have a large Victorian conservatory where I want to set up a streaming system like this Denon package, and may need speakers with more oomf.

 

[Tarkiboy]

So is this a 5-star product or what?

 

[RobF]

Depends what you'r looking for: Real excellent HiFi or good quality set with many digital options for a reasonable price. Bought the set including speakers, but use it with speakers i already had (which were as expensive as the set); i'm happy with the combination. Controll all options via HEOS-app on my iPad.
In the end, it's a matter of taste and the amount of money you're willing to spend

 

[Gelatinous_Blob]

I've had the CEOL N11 for perhaps three months now, paired with Dali Oberon 1 speakers and a B&W ASW608 subwoofer. I don't quite love it. For some, sparse tracks with well isolated notes and vocals it can sound lovely, but it becomes a bit incoherent where there's more going on. I've not quite nailed the bass organisation either, which sometimes lacks definition or feels a bit late to the party, though this could be down to my own inexperience in setup with the subwoofer. The HEOS app is barely usable: TuneIn radio doesn't work for any BBC stations without a subscription and the interface is so cluttered with Podcasts that I couldn't easily find live streams from the likes of Fip. The Amazon Music implementation means your own playlists aren't visible and the search functionality is clumsy - all of which means switching from Spotify Connect to Amazon Music for HD quality isn't an option. I haven't tried Tidal with the CEOL yet but will do so.

On a side note I did try the Denon SCN10 speakers that are bundled with the CEOL, but found them boomy and this added to the general incoherence of some music, though I felt they had potential if they could be positioned well away from a wall. With a compact system like this it's highly likely most users will have the speakers on book shelves or seek to mount them on the wall, and the SCN10s really aren't suited to this thanks to a very lively rear port and a complete lack of wall mounting points.

When the moment is right I think I'll upgrade the CEOL to a Bluesound Powernode (£850) which comes with bass management, more power, a well regarded amp technology and the BluOs platform, which I hope would be better than HEOS.

If I was to do it all again with the same budget I would go for the Yamaha WXA50 (£450) - a neat streaming amp at a similar price to the CEOL, but which comes well reviewed for sound quality (see Audio Science Review) with the Musicast platform (which I have used extensively).

Don't get me wrong, the CEOL is a great mini system that delivers huge functionality with a small (though not particularly attractive) footprint. But this is mini-system sound quality, and a significant uptick in sound quality will be possible if you're prepared to ditch DAB and the CD player.