APL NWO2.5 ?

Tvad , you owned version AKM # 5 and we are up to revision #14 . I owned AKM version # 12 . What I was referring to was in non technical mathematical terms my friend . It was basically on a laymans scale. 1. was Crystal 4. was my AKM and although I initially intended to place the 2.5 as a simple 10 , I gave it some thought and came to the conclusion it was higher in relative performance. I wasnt intending this to be taken too terribly seriously. I was simply trying to put this in to perspective for some out there who might wonder where the performance values lie. It was a relative scale not based on percentages . My mistake I guess. Audiophiles are certainly a serious group of people..... :} I represent APl Hi Fi yes , I also have fun in this hobby and will exit quietly when it ceases to become so.

No problem Brainwater. You offered your perspective and I offered mine.
Your explanation of which AKM DAC revision I had certainly goes a long
way to explain the difference I perceived betweeen the Crystal and AKM
DACs.

Kumbaya.

When evaluating used APL Denon 3910 players, how does one determine
which AKM DAC revision is installed? And, how does one compare the
value of a used APL Denon 3910 with AKM DAC revision #6 versus, say,
a used APL Denon 3910 with AKM DAC revision #13?

"14" Revisions in one player means either the modder does not know his "craft", or, there is some long-green for the pickens..... 8^(

I believe the revisions #2-#14 are on the AKM DACs from the AKM
factory. They are not APL modification revisions. Whether the AKM
revisions were made at the request of APL for use in the APL products I
do not know. Perhaps APL will comment.

Every APL DAC board has the version printed on it. The designer can read the revision . Bottom line is that version 14 is the best so far and it does not cost arm and leg to upgrade any Denon version to the latest. This version 14 is the final AK4396 DAC PCB. There will not be any further upgrades using this particular DAC chip. Eventual future upgrades will be acomplished using a different DAC chip for which different hardware and software will be designed. We can not determine the used value of any Denon version. The value is being determined by the actual market and the demand.