Customer Reviews

One Flaw Ruins It for Me

This little Denon unit is attractive and loaded with features. The build quality feels pretty good too, considering the price point. Unfortunately, like most modern hi-fi equipment, it desperately needs more tone control options. Simple "bass" and "treble" are not adequate when you're listening to older recordings on CD. Nor does it have the necessary connections to add an EQ. This would be a five-star product, if it weren't for this one gigantic flaw that renders it almost useless for my needs.

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Crutchfield response on 5/2/2025

We're sorry you're disappointed with your receiver. Whenever you are not completely satisfied with anything you purchase from Crutchfield, please contact our Customer Support team at 1-800-955-9091. Purchases from Crutchfield can be returned or exchanged within 60 days of the purchase.

Great little unit

In lost my first Denon CEOL on a fire. Since then I planned to replaced it as soon as I could. I'm glad to have back a product that is flexible to cover most my music needs. It sounds marvelous and is easy to put together and use.

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I like it

I bought this mainly because of the included CD player and the small form factor. It does pretty much everything I would like it to do and then some, all while sounding great with a pair of KEF bookshelf speakers.

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Don't buy

Don't buy . Unit must be restarted several times a week . Stops playing at least once a day. Tone controls on app don't work ( no change in sound ) . Balance control moves full left channel at start -up. Amp had a hard time driving Kef Q-150 speakers . Heos app is very glitchy.Huge waste of money for a senior.

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Crutchfield response on 4/15/2025

After receiving Richard's feedback, we looked up his order and found that his receiver is still under warranty. While his order is beyond Crutchfield's 60-day return policy, he can contact Denon at 800-497-8921 for further information about the 1-year warranty on this receiver.

Denon CEOL RCD-N12

Pleased with the purhase of Denon RCD N12.

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Denon CEOL RCD-N12

The best thing about this is its ease of use. I particularly love the internet radio which allows streaming with Ethernet or WiFi. The unit sounds great paired with the KEF Q150's.

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Excellent Receiver

The Denon was very easy to setup to an LG OLED TV and a turntable. The HEOS app was better than I expected and made it easy to stream audio from an iPhone. I had a few technical questions before I purchased the Denon which were quickly and accurately answered by Crutchfield's technical support staff. The Denon compares favorably with my old Rotel receiver.

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Denon CEOL RCD-N12

Pair with a good pair of speakers and you get high quality sound. Combined with all the features you might need.

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Denon CEOL RCD-N12

Compact size but full of features

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Very Nice

The Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and CD player work as expected. We've been using a thumb drive forever, the Denon CEOL RCD-N12 Doesn't forget where you left off after powering down and as long as you power it back up without changing to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. If you do switch to Wi-Fi ect... it will forget everything and you did to get where you wanted to be and you will have to start all over when reopening USB. If you're considering the Marantz M CR612 know that these units are similar. The Denon is newer but you will notice remote controls are almost the same. The Marantz physical controls are on the front, USB is in the back. The Denon physical controls are mostly on the top USB on the front. But with both units you can do most everything through the remotes. You may also noticed that the online PDF manuals are very similar, that's because these two companies are owned by the same company but Google says they are run independently. Seems like there was a lot of benchmarking going on. Warranty on the Marantz is 3 years. Warranty on the Denon is 1 year. I'm using Polk Audio T15 Bookshelf Speakers.

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Amazing Compact Stereo

This is a compact stereo that packs a lot of features in a very lightweight system. It includes a CD player, Bluetooth, Internet Radio with international stations, HEOS, and it sounds amazing.

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Denon CEOL RCD-N12

Very nice compact stereo and CD system. Easy connect to local network. I liked that it has Internet radio built-in. My daughter likes the fact that it's easy to connect to Spotify, Apple AirPlay, etc..

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Denon CEOL RCD-N12

Compact, versatile, great sound for my office. I had my eye on this unit for a while and finally bought one. I'm not disappointed. I Just bought a pair of Q Acoustics 5020 speakers to pair it with

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Denon CEOL RCD-N12

Excellent receiver and speakers, easy setup and great sound. A little disappointed in the subwoofer: first the subwoofer came with a proprietary cable, which is the only cable that fits the connection on the subwoofer. I can't really tell if the subwoofer is working-I think I hear it once in a while-probably the music I play and volume.

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Perfect choice

Love this little CD player. Have a collection of CDs I've not played in ages, such fun to hear them again. The sound is excellent through my old Polk speakers. The player easy to use, takes up very little space, look very nice. Thanks to the online help I got from Gill, I was able to get just the right unit. Very pleased .

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Simplicity and Great Sound

I finally handed down my 70s Pioneer turntable, amplifier, and Radio Shack speakers to my daughter because I also want to listen to the radio and play all the CDs I used to listen to when I drove. First I picked up some little JBL speakers, then a JBL turntable from you. Finally decided on this little Denon receiver. Wow! This powerful little receiver is full of surprises. Records and CDs play like a dream; switching between modes is intuitive. At first I wondered why the remote had to be so big and complicated, but that hardly matters once you download the HEOS app on your phone--it knows where I am and what my radio options are. I am very happy.

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High quality setup

Crutchfield support was most helpful. CD is connected to Kanto yu4 via Bluetooth, and also to Sony soundbar via Bluetooth. Sound is great

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Sleek Design, Great Sound, and Packed with Features

I'm really enjoying the Denon CEOL RCD-N12 so far. It has a sleek, modern design that fits perfectly in any space, and the sound quality is impressive - clear and balanced across different types of music. While I'm still getting the hang of all its features, I'm already loving the Airplay option, which makes streaming music from my devices super easy. The Helos app has also been a great addition, making it simple to control and enjoy my music throughout the day. For us old-schoolers who still love physical media, the CD transport is a fantastic touch, allowing me to play my favorite CDs with ease. Overall, it's a fantastic piece of equipment with great sound and functionality, and I'm excited to explore all its capabilities!

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Fits the bill perfectly!

Love it, was using an underpowered Onkyo component system receiver which was okay, but at higher volumes this is crystal clear. I'm not using WiFi, it's hard wired to my IPad, stereo radio pulls in channels way better. Easy to connect and small enough to fit in a tight space easily.

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Denon CEOL RCD-N12

Great reciver. Cd nice touch.

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Outstanding Product

Wonderful product. All the features work great. Highly recommended.

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Denon quality on display

Superior sound and connects easily to AirPlay and Bluetooth. High quality DAC that really makes this unit special.

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Not the one for me

I had to return my unit, which Crutchfield took back with no issues. My unit had a CD player that seemed to be faulty. I tried 11 different disks, and each one picked up random skips and pops, but if I put them in another player, they worked fine. Also, the remote control would work for every function except the volume control. I had to use the HEOS app for that. I did like the size of the unit, and it would have been a nice addition to the room. I decided to go back to conventional units that don't require phone apps to operate. Crutchfield set me up with a new Yamaha system and speakers.

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Crutchfield response on 10/7/2024

Michael contacted our Customer Support team and set up a return. Purchases from Crutchfield can be returned or exchanged within 60 days

Simple setup, clean, powerful mini-receiver.

Easy setup. More than enough power to handle my Polk ES-20 speakers. Remote is easy to read and navigate. The App could use some work in making switching input sources easier but it does the job.

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Compact and incredibly versatile

I borrowed this to try out because I wanted to be able to play CDs from my collection that aren't available streaming anywhere. I don't have a lot of room to squeeze in both a CD player and a receiver, so I really appreciate that this can do both. But a real bonus for me was the abundant internet radio options. It's so easy to find fun stations from all over the world and from all kinds of genres. Turns out I love this thing too much, so I had to go ahead and purchase it for keeps!

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Great Small Unit

Exactly as advertised. Simple 2 channel receiver with connectivity options.

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Sound: Great, Setup docks a star

Sound quality via pair of KEF Q350 speakers, for CD and FM are great, and the small size was just what I wanted. This is the second Denon receiver in my house, and HEOS is already set up on the larger one. One of the reasons I bought this instead of a similar Marantz was in hopes the compatibility with my main receiver would make setup easier. Sadly, no. Connecting to my network and HEOS proved frustrating enough to make me put it off. I'd like to play internet radio and Apple Airplay (which both were a snap to set up on my Denon home theater receiver) but the easy start guide is not much help. It's going to require some research and tinkering to get those features working.

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Denon CEOL RCD-N12

This is amazing ?? I love Denon and I love Polk Audio Signature ES20?? Easy installation and perfect sound??

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Book Shelf Receiver

Perfect receiver for the limit space we have. Sound quality is excellent

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"CEOL RCD-N12: A Five-Star Symphony of Sound"

"Absolutely thrilled with my Denon CEOL RCD-N12! From its sleek design to its powerful sound, this compact system delivers beyond expectations. Setup was a breeze, thanks to the user-friendly interface, and the connectivity options are incredibly versatile. Whether streaming music via Bluetooth or enjoying my favorite CDs, the audio quality is crisp and rich, truly elevating my listening experience. With its seamless integration into my home network, accessing my digital music library has never been easier. Denon has truly outdone themselves with the CEOL RCD-N12, a five-star addition to any audiophile's collection!"

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An excellent product.

The Denon CEOL RCD N-12 was, for me, initially a challenge to set up. It does a lot, and I am unfamiliar with the technology. After calling Denon, I was able to set up the unit, thanks to competent tech advisors. Denon helped me understand exactly what the product can do. I had no idea just how good this product is when I purchased it. My wife and I were listening to an internet radio station last night out of New Orleans and reminiscing over the years we lived there. This is a wonderful product. and such beautiful music. Thanks, Denon. My 200+ vinyl collection never sounded so good.

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Denon CEOL RCD-N12

The receiver and subwoofer are both what we wanted. What was really exceptional was the support. The receiver was definitely complicated by Oakley was very patient walking us thru it. And he's available for more questions, which we'll need I think. Jack

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Denon CEOL RCD-N12

Just what I wanted.

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Denon CEOL RCD-N12

I thought the unit would take my iPhone usb interphase directly , without using WiFi.

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Denon CEOL RCD-N12

Compact size is great for shelf space and it kicks out good power and good sound quality. Using it for music in a smallish room (225 sq ft) and it provides more than enough volume. Also like the USB in the front of the unit and the fact it has a CD player. Good quality for the price.

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The whole enchilada...all that and a bag of chips...

Hemming and hawing whether an upgrade was necessary and, if so, waiting for the "one receiver to rule them all" I had been cruising the Crutchfield site often. The time came and I had some reservations if this unit would be 'enough' pushing out only 65 watts per channel and having only a bass treble tone adjustment. The folks at Crutchfield worked with me to make sure it would not only work but, if it didn't, I would be able to find something that did. I hesitantly pulled the trigger and am so glad I did. This is a truly amazing unit. Pulling my web based radio straight from the Wi-Fi at a high bit rate, playing anything streamed directly (high quality) from my desktop (where thousands of file are waiting to be played), loading up a flash drive with about 300 albums that I can access at the touch of a button, a kick butt cd-player (because there is still something to be said for the 'non-compressed' music one can only get from a cd), a wicked sleek look with a small footprint and an awesome app that 'really ties the room together' is everything I have been waiting for. The sound is fantastic and I would not know it is only 65 watts pushing my 150 watt speakers if I wasn't told. This truly is an achievement and a worthy of the title "one receiver to rule them all".

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Bellevue

CD player, Bluetooth in and out, streamer, HMDI ARC, aux input, phono input, radio, and a powerful D-class amp for the size of this unit. Denon has picked the best caps and components for this N12 a 4th generation 'ceol' device. The CD is what got me looking at this for my bedroom, ARC for my TV was just icing on the audio cake. With thousands of CDs on hand, the N12's redesigned CD tray and mechanical isolation mechanism work wonderfully. Paired my Bluetooth headphones and they are programmed in. The real surprise was how good Heos works with my Amazon music streaming, unbeatable good sound. All controlled by the app and your phone, use my music account a lot more. There is an option for alarms, also an always-on clock, and when I turn my TV on the N12 comes on, and my Roku remote controls the volume. My aux-in is my gaming laptop which sounds good when playing or on my computer in general. This a solid product built by a reputable manufacturer with great design and quality parts. Setup may not be super easy to someone unfamiliar with the process but it is worth it and this little streamer does many things and sounds good too.

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Denon CEOL RCD-N12

Very good system

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Nice

Fantastic service I ordered this late Friday afternoon and received it the next day (Saturday) in the early afternoon. I had a ONKYO bookshelf system with a Polk Audio sub woofer that I purchase in 2014 but the CD player stopped working. Thus Denon Receiver CD player was a replacement for that receiver but I kept the speakers etc. The sound is wonderful whether from the CD or vinyl from my old Technics turntable. I could not be more pleased with this upgrade.

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Best Denon RCD-N12 Receiver

So far it has been great radio works the best. internet radio works as expected . Just a little tricky to install but after I connected to my wi-fi first, everything went smooth with the HEOS phone app the only problem is when I tried to use the HEOS app before I connected to wi-fi but I will know if I ever have to do it again. I use Pandora works great. When I hit the internet button on my remote it remembers my account information. So I don't have to enter it every time. Hooked my old Onkyo subwoofer up to it and it gives me the best bass sound. Haven't tried the cd player yet but I'm going to put my music on a usb flash drive so if I want to listen to tailored music I can select which songs I want when I want it. I would recommend this Denon CEOL Network CD Receiver RCD-N12 to anyone who wants this class of receiver. About the shipping everything was packaged good no damage & arrived on time. And Crutchfield kept me informed the whole way.

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Denon CEOL RCD-N12

Love this unit. Would have rated a 5 however I had to return original unit due to faulty phono port. Hopefully Denon will improve their QC process. On the other hand, many KUDOS to Crutchfied for their incredible tech support AND the fact that they returned a CD I had left in the original unit when I shipped it back to them. Thanks and BRAVO Crutchfield!!!

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A versitile unit

I wanted a small for my living room unit that could play CD, MP3's and have network access so I could stream Network media such as Sirius radio, and be hooked up to my existing book shelf speakers. This unit met all of those needs. The unit was received in perfect condition within the delivery window. I hooked it up to some Polk RTI4's I bought from Crutchfield back in 2009 and they work fine. CAUTION: Turn Speaker Optimization to Off (On by default) if you are connecting any decent speaker to the N12 before evaluating the unit. Setup was reasonably straightforward using HEOS. HEOS allowed me to connect the N12 to my wireless network without using the remote. Once I connected HEOS to the N12 then I was immediately prompted to update the firmware so I would be at the latest level. I was then able to configure my Sirius account to HEOS and play that through the N12. I was able to use another phone to connect to the N12 and play MP3's. The CD player works as expected. The FM tuner is probably the best I have heard yet from a receiver, pulling in stations with little or no static. TuneIn Internet radio also works as expected and offers a wide variety of stations. Finally, I was able to set up a NAS with Twonky and stream MP3's from the NAS. I don't have immediate plans to connect a TV for audio output to the N12, nor will I be connecting a turntable to the N12. A updated version of HEOS was released this week, and is a significant improvement over the previous version

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Denon CEOL RCD-N12

Great compact unit. Doesn't take up much space, and easy to operate.

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Denon CEOL RCD-N12

Great looking and sounding. A little obscure. I ordered an AM/FM radio and CD player. Didn't know the radio operators via SW and needed to be set up. Thought I only got CD player. Called Crutchfield and they were wonderful helping with set up, tho it took quite a while. Would recommend system and Crutchfield to anyone.

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