FINALLY- Denon's 2900 is THE Hybrid DVD/SACD Player we've been waiting for!
Written: May 23 '03 (Updated May 23 '03)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Sound: |
 |
|
| Ease of Use: |
 |
|
| Picture Quality: |
|
|
| Durability: |
|
|
|
Pros: Fantastic sound and picture, plays all sorts of media, what we've all been waiting for
Cons: A few bumps on the intial release, but Denon's resolved this
The Bottom Line: FINALLY- The unit that was clearly worth waiting for- Denon's 2900 does it all, does it best, and does it for a great price- WOW!!! Kudos Denon, fantastic unit!
|
|
|
| nick1326's Full Review: Denon DVD-2900 DVD Player |
I've been (quite impatiently) waiting for Denon's highly anticipated release of the 2900 for months now. A while back I began writing multiple reviews on various "Hybrid" DVD players. For those out of the loop, the term "hybrid" is not just for Cd-player compatible SACDs anymore- Hybrid PLAYERS are DVD players which also handle DVD-A discs, SACD media along with a wide range of other media, including MPEG fies, video files from your PC and even digital photos that you can burn to CD and display on your home monitor through your entertainment system, via use of a hybrid player! The term Hybrid has become the buzzword of the industry -- clearly fueled by the fire blazing as DVD-A and SACD battle for audiophile supremacy. Since it doesn't look like either media will be winning any time soon, manufacturers are forced to cater to demand- and thus, the new wave of "hybrid" players are being spun out with the focus shifted to playing anything you can throw at them and doing it with as much quality as possible.
Denon's 2900 is absolutely impressive- and impressive on a budget! With a very reasonable 999.00 MSRP, the Denon unit can be had on the street for under 900 bucks, and that is within the legit market place. (I discourage purchasing on grey market, especially since this is a brand new release). Before even plugging it in, the unit just looks like it means business- and it weighs a ton! I've been playing with, auditioning and actively engaging myself in the mybrid market trying to figure which unit deserves my cash. Initially, I purchased a Yamaha 2300 months ago, with the idea that I would either A) keep it if the Denon was the same or marginally better OR B) Sell the Yamaha and take the proceeds towards buying the Denon. Welp, the wait is over- finally the Denon is here, I've spent the last 2 days thouroughly running through each and every feature of the machine on multiple systems- and thankfully (the wait being over) there in my living room, a beautiful new Denon 2900 resides, sitting a shelf atop my Denon 3801 receiver. Sorry Yammie, but the Denon is the winner- hands down!
First, here are links to the other Hybrid players I've reviewed- I really encourage you to check them out and rate them- this will give you a very good overall picture of the top-end Hybrid market and why you should choose one over another:
Marantz 8400: http://www.epinions.com/content_97528024708
Pioneer 45A: http://www.epinions.com/content_96283627140
Pioneer 47Ai: http://www.epinions.com/content_95282433668
Yamaha 2300: http://www.epinions.com/content_94406020740
Sony 999es: http://www.epinions.com/content_95421369988
First, take a good long look at was is a SUPER impressive feature list - Denon has missed nothing here:
plays DVD-Video, DVD-R & DVD-RW, and Video CD
plays SACD, DVD-Audio, CD, CD-R & CD-RW, and MP3 CD-R & CD-RW
plays digital photo CDs (JPEG)
108MHz/12-bit video D/A converter for progressive scan, plus separate 54MHz/10-bit video DAC for interlaced scan
selectable interlaced/progressive-scan component video output
(progressive-scan requires an HD-compatible TV)
Silicon Image Sil 504 de-interlacer with PureProgressive circuitry
and 3-2 pulldown processing
16MB buffer for quick layer change
TruSurround for enhanced 2-speaker sound
built-in Dolby Digital/DTS decoder with 5.1-channel output
digital bass management for multichannel output
optical and coaxial digital outputs for Dolby Digital/DTS/PCM (96kHz/24-bit capable)
1 set of A/V outputs (composite, S-video, and 480i/480p component video)
RS-232C port (for 3rd-party system controls only)
remote control
192kHz/24-bit Burr-Brown audio D/A converter
audio signal-to-noise ratio 118 dB
17-1/8"W x 5-3/16"H x 14-3/4"D
warranty: 1 year parts & labor
First things first- The Denon is on top of this list in terms of video and sound quality- surpassed by none, and matched only by the Marantz offering, which is absolutely as good if not a TINY bit better in audio department, strictly because Marantz product tends to be a just a little warmer, inherently, the the Denon offerings which tend to be a bit more cold and more honest. I've always favored the Denon lineup, because they combine excellent build quality, componentry and performance...Although Marantz does the same. The difference here however, is that unlike the Marantz, which is priced in the 1500 dollar range, Denon has gone straight for the jugular and price the 2900 at a more than reasonable 999.00 for the 2900 -- COnsidering this player bests every other hybrid in this class and equals the marantz which is priced substantially higher, I believe Denon has taken the crown quite deservedly, and although it took a little time to get released, it was clearly worth the wait.
Video quality on the 2900 is superb. The SGI (Silicon Graphics) video processing technolgoy is clearly on the same level as Faroudja, and the picture character this unit offers is absolutely superb. Blacks are blacker- the clarity of the picture is impressive- my humble Toshiba TheatreWide 42" is a nice unit, but clearly the weak link of my system... It is a rear projection unit, and therefore PLUGE and dark shades and deep-deep blacks tend to be inherently troublesome (a tube TV typically displays blacks alot more vivdly than a RPTV) however thanks to the depth and adjustability of the Denon 2900, I am able to compensate for this, and the picture looks gorgeous- a noticeable improvement over the Yamaha 2300, though to be fair, it is marginal- Yamaha did an excellent job on the 2300 in terms of video...however it is audio where the 2900 really shines though....more on this later. Denon's 2900 has a smooth and fast acquire time, handles progressive scan duties with no hiccups- DVD read is quick and disc-transitions are unnoticeable (ever notice when a DVD player sort of freezes, just for a quick second, about half way through a movie?) THis occurs because DVD's are written such the the laser reads in the grooves (just like a record) but it also read the "wobbles" the peaks of media in between the grooves- think of it like a record player- the needle rides in the grooves of the record- it starts from the outside and works its way IN and then the record is finished playing. Well, imagine now that the needle would make it to the innermost point on the record, then suddenly begin riding the wobbles and work its way back OUT to the outer-edge of the record.. This is how DVD functions- by writing in the wobbles AND the grooves, DVD's are super space efficient, which is how you fit so much data. The point is that most players do tend to freeze for a split second while the transition from groove to wobble and re-acquire. THe Denon 2900 does it virtually seemlessly.
The unit has the standard array of Video outs, though clearly you need to be using the component out to take maximum advantage of the picture quality this fine unit has to offer. Speaking of outputs, the units audio outputs include digital-coax and digital-optical...however realize that in order to take maximum advantage of the ultra high sound quality offered by DVD-A and SACD, you should be using the RCA outs- in fact, in order to get optimum multi-channel out of DVD-A, the RCAs are essential.
Speaking of audio quality, this is where the Denon DVD-2900 really shines. The unit incorporates top-notch Burr-Brown processing technology and the D/A converters used are awesome- despite Denon's long reputation of being a bit colder sounding and less forgiving, the D/A converters sound VERY analog- and the unit isn't even broken in yet! ***(YES- believe it or not, players have to break in too-just like speakers. Subtle changes in sound characteristics tend to reveal slight changes in brightness, warmth and dynamics- listen critically, you will hear a difference). The 2900 plays SACD and DVD-A with aplomb- and thanks to the bass-management capabilities of the player, you can tweak just about any aspect of your sound to provide optimal signal to each individual speaker in your surround array and not worry about destroying woofers with bass that they're not made to handle.
In terms of processing, it isn't just SACD and DVD-A which shine out of the player- in fact, just listening to a regular plain old CD will reveal how much better of a player this is compared to any consumer grade players, and most of the middle-high-end units mentioned above. Good sound stems from good componentry, and Denon has spared no expense. Getting back to the high-bandwidth qualities of SACD and DVD-A however, the Denon really sounds spectacular on these media. Joe Satriani's engines of creation is a standard SACD which is really a great piece of rock material to use to hear the difference between players if you are into the rock genre... Wild guitar squeals and explosive transients on this album sound simply amazing on the Denon- while they sounded great on the yamaha, they just didn't have the same balance and overall feel- it's like comparing a top of the line Hyundai with a middle-line BMW- this is a bit extreme sounding, but again, the sound different here IS NOT MARGINAL- the Denon really sounds alot better- cleaner, more dynamic, MORE EXPRESSIVE- and clearly the nuances come through cleaner and more accurately. Classical sources included many pieces, but most importantly a DVD-A version of Beethoven's greatest works. The Denon sounded absolutely wonderful on the disc- I've listened to it on many systems and in many places- it is one of my preferred DVD-A reference discs, however I've listened to it most in my own home- and this is where it came in most handy in making a decision on how much better the Denon was ovewr the yamaha. The best way to describe the difference is to say that on the Yamaha, I was listening to a large orchestra playing in my virtual living room in a virtual way. However, on the Denon, my living room was transformed into Carnegie Hall, and suddenly, the sound wasn't in any way shape or form "virtual" - Finally, a hybrid player was able to whisk me away, long gone from my living room and into the listening environment I was looking for.. I've had this happen many times on non-hybrid DVD-A players from high-end producers, but the Denon is the first one to do it in the hybrid category. I'm certain the Marantz would do it too- except I didn't give the Marantz a chance in my home- the price made me hesitant, and I just had to be fair to Denon since their equipment has been very good to me. It was worth the wait- the Denon wins. It now lives on my own rack in my own home. I also used Pink Floyds DarkSide of the Moon Hybrid SACD and Dianna Crall's "The Look of Love" hybrid SACD. Diana's voice sounded gorgeous on the Denon- noticeable more dynamic and stirring- in the world of jazz it is all about feel- and this unit handled the disc with nothing but confidence. Very, VERY impressive indeed.
Build wise, the unit is a tank- very heavy- about 20 pounds, give or take a few. This to me, simply means Denon didn't miss much- there's ALOT of circuitry in there and the presence of bass-management and incredible tweakability indicates that Denon REALLY did their homework and listened to the consumer in terms of other complaints about other competitor's units. While we all waited anxiously and cursed Denon for taking so long, in the end, it is now understood- while other manufacturers were racing to market with their hybrids, Denon patiently sat and waited, watching the problems that arose with other units. They assessed it, made better decisions on better internal componentry and have now introduced a unit which is bound to wow anyone familiar with the Hybrid market. Although the Marantz is also incredible, you must consider that it's about 50% more expensive than the Denon! Even though it is warmer sounding, this doesn't necessarily mean better- it is preference. My ears are so happy with the Denon that I could care less- I was very impressed with the Marantz 8400 in a few listening rooms and on a few different configurations, however the Denon just blew me away, especially considering it was over 500 bucks cheaper MSRP wise!
So finally, after a long wait and ALOT of anticipation, the Denon 2900 is finally available and shipping more and more each day. I'm also happy to say that retailers wasted no time in applying the discounts- I expected the Denon to stay at MSRP level's for at least a while after release- but it's only been about a week, and it's already available for less- I paid 875.00 for mine and I'm delighted with it- it's sounding better and better with each play. Not to mention it looks superb, gives me bass-management capability second to none, has excellent PLUGE and dark-shapde handling, super-smooth progressive scan playback, is easy to use, setup and tweak AND blows away anything else in its price range.. I think the decision is pretty darned clear. If you're in ther market for a Hybrid- you MUST check out the Denon 2900- and to be fair, I encourage you to check out as many other hybrids as possible, including the ones mentioned above in other reviews- take as much time as you need to listen thouroughly and CRITICALLY and let your ears and eyes tell you what to do. Mine said Denon, all the way- and thus it is what I've chosen. The DVD-2900 is just the best thing available in the hybrid market, it plays virtually EVERYTHING and plays it BETTER. I'm delighted with this purchase, and although it took a while, I'm convinced it was well worth the wait. Bravo Denon!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 875.00
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
nick1326
|
 - Top 100 |
|
Location: Long Island, NY
Reviews written: 232
Trusted by: 94 members
About Me:
Music, Motorcycles, Drumming, Surfing, the finest cigars and living life to its fullest...
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.