Recommendations for a DVD-video/DVD-Audio/SACD player

[gundo]

Apologies if this one has been done to death recently but I would really appreciate some advice on this.

I have an ageing Wharfedale DVD player which actually plays CDs so
well compared to my 1987 Phillips CD player that I stopped using the
CD player and stuck with the Wharfedale since 2000. I upgraded the DVD player last year to one that could handle DVD-Rs (£30 from Lidls) but the CD
playback is appalling. So I have a DVD player that just get used as
a CD player and though it sounds good it does baulk at playing some
CDs and is slow to use compared to a pukka CD player (takes an age to
load and read a disc for instance).

I'm thinking that ideally I'd like to get a DVD player that plays back
CDs superbly and also does DVD-Audio and SACD. I've seen a Denon that gets good reviews but it's way too much money.

Are my expectations of getting what I want for no more than £300 totally unrealistic? The player would be mostly used for audio as I rarely watch DVDs and my TV is a 10 year old 21" Sony Triniton (I will get a new widescreen TV once LCD prices have bottomed out).

Art

[zeropoint]

With the usual subjectivity caveats - so you need to listen to it in your system - the Pioneer 575 is well regarded at £99, the Samsung 745 at £80 is decent especially when tuned, then the Yamaha S1500 at just over £300 is very good too, and Marantz 6500 at around £400 is good also - IMHO of course.

[Ovation]

I can vouch for the Marantz (I have a 6400 and love it for hi-res audio). You might also consider the Yamaha C750 (it's a carousel player that retails for around 300$US) and has gotten EXCELLENT redbook reviews to go along with the hi-res. Don't know about PQ, if that matters to you.

[ozdvduser]

Denon 2910/3910/5910 - depending on your budget

[Nic Rhodes]

I would avoid the universals if possible. Do you really need DVD A and SACD? If yes, Linn are the best, VERY expensive, next I would look at the also expensive Onkyo and Teacs. Pioneer seem to be my favourites at the more affordable end, Samsung at the cheap end. Denons would be well down the list on performance terms IMHO.

If you can loose one or other DVD A / SACD then the choice is much more interesting. Arcam makes some great DVD A players and Sony / Philips some interesting DVD / SACD players.

At £300 I would Buy this, and save £200 and ditch DVD A

http://www.play.com/play247.asp?pa=g...C&title=649858

consider by many to be a 'bit special', lots of info on this site and others