Best CD Playing DVD

...

My DVD player has died a death pretty much and i was all set to buy a dedicated CD Player anyway but now i need both i am thinking about buying a combo unit once more... i know it's not going to get close to the Naim CD3.5 i was getting, but i'm sure somethings out there on the 2nd hand market must do well.

So far i've been recommended the Denon 3910, Primare V25, Arcam DV89 and Cyrus DVD8

All are quite pricey but hey....

Any suggestions or comments on those - or more importantly anything else i should be looking at demo'ing first.

 

http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=231805

 

Thanks, had a quick search but must've missed that!

 

was in a similar dilema last year when my Micromega Cd player went on the blink. I the end i bought and Arcam cd73 as not DVD player came close except and Arcam DV79 which if you can stretch that far is probably the best at CD replay under a grand. How about the Arcam CD73 and the new Denon 1920 which would cost you approx £590.

 

For that kind of budget though, if i were going 2nd hand etc i could get my Naim and still hvae about £250 left over for a DVD-P...

Was thinking a one box solution for around £400.

Personally prefer the Primare to the Arcam for audio too....

 

Or how about a used Arcam 88 for £300, FMJ DV-27 £500. Toshiba SD-9500 £300-350, Sony NSV900 SACD/DVD player £130, Phillips 963 £140, There are plenty of decent DVD players around that sound as good as equivalent CD players (and I mean at rrp price not second hand bargain levels). The hype around how bad DVD players are at CD replay is slowly yet surely changing FWICT (have noticed on a few hifi forums). Its just been part of audiophile leanings so long that it’s a well trotted out line about DVD players. I especially like the one that all Arcam DVD players roughly equate to their basement model the £300 CD73.

 

I would cross the 3910 off your list. I've got one & CD replay is pretty uninspiring.
Surround DVD-A is pretty good on it tho, as well as a great picture & I haven't seen any macroblocking via HDMI so far .

I would recommend the Sony NS-900V. I bought one just for CD & SACD replay,
and I find it very musical. Whereas 3910 sounded like it was just converting 1 & 0's, the Sony turns them into music & has a rock solid clock. However, it doesn't
do progressive scan & doesn't have DVI/HDMI, but I believe it may be possible to get it SDI modded, but then you need to buy a seperate scaler I think.

The Sony can be had 2nd hand for between £90 - £150, but it's lack of progressive scan will put some off.

T.

 

Was just looking at the Sony based on a different thread... certainly seems good VFM!

I'm not bothered by HDMI, component is good enough for me - if it does that it's on the list

 

Scott, one thing to be wary of with DVD players from the likes of Primare is that they are in fact re-badged Pioneers, nothing wrong with that – but don’t buy them thinking they are Primare from the bottom up. I was actually considering a Primare DV25 or DV26 (to use with my old TAG DAC 20 a fine digital device) before I landed the SD-9500, but so good was the SD-9500 I sold the DAC onwards.

FWIW I use the Toshiba SD-9500 via its XLR outputs towards a Primare A30.1 :



Everything this “formerly” estoric £2000 device has done has been exemplary and buy that I mean DVD-V video via PAL PS component connections, Audio wise CD, HDCD, DVD-V & DVD-A. Even has very nice onboard decoders for listening to 5.1 downmixes via a stereo unit. Anyway one look at the back panel above should connvince you that your looking at a DVD player out of the ordinary. Reason you see it cheap these days are that Toshiba had an “end of line” sale at the end of its run, hence you will see a few of us with these devices which we landed for £299-399 last xmas (xmas being the operative word there). Quite simply the best digital device Ive ever bought for video & audio.

http://www.homecinemachoice.com/reviews/wvreviews/DVDPlayers/Toshiba/ToshibaSD-9500.php

Some other stunning shots of the stunner here :

http://www.area-dvd.de/hardware/toshiba_sd9500.shtml

PS Ive heard the NSV900 with £7000 grands worth of ampage & transducers, its a stunning device even with CD. Never mind SACD.

Ie Scott what I meant to add about the Pioneer/Primare angle was that for £300-400 I would have a SD-9500 rather than a Primare DV25 – 26 (and I happen to love Primare products). If that made any sense in my ramblings.

 

i have the 3910, and i find it very good for CD replay, obviously DVD-A/SACD is much better, but theres a reason for that...lol

hooked up to a good amp, a nice pair of speakers and some good cabling in between and its very nice, i find its better suited to classical/jazz/big band type stuff, but then that might be partly my Monitor Audio Silver S6 speakers helping there.......however its quite happy with some REM or some Dance or some Hiphop....holds the beat and the bass timing very well. This is using the stereo outputs on the back or the front L & R from the 6 channel out.

im curious why the person a few posts up doesnt think so highly of their 3910.....one of the reasons i went for it was because its CD was very good along with DVD-A/SACD being excellent.

 

Knyght what type of stereo amp are you listening to it on ? Most of the negative views Ive seen on hifi fora are from people comparing the 2910/3910 to the 2900 and hearing it on decent £500-1000 Stereo amplifiers.

 

Just do remember it hasn't got progressive. I am really happy with it. It's quite an airy sound, but very smooth top end, really good timing & seperation; bass is well defined & was impressed how clearly I could seperate bass sounds & kick drum; most of all tho was impressed on vocal sounds compared to 3910, much more natural.

T.

 

ok, when i demoed my 3910 in the shop, this is what i went through....
3910 hooked up to 3805 and also Musical Fidelity stereo amp somewhere around £1,500 (i honestly cannot remember which model now..lol) Then tried a 2910, 2900 (last one they had, already reserved for someone else, it was what i originally went in to buy...lol), Arcam CD player (£400 model, cant remember which now either) and finally a Cyrus CD6.......these were all hooked up using the same high quality cables to a pair of Monitor Audio Silver S6 series speakers with Strata 5 subwoofer (this is what i have at home so made sense, not likely to upgrade these speakers for a long time)

And just to make sure, these are MY OWN OPINIONS, based on what my ears like to hear etc, im sure other people will disagree with some of this and im happy if they do.....i buy hifi for ME to listen to tho so my opinions count for me, if you want to try equipment based on what i've said then go for it, dont blame me if you have different findings. (ok disclaimer over...lol...time for the results)

3910 on surround amp beats 2910 and Arcam (bass tighter/defined, mid range more neutral, treble less distortion)

3910 on stereo amp beats 2910 and Arcam (same as above to a slightly better degree)

3910 on surround similar/slightly better than 2900 (better bass i found, mid range similar, treble similar)

3910 on stereo amp similar to 2900 (no part sounded particularly better, different maybe but not better, i'd say 2900 was warmer, the 3910 more clinical)

3910 on surround amp inferior to CD6, noticeable but not necessarily a big difference (CD6 was tighter on mid bass sounds, seemed to control deep bass slightly better too, higher midrange and treble didnt actually seem to much difference)

3910 on stereo amp inferior to CD6, this was quite a bit more noticeable (in comparison the CD6 improved with a stereo amp dramatically to it being on a surround amp, and went up in detail and control on most counts, didnt think it would be quite such a difference but it was.....might have to get a CD6 in the future...but only when i can afford such a nice stereo amp too...the guy in the shop said it sounds good on cheaper stereo amps as well, but it seems to really like the Musical Fidelity he had setup).


there ya go, thats what i found when i listened...but just to say it again, thats to music i like, on speakers i own, with my ears.....heh...
anytime you wanna spend good money on hifi, demo it first, get opinions from people sure, but in the end its your ears that have to endure or enjoy it ;-)

(oh lastly, to stop the usual response of 'your ears dont hear the differences, you just imagine them knowing which bit of kit you are listening too'. I didnt know which kit i was listening to, he'd setup say the 3910 and the 2910 to an amp but not say which way round, i'd listen to both say which sounded better and noted the differences, then he'd do the 3910 and CD6 etc etc. If you demo equipment and they are willing to take an hour or two to let you, the do it this way.....its very useful.....i obviously wound up wanting the CD6 but thats not a DVD player so i couldnt, but i did choose the 3910 as the best of the DVD players with my ears..so im happy)

 

oh, amusingly enough, after going through all that, i've actually only bought mebbe a dozen CDs in the last half a year.....compared to around 20 or so DVD-A/SACD's....lol.....

i just love the sound from DVD-A and SACD.....i wish more would be released, properly done tho, not like early DVD-Videos where its just a straight transfer, i want REM's Automatic for the People type transfer.....so well done on DVD-A that album....

 

I changed an Arcam Alpha 8SE for a Denon 2910 last year, and found it slightly disappointing on CD replay by comparison. However, swapping the 2910 for a 3910 made a huge difference on CD replay - it may not be up to the standard of a dedicated £500 CD player, but it's close enough that I don't miss the Arcam any more.

It sounds just as good using Denon Link into a 3805 amp for CD replay - the DACs in the 3805 are HDCD compatible, and it (the amp) sounds really very nice indeed decoding WMA lossless from my music server.

 

I also am a fan of the CD replay on the 3910. I use it everyday and am more than happy with it. The Arcam is also good for CD, but there's no SACD and the Dark Side Of The Moon SACD is fantastic!

 

I hate it Give me a Arcam any day. Different people, different views....

 

It made plenty of sense.... is it a proprietry Pioneer unit though, or based upon one and tweaked etc by Primare? The Toshiba - although stunning to look at fails for me on connections - seemingly have none that i currently use!! Guess that's not too serious mind....

 

Scott, Im confused on what connections you refer to – the only connections missing from the Toshiba is a scart – but it has a S-Video connection that is as good as my Pioneer 717s RGB Scart output (I used a S-video – scart lead to my S-Video scart on TV), no digital DVI/HDMI but not a concern to you as the component output is as good as many DVD players HDMI/DVI. Audio wise all bases are covered ie 2 digital outputs (Toslink + Coaxial), 6 channel output RCA, 2 channel stereo on RCA & 2 Channel stereo on XLR balanced output. No to mention the 2 digital inputs which means you can connect 2 external digital sources and use the output of the Toshiba towards your amplifier – I currently send my humax freeview HD PVR towards the Toshiba. But you could also connect up a PC, MD or CDR, DAB unit etc.

Pioneer DVD Mechanism then Primare parts around it IIRC.

Anyway there are a few decent sounding DVD players about for you to choose from.

 

Can anyone shed a bit of light on this comment? It is obvious to me that Primare don't make the actual mechanism, but I assumed theyt made the rest of it.

I am thinking about a Primare DVD, at either £900 or £1,800 and I do not want to pay a big premium for a rebadged Pioneer!

Andy

 

how many companies do make there own mechanisms?
meridian use computer dvd drives,and look at how cheap these are.i don't think it is fair to condemn something for not being wholly made in-house.that would write off nearly all products.

 

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned the Arcam DV29 which is an absolutely cracking CD player.

 

dv29 is a pretty good dvd player as well.

3910 is musically challenged. but if you can make use of the i-link out or D-link then it will sound as good as anything else will through your amp (or as near as dam it) if you don't use those connections it does sound a bit flat.

New pioneer 989 has had strong reviews for its audio section from users and mags. Also marantz 9500 sounds very nice. so expect the new 9600 to be good as well.

 

Dont panic too much. normaly it means they take pioneers video section then add there own beefed up audio sections. Marantz also borrow heavily from pioneer(or use too) the 9500 was there first all marantz dvd player.

Some like roksan use a cheap £100 dvd player then bolt on there audio section and try and flog it for £1000+. Cheeky beggers

 

I had a demo on both the arcam and denon players and ended up with the marantz 9600.My personal opinion is that this is the better all round player and for the money i don't think you can go wrong. The only downfull is the remote is a bit cheap!

 

If you can find a 9600 for 400 quid, hook me up!