Hi, I am new to the forum. I recently upgraded from a DV78 to a DV29 and thought I would share my impressions.
When I first bought the DV78 I was impressed by it's redbook cd play. I do not have an HDTV (yet) nor do I have multichannel, just good old stereo. The DV78 to me sounded very clean and dynamic even compared to the Primare D30.2 I also had at the time.
I went to my local dealer and had a chance to listen to the DV29 and then the DV139 on McIntosh preamp, mono blocks and Magnepan MG3.6 system. First let me say that on redbook cd and DVD-Audio to me the DV29 was every bit as good as the DV139. I know others have said that the DV139 is better, but to my ears it wasn't.
I ended up purchasing one of the last brand new DV29s from the US distributor (Audiophile Systems Inc). The fact that they were cutting deep discounts didn't hurt.
I gave the DV78 to my brother but before I did I compared it to the DV29 after a couple of days of run in. The DV29 to me has better detail resolution with better dynamic contrast, but the most significant difference was in it's ability to distinguish individual instruments and vocals in the soundstage. And it did this without sounding dry or clinical or any less engaging. So, the net improvement to me was not subtle. In fact I sold the Primare because I think the DV29 is a better CD player.
FYI, the rest of my system is a Bryston BP6 preamp, Bryston PP300SST mono blocks and Dynaudio Confidence 5 speakers.
Enjoy your new DV29. I have a good feeling you will.
Cheers! Al