Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
solid player, July 14, 2007
This is a report/comparison of the CD and SACD (2 channel only) features and capabilities of the ONKYO DV-SP502B, SONY DVP-NS90V, and DENON 1930CI. Before moving on, please note that I will not comment on the video and multi-channel qualities of these universal players. This review concerns the AUDIO stereo features only, tested with the ONKYO TX 8222 receiver and two pairs of good speakers (JBL and Panasonic). As far as myself, I am a professional musician with a PhD in the field and extensive performing and sound editing experience.
The DENON is quite expensive for the features it offers, but overall is a well-built unit with superior sound. Its motor is a bit noisier than SONY's, but definitely bearable. The setup requires a TV, but you can do more with the display than with the ONKYO. Also, it has a "pure sound" feature that turns off HDMI output and the display. Of these three players, this DENON has the best sound quality. Lows and highs are crisp, the sound is not flat, and there is a certain lifelike presence in both classical chamber and symphonic recordings. Additionally, the CD's that made a soft cricket-like noise when spinning on the ONKYO and SONY were always quiet on the DENON. The manual is poorly designed, but the on-screen menus are very extensive and pretty intuitive. Also, note that Denon's 1 year warranty is not valid unless your purchase came from an authorized dealer (most storefronts out there are not authorized sellers). Made in China. Price: $295 on Amazon.
SONY's face place looks nice, but overall, the built quality is average or below (it is also smaller and lighter than the other two). The SACD sound is quite muffled, without clarity at both low and high frequencies. The motor is quiet, and the menus are pretty good. Please note that after about 10-14 months of use, many customers reported major mechanical/electronic failures. Not recommended for audiophiles, as this player was not really built for sound. Made in Malaysia. Price: $180 at Crutchfield.
The first thing you should know is that the ONKYO's motor is extremely noisy. When listening to classical music, you will be able to hear the motor at low volumes even from about 10-12 feet away. Additionally, the setup requires a connection to a TV, as most menus do not work with the display only. For example, you cannot switch between 2 ch. and 5 ch. SACD without a TV connection. In general the sound is of good quality and the unit is very well built. If you are listening to loud pop/rock music mostly and you have a large room, the motor noise should not be a problem; for classical audiophiles, I would not recommend it. Made in Malaysia. Price: $229 at Target.
After testing all three of them at the same time for about a week, I decided to keep the DENON, especially that I was able to get an open box unit for $260. For audiophiles on a very tight budget, you may want to look into players by Harman Kardon (which I have seen before, but haven't tested yet), or just make an effort for the DENON. It's worth.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worth it, but HDMI a must, January 18, 2007
Bought this after upgrading our TV this X-mas to a 42" Pioneer plasma. The upgrading (only) via HDMI is very nice. Black levels were a huge improvement over the non-upscaling Denon DVD player we replaced. Colors are great, as well. Running video to TV via HDMI and audio via coax to Denon 3805 AVR, no lip-synching issues. Runs DVD-Rs with no problem. Have yet to try SACD. Noticed artifacts on extended Lord of the Rings DVD, but much less than previous DVD player generated. Remastered DVDs (Star Wars, Underworld: Evo) look great and much better than non-upscaling DVD player. Also tested some old DVD's (Bladerunner for example), and they looked much better than on the old DVD player. Black levels in the opening scene were much greater than anticipated. Our choice was between the 1930CI and an upscaling Pioneer Elite DVD player, my eye could not tell the difference so I went with what I knew. We've been very happy with the unit over the last month. No issues so far. I read on some forums people were unhappy with the set-up. While it's not as Plugnplay ready as some people may want, I had no issues reading the three or so pages of the booklet to get the setup I needed. If you are looking for an upscaling DVD player while waiting for the Blu-Ray/HD DVD war to settle (and don't mind dishing out the money), I'd recommend this unit. Overall. seems very well-built. (Oh yeah, it has a light on the front that blinks if the HDMI isn't hooked up. For a week, I had to send the video over component while I waited for the HDMI cables to arrive, and found the blinking slightly annoying. After the cables arrived and HDMI was all hooked up, the blinking stopped.) I wouldn't recommend the 1930 unless you're planning on HDMI. Last note: my TV accepts but doesn't play 1080p so we watch on 1080i (it seems to look better on my Pioneer plasma than 720p. Of all the shops I went to looking at 1080p, heck if I could see a noticeable difference. However, overall, huge improvement over 480p). It seems that the technology is trickling down from the higher-end Denons.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
upconverting worth the price, January 2, 2007
DVDs upconverted to 1080p look unbelievable on my Sharp LCD TV. My wife and I continually remark on details in movies we've seen many times that we missed when watching in standard definition. I have found the picture to be detailed, sharp and vivid through HDMI. Hard to imagine that such a picture is available at this price. CDs sound great when played with this unit, the sound much fuller than on my old JVC DVD player.
While the unit felt light out of the box, build quality is evident in every other way and the unit is attractive. I like that it has the essential functions on the unit face, as so many components these days make you use the remote for every little thing. I/O in the back of the unit is clearly labeled and logically spaced to increase ease of hook-up.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with the look and performance of this unit.
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