Hi Hiker!
Have you totally eliminated the Denon DVD 2900? I got mine from
http://www.ecost.com for $513 USD refurbished. I called them and they told me they will receive more stock by the end of this month! Please go to their website and call their toll free number for yourself. You still get the one year limited warranty with the refurbished model. As you might have guessed by now, I am trying to sell you on a darn good source component available for nearly half off the MSRP price by the end of this month. No, I do not work for ecost!
Remember, it came to my home on September 3rd, 2003 and I have been burning it in for all that time.
I know that you asked me some questions about my Denon DVD 2900 regarding its Redbook CD playback characteristics. So, I will get to it. I would describe the Redbook CD characteristics, as compared to my previous NAD C 541i HDCD player, as being much more detailed, neutral, and tonally balanced. I can hear more delicate sounds that escaped my attention on any Redbook CD in my paltry collection. It is like listening down a level into the disc itself. There is a more neutral, honest, and truthful presentation of music. No bloated bass; bass notes extend down more by one half an octave and they are just as punchy or tight as the NAD C 541i. Furthermore, I can actually hear the difference between deep bass and mid-bass. It is there if the recording permits. Across my audible frequency spectrum, I must say that the Denon presents tones in a more balanced and coherent manner. It does not try to wow you; it tries to reproduce the music honestly and truthfully. And the "bad?" The soundstage is a bit more condensed than with the NAD. I can say that the field of hearing is about 120 - 130 degrees wheras with the NAD, the soundstage was very much wider. Mid-range response has bloomed to my surprise and I think it is more fair and accurate than with my NAD. Highs are sparkling: clear, clean, focused, and just well...pristine. Again, the transition between bass, mids, and treble is more accurate to my ears. My demand for emotion and intimacy in sound reproduction have not been totally dismissed with the Denon DVD 2900. Whearas the NAD C 541i HDCD demande that I turn up the volume to braindead volumes and increase my risk for tinnitus exponentially, the Denon commands me to turn down the volume and really hear the music for the sake of music and not for the added noise factor.
And this is just with Redbook CDs...
The Denon DVD 2900 plays DVD-Video playback, SACD, and DVD-Audio playback. Let me tell you my weakness: I am no videophile. I too am a full time undergraduate student who will graduate in May 2004 with a BA. I can not afford to be both an audiophile and a videophile because I haven't worked hard enough on my dual career tracks yet. Money comes but it does not rain down from the heavens above upon my head. DVD-Video is ****ing stunning to my eyes and more importantly to my ears. I can see stuff on my very very limited collection of DVD-Videos that I did not know that Hollywood film makers could put on screen. I can hear fine nuances in actors' voices and the soundtrack on films. In fact, it is very film-like. Bad word choice, yes, but you get the brutal honest truth from Welly Wu!
SACD and DVD-Audio must be auditioned! SACD and DVD-Audio sound so convincingly natural, effortless, and free to my ears. It is like these enormously talented musicians are in my head. The resolution is just incredible and breathtaking. Music sounds not like it is coming off of some five inch disc but from the push and pull of Midori's bow on her very expensive violin. When McDonald pushes a key on his grand piano, I hear the entire sequence in one note: fingers on the key, the force of the push downwards, the little striker hitting the finely tuned and conditioned piano string, and the sound vibrating from the piano chassis. I am not kidding but I do have to say that I must give of music 110 percent of my undivided attention and focus. I just wish I could do it for longer than 30 minutes at a time. The Beach Boys' quintet of voices are all distinctly separated from one another but the feeling I feel when they sing together and are one voice of many is just stunning. The sense of space inside their recording studio is audible. I can not get enough of high resolution be it SACD or DVD-Audio. I only have one DVD-Audio disc and one SACD disc. With my refurbished Denon DVD 2900, I do not have to pick one over the other.
Then, it is cool to be able to make my own MP3 CD-Rs and playback like 10 - 12 hours worth of music, my music, without changing that original disc for another. Oh, the wonders of EAC and LAME MP3 and Ahead NERO! It is truly a convenience accesible to many. I just want a Plextor PX-708UF dual format DVD burner to backup my laptop data (a must), and backup my Redbook CDs & HDCDs on EAC/LAME MP3 DVD-Rs.
I hope this sways your mind and heart. Do not discount the Denon DVD 2900.
