Custom Search
Location:  Main Index » Forum Index » Tech Reviews
Advertisement
Advertisement
Recent Topics
Tech Reviews
 
Denon DVD-2900 “ Universal “ DVD Player

Manufacturer: Denon Electronics

By Ralph Potts
SPot Senior Editor

Model number: 

2003-09-14 - " Denon has entered the Universal DVD player fray with the DVD-2900. The term universal used here means that it will play DVD videos, standard CD’s, DVD Audio and Super Audio CD high resolution formats. In addition to those mentioned the 2900 will also playback DVD R/RW, CD R/RW, Video CD, Kodak Picture CD’s and CD R/RW’s containing MP3 and JPEG files. It features onboard Dolby Digital and DTS decoders for 5.1 channel playback via it’s multi channel analog outputs. "

Review:

The 2900 comes packaged with the RC-934 remote control, owners manual, standard A/V cable, and an IEC power cord (detachable). Appearance wise the 2900 is unquestionably Denon with it’s brushed black aluminum faceplate with gold lettering, rounded corners and beveled edges. I would rate the 2900’s build quality as excellent with a solid feel and heft (it weighs in at 18 lbs.) The front panel contains the transport operating buttons, power switch, disc tray, a knob labeled “ pure direct “ mode 1, mode 2 , off, a button labeled “ Super Audio cd setup “ , and LED’s for DVD Audio (red), Super Audio CD (Blue), and stand by mode (red) . The back panel contains both optical and coaxial digital outputs, 1 each of component, S , and composite video, a 5.1 channel analog output with an additional set of left/right audio outputs, an RS-232 jack along with a room to room input/output labeled “ Remote control , “ and the input for the IEC power cord. The front panel’s display utilizes white dot matrix characters which are easily discernible from my seated position (10 feet away and off axis).

Under the hood :

The 2900 utilizes 12 bit 108 Mhz 4:4:4 video digital to analog converters featuring noise shaped video processing. Silicon Image Pure progressive (Sil504) decoding engine, Mitsubishi MPEG decoding, Analog devices Melody 32-bit digital signal processing, Burr Brown DSD 1790 Audio digital to analog converters, and an 8 MB transport buffer. These are just the highlights.

Setup of the DVD-2900 was a straight forward procedure, aided by an excellent and intuitive menu system. It contains the standard menu options which aid in setup of your TV’s screen shape, progressive/interlace scanning etc. The audio setup options are a bit different in that there are settings to be made for audio (Which includes DVD Audio), Super Audio CD, down sampling of PCM signals to 48 or 44.1 khz, and a 2 channel bass enhancer feature which sends bass to the subwoofer when listening to two channel audio. More on this later.

Performance:

Video:

The DVD-2900 can be viewed in either progressive or interlaced scan modes. I tested both interlaced and progressive scan modes on my 57 inch Toshiba RPTV. In progressive scan mode the picture quality from the component video outputs was superb. I tested the player in interlaced mode as well and while the image overall was excellent some artifacts were present. The unit readily handles the 3:2 sequence from film based DVD videos (as per Video essentials test DVD). If detail is what you are looking for in a DVD player’s picture, then you must audition the DVD-2900. I was blown away by the level of detail this player is capable of. I watched Lord of the Rings the Two Towers, LOTR Fellowship of the Ring extended edition, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The level of detail in darker scenes containing low level light was incredible. The same thing was obvious in brighter scenes where there were subtle nuances visible in foreground or background details.

The 2900 did not display signs of the dreaded CUE (chroma up sampling error or “ bug “) visible on many other players. Films like Toy Story, and Monster’s Inc. looked solid, without any hint of the smearing or combing artifacts associated with CUE. I have read that the player does have an issue with films that contain alternating progressive flags. Monsters Inc. is one such film, however I was unable to detect any artifacts what so ever throughout the entire film. I watched the film “ Identity “ which takes place entirely at night in the rain. The 2900 conveyed fine detail and rock solid images throughout, with great black level reproduction. My two year old Pioneer Elite DV-38A produced image quality which was razor sharp, and contained excellent detail. I was curious as to how the 2900 would compare as I figured it’s picture would be noticeably softer. It’s picture quality revealed an increased level of color reproduction, detail, and overall image depth.

Audio:

I found the 2900’s performance with digital movie soundtracks to be exemplary. Regardless of whether played back through it’s coaxial or optical digital outputs the sound was crystal clear. Dialog was intelligible, surround effects were well articulated to the point where I could swear I was now hearing effects that I have not heard before. Bass response was deep, and punchy without sluggishness. I found that I preferred utilizing the 2900’s digital output for movies rather than using the Dolby digital/DTS decoding in the 2900. I found the decoding to work just fine, however this preference is in terms of overall bass management. My B&K Reference 50 Pre/Pro offers much more flexibility in this area.

Standard CD playback through the 2900’s analog outputs was excellent. The 2 channel bass enhancer feature (which sends low frequency bass to the subwoofer with two channel audio) worked extremely well when listening to stereo music through the player‘s analog outputs (this includes two channel DVDA/SACD). I found it’s presentation to be very natural sounding without harshness. It does maintain a very up front soundstage which can take a bit of getting used to. The Yellow Jackets CD “ Blue Hats “ sounded airy, with Bob Mintzer’s Sax on “ Prayer for Peace “ dead center without edginess or over emphasis. Enya’s “ A day without rain “ CD simply sounded beautiful. Her rich textured vocals, mixed with her stylish way of layering the keyboards sounded graceful, yet powerful. Overall the 2900 handles CD playback very well, with plenty of detail, no grain or edginess, and an up front soundstage presentation.

DVD Audio/Super Audio CD :

Analog Multi channel out Bass Management - This has been an area of discussion surrounding this player since it’s release. I will forego the explanation of why certain speakers should be set to large versus small etc. when setting up bass management, as most should be some what versed in it by now. The 2900 utilizes an 80Hz fixed crossover point for it’s analog multi channel outputs. The analog subwoofer output (.1) on the 2900 is significantly lower than the other 5 channel’s output. There is roughly a 5 decibel (or more) difference, which makes calibrating the 2900’s output to 75db (using the Radio Shack analog SPL meter for example) impossible. The five main channels can be calibrated/balanced to 75db while the subwoofer channel would be barely audible. This creates a problem for anyone not using all full range speakers. In my case I use large main speakers and medium sized center and surrounds. This would require setting the center and surrounds to the small setting. I found that setting ALL speakers to the small setting yielded the best results. Leaving the mains set to large and others to small seemed to yield less bass response. In order to calibrate/balance the output from the five main channels AND the sub I did the following:

  • Set all speakers to SMALL and subwoofer to YES
  • Set my pre/pro to the multi channel analog input
  • Set the 2900’s test tone generator to Manual (so I could adjust each speaker separately)
  • LOWERED the five main channels to their lowest setting (-10db)
  • Left the Subwoofer setting at it’s MAXIMUM setting (0db)
  • Set the volume on my pre/pro to reference level (0 db)
  • Set my SPL meter to 70db, slow response, C weighting
This gave me a reading on the meter from the subwoofer output of about 69db. This will vary depending on what your sub’s gain is set to. I then balanced the remaining channels to that reading on the meter. You may find that you need to adjust the sub’s gain to achieve the proper balance. Once this was done the results from the subwoofer’s output compared to the other channels was much better. The blend between my speakers and the subwoofer was excellent. The crossover worked as advertised and for the first time I was able to enjoy my DVDA/SACD recordings with proper bass management !

The 2900 features a “ filter “ option in it’s audio setup menu. The owner’s manual states that this is for discs recorded in 6.0 rather than 5.1. The default setting is “ On “. Setting the filter to “ Off “ automatically set’s all speakers to Large and the subwoofer to Yes. The manual states that this will increase the subwoofer output 5db for DVD’s (and DVD A discs) and 15 db for SACD. I tried this and did not note a 15 db increase in the subwoofers output, nor any significant change in the output for DVD or DVD A discs. As previously stated the best results overall were achieved with all speakers set to Small subwoofer set to Yes.

There are adjustments for time alignment (delay) for DVD Audio and Dolby digital/DTS decoding only. There is no such adjustment for time alignment for SACD playback. As I understand it this is an issue with most if not all SACD players. The 2900 will allow you to indicate how far your speakers are from your listening position in terms of feet or meter distances. Once I set up the unit for speaker size, time alignment, and calibrated the channel levels, I was ready to do some critical listening.

DVD Audio - I listened to a variety of DVD A material, jazz, pop, classical and they all pretty much brought me to the same conclusion. This player definitely got DVD Audio right. David Diggs “ E-Klek-trik “ disc sounded vibrant and fully textured. Rachel Diggs vocals on “ Why “ and “ Time creeps “ sounded powerful without being overly bright as I have heard on other players. Steely Dan’s “ What a shame about me “ from “ Two against nature “ simply blew me away with its rich low end, aggressive mix, and superb detail. I threw in “ Jazz at the movies, the bedroom mixes “ just to listen to my favorite track, “ Farewell my lovely “. The 2900 conveyed every nuance of the track’s sultry saxophone, so much so that it seemed as though the horn was whispering on quieter passages. I figured I would throw in Telarc’s 1812 overture and David Becker’s “ Germerica “ to test things in the low end department. The 2900 sounded bombastic during the 1812’s canon fire and yet beautiful during the Kiev symphony’s chorus. David Becker’s bluesy guitar and steady bass/bass drum kick on “ Germerica’s “ title track was lively with plenty of low end punch. I absolutely enjoy listening to DVD Audio discs on the DVD-2900.

Super Audio CD - I have really come to love SACD (as much as I love DVD Audio). Early on I was not really sure how I felt about the medium. That has since changed. The 2900 has continued where my Sony SACD player left off. The only real complaint I have is not being able to adjust for time alignment (delay). I feel that this has a real effect on SACD’s presentation within the boundaries of every listening room. That being said I have to say that SACD played back through the 2900 sounds very good. To me SACD has a much less “ digital “ sound as compared to DVD Audio, and that is certainly the case with the 2900. Vocals are not harsh or brittle sounding but are subtle when called for and full bodied where appropriate. Instruments are localizable within the soundstage and can all be heard with plenty of detail. The 2900 tends to present an up front soundstage which I really don’t mind at all. Diana Krall’s seductive voice on her “ The look of love “ SACD is simply awesome played back on the Denon. The orchestra blended in with her sultry vocals creates a seamless image within the center of the room, placing you right in the middle of the conductors pulpit. Nora Jones’ “ Come away with me “ title track played back in two channel stereo drew her rich paletted voice out into the room while leaving the accompanying instruments further back. James Taylor’s “ October Road “ features plenty of vocal harmonies, acoustic guitar, and an aggressive surround mix. The 2900 conveyed it beautifully. At times multi channel SACD playback did sound a bit bloated depending on the track/mix, however I feel that this is more than likely attributed to the lack of time alignment/delay setting ability rather than a direct problem with the 2900’s playback.

Overall I found the 2900 to be a fine DVDA/SACD player. The bass management is workable and actually performs quite well once dialed in.

Below is a list of the 2900’s strengths and weaknesses (in my humble opinion):

Weaknesses :

Standby mode - To put the player in standby mode you must use the “ Off “ button on the remote. If you press the “ power “ button on the front panel the player is shut down and will not respond to remote commands etc. until the power button is depressed.

No last memory function - The player has five memory marker slots which will recall the last location on a DVD where the marker was set. However once the disc is removed or the player is turned off these markers are erased. There are less expensive players which have a similar feature which will recall the last location even after removal of the disc or when power is cycled.

The multi channel bass management/setup issue - While it can be resolved to a degree that is acceptable (in my opinion) it needs to be addressed so that the unit can be properly calibrated to the users preference.

Strengths:

Video quality - Detail, Detail, Detail ………………………

Excellent DVD Audio playback - Very Good SACD/CD playback

Quick loading of all discs - this includes lightning fast track access and response to remote commands

Excellent build quality and appearance

Intuitive menu system - Simple setup and operation

Dot matrix front panel display - Very visible from a seated position - plus a small but notable addition of a “ V “ or “ F “ when a DVD is loaded. Indicating whether the disc is film or video based (nice).

No CUE - Chroma up sampling error (chroma bug)

8 MB transport buffer literally makes layer changes on dual layered DVD’s undetectable.

Discrete On/Off commands which allows separate commands for powering on or off your system. This works very well should you have remote with macro command capability.

A separate IEC power cord affords the possibility of upgrading the cable.

Pure Direct mode memories. This feature allows disabling of the units video circuitry and digital outputs to prevent any unwanted interference while engaged in critical listening.

Conclusion:

Denon has done a fine job with the DVD-2900, as it‘s strengths certainly out weigh it weaknesses. It’s video performance is superb. It is an excellent DVD Audio player and very good standard CD player. It‘s SACD playback is very good and certainly on par with other SACD player‘s in it‘s class. I would highly recommend it if your are in the market for a quality “ Universal “ player.

Features:
Rating:

Video Rating:

DVD-Audio Playback:

SACD Playback:

CD Playback:
Advertisement

Location:  Main Index » Forum Index » Tech Reviews

Top of Page ^

(C)opyright 2000 - 2010 - All Rights Reserved. No information may be posted elsewhere without written permission.
Any company or tradenames, trademarks and alike are used for review purposes only and are the property of their respective owners.
FusionBB™ Version 2.3 | ©2003-2007 InteractivePHP, Inc.
Execution time: 0.069 seconds.   Total Queries: 18   Zlib Compression is on.
All times are (GMT -0800) Pacific. Current time is 11:57 PM
Top