Marantz vs. Denon vs. ?

[nightflier]

I noticed that GG is going out of business and selling everything off at 20-40% off msrp. Our local store has several nice Denon 3910 universal players still in stock. It's selling for $1199 with full manufacturer warantee. I like the fact that it has HDMI, DVI, and Firewire connections so it won't be obsolete right away. But this is a steep price, especially considering that HD-DVD or BlueRay is right around the corner.

I intend to use it 70% for movies and 30% for SACD (don't have any DVD-As).

How does it compare to the Marantz DV6500 which is half the price, particularly with reference to the chipsets and sound reproduction? Or is it even in the same league?

I know Marantz has a comparable DV9500 for $1300, but I'm not really ready to pay more than the Denon and at this price I want to buy from an authorized reseller.

Any other players that compare in the $600-1000 price range?

[ToddL]

Have you seen the DVD2910 by Denon? It runs a lot less and will still have the full SACD, I am not sure if it has the D-link though.

[csukasem]

Hi,

I am movie biased (80%). When I bought my Denon 5900, I checked and found out that with comparable model, Denon had better picture whereas Marantz had better sound. Not sure if this still holds true.

Sukasem

[edtyct]

How ya doin' nightflier,

I don't know the Marantz model, though I've heard good things about it (hardly a surprise), but I can tell you that the 3910 is a nice piece of work. The 2910, which is less than half the price, however, is certainly not less than half as good. In fact, the 2910 may be Denon's biggest price-point mistake; it's hard to beat in any respect (it has a little macroblocking with certain displays, but far less than the 1910). Does GG have any of them left at a good price? You've got to spend a hell of a lot more than the 3910 costs to get even a slight improvement in video, and you can spend considerably less to get about the same quality. It simply doesn't pay these days to get an exorbitantly expensive DVD player for video unless the rest of the system can support its weight in gold (and resolution). With a digital connection to a DLP, LCD, LCoS, or DiLA, you can fool your pocketbook like never before. The Bravo D1 player's pioneering DVI output proved as much a year or so ago. But if you want your DVD player to do music with equal ability, you generally have to spend a little more, though a few surprises dot the marketplace. And none of the little guys with the razor- sharp video will hold down the table when the next hurricane comes like the 3910 will.

By the way, I forgot to add that the Marantz's lack of a digital video output is as big an absence as you want to make it. The component feed will look good, but the lack of an option that Denon provides counts for something.
Ed

[nightflier]

So at $1199, the Denon 3910 is a decent price? There are quite a few of them on Audiogon and they go for about $800-1000 used, but I don't want to risk it. Any reason so many people are selling theirs?

Also, although my TV is HDTV ready and capable of 720p and 1080i, only has Component Video inputs, so I'm sort of tied there. What's the best picture resolution I can expect if I don't use DVI or HDMI?

P.S. I was looking to buy the 2910 initially, but the 3910 has audio improvements that I really want to check out.

[edtyct]

It's a decent price, for a brick-and-mortar store, but it doesn't win the prize. Just browsing around on the web, I've seen it for just under $1000. Resolution per se will not improve with a digital output, but sharpness can, primarily with non-CRT-based sets. Anyone with a component-only TV, who expects to stay that way for a while, has no need of a digital output on a standard DVD player (the lack of a digital input on the TV might be far more significant). In that regard, the 3910 is overkill, since much of its video appeal is based on its three glamor outputs--HDMI, DVI, and firewire, which do have practical significance with microdisplays. Use of HDMI rather than DVI can avoid problems with certain displays, and sometimes vice versa.

I think that the reason why people may be unloading 3910s at this point is that they are an expensive albatross to be carrying when $1000 HD players are just around the corner. I doubt that macroblocking has anything to do with it, since the 3910 has less of it than the less expensive Denons, and it doesn't happen with all displays. Audiogon is just the type of site to harbor early adopters of hi res DVD, or enthusiasts who are always looking to move.

The 2910's audio is pretty damn good, but the 3910 is capable of a wider and deeper soundstage. If that means enough to you, then it may be the one to get. But not every system is going to get this benefit. Comparing the two players at home before buying is the best way to go. Frankly, under most conditions, I'd be happy with either of them. What would stop me from spending $1000 on a standard DVD player at this point is the law of steep diminishing returns above half that price (and sometimes lower), and the imminent appearance of hi-res DVD at around $1000, with three new hi res audio formats to be included. Not even the prospect of a format war can obscure the looming price point for an improved DVD technology, even if you have no plans to buy into it.

Ed