DVD Player For AV2

Posted by: Neill Ferguson on 12 February 2004

Dear All

This is my first posting. I have been reading the forum for some time now. I have an AV2 in my system at the mo. I have found it to be a top class product. Finding a DVD player to enhance the system has been some what harder as I want a one box solution a DVD player that is as good with CD's.Waiting for NAIM's own machine seems to have taken a life time.
Heres what I have tried so far and the results i have had.
Moon DVD player: Not bad but expensive for the options.
Meridian 598: Stunning bought a new house and put an end to the buy went back to dealer a little later to be told about g seris.
Krell DVD player:If only I had 9k to spend on one.
Meridian G Seris: I settled for a digital version only for production to be delayed for some time. I didn't think it was as good as the 598 but was still very good long delay meant dealer made a new suggestion.
Linn UNIDISK: Its in the system at the mo and is stunning has anyone else out there tried this machine what do you guys think??
My Main reason for posting is simple a reply to some postings over the last two months. There is a massive difference between a £200 and 2k machine just like with straight cd players. On pic wise with all the machines picture has varied with the Linn and Krell producing the best results so far.
Also I agree with early postings on all LINN systems have never been impressed by them. I do have to say using the new machine has shown this brand in a different light to me.
Does any one have any views on this product.

PS The SACD reply is also very good.
Posted on: 12 February 2004 by Mr_Sukebe
My personal view would be to avoid the single box solution and buy a very good CD player and a seperate DVD player.
Part of the reason is not just sound quality of the CD section (the usual reason), but also the changes in technology on the video side of things.

I read a very interesting article recently about building a home cinema PC. Before you wonder whether I'm smoking something, please confirm first whether all the players you mention have upsampling to deal with high definition TV/Plasmas and whether they all have DVI or HDMI video outputs. If they don't, I'd like to suggest that they have a few "areas of opportunity". As the above most certainly CAN be done by present day home cinema PC technology and for far less than the cost of a Linn Unidisk, I'd certainly think twice.
Posted on: 12 February 2004 by Neill Ferguson
All have dvi/hdmi outputs for connection to plasma screens. I don't use a plasma screen at present. I have a 36inch wide screen telly
Posted on: 12 February 2004 by NigelP
Neil,

It really depends on how much you love your CD playback. I'm with Mr Sukebe on this one here in that I think you should go for a two-box solution. I haven't found a single DVD player that plays CD as well as the best of the CD players. With the sort of money you're talking about I would recommend that you listen to the CDX-2 with and without the XPS power supply and compare to the playback on the DVD players that you mention - I think that you will be surprised. Then go for a separate DVD player.
On the DVD player front, I ended up with trying to two leading approx. £2k solutions - the Arcam DV27A and the Denon DVD-A1. Both are stunning machines (even without HDMI or DVI). My demo was using the mighty Yamaha projector onto a 20 foot screen and both players were outstanding. In the end I plumbed for the Denon since, with the Denon D-Link into the back of my AV processor, there wasn't much between them on sound. The Arcam did sound better with the Coax output though and you might consider this if you're using the AV2. Where the Denon excelled, however, was in the picture quality. Although the Arcam was truly excellent, the DVD-A1 seems to convey more realism in what you are seeing. Both are excellent machines and will certainly give an AV2 what it is looking for - a decent bitstream feed!
Just to end on this, I understand that the new Pioneer machines are excellent (and have HDMI outputs). Although I haven't compared these to the Denon or Arcam, I have seen the 656A on a plasma screen and the picture was impressive. Not sure about the sound though.

Have fun.

Nigel
Posted on: 12 February 2004 by Neill Ferguson
Nigel,

I do agree with what you are both saying. The unidisk player am going for is the 2.1. The dealer had the 1.1 on demo. He had had the model before the Naim CDs3, don't know if it was just called CDS2. It was three years old. The scary thing was the 1.1 Unidisk player was a better stand alone cd player. I was alloyed a lot of time and different set ups to hear this for myself. The previous owner had traded it in for one. It must be heard out of an all LINN system they are very good.The straight CD play off even surprised the dealer. In the past there is not doubt I would have agreed with you two but am not so sure now. The Dealer reckons the 2.1 version am going has slightly better CD reply than the current CDX. It also does SACD and DVDA. SACD sounds just amazing from the system now. Oh the other kit in the system is the NAIM AV2, Bryston 5 channel power amp and snell speakers across the front with LINN rears. All cables are from the cord company.

Neill
Posted on: 12 February 2004 by Allan Probin
quote:
My demo was using the mighty Yamaha projector onto a 20 foot screen

Surely you jest Sir !!
Posted on: 13 February 2004 by Neill Ferguson
Raceman,

Cheers for your reply, don't know of any audionet dealers in Scotland. I hand back the Linn machine today to the dealer so am coming to make your mind up time.
I would wait for the naim player but with it not having DVD-A or SACD I don't know if it will be good value

Neill