Denon 5910 / 3910 vs. Marantz DV 9600


I have finally decided on a universal player. If I look on the 'gon, I could get the used 3910 for ~$800, the 5910 for ~$1700/$2000, and the Marantz for ~$1700. I do not want to mod a unit - maybe in a couple of years. I want the latest HDTV connnections HDMI and DVDi for a future flat panel. But I really want an excellent redbook player. Which player stands out and why? Has anyone else traveled down the universal path of indecision?
mattcone
I have to agree with Unsound. I recently sold a DV9500 which is the same as the 9600 less the 1080P output. I wanted to try the Denon DV5910 which I had for a 3-4 weeks but had a recurring "disc read" problem (short version of the story) so I returned it. Tried a Pioneer DV79Avi but it had no bass management. I now have the DV3910 and I really can't say that the sound is much different but the video on the 5910 is better but not 2000.00 better. And as Unsound mentions, the BlueRay/HD-DVD should be shaking out in the next 12 months. Save the dough and go with the 3910.
I feel it has the same sound quality and a better picture than the Marantz did. Also the bass managment and menu system on the Denon is better than the Marantz. One issue I had with the DV9500 was that on DVD Video there is no display for time position in a movie. Small issue but frustrating.
When I was getting ready last year to replace my older Pioneer DVD player with a universal player, I auditioned the Denon 5900, the Marantz 9500 (virtually identical to the 9600), and the Denon 3910. My selection criteria were, in order of importance of importance to me: audio quality; cost; video quality. I bought the Denon 3910, which I thought offered a lot of performance for the money. You might find the "AudioHolics" equipment review of the 3910 helpful:
http://www.audioholics.com/productreviews/avhardware/DenonDVD3910Review1.php

While Blu-Ray and HD-DVD may eventually replace DVD (there is another technology called H-ROM that could turn out to be the long-run winner), it will be some time before there is much software on the shelves.