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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
unsound
7,329 posts
 
IMHO, the Denon 3910 may be the best value. With Blue Ray and HD DVD on the horizon, expensive DVD players may end up being costly temporary excercises. The Denon's also offer HDCD decoding. While not up to the potential of more modern, ambitious alternatives, HDCD still offers a much better selection of software. Keep in mind, current HDTV connections may soon be obsolete.
theo's avatar
theo
2,690 posts
 
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.
sdcampbell
2,136 posts
 
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.
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