Frzninvt Posted July 22, 2003 Share Posted July 22, 2003 I am considering parting with my Nakamichi DVD player in favor of a Denon DVD 3800 or 2900. I really like the 3800 even though I believe it is no longer being produced, is the 2900 the 3800's replacement? I see even though the 3800 is no longer in production it is still commanding close to $1K price tag on some of the online vendor sites. Which would you purchase and why? Anyone have either of these players and wish to comment please do so. To see what other equipment it will be used with just check my signature. Thanks in advance for your assistance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bchild311 Posted July 22, 2003 Share Posted July 22, 2003 Dude ... If I could go back and get the 2900 I would. You get all the great features of the 3800 plus SACD and others with the 2900. No question, go with the 2900. And you'll love what it does to your picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickB Posted July 22, 2003 Share Posted July 22, 2003 DVD ETC. reviewed the Denon 2900 in the July/August issue. They gave it a pretty positive review, but I think about every review I've read in there has been favorable. But at least it will give you some ideas about the product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurs Posted July 22, 2003 Share Posted July 22, 2003 I've had both, no wrong answer, but hands down I'd take the 2900 everytime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicholtl Posted July 22, 2003 Share Posted July 22, 2003 You might want to do a search or just read up on the posts over at www.hometheaterforum.com or www.avsforum.com which have discussed and reviewed both these products extensively. From what I know, the 2900 suffers from a multitude of problems, most notably skipping after several hours of dvd playback, and the notorious chroma unsampling error "bug." It does have SACD playback ability, but lacks HDCD, as well as the silicon progressive chip. The late model (made after september 2002) 3800 players have all been fixed as they too, used to have skipping and chroma bug problems. The 2900 was the replacement for the 2800MKII, and I think the 3900 will be the 3800's replacement. Either way, they are both solid units. It's just that the 2900 seems to have many, many problems as reported by many denon users. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted July 22, 2003 Share Posted July 22, 2003 With redbook that could cost 1k,dvd-a and sacd? Also mine plays dvd-r,cdr and one crazy dvd thats almost twice normal thickness(Steve Marriot)that my panasonic won't even play. The 2900! Just listen for yourself and buy from reputable dealer.One last note is this player has ten times the praise as complaints so pay little attn. to confused kids at avs etc..(which constantly revise their remarks after they learn more about audio.Mine has progressive silicon image stamped on the front,and most all my cd's sound like HDCD on this unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurs Posted July 22, 2003 Share Posted July 22, 2003 Yeah...what Fish said....I have had ZERO issues after hundreds of hours of play Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrake Posted July 22, 2003 Share Posted July 22, 2003 "most notably skipping after several hours of dvd playback..." Interesting. My old Denon DVD-3000 does that, which is why I'm in the market to replace it. How about the Yamaha SD-2300? DD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksdad Posted July 22, 2003 Share Posted July 22, 2003 i dont know what users you might be talking about? 1 of the best reason that brought me to the 2900 is because every review i had read, all readers reported trouble free operation, no matter how long played. i myself have had mine going for up to 8 hours at a time with no sign of any probs, it plays all formats effortlessly, even after reading the post i did a little research and found 0 bad reviews? funny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoe11 Posted July 22, 2003 Share Posted July 22, 2003 The 2900 is a great multi-format player. I've had it since they were released and haven't had a single problem with it. I am aware that there are some A/V tests that it apparently either doesn't pass or bypasses, etc. as per some rantings on some of the AV forums, but honestly that stuff doesn't concern me as they appear to be only for the technically obsessive. I've found that for each type of media I've used, the 2900 has worked great. Having said that the 2900 does not replace the 3800 as there is rumored to be a 3900 model perhaps due by the end of the year. The 3900 will probably be substantially more money and for my situation ~1k was plenty to spend for the performance I get from the 2900. ~shoe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted July 23, 2003 Author Share Posted July 23, 2003 Thanks everyone, it sounds like the 2900 is the way to go. I plan to purchase it from an authorized dealer in the event that I do experience any technical difficulties I know that I will be covered and not left dangling in the wind. Hope the dealer nearby will give me a good deal on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMays Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 Great question!!! I posed this very question on Hometheaterforum yesterday and no one responded. I have also read the 2900 had some bugs and was considering the purchase of a high end DVD player and a seperate universal player down the road. This thread really helped me. When is the 3900 to be released? Will it be a universal format version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoe11 Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 ---------------- On 7/23/2003 9:06:30 AM PhilMays wrote: Great question!!! I posed this very question on Hometheaterforum yesterday and no one responded. I have also read the 2900 had some bugs and was considering the purchase of a high end DVD player and a seperate universal player down the road. This thread really helped me. When is the 3900 to be released? Will it be a universal format version. ---------------- Jeff, From what I've read the 3900 is still largely vaporware. It's been discussed online in the DVD section of www.avsforum.com since before even the 2900 was released. Honestly I stopped following it once I bought the 2900. I know that a Denon rep named Jeff posts on that site fairly frequently. If you search around on there I suspect you'd find some information regarding it's possible specs and release date. ~shoe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted July 23, 2003 Author Share Posted July 23, 2003 The Denon dealer closest to me offered me the DVD-3800 or the DVD-2900 for $899 (Alpha Stereo, Plattsburgh, NY). Can a better deal through an authorized dealer be had or is this about as good as it is going to get. Keep in mind for me to get to this dealer it is about a 15-20 minute drive, a 20-25 minute ferry trip ($12.75), and another 10 minute ride to get there. About an hour each way plus ferry costs. Any better suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMays Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 Sounds like a good deal to me. My dealer wants $949 for the 2900. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bchild311 Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 There is an authorized Denon dealer here in Provo Utah that will do the Denon 3800 for $849. Needless to say, I get all my Denon components from him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBB Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 If I were to buy a Denon DVD player from ANYONE I would make sure the authorized dealer had a "no excuse","no questions" asked return policy in writing that is issued with the purchase not just written on his wall.I don't want to be a bummer and insult the people who are happy with their Denon players but the fact is if you read enough you will find that the Denon DVD players have indeed had issues brought up by customers who have purchased the 3800,9000,2900 and even going way back to the 2800.From what I've read that many of the problems were legitimate to include fixes for the units that Denon offered after production. I'm just saying be careful. That is all.I would read what the Denon rep, Jeff Talmadge, has to say about these problems on the AVS forum before I made a decision. Good Luck.I hope turns out to be the best player you will ever own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 I would not hold my breath until theres a unit made by ANYONE that has NO COMPLAINTS.I mean come on,is there any unit of any kind EVER made that everyone loved everything about it and nobody had any complaints about? answer NOPE! I will be the first to say all high tech has potential issues but MOST are user/compatability issues,a small percent are legit problems,even with good manufacturers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cultrain88 Posted July 24, 2003 Share Posted July 24, 2003 I own the 2900 also. As for it having these so called bugs, that people talk about. I agree entirely. Not sure what kind of bugs, maybe Red Rhodesian Spiders! I have run into playback problems on several occasions. If I could do it over I would have gone with the Marantz 8400. But thats me. You wanted to know if units out there exist with problems, well unfortunately they do. Hopefully Denon, is taking care of businesss. I use it for DVD only now. But it does play the music well, and DVD's. Cultrain88 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted July 24, 2003 Author Share Posted July 24, 2003 I probably should have mentioned that I plan on playing just DVD's or SACD audio discs on it. I have a seperate CD player for my music. I honestly don't think that there is a DVD player out their that will do both well (that is play CD's) I am sure it does the DVD thing very well. Most DVD players playback CD's on the harsh and bright side. I prefer the smoother sound of my analog player instead. Geez I may hold out a little longer until Denon gets this unit straightened out. My Nakamichi is a damn good player but I would like progressive scan and some of the other nice features associated with the Denon. If I have trouble with it, it will be a pain in the butt to keep hauling it to the dealer across Lake Champlain in NY. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.