Denon 5900 vs 9000 (1 Viewer)

[*Luke*]

I realize full tests haven't been done on the 5900 but for a person (me) who is interested strictly in video use and of couse HT sound which product should perform the best? I am seriously jones'n for a new player ( have the Sony DVP-S550D) but I really don't listen to music,so dvd-a and sacd isn't that important, at least not today. I have been leaning towards the 5900 since I do have a DVI capable display,(Sammy DLP) but is the video processing and other capabilities on the 900o enough to out weigh the DVI on the 5900?

All opinions and facts appreciated!

 

[Elbert Lee]

I would lean toward the 5900 if video performance is what you are shooting for. I don't imagine the 9000 being a clear cut winner in this category as many reviews comparing the 9000 with the 3800 seem to indicate a nearly identical picture. However, the 5900 does use a different chipset from Faroudja that may worked out some of the problems that plagued the 9000 and 3800, and all indications are that DVI theoretically be an advantage for DLP displays.
You are really paying for fundamentally great audio from the 9000 as most of the costs went into the chasis, separate video/audio power supplies and other Traditional audiophile engineering principals. It doesn't seem as though these attributes have been shown to help a whole lot when it comes to video performance given the fact that video performance has, more or less, been dependent on implementation of the player's mpeg decoding engines.
The 5900 is well built and is probably a more "balanced" player for a high end HT set up. I would suggest waiting for the player to come out before making any decisions.

 

[*Luke*]

Patience can be a virtue when it comes to technology....

So patient I will be.Thanks.

 

[Robert A. Willis Jr.]

The 9000's only weakness is in its CD playback. No matter what I do, there is always a bit of stridency on average CD's. I am in the market for a Universal player but haven't found one (in my price range) that betters the 9000 in video and DVD-A. My next audition (if I can find one) will be the Teac unit, then the 5900 when it appears and finally the top of the line Denon when it appears early next year.

As for problems, the only "problem" was the chroma bug which was fixed early on. I was never a big fan of Denon but after experiencing the time and energy they put into making excellent products, I will at least audition their future products.