Best Universal Player for DVD's , CD's w/ dvd-a

California Audio Labs CL-2500, hands down! DVD-A, CDs, DVDs, CDR, etc!!!!!

Chucke,

I would recommend either the Denon 1600 or the more expensive 3800. Both have excellent audio and video results, with the 1600 often being compared to the Panny RP82.

Unfortunately the CL-2500 sells used for over $1500...

Ehart -

The CL-2500 never sells for $1,500, let alone over.
They can be had OFTEN right here for less than $1,000 all of the time. At least when listed! I have paid as little as $750 for one, but usually around $900 - $1,100.

Keep your eyes peeled.

D

Not sure if I am clear on for what you are asking.

The best player for under 1,000 that will handle DVD,
DVD-A, and CD?

Or...

The best UNIVERSAL player, meaning a player that will
handle all of those PLUS SACD and most all other 5" discs.

If the question is the former...

I would suggest putting the Denon 1600 and Pansonic XP-50
on your list of players to consider.

If it is the latter...

I would suggest the Yamaha s2300 or Denon 2900.

Or...

Another way to go might be to get a Philips 963sa
and a Panasonic XP-50. That way, in two boxes, you've
got all your needs covered and probably get better sound
than any one box U-player.

If you move your budget up to 2,000....

I would HIGHLY suggest:

Denon 1600 or Pansonic XP-50 ------ $300 [Used]

Plus...

Sony SCD XA777ES ------------------ 1,600 [used]

For a total of less than 2,000 [used] you get a
reference CD and SACD player [rated A+ by Stereophile
if that means anything to you] a top DVD player, free
of the Chroma bug, high scorers on both Secrets of
Home Theatre and The Absolute Sound shoot-outs --
Excellent sound and picture -- FAR FAR FAR better
sound than you will get from either the Yamaha,
Denon, Onkyo, or Pioneer Universal-players.

Hope that helps.

Check out the new Denon. I think the model number is 2900. Sounds great and simply outstanding for less than a grand new.

The Cal dvd 2500 is the best I have seen and heard for movies bar none. It upsamples cd's and sounds as good as most standalone players costing three times as much.Dan
is correct that you can find the 2500 for 900 to 1000 or
below. contact me for more info

Hifi111

Samsung HD-1000.

Check out the AVS forum link.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=234793&perpage=30&pagenumber=1

The Cal Labs CL-2500 DVD player does not play DVD-Audio. It does play 24/96 DADS.

The Pioneer DVD 45A (at about $400) really does play both DVD-A and SACD, which some other players mentioned above do not. It is solidly built and sounds good to me...don't be put off by the low price. (Perhaps I should say: don't be distracted by the high prices of other players).

Regarding the "Chroma bug"...do some research on this. Most players (even High End ones) have it, and depending on your video equipment and the type of movies you watch, you may not even see the "problem".

I have auditioned the Denon 2900 and for under $1000 it has the best DVD picture I have seen plus they incorporate an 8MB buffer to eliminate layer changes. The cd, DVD-a and SACD performance is quite good, not as good as some units, but you would have to spend more money and only you can decide whether it is worth it for yourself. I have seen the 2900 for under $800 new on Ebay.

Any thoughts about Marantz DV-8400?

what about the audionote player

sacd/dvd-a/cd?