Blu Ray Advice

[admin_exported]

Hello all,

Been reading lots of great advice on the forum for a while now so id though id join!,

The new influx of 3D blu rays have brough down the price of the non 3D so id thought id get one now! (yes, ive been this long without!)

I have a £300 budget but am so confused as there is so many i can get, like the no brainer like sony s370/s570 or go for the top end ones which used to be over £400 but now come down in price.!

The ones i had in mind were the Sony S570, pioneer lx52, Cambridge Audio Azur 650BD or Denon DVD-2500BT.

Can anyone advise?

cheers,

shaz

 

[Cofnchtr]

Hi,

Welcome to the forum.

What is the rest of your kit?

Do you need analogue out or can you use the HDMI cable?

Do you need all the functionality of the Cambridge or is it overkill?

Cheers,

Cofnchtr.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply,

Forgot to list my kit!!,

I can go via HDMI route, i possibly dont need all the fuctionality but was after the best kit i can buy with the cash hence looking at the older higher end models as they have all droped below £300

My set up is.

Samsung LE46F86 LCD, Tannoy Arena (not the lite version!), Yamaha RX- V1700 (Impulse buy!), Sky HD, Xbox 360 with HD player

cheers,

shaz

 

[Anonymous]

As your AVR has 1.2a HDMI connections you will require the player to decode the HD soundtrack and send it as LCPM, this means that any of the listed players would be suitable. If you required the analogue outs for audio, I would suggest the CA player, but as you don't, go for the BDPS570, it's slightly better than the 370, it's wifi and 3D (if you ever do want to go there).

 

[Anonymous]

I dont have a 3D tv so that doesnt matter and i dont mind if it doesnt have wifi either.

I guess the real question is, what is the better player out of those as they are all within my budget.

Ive read so many review and they all seem good!

decisions .... decisions...

cheers.

 

[Anonymous]

I noticed you did not want 3D, but I thought it might be nice to be future proofed. It will then come down to personal preference, the 2 sony's have pin sharp image and there's little in it picture wise between them and the CA IMO. Sound wise the 570 edges it for me (having owned both) with the sony's which are both very clinical and precise. I would say the CA is a fuller/ warmer sound. I would suggest you audition all three and see if you have a preference especially as there is nearly £300 between the top and bottom priced player on your list.

 

[Anonymous]

I noticed you did not want 3D, but I thought it might be nice to be future proofed. It will then come down to personal preference, the 2 sony's have pin sharp image and there's little in it picture wise between them and the CA IMO. Sound wise the 570 edges it for me (having owned both) with the sony's which are both very clinical and precise. I would say the CA is a fuller/ warmer sound. I would suggest you audition all three and see if you have a preference especially as there is nearly £300 between the top and bottom priced player on your list.

Thanks for the feedback.

I did think about future proofing but i think my TV will last a while yet and im sure there will be loads more to choose from, besides it gives me an excuse to buy another

I guess price wise there is a huge difference to consider so i will venture out for a demo!.

Im presuming the pioneer and the denon are no worth going then?

cheers

 

[Anonymous]

Funnily enough, I used to own the Denon and it's a phenominal player, the best things about it are the sound quality and the DVD upscaling abilities. The down side is it's very slow to load, it's big and bulky, does not support any online services (I use qriocity and lovefilm) and it does not have any analogue outputs what so ever (might not be an issue for you), as it's a transport only. I don't have any feedback on the pioneer I'm afraid, as I have only seen the newer models.

 

[Anonymous]

Nice!

Sounds like You go for all the best kit!

Good to hear reviews from a person whos owned them!!

I will see if i can get a demo for the CA and denon, otherwise i will look down the sony/pioneer route!

cheers!

 

[kinda]

Different amp, but I have the Arena speakers and use a Samsung C6900.

Similar to yourself was looking for something that took the quality on a step beyond the budget offerings, and with me was also looking to be a bit future proof.

I don't to be honest think you'll find massive differences in picture, but from various reviews you might get more punchy colours, better DVD upscaling if that's important and better sound by spending a bit more.

The C6900 didn't get a great review in WHF but that's not universal, and I've found it to be great both sonically and picture-wise on a large projector screen. It's also well-built and looks good. Plus it has network media play and can connect to services like LoveFilm.

Certainly when demoing and using Pioneer players which are slated as being some of the best with picture and sound I've found no real differences.

 

[lee37]

i wouldnt even think about future proofing as an option with 4k tv`s round the corner, the 4k receivers are out shortly ( or should it be really called super full hd 2160p )and the glasses free 3d tv`s are also on the horizon and i a couple of years we will all de discussing the difference or lack of it between blu ray and 4k blu ray.

personally i would get the sony s370 or if you want the newer model get the sony s380. a word of warning the s380 remote is crap they have cut the bottom of it making it awkward to use

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys,

Im not biased towards any brand so am open to opinions! and its true, the C6900 have got 5 stars on other sites so will have a look at it.

Remote wise i have the Logitec harmony one so thats ok to.

I guess the main problem is having a look at the units all under one roof which is hard!

 

[Anonymous]

Any final thought/reconmendations before I commit to buy?

cheers

 

[DandyCobalt]

I've got S570 on one setup (with kef "eggs") and the Cambridge Audio on main system that I also use for stereo/SACD. Both are great players - the CA better if you want/need the analogue outs. Out of S370 or S570 then the additional wifi with the 570 is worth it - given the services like qriocity, iplayer, lovefilm etc that the sony provides.

 

[Anonymous]

Cheers for that,

Just seen the new samsung range and they do look quite slick! they are out in a few weeks so will hold off for reviews otherwise will most probably go for one of the sony ones.

thanks,