Denon DVD-2500BT, first impressions.

[strapped for cash]

I received the 2500 early this morning. As this was the subject of some debate, I thought I'd post my early impressions.

Is it better than the S-370 and PS3? Yes, but the improvement over the PS3 isn't "jaw dropping," as described in another review.

With Blu-rays, the picture is punchier, the colours more vibrant, while banding and noise are less evident. It also runs quieter than the S-370 (which whines a little with Blu-rays) and the PS3 (which of course sounds clunky in operation).

The 2500 produces a more focused and detailed sound, as well, while steering is seamless. I though the "transport" could only bitstream audio, but if I switch to LPCM the sound notably improves.

DVD upscaling isn't great, in my opinion. With the 2500 upscaling to 1080p, jaggies are obvious; but if I let my TV do the upscaling, images look much smoother. So DVD performance is far from a disaster, but I'll have to change HDMI output resolution whenever I switch from Blu-ray to DVD (or vice versa), which is a pain.

Build quality is solid, of course. It really looks and feels a quality piece of kit and will hopefully last for years.

So, was it worth the £178 I paid? Yes, but had I paid much more I might feel less enthusiastic. In short, Ronald, you're off the hook... just!

 

[michael hoy]

Never had any issues with DVD on mine through the Denon or Pioneer amp that I have now.

In fact I have some Superbit DVD's and when played on the 2500BT can rival the majority of Blu Ray discs.

I would say at £178.00 it is a bargain and will last you a very long time.

Enjoy.

 

[Ronald Archiebald]

Strapped For Cash,

Great initial review. The player will grow on you as you spend more time with it.

You did not mention motion - it is as smooth as silk. Also, the 'three-dimensionality' effects with certain scenes is astounding.

I stand by what I said - it is a truly fantastic blu-ray player but as I said a long time ago, I would not have paid £800+ for it when it first came out.

I bought mine for £300.00 and for that price, it is great value. For £178.00, just keep quiet and enjoy it. You have nothing to complain about!

Ronald

 

[strapped for cash]

Thanks Michael, I intend to!

I noticed that another 2500 is already selling for a fair bit more on ebay. The one I bought looks in absolutely mint condition, so I guess I got it for a good price (assuming it keeps working).

 

[strapped for cash]

Strapped For Cash,

Great initial review. The player will grow on you as you spend more time with it.

You did not mention motion - it is as smooth as silk. Also, the 'three-dimensionality' effects with certain scenes is astounding.

I stand by what I said - it is a truly fantastic blu-ray player but as I said a long time ago, I would not have paid £800+ for it when it first came out.

I bought mine for £300.00 and for that price, it is great value. For £178.00, just keep quiet and enjoy it. You have nothing to complain about!

Ronald

Yes, motion is excellent as well. I'm awaiting delivery of a few older "Technicolor" movies, which I think look more impressive than modern CGI-fests on Blu-ray.

Anyway, you're right, I'll zip it and enjoy...

EDIT: oh, and one last point: your comment about living with kit and gradually appreciating its strengths is, I think, an important one. This may, to some extent, account for blind test results that claim there is no difference between players.

 

[Ronald Archiebald]

EDIT: oh, and one last point: your comment about living with kit and gradually appreciating its strengths is, I think, an important one. This may, to some extent, account for blind test results that claim there is no difference between players.

Exactly! Time is needed to properly and conclusively evalute products such as these, especially for amateurs like us.

The WHF reviewers are so well trained that their eyes can pick out differences instantly - which we can't.

IMO, forum members that say that they don't see any differences during the 'Big Question' etc arrive at that conclusion in a controlled environment that is limited both in terms of material and time.

 

[bigboss]

IMO, forum members that say that they don't see any differences during the 'Big Question' etc arrive at that conclusion in a controlled environment that is limited both in terms of material and time.

How else would you demo AV equipment in a shop, before buying?

I have been a participant in the "Big Question" feature last year, & can say that the audio/video materials are carefully chosen by WHF Team to explore different aspects, & bring out the differences if any, more readily.

 

[strapped for cash]

I don't think anyone was questioning the professional or thorough nature of the WHF review process, or indeed the attention to detail during "big question" sessions. I certainly wasn't suggesting these processes are slapdash (and I'm confident Ronald wasn't, either, though I can't speak on his behalf).

The point was, at least from my perspective, that even this attention to detail can't replicate experience of a product over a prolonged period of time.

For example, after several months ownership I've come to realise that the IFC function on my V20 can be useful on very rare occasions (i.e. with some sporting material), whereas my initial impression was that it was just plain awful full stop. You have to live with a product to really get to know it. On that basis, I'd argue that I'm not in a position to offer a thorough evaluation of the 2500 yet, which is why I titled the thread "first impressions."

And regarding shop auditions, I agree with you entirely: it's not a failsafe method of choosing kit, though of course preferable to no audition whatsoever.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Big Smile and Laughing.

 

[bigboss]

The way I understand about auditions is this; it's the only time I would carefully look for differences. Once I buy it, I'll be happy with my purchase & not worry about looking for those minute differences. Otherwise I'll stop enjoying. We often forget that, at the end of the day, you buy them to enjoy & not critically appraise.

The only time I would start comparing again, is when the picture / sound starts deteriorating and bothers my viewing / listening pleasure.

 

[strapped for cash]

Fair enough. Unfortunately I'm not built that way!

 

[Anonymous]

glad to hear you're happy with the denon strapped, you've got it for a great price considering it once retailed for £800..

as far as needing time to evaluate a product goes, yes i think one can come to appreciate something more when they're familiar with it and it's controls, features etc.

but i still think in the case of blu-ray players and especially pure 1080p playback, that differences (if any) are extremely marginal, and there is the potential for buyer justificated over-enthusiasm over time.

anyways, enjoy your new machine

 

[Deleted member 2457]

EDIT: oh, and one last point: your comment about living with kit and gradually appreciating its strengths is, I think, an important one. This may, to some extent, account for blind test results that claim there is no difference between players.

Exactly! Time is needed to properly and conclusively evalute products such as these, especially for amateurs like us.

The WHF reviewers are so well trained that their eyes can pick out differences instantly - which we can't.

IMO, forum members that say that they don't see any differences during the 'Big Question' etc arrive at that conclusion in a controlled environment that is limited both in terms of material and time.

Limited in terms of material and time - that is rather insulting don't you think?

 

[The_Lhc]

Big Smile and Laughing.

Still haven't downloaded IE9 then...?

 

[Ronald Archiebald]

Gel,

How is that in any way at all, 'insulting', of all things? Also, I qualified my statement with IMO.

I was stating a fact, which you obviously did not understand - a norm for you.

At the 'Big Question', you spend a couple of hours evaluating equipment, and you are expected to make a judgement call in a rather short time while at home you are able to do it at your own leisure, pace and time - there is no pressure.

Differences that were perceived to be not present at that point may well unveil itself later with a wider choice of material.

Ronald

 

[The_Lhc]

Gel,

How is that in any way at all, 'insulting', of all things? Also, I qualified my statement with IMO.

I was stating a fact, which you obviously did not understand - which is the norm for you.

At the 'Big Question', you spend a couple of hours evaluating equipment, and you are expected to make a judgement call in a rather short time while at home you are able to do it at your own leisure, pace and time - there is no pressure.

Not to mention you're probably going to be listening to and looking at kit you're not familiar with, in an environment unlike your own.

 

[strapped for cash]

Again, I'd say that I'm not particularly prone to overenthusiasm, nor do I feel the need to hype up the kit I buy.

Anyone familiar with my posts (like yourself) will know that I'm a miser when it comes to handing out praise. If anything, I tend to accentuate the negatives and pounce on poor areas of performance. I thought my comments about the 2500 were quite balanced, pointing out the good and the mildly disappointing.

I'd agree that differences with 1080p material are not glaring, but I also don't believe all players perform identically. Besides, how many of us have experience of a badly reviewed Blu-ray player for comparative purposes?

I'm enjoying my new machine right now (at least I would be if I wasn't distracting myself by posting)!

 

[pete321]

So, was it worth the £178 I paid? Yes, but had I paid much more I might feel less enthusiastic.

Imagine how I felt when I paid £600 for it! This was the shortest time I'd owned a disc spinner before selling it.

 

[strapped for cash]

So, was it worth the £178 I paid? Yes, but had I paid much more I might feel less enthusiastic.

Imagine how I felt when I paid £600 for it! This was the shortest time I'd owned a disc spinner before selling it.

What prompted you to sell it?

 

[bigboss]

So, was it worth the £178 I paid? Yes, but had I paid much more I might feel less enthusiastic.

Imagine how I felt when I paid £600 for it! This was the shortest time I'd owned a disc spinner before selling it.

What prompted you to sell it?

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/home-cinema/oppo-bdp-83-has-arrived-in-my-house

 

[strapped for cash]

I see a predictable level of squabbling and controversy ensued.