Ok I have my receiver (NAD T773) and speakers are on the way but I havent ordered my DVD and CD players yet. I wanted to get opinions if I should stay with the NAD line to have matching components (and one remote) or look into other brands. I am open for suggestions. Thanks!
Really depends on how picky you are, if yes then Art's recommendations make sense.
Also if you have just have a middling TV (or a crappy tiny one like mine, lol) a high end DVD player like that Denon would be a waste of money when any mass-market DVD player $50-150 should do just fine.
Personally I'd invest in the CD player and scrimp on the DVD, but that just reflects my own priorities.
I dont have plans on keeping my 36" tube TV for very much longer. The $5100.00 I am spending on components and speakers is about all I can swing at this time without wife killing me while I sleep. Im thinking Plasma high def in the 1st quarter of 2006.
So to sum it up...I would like to make some very good choices that I will be happy with for some time. SO let me have it biys what would you do?
Jay I would have to agree with Edster. At this point with the Hi-def/Blue Ray DVD's coming out soon, it doesn't make a lot of sense to spend a lot on a DVD player. I have a Denon 555 (<$100) and I am happy with it for an in-between.
Jay.. how much control do you have over ambient light? If you have good control, a front projector might be a better option for your video needs. For the price of an inexpensive 42" HD plasma you can get a good HD front projector capable of 100+ inches. For the price of a good 42" plasma you can get a GREAT HD projector. If you have an understanding wife, you may even be able to keep that 36" tube TV for high ambient light conditions, and just add the plasma for low light conditions.
Regardless, if you're planning to upgrade to a HD video system, the Denon DVD-2910 is an exceptional player for upconverting DVDs to 720p. And while I have no experience with it, the reviews I have read on the Oppo upconverting DVD player are also very good, and the price is a fraction of the Denon.
I'd second Ziggy's advice on the projector...plasmas are gorgeous but an imperfect 8-10 foot image still creams a perfect picture that's only 42, 52 or 62 inches. Nothing else quite like it for putting you INTO the movie and having a true cinema experience.
A friend of mine has a crusty old Sanyo LCD projector he bought about 4 years ago which I imagine is about equivalent technology to a $800 DLP projector nowadays, and it's still plenty good.
I've read a lot of good things about the Infocus X-1 projector which I recently saw selling for a paltry $600 refurb from tigerdirect.com---would've jumped on it if I had good ambient light control in my space.
If you cant get that one, the Infocus 4805 is the other budget projector that a lot of folks rave about, Costco had it for $1000 with roll-down screen a few months ago.
And following up here, I've auditioned a lot of projectors, and none came close to offering the performance/dollar ratio of the Hitachi PJ-TX100. It has a native HD resolution (720p) with DVI input. While the US MSRP is ~$4k, the price is much lower in other markets. I picked up a gray market Japanese model for $1379, and I've seen it as low as $1299. Even if I have to pay for any repairs out of pocket, the cost differential makes it more than worth it to pick up the gray-market item.
Since it's an LCD projector, you may have slight SDE at short viewing distances, but 10+ feet and there's no such problem. On a 106" diagonal screen and 13' viewing distance the picture is absolutely stunning.
Sadly, I agree that you should stay away from the NAD DVD players. They're not strong competition to the rest.
How much you spend on the separate CD player depends on how important music replay is to you. If it's more important than HT, then I'd spend more on the CD player and less on the DVD player. The others have also mentioned the upcoming BluRay/HD-DVD battle to sort out the hi-res situation and you've said you want hires in future. Fact is, your DVDs aren't going to become hires overnight. You may as well get a half decent DVD player. It may not be in the Denon's league but even the 1910 is a fine player with excellent picture.
For music, a decent CD player such as the NAD C542, Arcam Diva CD73T or Rega Planet will be a good start. For real quality look further up the scale of course.
There is a lot of great press on the $199 Oppo DVD player. It will give you the flexibility to upgrade your TV when you're ready (Faroudja upconverting, DVI output) without breaking the bank. The only shortcoming is that it does not play SACDs.
From what I am reading I think I need to wait a while on the DVD. This is not a problem. I have a panasonic DVD recorder that Is only about 6 months old so it will get me through for now until I get something better. I am planning on ordering the NAD C542 tomorrow Thanks for the suggestions guys! Besides I am planning on getting a better TV (Plasma)first quarter next year with my bonus and that will give me another excuse to tell the wife the the old DVD does not have the HDMI hook up. Luckily she doesnt give me too much flack on my entertainment choices although she did get kind of wide eyed on the 5K I just spent in the last couple of weeks.
Apparently you have no plans to play hi res discs. I have the Denon DVD2910 hooked up with HDMI connection directly to my TV and let me tell you that the picture, when it is set to 1080i, is only marginally less spectacular than hi def. Amazing! That's what the 2910 can do. The SACD and DVD-A sound is fabulous as well. I too was going to wait for a hi def player but who knows when they will sort out the blu-ray vs HD-DVD format war. The Denon is a great player . But if you must chose for now I agree with the others that since you have a DVD player get the cd player and enjoy. I have the C542 and it is a fantastic value.
Art, maybe I didnt understand what I read. You think I should go ahead and get the Denon now? I was concerned that I would be getting a new player and would need to upgrade again in the near future. You make it sound like that is not true. My thoughts were that I already had a dvd player that would get me through until the new technology comes along in the near future. Please explain...
Art, thank you again for making me think about my decision. I have done some more reading and talked to a couple of people that I consider very knowledgeable in electronics. I have decided to go with the Denon 2010 and the NAD C542. I am going to order them both this afternoon. Thanks again! You and everyone else on here have been a tremendous help. Even Paul because of all of his negativity I have reasearched more on each item I have decided on. Still went with the NAD and LOVE IT. No hiss or hum whatsoever.
Oh and I'm sorry I didn't get back to you to answer your last questions as I was at work and can only post at lunch when time is very limited (1/2 hour). I appears that you got them answered anyway.