Modify my Denon DVD-2900, or go with a different universal player altogheter?

Dawgfish

Hello all,

I am currently running a seperate redbook CD player, an Opera Audio Consonance CD-120 Balanced and a Denon DVD-2900 for SACD/DVDAs in my rig. I am looking to simplify my rig somewhat and go to a single universal player. I just want to clean up the rack a little bit and also save some costs down the road when/if I upgrade ICs, power cords, etc. I love my 2900 for SACD/DVDA playback, but pure and simply the CD-120 kicks the living crap out of it when it comes to redbook cd playback. My question is if you were in my shoes, what would you do: send my DVD-2900 to Parts Connexion to have the Level 1 mods performed along with the seperate power supply and upgraded clock for $1380; buy another universal player altogether for SACD/DVDA/CD playback, new or used with a budget of $1500; or run the DVD-2900 as a transport for SACD/DVDA/CD and add an external DAC with a budget of $1500 (which kind of defeats the simplifiying of the rack and cutting down on cords, etc)? Whichever one I go with, I need to have the redbook cd playback level on par or better than the CD 120 Balanced I am running now, while providing exceptional SACD/DVDA audio performance. Thanks in advance.

Dawgfish

Forgive my spelling. I am still recovering from celebrating the Dawgs victory of the Gators last night and my typing is challened at best this morning. I tried to edit the spelling of altogether in the title, but did not have any success.

WilliamM2

Due to copy protection, SACD players cannot output the SACD layer digitally over anything but Denon link or HDMI. There are no DAC's that accept those connections, so you can scratch the DAC idea.

Considering the 2900 is worth less than $100, there is no way I'd spend $1400 modifying one.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Denon-DVD-2900-DVD-2900-Universal-DVD-SACD-DVD-A-Player-/300614554864?pt=DVD_Players_Recorders&hash=item45fe0614f0

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Denon-DVD-2900-DVD-Player-/230687243743?pt=DVD_Players_Recorders&hash=item35b607fddf

I haven't looked at SACD players lately, so I'll let others make suggestions.

Dawgfish

Normally I would agree with you on that, but if that $1400 worth of modifications gets me a universal player that is better performing than other universal players that I can buy for about the same price as the mods, I'm all for it. I'm concerned with ultimate music performance here more than re-sale value. I definitely see where you are coming from though and thanks for the advice.

headrott

WilliamM2 wrote: »

Due to copy protection, SACD players cannot output the SACD layer digitally over anything but Denon link or HDMI. There are no DAC's that accept those connections, so you can scratch the DAC idea.

Considering the 2900 is worth less than $100, there is no way I'd spend $1400 modifying one.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Denon-DVD-2900-DVD-2900-Universal-DVD-SACD-DVD-A-Player-/300614554864?pt=DVD_Players_Recorders&hash=item45fe0614f0

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Denon-DVD-2900-DVD-Player-/230687243743?pt=DVD_Players_Recorders&hash=item35b607fddf

I haven't looked at SACD players lately, so I'll let others make suggestions.

Not true. I have tapped the DSD signal in my Denon DVD-1920 DVD/SACD player and sent it to an RJ45 jack and sent it to the DAC I built with an RJ45 jack installed into it. It is a somewhat involved process, but doable. You would definately have to be up the task of reading the players schematics and finding the tap points to get the DSD signal and sending the signals to the RJ45 jack. Also, you would have to make sure the RJ45 jack you installed is compatibally wired to the RJ45 jack in a DAC you buy. Also, the DAC you buy would need to be able to accept a raw DSD signal run to the DAC chip. There are a few out there that can do it.

Greg

WilliamM2

So it's not true if you want to build your own DAC, and modify the Denon to have an RJ45 output? Great.

WilliamM2

Dawgfish wrote: »

Normally I would agree with you on that, but if that $1400 worth of modifications gets me a universal player that is better performing than other universal players that I can buy for about the same price as the mods, I'm all for it. I'm concerned with ultimate music performance here more than re-sale value. I definitely see where you are coming from though and thanks for the advice.

Well if you can get a new player with the same performance for about the same price as the mods, it would have resale value, and a warranty. Just a thought. The disc drive mechanisms don't last forever.

Dawgfish

WilliamM2 wrote: »

Well if you can get a new player with the same performance for about the same price as the mods, it would have resale value, and a warranty. Just a thought. The disc drive mechanisms don't last forever.

I agree with you on that. If I can find another player that performed at about the same performance level as the mods, I would definitely go with that. I should have been more clear. What I was trying to say is if the $1400 in mods gets me something that significantly outperforms other universal players that I could in that same price range,new or used, I would be inclined to go with the mods. My ultimate goal is to get the absolute best performing universal player I can get with a $1500 budget.

Emlyn

For around $1500 you could get a brand new Oppo BDP-95 and send it to Modwright for a basic 2 channel stereo modification.

http://www.modwright.com/modifications/oppo-95-truth-tube-mod.php

reeltrouble1

its not going to happen Steve for less than 3000 on the used market...Esoteric SE or some such source to get to a level above the 120, alot of dough just to move lateral or maybe inch ahead does not make much sense just to save one rack space, the thing is your base level with that Consanance for redbook is already very high.

Let your head clear, then perhaps one shot for the hair of the dog, glad you are digging the 703's.

RT1

danz1906

Emlyn wrote: »

For around $1500 you could get a brand new Oppo BDP-95 and send it to Modwright for a basic 2 channel stereo modification.

http://www.modwright.com/modifications/oppo-95-truth-tube-mod.php

The Oppo is a good choice and also an Older Esoteric DV50.

Dawgfish

reeltrouble1 wrote: »

its not going to happen Steve for less than 3000 on the used market...Esoteric SE or some such source to get to a level above the 120, alot of dough just to move lateral or maybe inch ahead does not make much sense just to save one rack space, the thing is your base level with that Consanance for redbook is already very high.

Let your head clear, then perhaps one shot for the hair of the dog, glad you are digging the 703's.

RT1

Thanks Ted. I'm definitely enjoying the 703s. They have renewed my passion for two-channel audio. I think your right and you would know. I trust what you have to say regarding this especially since you have owned both in the past. Honestly my two channel system has never sounded better than it does now and I am extremely happy with it. I need to just kick back and enjoy it for awhile. Cheers!