Denon DVD-1600P DVD Player

A Little Background


This DVD player, the Denon DVD-1600 was purchased about 4 months ago and is being played through a Harman Kardon AVR-7000 with picture displayed in progressive format on a Toshiba 57HDX82 16:9 projection TV. The cables used, component directly to the TV and coaxial digital audio to receiver, are AudioQuest YIQ-X and Monster Ultra Series THX 1000 fibre optic respectively. The player is also using an AudioQuest NRG-1 that was previously used on a computer component for power.

Test discs for this unit include Signs, xXx, Major League, Minority Report, Final Fantasy, and the new edition of Pulp Fiction. Speakers included Paradigm Reference Studio/100 fronts with matched rears and center, using standard Monster 12awg wire terminated with spades. I offer this info just as a reference to help better illustrate the playing field on which this player was assessed. In this situation, the rest of the components involved are of high enough quality to take the performance of the player on its own.



First Impressions


This DVD player was packed quite well. The cardboard of the box was thick and resilient and the player itself was supported well by the inserts. All of the paperwork that actually comes with the player is on top, including the power and very meager a/v cables. The player isn't particularly heavy, but from the outside appears to be very well put together and has a very high end look to the front panel, from the finish to the font used for the script. I noticed right off the bat that RCA connections are not gold plated, but that's a small point and isn't always a sign of quality. The remote is a good size and of course has the batteries right there in the box for it. The directions are pretty clear and pretty easy to follow especially if you already have a Dolby Digital home theater receiver or all-in-one system.



Features


The player comes with everything you might expect as well as all the abilities a player in its price class out to have. This unit is capable of playing most audio formats and the expected video formats including, DVD-V, DVD-A, VCD, audio CDs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, and MP3 tracks on burned discs. Almost all of the connections you would expect to be there are, except for one odd omission, no coaxial digital output. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Toslink, but I feel that optical cables have long been overpriced and simply having a coaxial out option offers the consumer more versatility, but these are the facts.

As mentioned, the outs are not gold plated, but they are arranged logically and there is a clear nudge to get the buyer to use the digital out, the analog outs are actually labeled as secondary. The power cord is component, though it is neither full size or grounded, its nice to have the option to upgrade. The cord that comes with the player is quite long adding to this units versatility. Speaking of versatility, this player does have a front panel headphone output which in and of itself is not that unusual, but it also has a volume control as well. This is unique to say the least.

For the most part, this player really does have all the keynote features one would expect from Denon. Virtually everything that cone be done through in the GUI through the remote can be executed from the front panel as well, which is not as common as you might think, Sony and Panasonic owners know what I'm talking about. This unit does feature a slightly better warranty than most with a year on parts as well as labor, which is most often 90 days with other companies. At least, although it probably will not happen, you will be covered for everything if the unit fails in that time.



The Sound


This player has an exceptional audio section to it. It plays CDs and burned discs with great aplomb with no skipping (assuming discs and burn are good) but this unit does have some issues with MP3 discs. FYI, ID3 tags will not be read or displayed and the player will not recognize play groups either, or at least that what my testing suggested. It is also has an issue with partial burns as well. At first we didn't know what was wrong, but a little searching on the net described our problem to a tee. The unit will not see separate burns on a single disc (ie, burns on different dates, not different groups or sets on a disc) as being a whole, but see them as random tracks. This isn't as bad as it sounds, it just means more attention to the production process is necessary if it is specifically intended for playback on this unit.

DVD-Audio playback on this unit is outstanding. Its not just a question of more channels or sound zipping from speaker to speaker, it is being there, in the studio, hearing them play around you, through you, being part of the experience. I am not one of those people that is willing to enter into a semantic discussion of superiority of one multi channel format over another (DVD-A vs SACD), both sound extraordinary. They provide a realism and presence that HDCD, much less CD, can't even begin to touch. This goes beyond headroom or extension (perceived or otherwise), it is a wholly separate experience and it is a beautiful thing. This player has a distinct function that will shut down any system not associated with video, at the touch of a button. Not unlike a receiver that simplifies signal path for purity, this player will improve the sound of audio-only discs by doing the same thing. Very nice. The end result is lovely.



The Vision


This player demonstrates some very good video qualities, some of which stem from the choice of the Faroudja's DCDi de-interlacer with standard 3-2 pulldown processing. For those that follow such things, Faroudja has been one of the premiere names among video component mfrs, whether simple line doublers/triplers or high end projection systems. Needless to say, the processing is very good. Operating at 54Mhz (10 bit) there is no hint of dot crawl, no matter how minor. Separation is also superior and really shines on movies with heavy color contrast, like Final Fantasy, Titan AE, or any one of the Pixar films. After watching just a few scenes from Dances With Wolves, the same can almost be flatly said for live action as well, with deep, rich, sunset backgrounds against light and dark static back and forgrounds.

Speaking of separation, the color overall is outstanding. It comes across very warm yet subtle, strong but not saturated. It's hard to describe, but it's very real without seeming enhanced (as if you have adjusted the TV, but not poorly so). There is absolutely no hint of dot crawl nor is there any jagged edge to any static lines, vertical, horizontal, or diagonal, and no exhibition of any bleed in color. Don't get me wrong, its not perfect, but this comes from someone who occasionally prefers a more sterile and testish look to the final product, allowing for the TV to be the electronic enhancement. Long story short, though the picture is lacking in some minor accuracy and time correlation (ever so rarely) it is very, very good.



The Remote


The remote for this unit is very straightforward and clear in its layout as well as it \s overall function. There are no confusing switches or secondary options. This remote controls this DVD player, period. I spose one might see this as a disadvantage to the remote, but quite frankly so many of the multifunction remotes we see for auxiliary components don't have the appropriate functions for the other components they are intended to control as the brand is a secondary or even tertiary thought. In this respect the remote is true to the purpose that Denon seems to convey with their product, audio and video excellence as a component, not a center piece.

Quite frankly, it is very easy to use. All the primary functions are laid out well from top to bottom as well as from left to right in what really seems to be a well understood order of importance as far as function and immediacy. It fits well in the hand and though is not glow in the dark, has a very good lay out that only a little of experience will allow you to operate efficiently. From what I have seen, battery usage is low, but unfortunately it seems that the IR receiver in the player itself is a little limited. It seem like one really has to aim to make it work sometimes, rather than just being able to push a button, you really have to get it that direction. Overall, I like the remote.



Final Thoughts


This is a very capable player that not only excels in video playback, but audio fidelity as well. From my viewpoint this player is worth the purchase price, if not the MSRP. It, the price, is certainly on the high side, but as I have said so often, you get what you pay for. For those that may already be familiar with Panasonic products, the GUI as well as some operation schedules will be familiar; operation is easy and fluid, for the most part and this is a good thing, but again, the price. At this point/in this day and age, a DVD player comes at a very low cost, about $100 to get the job done, about $200 for a better example. With this in mind, one has to ask the question, how much is it worth?

For those that have a home receiver, TV, and speakers that warrant an eyebrow lift, I would say that this is a strong option, but only at about $375 or less. DVD-A players are not a dime a dozen, but neither are the available CDs, keep that in mind. The DVD-A/SACD thing promises to occupy the pages of online journals for many years to come. Unless you are an enthusiast of the 6ch sound, buy this unit for its DVD ability, not DVD-A (SACD) attributes because for this you will be happy.