Q Is any review of the Denon DVD-9000 DVD player coming?

Lots of enthusiasts are waiting for your review on this beast! It's one of the most advanced DVD players currently available!

I've read some reviews from Germany, and the UK, etc. But, I don't really care about other reviews and I'm sure most enthusiasts are mainly interested in your (Secrets) review.

You guys are the true audio/videophiles with scientific knowledge and logic!

A Yes, it is finally just about ready. There were some problems that Kris Deering and Stacey Spears had to work out with Denon to be fixed before we could finish the review. All the issues have been solved, and consumers who already have the 9000 will have software made available to them that fixes the problems. New units will already have the fixes installed.

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Q For my new receiver (Marantz SR-5200) which features 6.1 surround sound, I thought of buying three pairs of Mission M71 speakers (L,R,C,LS,RS,CS). However, I have doubts how they would perform when used as a centre, front, and surround channels. Centre speakers have different tonal qualities? If so, then can I still use the M71 as a centre?

A The problem with using non-center channel speakers as a center, is that the center speaker is usually laid on its side, on top of the TV. Speakers made for the center channel are usually designed with the idea that they will be horizontally placed. That does not mean the M71 would not work, but you just have to go into a store, put an M71 on top of a TV, and listen to it.

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Q Now that the Denon DVD-2800 has been lowered in price to around $500, given a choice, would you purchase the 2800 or go for the newer Denon DVD-1600? I've heard that the 2800 has the chroma bug, but that it's been reduced so it's not so noticeable. Which of these two DVD players gives the absolute best picture and sound (since price seems to be comparable now)?

A The 1600 has DVD-A built-in, and 24/192 DACs. The 2800 does not have DVD-A, and it uses 24/96 DACs. The 1600 also has the Faroudja DCDi chip, and the 2800 does not.  Personally, I would still go with the 1600.

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Q I read your report about Progressive Scan DVD players, and liked the Panasonic RP56 player. However, since that report is over a year old I was curious if Panasonic had come out with a newer model that still had the Sage/Faroudja chip, but is better than the RP56. I know they have several progressive scan players, but I don't know if they contain the Sage/Faroudja Chip. A better question is how do I find out what chip is in different players? I haven't been able to find out, whether from searching on the net or asking the sales people at electronics stores.

A The newest Sage/Faroudja chip, the FLI-2300 is about to begin appearing in DVD players. We will know more about which players have this chip after CEDIA, which we are attending in a couple of weeks.

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Q I really liked John Johnson's recent review of the Denon DVD-900 DVD Player. I want to upgrade to a progressive DVD player, and it looks like a good buy. However, I'm interested in a changer since I'll be using it for audio CDs too. Do you know if the Yamaha DV-C6480 (which seems to be identical to their DVD-C920) has the chroma bug? Or how it compares to the Denon? Or how any other changers stack up to the Denon?

A None of the Panasonic DVD players that we have tested so far have the chroma bug, so you might want to check them out. Their progressive scan changers include the DVD-CP67 ($199) and DVD-CP72 ($279).

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Q I was thinking of purchasing a pair of Dynaudio Contour 1.1 or 1.3MK11 speakers, a Dynaudio Audience centre speaker, a pair of Audience 42, 42w, or the 52s for the rears, and then maybe the sub 30A or Rel Q200.

Retailers here in Melbourne, Australia have been saying the M&K 750THX package will be great for home theatre but no good for music, where as the Dynaudios will be great for music, but it is not a home theatre speaker. What do you think and how do I win? My other concern is whether Rotel's RMB-985 processor and 1075 amplifier be a good match with any of these speaker packages?

A M&Ks tend to sound best when cranked up, and perhaps that is why they thought the 750 system might not be good for music. If you like to listen to music at reasonably loud levels, the M&Ks will be fine. The Dynaudios should be good for home theater as well. I don't know what they are referring to, except perhaps that you are mixing and matching Dynaudio models rather than getting a Dynaudio "system" that is a home theater package. The M&Ks are 4 Ohm impedance, so I would suggest the Rotel RMB-1095 rather than the 1075.

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Q I own a Yamaha RXV-3000 receiver connected to L/R Energy Audissey 3+2s, Energy AC-300 center speaker, Energy e:XL-S10 sub, and Energy Tempests as rears. I have a some questions about connection possibilities: 1. The L/R and center speakers have bi-wire capability. Someone told me I can connect one set of bi-wire terminals to the "A" speaker outs on my receiver and the other set of bi-wire terminals to the "B" set of speaker outs on my receiver (for the L/Rs only). Is this safe to do? Also is this the best or only way to use the bi-wires? And what about the center speaker with bi-wire terminals?

A Usually, on receivers that have "A" and "B" speaker outputs, there is a button that lets you select A or B, or A and B. So, if you set up your bi-wire this way, be sure to select A and B. The center speaker output usually does not have an A and B selector. So, just connect the two sets of wires to the one set of speaker output posts, and at the speaker, one cable goes to the woofer and the other to the mid/tweeter. The jumper bars between the woofer and mid/tweeter on the speakers have to be removed.

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Q I am considering the purchase of a CD changer, preferably a juke box (100 CDs or more). A few of the products out there are the Denon DCM 5000, Denon DCM 370, and numerous Sony products. A generally accepted fact is that CD changers do not sound as good as their single CD counterparts. I have a B&K Reference 30 Preamp/Processor (I'm
thrilled with it) and plan to connect my future CD player to the B&K via a coaxial digital out, as the B&K is a digital preamp. Is there really much difference between the various CD changers and single CD players in their ability to render an adequate coaxial digital signal? If not, shouldn't I be focusing my attention to the quality of the transport mechanism (noise, speed, reliability, compatibility, warranty) instead of the DACs?

A Carousel changers and juke box players tend to be at the lower price range, and so, everyone assumes they don't sound as good. However, the DACs are probably the same as in the higher-end players. The difference is in the transport and chassis. Manufacturers assume that changers and juke boxes will be abused, so when they break down, you can just get a new one without having to spend a lot of money. If you are careful with the changer or juke box, it should last a long time and work fine with your B&K. The digital output from the various players, used as transports, will all be about the same. However, there are a few juke boxes that are high-end, and are well built to match their cost. I would suggest getting one of those, and using it as a transport, it will be much more reliable over the long run.

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