Denon DVD-2910 DVD Player Review

For the review of the Denon DVD-2910, I wanted to use multiple display devices and evaluate the video performance with both component progressive and DVI outputs. The Denon DVD-2910 also has an HDMI output but I did not use it. Regarding cables, I would admit to being a bit skeptical in regards to so-called "high end" products. I generally recommend and install cables based on these guide lines: #1 build quality, #2 reliability, #3 shielding, #4 termination, and #5 price-to-performance ratio. In my opinion these are the most important aspects of a cable. One of the staff members here at Audioholics suggested that I try some of the cables from Impact Acoustics. Being the skeptic that I am, I ordered them only because I respect the opinion of the staff member recommending them. I ordered the 10 meter Sonic Wave DVI cable because I wanted to see if there were any problems with the DVI connection at that length. I have run into problems with sparkling and artifacting on DVI cables over 7 meters in length. In addition, I ordered 4 pairs of 1 meter Sonic Wave analog interconnects and a 1 meter Sonic Wave digital interconnect. I don't want to go into an in-depth review of the Impact Acoustics cables; however, I must say that I was very impressed with these products. The DVI cable worked flawlessly, without any artifacting or sparkling.

Just for fun, I wanted to see if I could introduce RF into the cable by wrapping an amplifier power cord cable around the DVI cable (Many times the DIY'er will inadvertently run cables across 110v romex and this will trigger many problems). The photo below shows the power strip and amplifier power cable wrapped around the Impact Acoustics DVI cable. The amplifier I used has a little transformer hum even when sitting Idle. I was unable to introduce any noise or RF interference into the cable revealing that the Impact Acoustics DVI cable has excellent shielding. In addition to that, its build quality is exceptional.

I used four pairs of Impact Acoustics Sonic Wave analog interconnects for the multi-channel output and the right and left mixed analog output. For the digital audio connection, I used one Impact Acoustics Sonic Wave digital audio interconnect. These cables are better built than the mass marketed over-hyped brands and offer more of the all-important price-to-performance ratio. You don't get any fancy packing with the non-retail versions of the Impact Acoustics cables, but you do get a nicely constructed cable for your hard-earned dollar and that is what turned this skeptic into a believer.

The Denon operating instruction manual is well written and easy to comprehend. Entering the setup menu is as easy as a push of the button labeled Setup on the RC-985 remote. I found the Setup menu easy to use and navigate. The first page of the menu contains the language setup dialogue. I chose the factory default English; the next setting was subtitles. I chose the factory default "Off". Reading the manual, it says that you can select any one of 124 different languages.

The next page in the Setup menu contains the digital interface setup. On this page there are two selections: HDMI/DVI black level. I selected the factory default normal and HDMI. In audio setup I selected the factory default 2 channel. The HDMI/DVI black level setting allows you to choose Normal or Enhanced. If you are using the HDMI or DVI connection and your black level is too low or your image appears washed out, selecting the enhanced level will correct this. I chose to leave the player in the factory default setting and adjust the black level on my monitor. The other setting on this page is for the HDMI audio set up. I did not have a receiver or pre-amp with a HDMI input so I was unable to select this. It states in the user manual that you can select Multi-channel output from the HDMI but I was unable to confirm this.

The next page in the Setup menu is for configuring the Audio Setup. The first setting is for audio channel speaker configuration. I chose the factory default multi-channel, because I have a multi-channel system. You can also select 2 channel SRS off or 2 channel SRS on. Highlighting the Multi-channel setting takes the user to a sub menu. On this sub menu page, there are the speaker configuration, channel level, delay time and audio set ups. I configured all my speakers to Large because they are full range speakers. I selected subwoofer on. Selecting the Small speaker setting will activate the 80Hz crossover on the analogue outputs. This is a usable crossover and is much more effective than the 100-120z crossovers found in some other DVD players. With that said we would still like to see a fully adjustable cross over for the analog outputs on even mid-priced DVD players. 40Hz-150Hz would be the desired range. The next item in the sub user menu is the internal test tone generator for the player. You can apply the test tone individually to the front left, front right, center, surround right, surround left and subwoofer channels. The user can adjust individual channel levels from 0dB to -10db (there is no gain which is as it should be). There is also a setting for adding +10dB to the subwoofer in conjunction with the subwoofer level adjustment. This setting is very useful in cases where the subwoofer's relative level is simply too low when using the analogue outputs of the player. The user can then trim the added gain by adjusting the subwoofer level. The next group of settings is for speaker delay times; they are available in both feet and meters. We have to applaud Denon for providing actual length adjustments instead of the millisecond adjustments found in many other players.

Back in the Audio setup menu I left the Source Direct in the factory default Off. When On is selected, it allows analogue output of the audio signal without adding any of the speaker size settings or delay times that were configured in the multi-channel sub menu. I left Bass Enhancer in the factory default Off position. The bass enhancer does not affect the digital outputs on the DVD-2910. The purpose of Bass Enhancer is to output the bass from the main channels to the subwoofer for two channel sources. This is a useful feature for those using non full range front speakers and require the subwoofer to be active to achieve full range sound. There is a final adjustment for SACD filter/crossover setting. You can select 50 kHz or 100 kHz and, unless you are a dog, we'd suggest leaving it at 50 kHz. I was very impressed with the amount of user controls and adjustments that can be made in the audio section of this player. With all the settings available to the user, it will be very easy to dial-in and calibrate a multi-channel system.

Pressing the Pure Direct button on the RC-985 remote or on the Denon DVD-2910 front panel allows you to select Normal, Pure Direct Mode #1, or Pure Direct Mode #2. The user can store the Pure Direct mode of their choosing: digital output on/off, video output on/off, display on/off, all on or all off or any combination in the two provided memory banks. In the SACD Setup menu you can choose to select the SACD mode Multi-channel, Stereo or CD. The wide range of user adjustability with the DVD-2910 is very impressive. The Denon engineers have hit a home run with the development of this user interface and impressive list of options and adjustments. They should be applauded for their efforts.

The DVD-2910 allows selection of five different progressive settings: auto 1 is the factory default, auto 2 is thirty frames per second film mode, video 1 is for regular video material, video 2 is for video material that has little movement, and video 3 is for video that has a lot of movement. Squeeze Mode in the "On" position displays 4:3 source DVDs in the correct aspect ratio on 16:9 screens while in progressive mode.

Pressing the Picture button on the RC-985 remote brings up a submenu that contains extensive user adjustable picture controls. The user has five different configurable picture mode settings. The user can adjust contrast, brightness, sharpness, tint, cross color suppression, white level, color density, chroma delay, noise reduction, horizontal position, vertical position, and set up level either 0 IRE or 7.5 IRE (factory default is 7.5 IRE.) The DVD-2910 even includes full Gamma adjustments! Denon has thought of just about everything to get your DVD player and monitor calibrated to correct levels and has given the user an extensive amount of control. The use of five different memory banks, all configurable makes this one of the most adjustable DVD players on the market, and a videophile's dream come true. The forward thinking and intellect to produce this kind of control is highly appreciated. This is the new standard for user control and GUI. For this review I left all the Picture adjustments at the factory default levels.

Removing the top cover of the Denon DVD-2910 revealed the heart of the DVD player. The Denon DVD-2910 is beautifully constructed with high quality components and its board layout and design are well engineered. Please don't remove the cover from your DVD player. I am a qualified technician with the knowledge and tools to do this.

The Denon DVD-2910 uses a very robust power supply. Also note the ferrite core on the primary power cable and the size of the heat sinks!

The DVD-2910 uses a very high quality transport that is mounted up high and away from heat generating sources. It is a vibration resistant design to reduce the effects of unwanted vibration from outside sources.

The DVD-2910's video board and FL2310 processor uses a 12bit/216 MHz video D/A converter. Once again very high quality components are used on this player's video board and the physical PC board was secured to the chassis with 10 screws.

The Denon DVD DVD-2910's audio board is mounted directly below the video board. I removed the video board for a closer look and found that the DVD-2910 uses 24 bit, 192kHz DSD-1791 audio DACs, an Analog Devices 32-bit processor and 80 Hz crossover with 12dB and 24dB low pass slopes, HDCD decoder, and 24/96kHz compatible digital outputs.

Now just for perspective let's take a look at the inside of a well-known DVD player that many of the electronics chain stores sell for about $200.

As you can see from these pictures the power supply power board and general power board layout is much smaller than the Denon DVD-2910. This is the typical transport found in lower end DVD players. It is an open design that is not isolated from vibration. You should also be able to see the video board and the small audio board located just behind. These pictures, visually at least, show the difference between a higher-end DVD player and a low-end DVD player. This particular DVD player was well regarded for its price point. But in this case you really do get what you pay for. There are simply no short cuts to building a high quality player. Engineering, R & D and higher quality components cost money; and in this case the Denon DVD-2910's build quality is exemplary.

The Audioholics/HQV testing is rigorous. The simple fact is that many of the high-end DVD players cannot pass all the Audioholics/HQV tests. We at Audioholics feel there should be no compromise on borderline judgment calls on the tests. The DVD player either passes the test or it doesn't. It is our hope that with this testing, the DVD player manufacturers will continue to upgrade their implementation of the technologies and strive to make products that are fully capable of passing these rigorous test standards. A modest score on our test does not necessarily indicate that a DVD player performs poorly in real world installations. Please read the conclusions for our thoughts on the DVD player's performance.

All tests were performed with the DVD-2910 set in progressive scan mode (AUTO 1). Using the Avia test DVD I checked the player's resolution capabilities. The 6.75MHz pattern in the test was clearly visible and well defined, indicating that it correctly resolves high-resolution images. Switching to DVI at 1080i I was unable to detect any significant difference in the resolution pattern I also noticed very little pixel cropping with the DVI 1080i connection - approximately 2 pixels horizontally and 1-2 pixels vertically.

After the resolution check, I proceeded to the black level test using Digital Video Essential's pluge test pattern. The ability to display correct black level is an important part of a DVD player's performance. Correct black level settings will preserve shadow detail and improve the depth and contrast of an image. Viewing the pluge pattern, I noted that when the Denon DVD-2910 is in the factory default setting, and the picture setting is set to Standard. The black level was way too low and the image was washed out. The blacker than black pluge was clearly visible. I entered the picture setup sub menu and selected M1 or Memory 1. I attempted to correct the brightness level but the brightness control only lets you increase the black level. I then selected Set in the same picture sub menu; this allows you to change the IRE level from the factory setting of 7.5 IRE to 0 IRE. When I selected 0 IRE my black level was near perfect; but all shadow detail was lost. I then reselected M1 or memory one and began to adjust the brightness and contrast controls. Oddly you can adjust the contrast control to a negative setting but not the brightness. I was able to obtain perfect Blacker than black and perfect whiter than white with all three of the monitors I used. However, shadow detail was not correct; I reselected 7.5 IRE and then calibrated black level using the setup menu in the display devices rather than the DVD player. I have been told that the current firmware upgrade has corrected the 7.5 IRE black level gain and is available to all current owners of the DVD-2910. Note that you can see the change made to the image because the picture setup menu is minimized when you adjust a specific item. This makes it very easy to calibrate a display device with a test disk and the user adjustments found on the Denon DVD-2910.

Perfect Score: 130
Denon DVD-2910 Score: 86 (This indicates an exceptional player at this price point)

This is another very good scene for evaluating a DVD player's performance. This scene has a lot of motion. The objects in the background are in full focus and there are contrasting colors black, white, flesh tone, red and gold. The bookcase on the extreme right side has several vertical and horizontal lines with contrasting colors; and there is a very fast pan from right to left The Denon DVD-2910 performed flawlessly with this scene. There was no moiré. The objects in the background remained well defined, there was no flashing around the glasses, and there was no noise evident on the deep red background. The blacks were inky black and the white dress was bright white with no blooming and looked very balanced. Flesh tones also looked natural. I tried several times but failed to note a significant difference between the 480p component connection and the 1080i DVI.

Progressing to the next part of the evaluation, I loaded my Steve Stevens Flamingo A Go Go DVD-Audio disk. This disk contains everything from high-energy fast-paced music to soft plucking of the acoustical guitar and is highly recommended for anyone building a DVD-Audio collection.

I started with the second track on the disk "Cinecitta". This track opens with very quiet crickets and birds singing in the surround speakers. A very delicate acoustical guitar strumming in the front is then followed by a single bang of a bass drum. The Denon DVD-2910 reveals the subtle nuances of this opening sequence beautifully. As the track progresses, the strumming of the guitar migrates and then mixes into the surround channels. The Denon DVD-2910 reproduced this effect faithfully. There was a lot of energy in the rear surrounds and there was no audible hiss in any of the recording. I then selected track 5 "Feminova". This track starts out with shallow drumbeats and then a very fast hard pan of a male voice from the front speakers to the surrounds. The Denon DVD-2910 sounded robust and articulated this fast pan with authority. Many of the other DVD players I have had in this system sounded dry and thin with this track. Progressing through the track you will find it mixed with 70's style synthesizer music intertwined in a James Bond style theme. There is one point in the track when a female voice distinctively states "No Never" in the surrounds. I have always heard a hint of distortion in the other DVD players I have used with this Track. However, the Denon DVD-2910 handled this part masterfully and I detected no audible distortion. The whole track sounded neutral, full and precisely balanced.

I think the easiest way for me to describe the way this player sounded with DVD-A is: it is wonderfully neutral going along about its job faithfully reproducing the track as it should be with no obvious colorization and it does not omit any content of the information provided on the disk.

SACD: Police Every Breath You Take
I loaded in the Police SACD Every Breath You Take. This is a fine sounding SACD with lots of various songs by the Police. I selected the first track "Roxanne". Sting's voice was dead center in the front sound stage and there was a lot of detail in the surround channels. I did however feel that the bass seemed a bit dry in the mix. I concluded my listening evaluation with some other selections and really enjoyed the spacious and accurate sound of the player. The Denon DVD-2910 proved once again that it is a potent performer. It was very smooth and articulate and it sounded very natural with SACD maybe even a little laid back. All the speakers were very quiet between tracks and during soft passages and there were no glitches. Over all it was a very satisfying listening session. I can say that overall I was pretty impressed with the sound of SACD from this player.

Redbook CD Listening Evaluation
For this part of the two-channel listening evaluation I wanted to do something a little different. My desire was to compare two very competent DVD players in an A/B listening test. I rigged up a Radio Shack passive analog switcher and connected one set of inputs from the switcher to the Denon DVD-2910 mixed Analog R/L output and one set to a Yamaha DVD-S1500 mixed right and left analog output. The switcher's main R/L output would then be terminated to the receiver's DVD analog input. The Yamaha DVD-S1500 is about $300 cheaper than the Denon DVD-2910, but it is no slouch in the audio department and its Redbook performance is stellar for a $449 DVD player. As I proceeded, I verified that channel levels were the same and that there was no degradation cause by interference or physical cable issues. I inserted my trusty AVIA DVD into both players and used my SPL meter and the test tones on the disk to level match. The Yamaha was more than 2.5 dB down. I made note of that and continued with the listening evaluation increasing the volume on the receiver 2.5 dB every time I used the Yamaha DVD-S1500 to ensure that levels were identical. Volume can be very deceiving when evaluating any piece of equipment. If the volume is louder it is human nature to perceive that it is better - it's just the way we are psychologically wired. I placed my copy of The JVC XRCD sampler into one machine at a time and began to listen. I selected track 4 In A Sentimental Mood by Ernie Shaw. I listened to this track very carefully more than a dozen times switching DVD players as fast as they would load. Each time I wrote down what I heard. The following is the direct result from my listening notes. The Denon DVD-2910's center is very focused with lots of air. M usic comes across as being very balanced and there is a deep sound stage, well-articulated bass, and a very low noise floor. There was a slight hint of sibilance. I would characterize the sound as neutral but ever so slightly laid back. Please be aware that the observational differences between these two players are not night and day but they are noticeable. The Yamaha was not as focused and centered as the Denon DVD-2910. It had a more forward presentation and notes seemed to decay faster. I also felt it had a slightly shallower sound, indicating a bit less detail. There was a little more noise with the Yamaha DVD-S1500. If I had to grade the two I would give the Denon DVD-2910 an A+ (Excellent) and the Yamaha DVD-S1500 a B+ (Very Good.) The Denon DVD-2910's Redbook performance exceeded my expectations. Until recently I have always recommended that serious audiophiles that using their system for Home Theater applications and two-channel listening use a dedicated CD player/transport. I actually think that the DVD-2910 performs well enough for me to abandon this advice and I can without reservation recommend the Denon DVD-2910 as a one-box solution for the audiophile that combines home theater with serious two-channel listening.

MSRP: $720