anybody having problems with too little lfe/bass output? i have mine set up with the sub +10 and the sub at +7 and still need to have the sub volume turned up quite a bit to get decent bass out of sacd's/dvd-a's. any ideas?

hi guys,have a Anthem D2 and was thinking of a universal source,i have a 128 now and a cheap Panasonic DVD(w/hdmi).I was wondering if anyone compared these and if there was still alot of glitches with the 5910 and the D2?
thanks John

I have not experienced any glitches using the 5910 with the D2. The D2 is a superb video processor, so using the costly 5910 simply to feed it with a 480i signal is a complete waste of good $. A DVD player like the Oppo 983H is a lot more cost effective. Unfortunately for me, I was not aware of the D2 when I bought my 5910.
Ben

I have got my Denon 5910ci hooked up to my Denon 5805 Receiver using Denon Link.

I read up that both pieces are DL3 so they should be able to pass thorugh SACD 2 channel and multi channel.

I have no problems connecting the 5910ci to the 5805 with the Denon link playing CD, DVD (DTS, DD and DTS24/96) but there is no sound when I pop in a SACD into the 5910ci.

My 5910ci lights up the SACD logo on the front panel when it plays the SACD, I can only assume that the 5910 works. It worked all along using the analog outs.

Are there any settings that I need to enable on the 5910 to pass SACD through denonlink when any other source have worked so far.

Please help!

Go into the denon dvd menu under denon link you might only be on denon link 2 instead of 3 that is why sacd is not playing.

I went into to the Deon LInk menu..

It has 2 channel, iee1394 and auto..

I selected auto and everything passes through save for SACD.. I don't think I own any DVD-A disc so I can't test/don't care..

My 5805 and 5910ci are both advertised as Denon Link 3, I am guessing it should pass SACD by default??

I think I figured out the problem.. For MY 5910ci.. there is only option of DenonLink Off, DenonLink 2nd Auto, Denonlink 2nd (Iee1394) and Denonlink 2nd (analog)

I think the firmware have been screwed up some how on my machine..

I gone to www.denon.com and noticed that the 3930ci menu has denonlink 2 or 3 selectable on the setup menu..

Could somebody with a 5910ci look under set-up menu and confirm what you see under denonlink??

Denonlink2nd doesn't do SACD, Denonlink 3rd does.. Now the bigger question is how to get somebody to install the latest firmware to include DL3...

something is very wrong--dneonlink 3 should be there--if you have a ci model then dl 3 was in the firmeare years ago ( I have a non-ci model from 05 that had dl3--first factory batch with it) is the dl cable plugged in? btw the firmware update is very easy--instructions on denons website--basically download it and burn it.

I think I figured out the problem.. For MY 5910ci.. there is only option of DenonLink Off, DenonLink 2nd Auto, Denonlink 2nd (Iee1394) and Denonlink 2nd (analog)

I think the firmware have been screwed up some how on my machine..

I gone to www.denon.com and noticed that the 3930ci menu has denonlink 2 or 3 selectable on the setup menu..

Could somebody with a 5910ci look under set-up menu and confirm what you see under denonlink??

Denonlink2nd doesn't do SACD, Denonlink 3rd does.. Now the bigger question is how to get somebody to install the latest firmware to include DL3...

Are you sure you got a "ci"? All ci's should only have ever been denonlink 3. The early non-ci models were DenonLink 2; partway through they became DenonLink 3 during manufacturing process (a "3rd" sticker was placed above the connector). (You should check out the early part of this thread, as most likely there were several posts from early owners. Similarly, the Denon website used to have info regarding this change and/or firmware update.)

What date was your 5910(ci) manufactured (on the back (towards the bottom))? At least those manufactured Jun 2005 and later were denonlink 3, possibly earlier than that (again see beginning of this thread). Where does it say it's a ci?

Does your "ci" provide 1080p output (through HDMI)? If not, it's not a ci...

I think I figured out the problem.. For MY 5910ci.. there is only option of DenonLink Off, DenonLink 2nd Auto, Denonlink 2nd (Iee1394) and Denonlink 2nd (analog)

I think the firmware have been screwed up some how on my machine..

I gone to www.denon.com and noticed that the 3930ci menu has denonlink 2 or 3 selectable on the setup menu..

Could somebody with a 5910ci look under set-up menu and confirm what you see under denonlink??

Denonlink2nd doesn't do SACD, Denonlink 3rd does.. Now the bigger question is how to get somebody to install the latest firmware to include DL3...
Weird, CI should have DL3. You can check on the denon web site by entering the serial # if yours needs the DL3 update.
Take care,

Thankx guys.. I got it figured out..

I punched in my serial number on my unit and it came out as a plain 5910. The manufacture date is Dec 31, 05. It's not a 5910ci unit.

There is one free firmware but I need to get the Ci update for $299.. that will get me the 1080p plus the DL3 activated if it's not done yet as stated on the Denon website, this explains why I can't get DL3 and 1080p to work...

My sales guy indicated that my unit is a 5910ci and that is what is printed on the receipt as well..

I will definitely calling the shop and see what they will do to fix me up..

I have been mistakenly scammed here...

Thankx guys for helping out...

Hi everybody,

Is there any place to download DVD-5910 firmware?

Thanks a lot.

Thankx guys.. I got it figured out..

I punched in my serial number on my unit and it came out as a plain 5910. The manufacture date is Dec 31, 05. It's not a 5910ci unit.

There is one free firmware but I need to get the Ci update for $299.. that will get me the 1080p plus the DL3 activated if it's not done yet as stated on the Denon website, this explains why I can't get DL3 and 1080p to work...

My sales guy indicated that my unit is a 5910ci and that is what is printed on the receipt as well..

I will definitely calling the shop and see what they will do to fix me up..

I have been mistakenly scammed here...

Thankx guys for helping out...

There's a better solution. Just use the IEEE1394 from the 5910 to the 5805. IEEE1394 from the 5910 should support DSD SACD along with DVD-A just fine. No need for DL3 if your receiver has IEEE1394.

Is there any reason to keep my 5910 (non ci) on the rack?

I have some SACDs and DVD-A's and many standard DVD's -- all which I enjoyed for years!

I am starting blu ray collection, and have PS3 and panasonic bmp35, awaiting OPPO 83.

Will the new OPPO 83 beat the 5910?

Will the new OPPO 83 beat the 5910?

Nobody knows yet-

Why don't you be our beta tester and report back? :)

Is there any reason to keep my 5910 (non ci) on the rack?

I have some SACDs and DVD-A's and many standard DVD's -- all which I enjoyed for years!

I am starting blu ray collection, and have PS3 and panasonic bmp35, awaiting OPPO 83.

Will the new OPPO 83 beat the 5910?

It won't beat the new Denon Universal player if you have the Denon AVP as well, unless Oppo is putting a Denon Link on their unit....

Probably won't beat the new Denon with the analog outs either, if you want to go that way.

That's my plan, as I don't have HDMI audio on my Arcam pre/pro.

I do have Denon 4806, what is denon AVP?

I finally have a receiver which can use the Denon-link(3808CI). My 5910 was never updated for the CI version. What will the Denon-link actually handle? I know it will work for DVD-Audio and regular CD's. Will it also work for SACD's or will I have to use the 5-channel audio outs for those? Since I will be using HMDI for playing regular DVD's, does the Denon-link come into play for them or not?

I finally have a receiver which can use the Denon-link(3808CI). My 5910 was never updated for the CI version. What will the Denon-link actually handle? I know it will work for DVD-Audio and regular CD's. Will it also work for SACD's or will I have to use the 5-channel audio outs for those? Since I will be using HMDI for playing regular DVD's, does the Denon-link come into play for them or not?
The CI update on the 5910 is for 1080p, it does not affect SACD. Your 5910 should be able to send SACD through Denon link (assuming your unit supports DLIII, if it does not it is a free upgrade from Denon, a firmware). You can use HDMI for video (not for audio because the 5910 HDMI is v1.1 so it only supports DVD-V/DVD-A) and DLIII for the audio together.

Is there any reason to keep my 5910 (non ci) on the rack?

I have some SACDs and DVD-A's and many standard DVD's -- all which I enjoyed for years!

I am starting blu ray collection, and have PS3 and panasonic bmp35, awaiting OPPO 83.

Will the new OPPO 83 beat the 5910?
Well Denon is going to release the upcoming DVD-A1UDCI and that can and should be compared to the 5910 and OPPO 83.
It all depends on how you leverage the 5910. Audio wise if you are using analog outs the 5910 is probably better and the DVD-A1UDCI even more. On the video side we have to wait till both are available on the market.

More than likely you will be limited to version 2 functionality of the Denon Link

Hey,
I just wanted other 5910ci owners to know how state of the art this dvd player really is with the 1080p output capability! It is definitely one of those pieces that only shows its true capability with other equal state of the art components (eg powercords, hdmi cables, hd monitors, high quality power conditioner) Back when the CI upgrade became available for the 5910, I decided to buy mine- knowing that although I was unable to take advantage of 1080p output, eventually it should come in handy! Well, I recently upgraded my hdtv from Qualia 006 with 1080i input to Signature Elite Kuro 141fd with 1080p input and omg I am blown away. I also have the Denon 3800bdci which I use for BR and have compared it with the 5910ci's dvd playback and the 5910ci wins hands down with both pq and most drastically in aq. I put on the dvd "Mexico" and my jaw dropped to the floor! I kept having to remind myself that I was watching a dvd and not a really highquality Blue Ray Disc. When comparing the 1080p video processing for dvd upscaling between the two players, the difference is not night and day, but the 5910ci is definitely smoother and just as detailed as the 3800bdci. I watch alot of full screen anime dvds with my 5910 and the pic and audio again are untouchable. The playback of dvd-audio and sacd are like icing on the cake for me- through the years I have collected quite a few high resolution music discs and will always be able to go back and listen to them in glorious multichannel high resolution! Anyway, when I saw this forum, I just had to chime in! The 5910ci is one of my favorite pleasure pieces!
Cheers

Hey,
I just wanted other 5910ci owners to know how state of the art this dvd player really is with the 1080p output capability! It is definitely one of those pieces that only shows its true capability with other equal state of the art components (eg powercords, hdmi cables, hd monitors, high quality power conditioner) Back when the CI upgrade became available for the 5910, I decided to buy mine- knowing that although I was unable to take advantage of 1080p output, eventually it should come in handy! Well, I recently upgraded my hdtv from Qualia 006 with 1080i input to Signature Elite Kuro 141fd with 1080p input and omg I am blown away. I also have the Denon 3800bdci which I use for BR and have compared it with the 5910ci's dvd playback and the 5910ci wins hands down with both pq and most drastically in aq. I put on the dvd "Once Upon a time in Mexico" and my jaw dropped to the floor! I kept having to remind myself that I was watching a dvd and not a really highquality Blue Ray Disc. When comparing the 1080p video processing for dvd upscaling between the two players, the difference is not night and day, but the 5910ci is definitely smoother and just as detailed as the 3800bdci. I watch alot of full screen anime dvds with my 5910 and the pic and audio again are untouchable. The playback of dvd-audio and sacd are like icing on the cake for me- through the years I have collected quite a few high resolution music discs and will always be able to go back and listen to them in glorious multichannel high resolution! Anyway, when I saw this forum, I just had to chime in! The 5910ci is one of my favorite pleasure pieces!
Cheers
once upon a time in mexico

I'm still having trouble setting up my 5910 with my 3808ci. So far I have used the following video settings:

TV Aspect = Wide(16 X 9) for my Sony 60A2000
TV Type = NTSC
TV System = HDMI/DVI
Compoment Video Output = Progressive
Squeeze Mode = Off
Progressive Mode = Auto

and I have used the following digital settings:

HDMI/DVI Picture Adjust = Normal
HDMI Audio Setup = Multi(Normal)
HDMI Auto Format = Panel Res
Denon Link = 2nd(Analogue)

and the following Audio settings:

Compression = Off
SACD Filter = 50Khz
For some unknown reason I am unable to access the settings for Audio Channel, Digital Output, LPCM, Source Direct, and Bass Enhancer since they are faded and I don't know why...

I want to be able to play CD's, DVD/Audio's, SACD's in addition to std DVD's. I assume the Scaling, Interlacing, etc. should be done by the 5910 rather than the 3808ci but don't know how to accomplish this. My 5910 is apparently too old(Ser. #4108400012) to have the D-Link III already installed at the factory. I asked Denon's "support group" how to get the free firmware update for D-Link III and was shown how to access a download from their website. I haven't tried it yet because the free download only mentioned that it "fixed" playback of 2 DVD's(A-Team and Star Wars Episope 2) and 1 CD(Rick Springfield). It does not state that that download will also upgrade my D-Link from II to III. Does anyone know if it actually will do that or do I have to ship my player to Denon to get the free upgrade to D-Link III. In the meanwhile, is there any way for me to play SACD's while still using HDMI and D-Link II for everything else? I have tried hooking up the 5-channel analogue audio outs from the 5910 to the 3808ci leaving HDMI and D-Link II intact but had no volume for my SACD's.

I'm still having trouble setting up my 5910 with my 3808ci. So far I have used the following video settings:

TV Aspect = Wide(16 X 9) for my Sony 60A2000
TV Type = NTSC
TV System = HDMI/DVI
Compoment Video Output = Progressive
Squeeze Mode = Off
Progressive Mode = Auto

and I have used the following digital settings:

HDMI/DVI Picture Adjust = Normal
HDMI Audio Setup = Multi(Normal)
HDMI Auto Format = Panel Res
Denon Link = 2nd(Analogue)

and the following Audio settings:

Compression = Off
SACD Filter = 50Khz
For some unknown reason I am unable to access the settings for Audio Channel, Digital Output, LPCM, Source Direct, and Bass Enhancer since they are faded and I don't know why...

I want to be able to play CD's, DVD/Audio's, SACD's in addition to std DVD's. I assume the Scaling, Interlacing, etc. should be done by the 5910 rather than the 3808ci but don't know how to accomplish this. My 5910 is apparently too old(Ser. #4108400012) to have the D-Link III already installed at the factory. I asked Denon's "support group" how to get the free firmware update for D-Link III and was shown how to access a download from their website. I haven't tried it yet because the free download only mentioned that it "fixed" playback of 2 DVD's(A-Team and Star Wars Episope 2) and 1 CD(Rick Springfield). It does not state that that download will also upgrade my D-Link from II to III. Does anyone know if it actually will do that or do I have to ship my player to Denon to get the free upgrade to D-Link III. In the meanwhile, is there any way for me to play SACD's while still using HDMI and D-Link II for everything else? I have tried hooking up the 5-channel analogue audio outs from the 5910 to the 3808ci leaving HDMI and D-Link II intact but had no volume for my SACD's.

You cannot play SACD through HDMI since the HDMI in the 5910 is at v1.1. So you must use the analog outs. In essence, the 5910 will decode DD,DTS,DVD-A and SACD through the analog out. You are going to use HDMI for video only. You can still use the DLII for DD,DTS and DVD-A but I don't know if the 3808ci will automatically detect when you play SACD the signal is coming from analog, I've never had to deal with it because my 5910 had DLIII.

Denon 5910 Manual references:
Setup 5.1 analog - page 15
Denon Link - page 17
HMDI Audio must be 2CH - page 20

I think the DLIII upgrade is via firmware and is free, you will need to enter your product serial # for eligibiligy here (http://www.usa.denon.com/ProductUpdatesUpgrades.asp).

Take care,

I went to the page at Denon you referenced and it's the same one I've mentioned in my previous note. There is absolutely no mention that D-Link III is included as a part of the free firmware offered to me. It is merely the three fixes for DVD's and CD's. Please use my Serial No(4108400012) and see for yourself. I am leery of doing the free download and installing it unless I am absolutely certain that it also includes D-Link III.

The simple connection of one IEEE 1394 cable permits high quality digital transfer of the following between devices having IEEE 1394
connectors: the audio of DVD video, DVD audio that up until now could only be connected by 5-conductor audio cable in an analog
connection, or Super Audio CD and other multi-channel audio. (unless DENON LINK connections)
(IEEE 1394 is an international standard established by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. of the U.S.)

I've never done it (I also have DenonLink 3), but seemingly this (see page 18 of manual) is also an option for SACD playback... (??)

I went to the page at Denon you referenced and it's the same one I've mentioned in my previous note. There is absolutely no mention that D-Link III is included as a part of the free firmware offered to me. It is merely the three fixes for DVD's and CD's. Please use my Serial No(4108400012) and see for yourself. I am leery of doing the free download and installing it unless I am absolutely certain that it also includes D-Link III.

Funny how your serial number reveals the ci upgrade, while mine gives diddly. Doubtful that that other firmware mentioned would give you DenonLink 3 if you don't already have it... Try the IEEE link.


(I do not have the ci, but every once in a while (e.g., after reading Parrish's post) I get the urge to upgrade; my 1080i playback seems to be somewhat weak in comparison to the 1080p DVD playback that my blu-ray player is providing me, or any other 1080p DVD playback that I have for that matter.

With my 1080i players I get a much more significant amount of false contouring that seems to all but disappear on the 1080p players. It got so irritating that I finally just play all my DVDs on them rather than the 5910. Just can't get the false contouring to go away, no matter what the settings. Thinking it's basically the difference between 1080i and 1080p, but I'm not certain enough to want to throw away another 300 bucks to find out that it's not after all.)

I went to the page at Denon you referenced and it's the same one I've mentioned in my previous note. There is absolutely no mention that D-Link III is included as a part of the free firmware offered to me. It is merely the three fixes for DVD's and CD's. Please use my Serial No(4108400012) and see for yourself. I am leery of doing the free download and installing it unless I am absolutely certain that it also includes D-Link III.

Ok I used your serial # and got to the page. It is not free, they want $299 for it, you will get the upgrade to 1080p and DLIII! You have to pay for the shipping to Denon yourself! I thought it was free but apparently it is not.:(

Funny how your serial number reveals the ci upgrade, while mine gives diddly. Doubtful that that other firmware mentioned would give you DenonLink 3 if you don't already have it... Try the IEEE link.


(I do not have the ci, but every once in a while (e.g., after reading Parrish's post) I get the urge to upgrade; my 1080i playback seems to be somewhat weak in comparison to the 1080p DVD playback that my blu-ray player is providing me, or any other 1080p DVD playback that I have for that matter.

With my 1080i players I get a much more significant amount of false contouring that seems to all but disappear on the 1080p players. It got so irritating that I finally just play all my DVDs on them rather than the 5910. Just can't get the false contouring to go away, no matter what the settings. Thinking it's basically the difference between 1080i and 1080p, but I'm not certain enough to want to throw away another 300 bucks to find out that it's not after all.)

Hey there- I just wanted to reiterate that the 5910ci was better than the 3800bdci with upscaling dvd's to 1080p since the terranex processor in the 5910ci is better than the processor in the 3800bdci. I don't think there is any video player on the market that has the same caliber of Silicon Optix processor that the 5910ci has! I would think that the upgrade would be worthwhile since you still have your 5910 non ci with Terranex Processor. I even asked my ISF Calibrator to compare between these two players and he noticed a smoother more filmlike picture with the 5910ci! Hope this helps!

Hey there- I just wanted to reiterate that the 5910ci was better than the 3800bdci with upscaling dvd's to 1080p since the terranex processor in the 5910ci is better than the processor in the 3800bdci. I don't think there is any video player on the market that has the same caliber of Silicon Optix processor that the 5910ci has! I would think that the upgrade would be worthwhile since you still have your 5910 non ci with Terranex Processor. I even asked my ISF Calibrator to compare between these two players and he noticed a smoother more filmlike picture with the 5910ci! Hope this helps!

May have to make that my summer project...

Hey there- I just wanted to reiterate that the 5910ci was better than the 3800bdci with upscaling dvd's to 1080p since the terranex processor in the 5910ci is better than the processor in the 3800bdci. I don't think there is any video player on the market that has the same caliber of Silicon Optix processor that the 5910ci has! I would think that the upgrade would be worthwhile since you still have your 5910 non ci with Terranex Processor. I even asked my ISF Calibrator to compare between these two players and he noticed a smoother more filmlike picture with the 5910ci! Hope this helps!


FWIW, due to the attractive closeout pricing on Denon universal (including SACD) players, I very recently bought a 1940ci and a 2930ci and a 5910ci.

The 5910ci has the same Realta video chip as the 3930ci, but the 5910ci is massive and does not have a fan of any kind. :)

Nonetheless, I plopped (taped actually, using blue 3M masking/paint tape) a 120x120x25mm 12v fan (Scythe S-FLEX SFF21F) on the hot rear top corner of my 5910ci, using a small variable AC/DC transformer with settings for 12v, 9v, 7.5v, 6v, 4.5v and 3v. Runs OK with the 3v setting and is inaudible.

So I'm hoping that maybe that will give my Denon 5910ci unit some longer legs?

Cheers

FWIW, due to the attractive closeout pricing on Denon universal (including SACD) players, I very recently bought a 1940ci and a 2930ci and a 5910ci.

The 5910ci has the same Realta video chip as the 3930ci, but the 5910ci is massive and does not have a fan of any kind. :)

Nonetheless, I plopped (taped actually, using blue 3M masking/paint tape) a 120x120x25mm 12v fan (Scythe S-FLEX SFF21F) on the hot rear top corner of my 5910ci, using a small variable AC/DC transformer with settings for 12v, 9v, 7.5v, 6v, 4.5v and 3v. Runs OK with the 3v setting and is inaudible.

So I'm hoping that maybe that will give my Denon 5910ci unit some longer legs?

Cheers

Hey- I have never had any problems with my 5910ci overheating or anything! I did have give it more than just an inch of clearance on top though! I tried putting in a tight space with only an inch on top and it did get very hot up there- but giving 3 or more inches on top really does a world of difference! I'm sure adding a fan keeps it alot cooler as long as the noise isn't an issue! Perhaps since this unit has a larger power supply than other players this allowed them to make it without a fan? For what it is worth, I use DH Labs Cones and Pads under my 5910ci and it really enhances the already stellar audio performance!

As someone who considers themselves reasonably knowledgeable (although by no means a pro) about audiovisual stuff... Denon Japan chief technician personally gave me a 5910 for my help in troubleshooting the previous flagship, the A1 ...I can appreciate fabulous design when I see it.

And boy, was the 5910 a demonstration of fabulous design. Although superseded by the still nascent BluRay / HD download brigade, audiowise, this player is still in a class of its own, worthy of being partner to amps and speakers many times its own price and holding itself up proudly against even some of the more rarified audio gear on the market today.

Thus, with this disclaimer out of the way, I don't want to suddenly sound ignorant.

<<takes a deep breath>>

Considering that the 5910 had been designed like a Sherman Tank, used practically the finest components known to mankind and then tweaked to eek the very last drops of detail from the disks (or so readers of this forum will gladly tell us) could you explain how a few little cones help to the extent that they cause a humanly audible difference? And if they do, why Denon didn't incorporate a similar feature into its design, considering the 5910 was long the flagship, no holds barred player of choice for the discerning video-AND-audiophile.

I'm extremely curious as to how a little vibration management can "really enhance the already stellar performance" of a $4000 player that is to all intents and purposes, considering its construction, unlikely to suffer unduly from day to day vibrations of any kind besides those caused by a warped or damaged disc or a disc with a label stuck to one edge or a small earthquake.

Of course, if one lives by a motorway, vibrations might be enough to affect one's player... in which case the sound of the cars would all but drown out anything below 24 db or so in any case, making such an investment all but pointless.

I'm really sorry to sound sceptical, but I had friends who used to spray antistatic wax on their cables and made similar "really enhances XYZ" or the classic "tightens the bass/focus/pants" line.

One day, fed up with their constant "tweking", when they were out, I cleaned the wax off the cables with some rubbing alcohol, but of course they continued to boast about the improvements when their mates came round. Not only that, but I had reversed the polarity of one of the back corner surround speakers, just for a laugh. And until the day I left, it stayed wired that way, unnoticed.

Of course, in the days of valves, when the filaments could be excited by external vibrations, any isolation was bound to help, even more so with a turntable (which I demonstrated once by placing the needle on the receiver of a phone during a conversation and having a muffled version of the conversation relayed through speakers.

But come on, seriously, modern electronics being affected by vibrations to the point where the vibrations affect the device audibly more than the vibrations raise the sound floor of the room itself?

Now don't get me wrong, I am a man who understands the value of floor to ceiling curtains, a thick carpet and a rather uncool, but audiophile tiled ceiling.

I also understand the importance of solid speaker stands, relative speaker distance and especially of course sub woofer placement.

I can also vouch for the efficacy of the auto calibration of a number of highish end amps.

But I don't ever want to see a monster TOSLINK cable, or for that matter a 25% silver digital interconnect costing $1000 connected to a modern digital buffer with full ECC. I don't want the smell of cable-antistatic spray in my room... And I do not ever, ever want to see another green rimmed CD in my freezer ever, ever again, Paul, do you hear me ;-) !

sorry... I'll... erm... I guess I'll be going then...

<<grabs his coat and shuffles out of the building quietly by the back door>>

For what it is worth, I use DH Labs Cones and Pads under my 5910ci and it really enhances the already stellar audio performance!

... or maybe its just that the cones give it more airflow and its not overheating! :rolleyes:

Hey- I have never had any problems with my 5910ci overheating or anything!


But you contradict that just just two sentences below. :)

I did have give it more than just an inch of clearance on top though! I tried putting in a tight space with only an inch on top and it did get very hot up there- but giving 3 or more inches on top really does a world of difference! I'm sure adding a fan keeps it alot cooler as long as the noise isn't an issue!


You might try putting your hand at the bottom side of the hot rear corner as it is warmest there. FWIW, mine is on top shelf of an open air rack.

The fan that I use (12v fan, running at 3v) is inaudible and moves just enough air to make a decent improvement. :)

I thought it worth a post, given that the worst of summer will arrive this next 90 days. :(

Perhaps since this unit has a larger power supply than other players this allowed them to make it without a fan?


It's an interesting question. e.g. when I ran it for anything more than two hours, without the fan, the unit got warmer across the entire top including the disc and laser assembly.

AFAIK the Denon 3930ci player uses the same main Realta chip for video and has an internal fan. Probably runs even hotter, and not inaudible.

Cheers

I appreciate your concern about the DH Cones and Pads being a waste of time and money, but in my opinion and with my personal experience, they do actually make a positive difference in certain situations. I think the reason they work for me is that they help elevate the 5910ci thus adding more space underneath for cooling. Also, they do actually help to eliminate the effects of vibration in my system because my source components are in close proximity to my full range speakers and sub woofers- I notice that most notably the sound is more dynamic with the cones in place in my system! I use the Jumbo cones by the way since the 5910ci is so heavy! I also use these cones underneath my EAD PM2000 power amp for elevation/cooling and for vibration suppression. Other than that, I'm not really a big tweaker except with regard to power cords and cabling! This is an area where I have become a huge believer in the positive attributes of aftermarket cabling! My Elrod Power Cords and Nordost Cabling have made as big a difference in sound quality improvement as any other source component, amp or preamp I have purchased!

I appreciate your concern about the DH Cones and Pads being a waste of time and money, but in my opinion and with my personal experience, they do actually make a positive difference in certain situations. I think the reason they work for me is that they help elevate the 5910ci thus adding more space underneath for cooling. Also, they do actually help to eliminate the effects of vibration in my system because my source components are in close proximity to my full range speakers and sub woofers- I notice that most notably the sound is more dynamic with the cones in place in my system! I use the Jumbo cones by the way since the 5910ci is so heavy! I also use these cones underneath my EAD PM2000 power amp for elevation/cooling and for vibration suppression. Other than that, I'm not really a big tweaker except with regard to power cords and cabling! This is an area where I have become a huge believer in the positive attributes of aftermarket cabling! My Elrod Power Cords and Nordost Cabling have made as big a difference in sound quality improvement as any other source component, amp or preamp I have purchased!

Can't find any cones or discs on DHLabs website :confused:

Can't find any cones or discs on DHLabs website :confused:

I guess I should have mentioned that Golden Sound makes the DH Labs Cones and Pads- here is a review I found for the cones!

http://www.positive-feedback.com/ambackissues/DHcones.htm

I guess I should have mentioned that Golden Sound makes the DH Labs Cones and Pads- here is a review I found for the cones!

http://www.positive-feedback.com/ambackissues/DHcones.htm

Hey- also you can check out Daruma Ball Bearing Audio Insulators- I have a small set of these on a pre amp and it does a wonderful job as well!

Can't find any cones or discs on DHLabs website :confused:

Hey- for what it is worth moonhawk- you will just have to be your own judge as to whether tweaks really do work or not! My Dad is an electrical engineer and also into hometheater and he criticizes me for being into tweaky stuff, but my system sounds as good as it does because of such applications! Please also note that before ever applying the cones and such under components, I did invest in a decent audio component rack with spikes and pillars filled with sand- this is where one must start in suppressing vibration is a good dampened audio rack which may or may not be enough- then you can try some of the other tweaks! Once people know you are a tweaker, then you will be prone to naysaying, but your ears will not lie to you!

Once people know you are a tweaker, then you will be prone to naysaying, but your ears will not lie to you! Your ears won't, but your brain may. :)

larry

If anyone is looking for new 5910CI, Crutchfield just lowered the price to $999.

[QUOTE=mserrano;16698992]If anyone is looking for new 5910CI, Crutchfield just lowered the price to $999.[/QUOTE

Boy- for a guy in the right situation, he could have the 5910ci plus the 3800bdci for around $2500 or less! Both of these components are "Stereophile (Class-A) Recommended Components" and in my opinion state of the art! Especially the 5910ci at under $1000 is a steal! Unfortunately for me, having bought both of these units at their inception, I spent at least $4-5k for the pair! Although it hurts to wait, it also pays to wait!

I decided to buy the Jeff Beck Live at Ronnie Scott's dvd instead of the bluray so as to be able to play it on my 5910ci and I must say I wasn't disappointed! I will probably buy the BD version to playback on the 3800 just to compare, but I'm not sure if it could look or sound any better! There is something magical about the combination of the 5910ci and the Kuro- like they were made for each other!

I decided to buy the Jeff Beck Live at Ronnie Scott's dvd instead of the bluray so as to be able to play it on my 5910ci and I must say I wasn't disappointed! I will probably buy the BD version to playback on the 3800 just to compare, but I'm not sure if it could look or sound any better! There is something magical about the combination of the 5910ci and the Kuro- like they were made for each other!

Couldn't agree more!

I'm sure the SD-DVD looks nice, but the BD has to look better or there's something wrong with you panel calibration or you sit too far from the panel. I have 60" Kuro and I'm at about 8 ft or so away. Audio will depend on what is used for playback. So far, the 3 EagleVision HD produced BDs I've seen all have excellent PQ and AQ (Jeff at Ronnie Scott's is one).

larry

Hey- for what it is worth moonhawk- you will just have to be your own judge as to whether tweaks really do work or not! My Dad is an electrical engineer and also into hometheater and he criticizes me for being into tweaky stuff, but my system sounds as good as it does because of such applications! Please also note that before ever applying the cones and such under components, I did invest in a decent audio component rack with spikes and pillars filled with sand- this is where one must start in suppressing vibration is a good dampened audio rack which may or may not be enough- then you can try some of the other tweaks! Once people know you are a tweaker, then you will be prone to naysaying, but your ears will not lie to you!

Keep in mind, the tweaks may be doing absolutely nothing, but your expectation that they are doing something may influence you into believing something is changing (i.e., you may experience bias...).

I would spend your money on things that have a clear and provable effect, such as better speakers, excellent EQ, and acoustic room treatments (also, optimal speaker layout within the room).

How did I get dragged into this? :D

I'm sure the SD-DVD looks nice, but the BD has to look better or there's something wrong with you panel calibration or you sit too far from the panel. I have 60" Kuro and I'm at about 8 ft or so away. Audio will depend on what is used for playback. So far, the 3 EagleVision HD produced BDs I've seen all have excellent PQ and AQ (Jeff at Ronnie Scott's is one).

larry

I think if these bd concert discs were 1080p24 then I would be more inclined to buy them instead of the dvds, but their mostly all 1080i. I know that technically the bd at 1080i ultimately looks better than the sddvd, but I get real satisfaction out of watching a dvd and being thoroughly satisfied. I am also getting a kick out of seeing 1080p come out of the 5910ci. I'm sure you all are sick of reading my 5910ci posts, but I feel compelled to tell someone how I feel and this thread should be the best place for it! If I ever get my fill of video with this player, I fully intend to revisit the sacd/dvd-a playback! It's been well over a year since I last spun any hi-res audio discs!

When reading the 2930/3930 thread, it seems that the faulty laser is an inherent problem, is this the same with the 5910?

When reading the 2930/3930 thread, it seems that the faulty laser is an inherent problem, is this the same with the 5910?

Depends on what "the faulty laser" symptoms are. Possibly...

Can any 5910ci owners verify that is normal for the d.mix indicator to be lit up? Since I don't want d.mix is there a setting that I have missed for turning it off?

Depends on what "the faulty laser" symptoms are. Possibly...

Well, apparently the 2930/3930 would stop reading discs. It doesn't take much to see that the player(s) are flawed jumping around that thread, wondering if there are alot of reports about laser problems on the 5910. Seems like a basic question.....

I think if these bd concert discs were 1080p24 then I would be more inclined to buy them instead of the dvds, but their mostly all 1080i. I know that technically the bd at 1080i ultimately looks better than the sddvd, but I get real satisfaction out of watching a dvd and being thoroughly satisfied. I am also getting a kick out of seeing 1080p come out of the 5910ci. I'm sure you all are sick of reading my 5910ci posts, but I feel compelled to tell someone how I feel and this thread should be the best place for it! If I ever get my fill of video with this player, I fully intend to revisit the sacd/dvd-a playback! It's been well over a year since I last spun any hi-res audio discs!

the fact that this was one of the best if not the best at sddvd's--still competetive and arguably better (esp layer change) than the newer blu ray upconverters says something about the original design. I have neve had a hiccup with my player and I still love using it all the time--this is a fantastic unit--if it only had balanced inputs--is there someone who mods these with xlr outs or can balance the whole player? This is one of the only purchases I have made with this degree of satisfaction every time I use it--that definitely adds a LOT of value to the purchase--I imagine the owners of the new a1 must will be feeling this way too...

speaking of which, anyone done an analog comparison with the new a1--I'd love to hear what you found~i'd love to see a level matched blind test between he two--not that im into that crowd but it could make either a lot fo 5910 owners or a1 owners very happy but i don't think either side would be all that surprised if no one could tell a difference...

speaking of accolades--listening to patricia barber modern cool right now--if you want to hear sound in 3d with pinpoint imaging and an incredible ambiance and soundstage--please get this sacd--it will be a great demo for your player...(not to mention you'll KNOW when your setup sounds like it SHOULD,

Can any 5910ci owners verify that is normal for the d.mix indicator to be lit up? Since I don't want d.mix is there a setting that I have missed for turning it off?


What is d.mix??? Perhaps you mean DL? (DenonLink; DENON LINK and Advanced AL24 are the two top center lights (buttons))

Anyhow if you don't mean DL, I couldn't find "d.mix" in my 5910ci setup menu.

You might try going through your setup menu and changing stuff till it turns off.

Better still, call Denon tech support. :)

Cheers

Hi,

I've read through many pages but not able to find answer or at least easily find.

DLIII Question? I just ordered a 5910CI, my receiver supports DLIII; will the 5910CI support it out of the box? I see reference to firmware upgrades in this thread but they are older postings and mainly seem to reference the non-CI unit.

Many thanks in advance for helping out a Denon "newbie"

I'm pretty sure you're OK with a current unit, but I have an older non CI unit and can't say for sure.

A ci will have DL3.

Cool SACD's w/o converting to Analog or PCM first!

Thank You all for the responses.


P.S. How is the 5910CI upgraded anyhow? I do not see an ethernet port on the diagram of the rear panel.

P.S. How is the 5910CI upgraded anyhow? I do not see an ethernet port on the diagram of the rear panel.

Via downloaded firmware burned to CD-R.

Question on the "Advanced AL24" - Should the light go on up when a standard CD or 2 or 5.1 channel DVD is playing? Mine does not. I've tried everything I can think of and it does not light. After some research was not able to find any info on how to get the light to appear (or disappear). Is this unit "broken"? I am setup via Denon Link and HDMI, I also tried CD through Optical and light still remained off.

Question on the "Advanced AL24" - Should the light go on up when a standard CD or 2 or 5.1 channel DVD is playing? Mine does not. I've tried everything I can think of and it does not light. After some research was not able to find any info on how to get the light to appear (or disappear). Is this unit "broken"? I am setup via Denon Link and HDMI, I also tried CD through Optical and light still remained off.

Found this in a 3910 owners thread:

You raise a good question about the AL24 Plus indicator light, though. Not sure, but my guess is that this light is always off when Denon Link is enabled, and is always on when it's not.

Unless it is a programming error, if the 3910's AL24 light is not on the AL24 processor is not active. So, you do have to deactivate the 3910's Denon Link to activate the AL24 processing for the 3910's analog outs.

It makes sense that the analog signal is being processed through the 3910's DACs, but I would love to know why that AL24 light isn't on when the Denon Link is enabled, and if I'm not hearing everything I could. Obviously, you can't A/B as it requires a trip into the setup menu to turn D-Link on/off.

When D-Link was turned off the AL24 light was lit, turned on the Denon-link light was lit. What is the Al24 used for then?

Nothing further on the subject last post was from 2005.

I will try with Denon Link turned off. If it works, then does that mean AL24 is not available using D-link or is that processing offloaded to the Denon receiver?

Question on the "Advanced AL24" - Should the light go on up when a standard CD or 2 or 5.1 channel DVD is playing? Mine does not. I've tried everything I can think of and it does not light. After some research was not able to find any info on how to get the light to appear (or disappear). Is this unit "broken"? I am setup via Denon Link and HDMI, I also tried CD through Optical and light still remained off.


I have a Denon 5910ci player (build date of Dec.'06) that I bought this past 2 months at a closeout price of $999 (vs the orig. $3,800 price).

I run mine with HDMI out (HDMI strictly for video) and with 5.1 RCA out for audio. When playing audio discs of any kind (CD/SACD/DVD-Audio) the AL24 light always seems to be lit.

Try setting up with 5.1 RCA out for audio (connections), and make appropriate menu changes for that in the menu, and see if that makes a difference with regard to the front panel AL24 light.

Cheers

I have a Denon 5910ci player (build date of Dec.'06) that I bought this past 2 months at a closeout price of $999 (vs the orig. $3,800 price).

I run mine with HDMI out (HDMI strictly for video) and with 5.1 RCA out for audio. When playing audio discs of any kind (CD/SACD/DVD-Audio) the AL24 light always seems to be lit.

Try setting up with 5.1 RCA out for audio (connections), and make appropriate menu changes for that in the menu, and see if that makes a difference with regard to the front panel AL24 light.

Cheers


The AL24 light goes on when I turn Denon Link off. Not sure what this means in the end, guess it's just the way it is. Anyhow mystery solved.

Very little complaints. The remote's UI is a little strange, especially near the middle top quadrant. Otherwise, just wish i would've waited for the price drop.

Very little complaints. The remote's UI is a little strange, especially near the middle top quadrant. Otherwise, just wish i would've waited for the price drop.


In my experience with Denon 5910ci players (2 at this point), they are very picky about the disc being on spec. The 1st one clearly had a problem ($2k from Crutchfield via Amazon), so I bought a 2nd one ($999 from ListenUp via Amazon a week later) and that confirmed the problem with the 1st unit, which I returned for a full refund.

Another thing about the 5910ci is that you MUST center the disc in the disc tray!

Cheers

Can any 5910ci owners verify that is normal for the d.mix indicator to be lit up? Since I don't want d.mix is there a setting that I have missed for turning it off?

d.mix (down mixed 5.1 to 2 channel) would light up if you chose 2-channel instead of 5.1 I believe

I am the proud new owner of said 5910ci.
As per Kris, I set…
HDMI/DVI: normal
YCbCr
Detail Enhance: 1
Contrast: -2
IRE: 7.5 I tried it at 0 but could not get it to display the THX shadow on my 50” Elite PRO-1140HD
I did the THX setup as found on the Finding Nemo disk.
The 1140HD is 1360x768 so I set it to output at 720p. I think the logical path would be to let the 5910ci do what it does best, de-interlace. The 1140HD does a fine job of scaling. I have the HDMI cable going straight to my 1140HD. I do not own an A/V Processor.

PICTURE
Last night I watched U-571 and today I watched Finding Nemo. PQ is very clear, sharp, smooth and with lots of shadow detail. Colour (Canadian spelling) is wonderful, absolutely gorgeous. This is indeed a very special SD player. It is better than I had expected. Picture quality is perhaps on par and or better than the HD cable feed I get from my Cable (Rogers) provider. I feel Denon engineers really need to be praised for their efforts.

SOUNDTRACK
For movie watching, I set the audio to 2CH (SRS ON). I use the analog outputs. SRS produces more LFE in my B&W 802s3. Though, better than without SRS, not as good as the Elite DV-85AVI performed. Some distortion during quiet passages. I did have a complete 5.1 set-up but always found the 2CH quality to be more convincing. IMO, the center channel speaker never could replace the perfect phantom image of properly set up 2CH speakers. I got rid of all the 5.1 speakers and amps (I had 5 dedicated amps.)

AUDIO
I set the audio to 2CH. Pure Direct. I have played a dozen Red Book, a couple DVD-A’s and some SACD’s. The best digital I have heard to date. BUT still digital. It has that edge that announces it is not real, just 0’s and 1’s. Not even close to analog. I was really hoping on getting something close to reality audio wise. I have tried a half dozen players in the last few years and just can’t seem to find a player that does not leave me fatigued. LP’s simply do not do that. The Shanling SACD was the most analog sounding but at the expense of detail and bass control. The 5910ci may need time to break-in, I do not know, I hope so, it would be nice if the harshness would subside somewhat. Please do not misunderstand me, this may very well be a class ‘A’ digital audio source component. It certainly is not lacking anything in it’s design and in the implantation of such design. Top shelf components, DAC’s, power supply, relays, isolation, dampening, etc. If I only listened to digital, I would believe this to be the best I have heard.

Just my 2-cents. I am VERY happy with my 5910ci and do not expect I will upgrade for a long time. Well worth the price of admission.

I want to thank all of you fellow AV members for your 2-cents. I have read every page of this thread and feel I owe my buying decision to you fellows.

AUDIO
I set the audio to 2CH. Pure Direct. I have played a dozen Red Book, a couple DVD-A’s and some SACD’s. The best digital I have heard to date. BUT still digital. It has that edge that announces it is not real, just 0’s and 1’s. Not even close to analog. I was really hoping on getting something close to reality audio wise. I have tried a half dozen players in the last few years and just can’t seem to find a player that does not leave me fatigued. LP’s simply do not do that. The Shanling SACD was the most analog sounding but at the expense of detail and bass control. The 5910ci may need time to break-in, I do not know, I hope so, it would be nice if the harshness would subside somewhat. Please do not misunderstand me, this may very well be a class ‘A’ digital audio source component. It certainly is not lacking anything in it’s design and in the implantation of such design. Top shelf components, DAC’s, power supply, relays, isolation, dampening, etc. If I only listened to digital, I would believe this to be the best I have heard.

Just my 2-cents. I am VERY happy with my 5910ci and do not expect I will upgrade for a long time. Well worth the price of admission.




Try original 1980's non remastered CD's or DCC and MFSL. Many of the Sony single layer SACD's from 1999-2001 are also excellent. Most CD's from 1993 onward, and SACD's from 2002 forward suffer from heavy Dynamic Compression*. In general remastered CD's do not sound natural. Bunch of marketing crap for the most part. The 5910CI makes CD's sound amazing and natural but there is nothing it can do with modern LOUD remastered CD's as the source. Basically crap in crap out.

*=that is what causes the fatigue. Natural sound is highly dynamic. The old CD's like the old LP's were not manipulated digitally with pro-tools and the like during the mastering process just so they would sound loud all the time.

Try original 1980's non remastered CD's or DCC and MFSL. Many of the Sony single layer SACD's from 1999-2001 are also excellent. Most CD's from 1993 onward, and SACD's from 2002 forward suffer from heavy Dynamic Compression*. In general remastered CD's do not sound natural. Bunch of marketing crap for the most part. The 5910CI sounds makes CD's sound amazing and natural but there is nothing it can do with modern LOUD remastered CD's as the source. Basically crap in crap out.

*=that is what causes the fatigue. Natural sound is highly dynamic. The old CD's like the old LP's were not manipulated digitally with pro-tools and the like during the mastering process just so they would sound loud all the time.

You very well might be right. I do not give much attention to what the engineer did to produce the CD. I just put on the CD to listen to the music. We spend so much of our resources endeavoring to assemble an accurate playback system, only to be laughed at by the guys behind the mixing board. My brother-in-law wanted to hear my system with Pink Floyd’s ‘Wish You Were Here’. After a couple of cuts, I had to put on a couple of other disks to demonstrate what a bad recording ‘Wish You Were Here’ was. Rick Rubin kept his hands off with his 5 Johnny Cash releases. That is immediately apparent when the disk is played. I wish all my disks were like that. We all have our reference material, but I always allow my guests to choose their music. My brother-in-law should have picked ‘Dark Side’ SACD. I do know that the 5910ci is a wonderful audio player but I can tell immediately that it is not an LP that is playing.

Watched ‘Batman Begins’ yesterday, very impressed with the shadow detail and soundtrack. A dark movie but now I can see much of the detail I had not seen before. I am thinking now that the SRS may be as good or better than the Elite DV-85AVI.

Unit sure gets hot. I think I am going to have to rig up some sort of air circulation system.

We ordered the 5910ci from Listen Up on Sunday and it should be here next week. Thanks to everyone who posted here for helping make our purchasing decision easier!

From the posts and reviews I have read, $999 seems like a great price even if we only used the 5910 for CD's. Really looking forward to viewing concert DVD's and movies with the 5910ci. We have a PS3 for Blu-Ray, but we have quite a few DVD's and a ton of CD's, so the 5910 seems like a good deal for us.

I do have a couple questions...

I'm still not sure how Denon Link works. We have a Denon 4308ci so I know we can use Denon link (both version 3) for audio, but if we use Denon Link which dacs are used, the receivers or the 5910's dacs? Since the 5910's dac's are better, is it better to use the analog outputs?

Try original 1980's non remastered CD's or DCC and MFSL. Many of the Sony single layer SACD's from 1999-2001 are also excellent. Most CD's from 1993 onward, and SACD's from 2002 forward suffer from heavy Dynamic Compression*. In general remastered CD's do not sound natural. Bunch of marketing crap for the most part. The 5910CI sounds makes CD's sound amazing and natural but there is nothing it can do with modern LOUD remastered CD's as the source. Basically crap in crap out.

*=that is what causes the fatigue. Natural sound is highly dynamic. The old CD's like the old LP's were not manipulated digitally with pro-tools and the like during the mastering process just so they would sound loud all the time.

I agree about remastered CD's not sounding natural. What has surprised me is that some of the MFSL CD's aren't that good when compared to the original (not-remastered) CD's. I have had 4 versions of Supertramp's "Crime of the Century" - the LP was best, followed by the original CD, then the MFSL, and bringing up the rear was the remastered CD. There are some well recorded older CD's out there such as Patricia Barber's "Cafe Blue".

We ordered the 5910ci from Listen Up on Sunday and it should be here next week. Thanks to everyone who posted here for helping make our purchasing decision easier!

From the posts and reviews I have read, $999 seems like a great price even if we only used the 5910 for CD's. Really looking forward to viewing concert DVD's and movies with the 5910ci. We have a PS3 for Blu-Ray, but we have quite a few DVD's and a ton of CD's, so the 5910 seems like a good deal for us.

I do have a couple questions...

I'm still not sure how Denon Link works. We have a Denon 4308ci so I know we can use Denon link (both version 3) for audio, but if we use Denon Link which dacs are used, the receivers or the 5910's dacs? Since the 5910's dac's are better, is it better to use the analog outputs?

Got mine from ListenUp also.
DenonLink will send digital signal to your 4308ci and use the 4308ci Digital Aanalog Converter to convert to analog. I do not know what DAC's the 4308ci uses, but I would think not near as good as what is in the 5910ci. I bought the 5910ci for it's DAC's.

Got mine from ListenUp also.
DenonLink will send digital signal to your 4308ci and use the 4308ci Digital Aanalog Converter to convert to analog. I do not know what DAC's the 4308ci uses, but I would think not near as good as what is in the 5910ci. I bought the 5910ci for it's DAC's.

It sounds like you are pretty happy with the 5910ci. About the heat issue... I read somewhere that the 5910 needs space around it or it gets pretty hot. Is yours in an enclosed cabinet?

I bought the 5910ci for it's DAC's also. I'm pretty sure the Denon 4308ci's DAC's are not as good as the ones in the 5910ci so I guess I should use the analog outputs from the 5910ci to make sure it's DACs are used. I think I would have had to get the 5308ci (for $5499 vs the $1600 we paid for the 4308ci) to have comparable DAC's to the 5910ci. I'm not positive about that since the numbering used for the Burr-Brown DAC's is confusing as heck (to me at least).

We are replacing a Sony NS999ES (SACD/DVD player) with the 5910ci, and I hope that my wife and I can see/hear a big enough improvement to justify keeping the Denon.

Unit sure gets hot. I think I am going to have to rig up some sort of air circulation system.

I use this:
http://www.buyextras.com/evavcoblfanf.html

They seem to have gone up almost $10 since I got mine last year. I replaced the transformer/adapter with a variable speed one. This way I get decent cooling without the extra noise.

We have a Denon 4308ci so I know we can use Denon link (both version 3) for audio, but if we use Denon Link which dacs are used, the receivers or the 5910's dacs? Since the 5910's dac's are better, is it better to use the analog outputs?


I would like to know about this as well. Also which DAC's are used via firewire. Currently I'm using Denon link but not sure if it's optimal. As in your case the 5910 DACs are superior to my Denon receivers'

Seems like most of the pro's dropped from this thread around a year ago.

I would like to know about this as well. Also which DAC's are used via firewire. Currently I'm using Denon link but not sure if it's optimal. As in your case the 5910 DACs are superior to my Denon receivers'

Seems like most of the pro's dropped from this thread around a year ago.

I'm no pro but if dnlyko's correct about Denon Link using the receiver's DAC's (it does make sense now that I think about it) you would be much better off using the analog outputs on your 5910. I may be wrong about this but I believe that if you use a digital output from the 5910 (Denon Link, HDMI, Firewire, etc.) your audio does not take advantage of the 5910's DAC's. It would be nice if an expert weighed in on this, but the pro's have probably have moved on to the Denon DVD-A1UDCI.

I would like to know about this as well. Also which DAC's are used via firewire. Currently I'm using Denon link but not sure if it's optimal. As in your case the 5910 DACs are superior to my Denon receivers'

Seems like most of the pro's dropped from this thread around a year ago.

I'm no pro but if dnlyko's correct about Denon Link using the receiver's DAC's (it does make sense now that I think about it) you would be much better off using the analog outputs on your 5910. I may be wrong about this but I believe that if you use a digital output from the 5910 (Denon Link, HDMI, Firewire, etc.) your audio does not take advantage of the 5910's DAC's. It would be nice if an expert weighed in on this, but the pro's have probably have moved on to the Denon DVD-A1UDCI.

The 4308ci has PCM-1791 DAC's and the 5910ci uses PCM-1792's. The 72's are better but I do not think you will hear the difference unless you have a very revealing system.

Yes, you are correct IOgOgilby. It does not matter which digital output of the 5910ci you use, they all output a digital stream with out using the 5910ci DAC's. In order for us to hear that digital stream, it needs to be converted to analog. We hear in analog.

The 4308ci has PCM-1791 DAC's and the 5910ci uses PCM-1792's. The 72's are better but I do not think you will hear the difference unless you have a very revealing system.

Yes, you are correct OgOgilby. It does not matter which digital output of the 5910ci you use, they all output a digital stream with out using the 5910ci DAC's. In order for us to hear that digital stream, it needs to be converted to analog. We hear in analog.

Thanks dnlyko.

We are using Salk HT2-TL's, which are very revealing. We have a Sony NS999ES that I compared to a NAD M5 we were thinking about purchasing (using Onix Rocket 750's) last year using the analog outputs. The NAD M5 was a bit better than the Sony when played through the Rockets but at the time it wasn't a big enough difference to buy the NAD. Since the Denon 5910ci is supposedly better than the NAD M5, I hope we will hear the difference with the Salks or I will return the 5910ci.

UPDATE:

We are extremely happy with the 5910ci. It is an absolute steal for $999 and I can fully understand why others spent a lot more for the 5910 a couple years ago. My wife commented that things looked and sounded better now (she is NOT into home audio or video, but she has a degree in Photography and Cinema and has a good eye for color, etc.) - the best part was that I didn't even ask for her opinion.

Audio - there is more fine detail, increased separation, and improved imaging (we are using the 5910ci analog outputs into our Denon 4308ci) compared to the Sony NS999ES / Denon 4308ci (either analog or digital connections). One small example with the 5910ci... on Nils Lofgren's "Keith Don't Go" from his "Acoustic Live" CD I can now hear the individual strings clearly when he strums.

Video - (using Kris Deering's settings) my wife and I thought there was an improvement over our Oppo DV-983H (which is a darn good DVD player). I wasn't expecting the video to be better since the Oppo is so good, but we both thought there was a bit more detail and less noise with the 5910ci. It could be a matter of the 5910 having the same amount of detail as the Oppo, but with less noise, but it is hard to say without A/B testing of the 2 players - that's not going to happen.

Downsides to the 5910ci - it is big and heavy, the same width but deeper than the 4308ci. The 5910 remote shows it's age but we are using a Harmony One anyway.

Needless to say, we won't be returning the 5910ci - it will replace the Sony NS999ES and the Oppo DV-983H (which will make a nice bedroom DVD player) in our system!

Sweet! Congratulations on your new toy! It is really cool that your wife approves of it too! Everyone who has ever seen the output of this player while visiting my house assumed we were watching bluray until I told them it was a dvd! In a review of the newest Oppo they said that it upscales/outputs dvds at 1080p24- If this is really the case, I wonder how much difference in pq there would be and if this is something that Denon could add to further update the 5910ci?!? I didn't know it was possible to upconvert dvds to 1080p24!

Haven't heard about converting to 1080p 24.

It is hard to imagine any product doing a better job than the 5910ci does with DVD's.

UPDATE:

We are extremely happy with the 5910ci. It is an absolute steal for $999 and I can fully understand why others spent a lot more for the 5910 a couple years ago. My wife commented that things looked and sounded better now (she is NOT into home audio or video, but she has a degree in Photography and Cinema and has a good eye for color, etc.) - the best part was that I didn't even ask for her opinion.



I'd like to second Og's take on the 5910ci. I also just got one about three weeks ago from ListenUp, and I'm mighty impressed.

I already own a 3930ci, and I've been very pleased with it (except for the flaky laser). I bought the 5910ci to grab a little piece of history: the last no-holds barred pre-HD universal player. I was also curious to see what improvement, if any, there was over the 3930.

I'm surprised to say there are noticeable improvements, both in audio and video. The 5910 does a slightly better job of producing low level audio information with clarity. Impulse sounds like castanets, snapping fingers, and guitar plucks are reproduced more convincingly than the 3930, which itself does a great job; same with long decays like brushes on cymbals.

The video performance is even more surprising. The DVDO scaling in the 5910 produces a smoother image than the HQV scaler in the 3930 without sacrificing any detail. The 5910's image is also a little quieter than the 3930's. What is very noticeable is the difference in gamma between the two. Both come in with nearly the same black and white level settings as determined by my Avia disc, but viewing various gray patterns at lower IRE shows that the 5910 has a higher gamma. The 5910's color balance also looks better. All this amounts to the 5910 giving a contrasty and nicely saturated picture at lower grays to midtones, whereas the 3930 looks a little washed out by comparison. This gives the image from the 5910 what I can only describe as "depth". That's something I've never seen on my plasma.

I've only got a few minor gripes. I wish that for the ci version of the 5910 that Denon had adopted the slicker on-screen interface of the 3930ci, instead of using the same primitive looking interface that all the xx10 players had. I was a little disappointed at first by the loud clicking sounds that the 5910 makes when first starting a CD or when switching menus on a DVD, but I think I figured it out: it's electromechanical switching of the analog audio outputs. This is probably done because good electromechanical relays will generally add less noise to the output signal than solid-state switches (whether or not you can hear that is another matter).

Overall, this is a damned impressive player, and I really do see it as a piece of history. It's a keeper - definitely worth the close-out price.

I've only got a few minor gripes. I wish that for the ci version of the 5910 that Denon had adopted the slicker on-screen interface of the 3930ci, instead of using the same primitive looking interface that all the xx10 players had. I was a little disappointed at first by the loud clicking sounds that the 5910 makes when first starting a CD or when switching menus on a DVD, but I think I figured it out: it's electromechanical switching of the analog audio outputs. This is probably done because good electromechanical relays will generally add less noise to the output signal than solid-state switches (whether or not you can hear that is another matter).

Overall, this is a damned impressive player, and I really do see it as a piece of history. It's a keeper - definitely worth the close-out price.

Dead on review Spoliator. I agree about the interface - it is quite dated and rather ugly, but does the job. The relay clicking doesn't bother us (it might be annoying to some) - we've have had other equipment that did that and I don't notice it anymore. And yes, the player is a keeper :)

Dead on review Spoliator. I agree about the interface - it is quite dated and rather ugly, but does the job. The relay clicking doesn't bother us (it might be annoying to some) - we've have had other equipment that did that and I don't notice it anymore. And yes, the player is a keeper :)

Agreed about the relays. They aren't really bothersome now, but I wasn't expecting it at first, so it was a little jarring. My two-channel preamp switches inputs this way. Electromechanical switching really is a good design choice for minimizing output noise. In my experience building electronics for data collection, solid-state relays always add some noise to the signal when closed. Of course, it would have been great if they had used some nice, quiet-switching reed relays, but good ones can be costly.

I also agree with your earlier comment about how big this thing is, but now, my rack just wouldn't look complete without all that "presence"!

In the current (Sept 2009) "the absolute sound" they list the 2009 editors choice awards. The Denon DVD-5910ci is one of six products mentioned in the $3000-$5000 digital source category. TAS calls the 5910ci "a flat-out bargain for its capabilities with all formats". Not bad for an "old" product.

In the current (Sept 2009) "the absolute sound" they list the 2009 editors choice awards. The Denon DVD-5910ci is one of six products mentioned in the $3000-$5000 digital source category. TAS calls the 5910ci "a flat-out bargain for its capabilities with all formats". Not bad for an "old" product.


"Universal" disc players (DVD/CD/SACD/DVD-A) are a mature product.

Solid state amps are another mature product.

FWIW, I recently got a Denon DVD-5910ci universal player on closeout (from authorized ListenUp) at $999 ($3800 list) and consider it to be my best deal as a disc player.

IMO Blu-ray players are overpriced and overrated, not to mention the high price of the movie discs.

Cheers

"Universal" disc players (DVD/CD/SACD/DVD-A) are a mature product.

Solid state amps are another mature product.

FWIW, I recently got a Denon DVD-5910ci universal player on closeout (from authorized ListenUp) at $999 ($3800 list) and consider it to be my best deal as a disc player.

IMO Blu-ray players are overpriced and overrated, not to mention the high price of the movie discs.

Cheers

You were doing well until that last sentence (the overpriced and overrated players part). Would guess you don't have one.

Anyone notice that even these end of life players still have the occasional hiccup feature? Every once in a while, e.g., every few discs, there appears a very brief (less than a second) video splatter of largish "dots" (biggish squares sometimes) at some random place, replay of the section hiccuping plays fine thereafter. Only player I have that does this. [Think it may be some kind of static buildup that discharges.] Happens maybe every other time I use the player.

FWIW, I recently got a Denon DVD-5910ci universal player on closeout (from authorized ListenUp) at $999 ($3800 list) and consider it to be my best deal as a disc player.

IMO Blu-ray players are overpriced and overrated, not to mention the high price of the movie discs.


You were doing well until that last sentence (the overpriced and overrated players part). Would guess you don't have one.


I do have a 3rd generation Toshiba HD A35 player (which I wound up paying about $170 for after Amazon provided a $50 rebate for those like me who'd purchased new through them) and quite a few of the inexpensive HD-DVD discs.

So I have a clue.

I feel like I got a learning experience almost for free. :)

Better deal all around is my Denon universal 5910ci player ($999 closeout vs 3,800 list), and I'm not holding my breath on Blu-ray, let alone spending any extra money on it. DVD is more than adequate.

Looks like Beta (Blu-ray) vs VHS (DVD) replayed to me.

Last time that happened, VHS won.

I *hate* the whole higher priced, and copy protection oriented, Blu-ray thing.

I'm betting on DVD, and see no good reason to be moving into Blu-ray until the price is the same as DVD.

Cheers

Anyone notice that even these end of life players still have the occasional hiccup feature? Every once in a while, e.g., every few discs, there appears a very brief (less than a second) video splatter of largish "dots" (biggish squares sometimes) at some random place, replay of the section hiccuping plays fine thereafter. Only player I have that does this. [Think it may be some kind of static buildup that discharges.] Happens maybe every other time I use the player.


"every other time" you use your Denon 5910ci player???

It does sometimes happen, but not all that often for me with my Denon 5910ci player.

The unit is somewhat picky with regard to the quality of the disc being played.

Cheers

"every other time" you use your Denon 5910ci player???

It does sometimes happen, but not all that often for me with my Denon 5910ci player.

The unit is somewhat picky with regard to the quality of the disc being played.

Cheers

Been using it a bit more lately than usual, so "every other time" here does not mean every other disc, but rather every other time it gets used. (Seemed to be more likely to happen during certain times of the year, can't recall which, though now seems to be one of them.)

I do have a 3rd generation Toshiba HD A35 player (which I wound up paying about $170 for after Amazon provided a $50 rebate for those like me who'd purchased new through them) and quite a few of the inexpensive HD-DVD discs.

So I have a clue.

I feel like I got a learning experience almost for free. :)

Better deal all around is my Denon universal 5910ci player ($999 closeout vs 3,800 list), and I'm not holding my breath on Blu-ray, let alone spending any extra money on it. DVD is more than adequate.

Looks like Beta (Blu-ray) vs VHS (DVD) replayed to me.

Last time that happened, VHS won.

I *hate* the whole higher priced, and copy protection oriented, Blu-ray thing.

I'm betting on DVD, and see no good reason to be moving into Blu-ray until the price is the same as DVD.

Cheers

Quite decent BD players are available for similar prices as you paid for your Tosh. And disc prices are mostly coming down, selection is expanding (good and bad titles), people are buying. Presume that blurry/noisy DVDs are sufficient for you, I prefer the extra detail, clarity, and stunning sound that the blu-ray disc format offers. (Beta vs VHS was Blu-Ray vs HD-DVD, this time Beta won...)

You were doing well until that last sentence (the overpriced and overrated players part). Would guess you don't have one.

I feel I must chime in here and second that. I have both the 5910, analog output stages highly moded by Hot Rod Audio Mods, a Toshiba HD-A35 that (on my system) thoroughly trounces the 5910 for DVD upconversion, (and on which I play my 15 or so HD DVDs), And a Sony PS3 (60GB that has SACD playback capability) for BD.

Video formats aside, I have yet to see a DVD released to include the latest and, IHMO, greatest audio codecs. For those who have highly resolving systems, it is my belief that the latest audio tracks will be enough of a motivational factor to induce someone to find a good used PS3, even if the only BDs they buy are those with the best audio tracks. Having done that, they will find that there really is a difference in the video quality, (if their system resolves the higher resolutions) as well, and, there won't be any going back. :D

So why have the 5910? The high res SACD playback capabilities on my moded analog stages is glorious....and no I am not concerned about the SACD format going away. Disks are still being made and my music apetite is sufficiently satisfied.

Seriously, all my purchases now are on BD; the difference for us in our home theater is that compelling.:)

In the current (Sept 2009) "the absolute sound" they list the 2009 editors choice awards. The Denon DVD-5910ci is one of six products mentioned in the $3000-$5000 digital source category. TAS calls the 5910ci "a flat-out bargain for its capabilities with all formats". Not bad for an "old" product.

There's no doubt about the 5910ci being "the" universal player to have and especially to be had for its current price- but you really need to invest in a BD player! Having both the 5910ci and a bd player- even if just purchasing the Playstation 3 for BDs is where its really at! What a luxury to have the "best" dvd player and a bluray player as well! When you have both players you begin to realize that some content will be fine in dvd but some will be better with blue ray! Like for example "Coraline" - if you have the choice between watching the dvd or the bluray- the bluray smokes the dvd! I did a comparison so I know! But, now on something like Jeff Beck- Live at Ronnie Scott's concert venue- the dvd spun on the 5910ci looks good enough to not warrant paying an additional $15.00 for the BD! My first BD player was the PS3 and the picture quality and the sound exceeded my expectations- then I got a higher end bd player- the Denon 3800bdci and the pq and sound quality went up yet another notch! So- you need to do yourself a favor and jump into the BD scene to start enjoying what it has to offer!

There's no doubt about the 5910ci being "the" universal player to have and especially to be had for its current price- but you really need to invest in a BD player! Having both the 5910ci and a bd player- even if just purchasing the Playstation 3 for BDs is where its really at! What a luxury to have the "best" dvd player and a bluray player as well! When you have both players you begin to realize that some content will be fine in dvd but some will be better with blue ray! Like for example "Coraline" - if you have the choice between watching the dvd or the bluray- the bluray smokes the dvd! I did a comparison so I know! But, now on something like Jeff Beck- Live at Ronnie Scott's concert venue- the dvd spun on the 5910ci looks good enough to not warrant paying an additional $15.00 for the BD! My first BD player was the PS3 and the picture quality and the sound exceeded my expectations- then I got a higher end bd player- the Denon and the pq and sound quality went up yet another notch! So- you need to do yourself a favor and jump into the BD scene to start enjoying what it has to offer!

Thanks Parrish - I mentioned in an earlier post that we use a PS3 for Blu-Ray (we have 2 of them). Sound and image quality with Blu-Ray is great. We use the 5910ci for DVD, CD, and SACD. I would love to get a better Blu-Ray player down the road, but the PS3's are OK for the time being. We have a lot of DVD's and CD's, some SACD's, and around 15 Blu-Ray disks, so we end up using the 5910ci more often. When we have more Blu-Ray disks it will be worth it to upgrade to a better BR player.

I feel I must chime in here and second that. I have both the 5910, analog output stages highly moded by Hot Rod Audio Mods, a Toshiba HD-A35 that (on my system) thoroughly trounces the 5910 for DVD upconversion, (and on which I play my 15 or so HD DVDs), And a Sony PS3 (60GB that has SACD playback capability) for BD.

That is interesting since the UltimateAV review I read on the Toshiba HD-A35 mentioned that "video deinterlacing and scaling could be better". Not that everything reviews state shouldn't be taken with a grain of salt...

Video formats aside, I have yet to see a DVD released to include the latest and, IHMO, greatest audio codecs. For those who have highly resolving systems, it is my belief that the latest audio tracks will be enough of a motivational factor to induce someone to find a good used PS3, even if the only BDs they buy are those with the best audio tracks. Having done that, they will find that there really is a difference in the video quality, (if their system resolves the higher resolutions) as well, and, there won't be any going back. :D

So why have the 5910? The high res SACD playback capabilities on my moded analog stages is glorious....and no I am not concerned about the SACD format going away. Disks are still being made and my music apetite is sufficiently satisfied.

Seriously, all my purchases now are on BD; the difference for us in our home theater is that compelling.:)

The 5910ci is pretty good as is with SACD's, how much did the mods help? Did the mods you had done improve 2 channel audio also?

Some things we watch are not available on BD (and may never be). For example we have first season of the TV show "LIFE" on DVD and have pre-ordered the second (and last) season on DVD since there are no BD's available. I doubt that they will produce BD's and we loved the show.

Speaking of the PS3- Check this out!

http://www.destructoid.com/here-you-go-your-ps3-slim-images-and-details-144786.phtml

The NAD M5 was a bit better than the Sony when played through the Rockets but at the time it wasn't a big enough difference to buy the NAD. Since the Denon 5910ci is supposedly better than the NAD M5, I hope we will hear the difference with the Salks or I will return the 5910ci.

UPDATE:

We are extremely happy with the 5910ci. It is an absolute steal for $999 and I can fully understand why others spent a lot more for the 5910 a couple years ago. My wife commented that things looked and sounded better now (she is NOT into home audio or video, but she has a degree in Photography and Cinema and has a good eye for color, etc.) - the best part was that I didn't even ask for her opinion.

Audio - there is more fine detail, increased separation, and improved imaging (we are using the 5910ci analog outputs into our Denon 4308ci) compared to the Sony NS999ES / Denon 4308ci (either analog or digital connections). One small example with the 5910ci... on Nils Lofgren's "Keith Don't Go" from his "Acoustic Live" CD I can now hear the individual strings clearly when he strums.

Needless to say, we won't be returning the 5910ci - it will replace the Sony NS999ES and the Oppo DV-983H (which will make a nice bedroom DVD player) in our system!

I'm looking at pyrchasing an NAD M5 or the 5910 for CD/SACD play primaily (own a Denon 3800 Blu-Ray Player)

Has anyone here done the side by side comparison for some advice, and is there another $1k-$1500 player that i should be looking to audition also?

Thanks

That is interesting since the UltimateAV review I read on the Toshiba HD-A35 mentioned that "video deinterlacing and scaling could be better". Not that everything reviews state shouldn't be taken with a grain of salt...


Well, the poster did compare the 5910 (no "ci") with his Toshiba HD-A35. And I would concur that several (most? all?) of the HD/BD players that do a decent job of upconverting DVDs to 1080p likely do a much better job of it than that 1080i 5910 did (trust me I know). The 1080p 5910ci, though, another story. Likely as good, if not better, than pretty much anything out there. (Except for that occaisional video hiccup.)

I'm looking at pyrchasing an NAD M5 or the 5910 for CD/SACD play primaily (own a Denon 3800 Blu-Ray Player)

Has anyone here done the side by side comparison for some advice, and is there another $1k-$1500 player that i should be looking to audition also?

Thanks

I did side by side comparisons of the NAD M5, Rega Apollo, and a Rotel (forgot the model). The NAD was clearly better but it was using balanced outputs and the others weren't - I don't know how much of an advantage that would give it, if any. I brought the NAD home to try against my Sony NS999ES. I set them up as close as possible - RCA outputs, same amp (Denon 4308ci), same speakers (Rocket 750's, Rocket Bigfoot), volume, etc. The NAD M5 was a little bit better than the Sony for CD's and SACD's but my wife and I didn't think it was worth spending the money, just not a big enough improvement over the Sony.

I have the Denon 5910ci now and we are very happy with it, it was a nice improvement over the Sony. It is hard to compare the Denon to the NAD since the speakers we have now (Salk HT2 TL's and a matched Salk Center) are much better than the Rockets.

I would say that the Denon is a better choice at the current $999 Listen Up price (assuming they still have them) or even the same price as the NAD. The current issue of The Absolute Sound still rates the 5910ci as a bargain at $3800! One thing - if you are going to be using balanced connections get the NAD since the Denon doesn't have balanced outputs.

Hope this helps.

I did side by side comparisons of the NAD M5, Rega Apollo, and a Rotel (forgot the model). The NAD was clearly better but it was using balanced outputs and the others weren't - I don't know how much of an advantage that would give it, if any. I brought the NAD home to try against my Sony NS999ES. I set them up as close as possible - RCA outputs, same amp (Denon 4308ci), same speakers (Rocket 750's, Rocket Bigfoot), volume, etc. The NAD M5 was a little bit better than the Sony for CD's and SACD's but my wife and I didn't think it was worth spending the money, just not a big enough improvement over the Sony.

I have the Denon 5910ci now and we are very happy with it, it was a nice improvement over the Sony. It is hard to compare the Denon to the NAD since the speakers we have now (Salk HT2 TL's and a matched Salk Center) are much better than the Rockets.

I would say that the Denon is a better choice at the current $999 Listen Up price (assuming they still have them) or even the same price as the NAD. The current issue of The Absolute Sound still rates the 5910ci as a bargain at $3800! One thing - if you are going to be using balanced connections get the NAD since the Denon doesn't have balanced outputs.

Hope this helps.

I could probably get either one for about $1k, that's why its hard for me to make a decision. Thanks for the advice, am trying to audition each one.

If you like watching dvds upscaled to 1080p then get the 5910ci and have the sacd/dvdaudio to boot! Just make sure to get the "ci" unit and be done with it! If you find it to not be good enough out of the box, then you can pay extra to mod it! It can be modified to no end!

If you like watching dvds upscaled to 1080p then get the 5910ci and have the sacd/dvdaudio to boot! Just make sure to get the "ci" unit and be done with it! If you find it to not be good enough out of the box, then you can pay extra to mod it! It can be modified to no end!

I have a 3800 BDCI that can do the upscaling, and and Anthem D2v, so i should be fine there. I just hate how the 3800 can't do SACD it really should have been included

Vengazor,

Just to let you know- after comparing the dvd upscaling to 1080p of both the 5910ci and the 3800bdci, the 5910ci did a better job! Not by alot, but it was a noticeable improvement!

I could probably get either one for about $1k, that's why its hard for me to make a decision. Thanks for the advice, am trying to audition each one.

I'd be interested in your opinion if you get a chance to hear both players. I haven't seen a new NAD that cheap, but I have seen refurbished NAD's that low - have the NAD prices dropped?

I'd be interested in your opinion if you get a chance to hear both players. I haven't seen a new NAD that cheap, but I have seen refurbished NAD's that low - have the NAD prices dropped?

I don't have a big problem buying a refurbished from an authorized retailer with the warranty included. Some people do, but what's the difference between buying one brand new that could have problems versus buying one that has been sent back and had everything already fixed for a lot less? IMO you are buying the same player and warranty for less.

Vengazor,

Just to let you know- after comparing the dvd upscaling to 1080p of both the 5910ci and the 3800bdci, the 5910ci did a better job! Not by alot, but it was a noticeable improvement!

That is very very interesting, thanks for the info

I don't have a big problem buying a refurbished from an authorized retailer with the warranty included. Some people do, but what's the difference between buying one brand new that could have problems versus buying one that has been sent back and had everything already fixed for a lot less? IMO you are buying the same player and warranty for less.

I have purchased a number of electronics that were refurbished with mixed results. Some seemed as good as new and had no issues, some never seemed quite right.

The audio dealer's sales person who let me audition the NAD at home and who I had a great relationship with due to the amount of time I spent in the shop told me to be careful if I buy a reconditioned NAD and make sure I received a full warranty if I went that route. They are an official NAD dealer and could sell me a reconditioned model if that is what I wanted. He told me it would be better to get the NAD at a discount ($1499 at that time) than buy a refurbished one. He wasn't trying to sell me the most expensive player in the store (they had some very high end gear) but seemed worried that I would have problems with a reconditioned NAD. I don't know if there is anything to this, but you might want to look into it if you are considering one.

I have purchased a number of electronics that were refurbished with mixed results. Some seemed as good as new and had no issues, some never seemed quite right.

The audio dealer's sales person who let me audition the NAD at home and who I had a great relationship with due to the amount of time I spent in the shop told me to be careful if I buy a reconditioned NAD and make sure I received a full warranty if I went that route. They are an official NAD dealer and could sell me a reconditioned model if that is what I wanted. He told me it would be better to get the NAD at a discount ($1499 at that time) than buy a refurbished one. He wasn't trying to sell me the most expensive player in the store (they had some very high end gear) but seemed worried that I would have problems with a reconditioned NAD. I don't know if there is anything to this, but you might want to look into it if you are considering one.

Thanks for the heads up, my local NAD dealer has been very good to me and their customer service is excellent (if at times very slow). MY biggest problem is finding the 5910ci to audition in my home, I may just have to compare them in different rooms with different systems unfortunately.

Thanks for the heads up, my local NAD dealer has been very good to me and their customer service is excellent (if at times very slow). MY biggest problem is finding the 5910ci to audition in my home, I may just have to compare them in different rooms with different systems unfortunately.

I think the Denon 5910ci's are being phased out in favor of their Blu-Ray players so they might be hard to find. Listen Up seems to have some kind of a deal with Denon - they even have an interview with Denon's Director of Product Development on their site (can't say I have seen that before). Here is the link: www.listenup.com (http://www.listenup.com/Denon+DVD-5910CI-p-DVD5910CI-p-.html). Since they have a 30 day return policy you could "audition" one and send it back if you don't like it.

Good luck Rich - let us know what you end up with. I do hope you get a chance to do an A/B test with the 2 players.

I think the Denon 5910ci's are being phased out in favor of their Blu-Ray players so they might be hard to find. Listen Up seems to have some kind of a deal with Denon - they even have an interview with Denon's Director of Product Development on their site (can't say I have seen that before). Here is the link: www.listenup.com (http://www.listenup.com/Denon+DVD-5910CI-p-DVD5910CI-p-.html). Since they have a 30 day return policy you could "audition" one and send it back if you don't like it.

Good luck Rich - let us know what you end up with. I do hope you get a chance to do an A/B test with the 2 players.

Listenup and Amazon have the players on sale for 999, my local connection sold their NAD M5 yesterday for 999, so I may just buy a new 5910ci for $999 instead, since the best i can get for an M5 now is about 50% more at $1,500

Listenup and Amazon have the players on sale for 999, my local connection sold their NAD M5 yesterday for 999, so I may just buy a new 5910ci for $999 instead, since the best i can get for an M5 now is about 50% more at $1,500


This is NOT a "hurry hurry hurry" response (by me), but there is some urgency here.

I've gotten 2 Denon DVD-5910ci players. 1st had minor problems (which I wasn't sure about); took having the guts to get/buy a 2nd one to understand that the 1st one had "read" problems with DVD movies. I then returned the 1st one for a full refund. :)

The on-line closeout price of the 5910ci keeps bouncing from $999 to $2k.

Once that dries up, you're not ever again going to see a $999 price for a new/unused 5910ci unit.

In my recent experience with my 2nd 5910ci player, it is simply the best player I have for 1) CD playback and 2) MC audio disc playback (SACD/DVD-A) and 3) DVD movie playback.

All of this done using only the 5.1 RCA sound outs; so I have no clue on how decent it's other audio outs are.

FWIW I myself am very unlikely to ever buy a used disc player of any kind, unless it is a local buy from someone that I know and with the understanding that I can return it within a month with no questions asked.

With regard to the above mentioned NAD M5, I've no experience or knowledge of that unit.

Cheers

This is NOT a "hurry hurry hurry" response (by me), but there is some urgency here.

I've gotten 2 Denon DVD-5910ci players. 1st had minor problems (which I wasn't sure about); took having the guts to get/buy a 2nd one to understand that the 1st one had "read" problems with DVD movies. I then returned the 1st one for a full refund. :)

...

In my recent experience with my 2nd 5910ci player, it is simply the best player I have for 1) CD playback and 2) MC audio disc playback (SACD/DVD-A) and 3) DVD movie playback.


OtherSongs, what were the "minor problems"? (Was it the video "hiccup" that you replied to my earlier post about? If so, does your second one not have this problem?)

Think mine also has "minor problems", but wanted to compare notes to see if they are the same kinds or of some other sort... if you ended up with one without video "hiccup" I may go ahead and try for a unit that works better.

(I have about one more week before my 30 days runs out... still not certain I am going to keep it as none of my other players have ever done this...)

OtherSongs, what were the "minor problems"? (Was it the video "hiccup" that you replied to my earlier post about? If so, does your second one not have this problem?)


By "minor problems" I meant that my 1st unit did not read DVD-R and DVD+R movies that I had ripped and burned myself. The manual clearly says that it should. The 1st unit also failed to read a moderate number of *commercial* DVD movies.

The video "hiccup" is a separate issue with both the 1st and 2nd units, noting that I've kept the 2nd unit. As far as I can tell the "hiccup" is a defect of the disc itself, or it needs cleaning, or is an inferior disc that I've burnt myself.

The one thing that I've recently learned about disc quality (i.e. DVD-R and DVD+R recordable discs) is that it is worth searching out what the top/best discs are and only using those for discs that you burn yourself, as opposed to taking your chances with whatever you find at Wal-Mart.

Now, when I get a "hiccup" I reburn the disc on my personal computer using a good quality disc.

If the poor disc is one that I've burnt myself, once I've re-burnt to a better quality disc, I throw the poor quality one away.

If the poor disc is an official movie that I've paid money for, I 1st try cleaning it with distilled water, and if that doesn't work I try my ripping program on it in order to burn it to one of my own good discs.


Think mine also has "minor problems", but wanted to compare notes to see if they are the same kinds or of some other sort... if you ended up with one without video "hiccup" I may go ahead and try for a unit that works better.

(I have about one more week before my 30 days runs out... still not certain I am going to keep it as none of my other players have ever done this...)


I wouldn't get worried about the hiccup issue.

Also, for whatever reason the 5910ci (2nd unit, the good one) is more picky about disc quality than any other player I've owned. But it is also hands down the best universal player I've ever owned. Quite a deal even with the disc pickiness; i.e. closeout of $999 vs list of $3.8k

FWIW, while I also recently got a 1940ci and a 2930ci at closeout prices, but I've only used them each for about a week and temporarily set them aside. I did just put the 2930ci back into my equipment rack yesterday, but need to make 6 RCA interconnect cables to connect it (proper length interconnect cables with the excellent Canare RCA connectors (crimp)) which I plan to do today.

It will be interesting to use the 2930ci and find out if it is as picky about disc quality as my good 5910ci, but that is pretty certain to take a couple of weeks of using it as my primary player.

Cheers

By "minor problems" I meant that my 1st unit did not read DVD-R and DVD+R movies that I had ripped and burned myself. The manual clearly says that it should. The 1st unit also failed to read a moderate number of *commercial* DVD movies.
...

The one thing that I've recently learned about disc quality (i.e. DVD-R and DVD+R recordable discs) is that it is worth searching out what the top/best discs are and only using those for discs that you burn yourself, as opposed to taking your chances with whatever you find at Wal-Mart.

...

Also, for whatever reason the 5910ci (2nd unit, the good one) is more picky about disc quality than any other player I've owned. But it is also hands down the best universal player I've ever owned. Quite a deal even with the disc pickiness; i.e. closeout of $999 vs list of $3.8k
Cheers

I'm very near getting the 5910CI at the $999 closeout price. The manual says that
it does not play DVD+R DL discs. I'm really interested in knowing if that has been your
experience with this model (note: I burn DVD+R DL only on very high-quality discs).

Reason I ask is because the manual for the DVD-3910 (which I currently own) never
even mentioned that it could play DVD+R (DL or SL) discs: it just included DVD-R
in its list of playable discs. However, it did play DVD+R (DL or SL) discs just fine.

[BTW, I found at least one post here --- from milt99 in 2006, message #937 --- that
said: "I use Verbatim single and dual layers on both my former 5900 and 5910 with no
problems ever". I also use Verbatim discs with my 3910, and wanted some more points
of reference re. this issue with the 5910.]

TIA for your opinions in this regard.

Cheerio!

I'm very near getting the 5910CI at the $999 closeout price. The manual says that it does not play DVD+R DL discs. I'm really interested in knowing if that has been your experience with this model (note: I burn DVD+R DL only on very high-quality discs).


My 5910ci player reads high quality burnt *single* *layer* DVD+R discs just fine, as well as high quality burnt single layer DVD-R discs just fine.

While I do have dual layer recordable discs, I don't normally do that and am not willing to make any comment on it.

Cheers

My 5910ci player reads high quality burnt *single* *layer* DVD+R discs just fine, as well as high quality burnt single layer DVD-R discs just fine.

While I do have dual layer recordable discs, I don't normally do that and am not willing to make any comment on it.

Cheers

Thanks for the info. I just ordered the 5910CI, and it appears that Listen Up has already
shipped it! Look forward to receiving it ... now to ponder what to do with my
immaculate 3910.

Cheerio!

Thanks for the info. I just ordered the 5910CI, and it appears that Listen Up has already shipped it! Look forward to receiving it ... now to ponder what to do with my immaculate 3910.

Cheerio!


Hope you get one that doesn't have any issues. Be aware that it will likely have a build date of Dec. '06, as mine does.

Since you don't do many posts, kindly do us all a favor and do one more after roughly a week of having used it, as to what you think of it. Thanks in advance!

With regard to your old/still good 3910, I'd never try to sell a unit like that on Audiogon.

Either set up your main system to have more than one player, or use it elsewhere in your home, or sell it to a *local* person, or even give it away to a good friend.

Cheers

Be aware that it will likely have a build date of Dec. '06, as mine does.



Mine has the same build date... must have been a big month for building 5910ci's ;) It is a bit odd that Denon never updated the name on the player's faceplate to include "ci". Denon might have overproduced the 5910's and just updated them to the "ci" version then didn't sell many because of the price and people waiting for Blu-Ray. Denon could be sitting on a bunch of Dec. 2006 5910ci's. I also find it funny that Listen Up has a video interview with a Denon "Director of Product Development" about a 3 year old product that is really an unofficial close out item and still on Denon's web site as their top of the line DVD player...

None of this really matters to us at least, the 5910ci is a great player, a very good deal at $999, and we are quite happy with it :)

Mine has the same build date... must have been a big month for building 5910ci's ;) It is a bit odd that Denon never updated the name on the player's faceplate to include "ci". Denon might have overproduced the 5910's and just updated them to the "ci" version then didn't sell many because of the price and people waiting for Blu-Ray. Denon could be sitting on a bunch of Dec. 2006 5910ci's. I also find it funny that Listen Up has a video interview with a Denon "Director of Product Development" about a 3 year old product that is really an unofficial close out item and still on Denon's web site as their top of the line DVD player...

None of this really matters to us at least, the 5910ci is a great player, a very good deal at $999, and we are quite happy with it :)

I bought a 5910ci from listen up. Although my Anthem D2v can accept the balanced lines I just felt that I would like this denon product. It should arrive monday and i will give you guys a full review of my opinion.

Thanks for your input

at 1k price point it is a no brainer. ive had my non ci version for several years and continue to enjoy it regularly! the 1k price point is a little alarming though--im guessing denon isnt losing money on it which means there is a lot of markup at regular pricing on heir gear i would imagine...

I bought a 5910ci from listen up. Although my Anthem D2v can accept the balanced lines I just felt that I would like this denon product. It should arrive monday and i will give you guys a full review of my opinion.

Thanks for your input

Looking forward to reading your review on it. One heads up - it is rather large for a DVD player :)

Looking forward to reading your review on it. One heads up - it is rather large for a DVD player :)

My rack is 7 feet tall, will it fit?:)

My rack is 7 feet tall, will it fit?:)

Well the height will ;)

Dudes,

I watched Fargo dvd over the weekend with the 5910ci/Kuro and omg the blacks were freaking fabulous! For a low budget movie on dvd the picture quality was more than enjoyable! I wonder if the BD version could look any better?

Hope you get one that doesn't have any issues. Be aware that it will likely have a build date of Dec. '06, as mine does.

Since you don't do many posts, kindly do us all a favor and do one more after roughly a week of having used it, as to what you think of it. Thanks in advance!

With regard to your old/still good 3910, I'd never try to sell a unit like that on Audiogon.

Either set up your main system to have more than one player, or use it elsewhere in your home, or sell it to a *local* person, or even give it away to a good friend.

Cheers

Will let you know after I've used it (after it arrives!). However, I must tell you that
my principal use for it is the multi-channel playback of surround music DVD-Audios and
SACDs (of which I have a growing collection of 200+ discs), and the purportedly
great video playback is a bonus as far as I am concerned. I won't be able to comment
much, for example, about the 1080p up-conversion, since I don't even have a 1080p
TV (mine's a 1080i plasma).

However, I am raring to have its SACD audio capabilities compared against my reference
Sony XA9000ES SACD player (which doesn't do DVD-Audio, though). I have been
very happy with my 3910's DVD-Audio playback, but the Sony decidedly has an edge
over the 3910 for SACD playback, both stereo and multi-channel.

As for the fate of my 3910, I never intended to put it up on Audiogon. I'll probably
keep it for my secondary system (which has a nine year old basic Sony DVD player
that still works, and could do with the upgrade).

Cheerio!

at 1k price point it is a no brainer. ive had my non ci version for several years and continue to enjoy it regularly! the 1k price point is a little alarming though--im guessing denon isnt losing money on it which means there is a lot of markup at regular pricing on heir gear i would imagine...

A friend of mine in the "business" once told me that the retail price typically reflected ~100% markup. Obviously, there is some markup between the manufacturer and the dealer, but I don't know what that is.

On a separate topic, wasn't there a laser reliability problem with some 5910 units? Also, do you happen to know, if your 5910 was built in Japan? I always thought that the TOTL models were built in Japan, but the CI version isn't. Just curious as to how much outsourcing is going on.

Will let you know after I've used it (after it arrives!). However, I must tell you that my principal use for it is the multi-channel playback of surround music DVD-Audios and SACDs (of which I have a growing collection of 200+ discs), and the purportedly great video playback is a bonus as far as I am concerned. I won't be able to comment much, for example, about the 1080p up-conversion, since I don't even have a 1080p TV (mine's a 1080i plasma).


I'll look forward to your comments on your "new/unused/Dec.'06" Denon DVD-5910ci player.

I can add that it's MC audio output is excellent both for SACD discs (music only) and also for DVD-Audio discs (music only even through it is often necessary to have video to make sense of the DVD-Audio menu). Also note that my 5910ci experience is strictly via the 5.1 RCA outputs, which is the only way I've used it so far.

However, I am raring to have its SACD audio capabilities compared against my reference Sony XA9000ES SACD player (which doesn't do DVD-Audio, though). I have been very happy with my 3910's DVD-Audio playback, but the Sony decidedly has an edge over the 3910 for SACD playback, both stereo and multi-channel.


I'll also be interested in your comments comparing the musicality of the Denon 5910ci player to that of the Sony XA9000ES player.

Just be sure to preview your subjective comparison post *several* times before you actually send it; as subjective posting/comments frequently leads to combative type posting by a number of the AVS people who don't seem to have anything better to do with their lives than post about the merits/demerits of double blind listening comparisons, as well as the importance of measurements. :)

Cheers

Also, do you happen to know, if your 5910 was built in Japan? I always thought that the TOTL models were built in Japan, but the CI version isn't. Just curious as to how much outsourcing is going on.

Our 5910ci says Japan on the back...

Our 5910ci says Japan on the back...

Thanks for the info.

I've just hooked up my Pioneer Elite 151fd that was bought in March. The basement construction had some delays that were unexpected, so the the Plasma was in a box for 5 months. I downloaded the slideshow and am running it 24/7 for the next few days on the Sports settings that were recommended, and I have a pro calibrator coming in november after the panel gets some hours on it.

My questions are: after the break-in slides run, should i just use d-nice's settings and wait for the ISF calibrator to come, or should I be using something else in that time duration instead?

Are there any known settings that I should be making in my Denon 5910ci that will make the video sharper in the meantime, or just wait for the calibrator to take care of that?

Thanks

Leave the player on default settings and use D-nice's plasma settings. No need for break-in slides unless you won't have 100-200 hours on the plasma before the calibrator comes.

larry

Leave the player on default settings and use D-nice's plasma settings. No need for break-in slides unless you won't have 100-200 hours on the plasma before the calibrator comes.

larry

Thanks for the info, the slides will be the only way to get 100+ hours on there, no seats yet for 2 more weeks :(

How close is the 5910 to the 3930ci?

Not even.

I've been wanting to get the complete series for both Deadwood and Sopranos for a long time now- do any of you have either of these dvd collections? Are they worth the price they are going for right now? Should I get these collections on dvd and use the 5910ci or wait indefinitely for the bd versions to use with a bd player? They would seem to be good material for enjoying the 5910ci with.

I guess I'll go ahead and answer my own post now! I acquired both complete series sets and while Sopranos is mediorcre and I'm only in the first season, I am totally blown away by the pq of Deadwood! Deadwood + 5910ci + Kuro = Bad Ass Shadow Detail and film like quality! I have heard that as you progress through the Sopranos collection it gets better and this I hope to be true! I am glad I waited to watch these and now can do so on my own time frame and I get a chance to utilize the astounding Denon 5910ci player with upgraded 1080p upscaling output! Bad Ass Blacks!

I guess I'll go ahead and answer my own post now! I acquired both complete series sets and while Sopranos is mediorcre and I'm only in the first season, I am totally blown away by the pq of Deadwood! Deadwood + 5910ci + Kuro = Bad Ass Shadow Detail and film like quality! I have heard that as you progress through the Sopranos collection it gets better and this I hope to be true! I am glad I waited to watch these and now can do so on my own time frame and I get a chance to utilize the astounding Denon 5910ci player with upgraded 1080p upscaling output! Bad Ass Blacks!

Those kind of questions are tough to answer since it is ultimately your decision.

If the question was: "Does the 5910ci offer one of the best in DVD upscaling to 1080P?" Then, most definitely.

By the way, Soparanos S1 is supposedly due for release on blu-ray this winter

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=2668

I can certainly say that the 5910ci playing deadwood on the kuro looks so good that I won't be tempted to even compare with bd if ever it is available, however, the first season of Sopranos will surely look much better on BD. Man I can't get over how good the blacks and shadow deatail are in Deadwood! Awesome show!

is it Denon has something to do with the brand Eonon? i just see a promotion on twitter about eonon, but i dont know much about the company, does it has anything to do with Deono?

How close is the 5910 to the 3930ci?

100% worse on some burned DVD-Rs and DVD+Rs.

Despite the fact it claims to be "compatible" I have some DVD-Rs that made every 5910 I put them in get "stuck" at a certain point on the disc.

Literally every other brand of DVD player (the issue also occurred with 3910s) played the DVD-Rs perfectly, as does the 3930CI.