build qulity good video

Can not read DTS CD''S

I''m using it with my EAD processor and bryston power Amp''s+ sony 29" For music I''m using cary cd player

Exceptional DVD and CD playback Solid build quality No reliability problems

No major ones, minor issues as noted in the summary

After a couple months of owning this player, I can rate it very highly. Build quality, video playback and CD playback are all outstanding. Comparing it to the only other DVD player I''ve owned, a Pioneer DV-333, the Cambridge Audio unit is much better built, has notably smoother and more film-like DVD playback, and has slightly but noticeably smoother CD playback. CD performance, in fact, is quite good. I am using the DVD300 with a Marantz SR-8000 receiver and Snell Type E-III / CR-5 / SR-5 (main/center/surround) speakers. While the coax digital and analog outputs produce almost identical sound with my receiver, I find using the analog outputs gives marginally more pleasing sound. Perhaps due to the very low jitter in the DVD300''s CD bitstream, CDs sound more transparent and realistic than I''ve experienced before. My DVD300 video connection is via the DVD300''s component video outs into my Sony 27" WEGA. The only anomalous thing I have found here is that, for some reason, the DVD300''s component outputs seem slightly skewed toward emphasizing reds. This was easy to correct via adjusting one of my WEGA''s input presets (Movie in this case) to compensate. After that, exceptional DVD playback quality is obtained via using that preset. I use another WEGA preset (Standard, also adjusted slightly) for normal broadcast viewing. A/V adjustments were done using the Avia DVD. The remote is surprisingly good - small buttons, true, but a fine set of features. Search is particularly user-friendly and flexible. The only fault I have with the remote is the lack of a Power off/on button. I have had no reliability problems, including no DVD or CD (including CD-R and CD-RW) read failures. DVD layer transitions are noticeable on some discs, but that is fairly common behavior across players I understand. I have not used the DVD300''s MP3 CD playback features yet. Also, I have not had occasion to encounter the problem a previous reviewer mentioned with the player inserting an interval between two CD tracks with no interval between them. Just haven''t played back such a disc on the player yet. Finally, I did not consider lack of progressive scan a drawback in this price range, given I was looking for both exceptional DVD and CD playback plus solid build and reliability. The DVD300 has not disappointed in these areas to date.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer DV-333 (very good for the money at the time, but cheap build and major reliability issues for disc playback)

Audio performance, high-quality construction, ease of use.

No progressive scan.

This is a great sounding, well-contructed unit. Audio performance is wonderful compared to my old DVD player (Marantz DV-4000) and, for regular CDs, is easily up to par with dedicated CD players. The front is made of fairly think metal (aluminum I believe) and everything is very solid. The unit has no difficulty is playing the various formats I''ve tried (CD-R, CD-RW, MP-3 on CD-RW, CD, DVD). I do think this unit is a little pricey given that it has no progressive scan output, but the performance makes up for that. One last nice thing, the player is very responsive compared to players I''ve used in the past - it''s easily as fast as regular CD-players. Nice product!

Similar Products Used:

Marantz DV-4000

Build quality, features, all kind of outputs

Treble

I found interesting to read other reviews, as I have quite a different opinion about this DVD player. The only thing I can agree on is the noticable grinding noise when loading. Otherwise I found this player prefectly reliable, and very high build quality. Very smooth loading, and I have not experienced not even one freezing. Picture: I only have video inputs on my Sony tv, but it looks nice and sharp, though it is probably much better through component output. Audio: I compared with my Cambridge Audio CD4, which is now 2 years old. CD4 is an interesting one; it has a bit darker tone, however it is very musical. I think the musicality comes from the Pink Triangle touch (DAC). As for the DVD300 the sound is nice and detailed, in that sense better than the CD4 and quite musical as well, but the high frequency is too bright, and grainy. It is not really relaxing to listen to on the long run for music, but is probably perfect for DVD, as today''''s movies are full of spectacular sound and video effects. The lower and middle frequencies are controlled and very detailed. It also has built in equalizer, with different settings including user defined. That can be a really cool feature if you do not have a 5+1 sound system (I do not). All in all, it is really perfect for DVD, but keep your CD player for serious music. ps. do not forget to use good cables!

Similar Products Used:

None.

CD audio is it''s main purpose. Clean, detailed sound and very good soundstage. This player will not be the downfall of your system during CD playback. My Grado SR 60 headphones have never sounded better when i plug it in to this.

DVD quality is a little low on a HDTV, but this is not what it is meant for. you need progressive scan for that.

For the price ($600 CAN with 2 year in store warranty), this is the best player on the market if you want a CD player that plays DVD''s. It surpasses the NAD T550 is cd audio performance, in both 2 and 5 channel mode, couple with my Denon AVR 1602 and Paradigm Titan, CC 170, and PDR 8, and Kimber Kable. Audio performance on DVD''s is also superb. Beats anything by Sony in this price range by far.

Similar Products Used:

NAD T550, Sony (trash), Denon DVD-800, Pioneer DV 434(bad product)

Superior music and video playback; extremely attractive appearance (in silver); very bright, very vivid and viewable display; built-in Dolby Digital 5.1 Decoder; optical and coaxial digital outputs, plus SCART output for Europe; PAL/NTSC switchable (110/220v also).

Reliability; PAL/NTSC button located on remote

Summary: wonderful functionality, poor reliability. This unit has great sound, which is why I bought it originally. When it worked, the DVD 300 was very strong on music. I heard that it has the guts of a Cam. Audio D300SE CD player (which has a 192kHz/24bit DAC) and it puts to shame DVD players by mass market companies for musical playback. I tested it side by side with a Rega Planet 2000 CD player, and while I found the $900 Rega had slightly better detail and bass, the difference was fairly minor. The DVD-300 has a very smooth sound that is accurate while also improving the sound of a lot of my older blues CD''s by reducing the hiss and background noise and enriching vocals. Video was equally impressive. This unit has a very sharp picture, noticeably more so than with my Pioneer DV-440. Color is also more vivid. All of the video functions work well, although the picture with the zoom function seemed more pixellated than expected. Appearance (including apparent build quality) is quite strong. It is a beautiful player in silver and the display is a very pretty bright blue that, unlike the claims of the viewer below, can be seen from any angle out to at least 20'' away, better than the displays on its CD players. It is a reasonably heavy unit, also, at around 9 lbs, 50% heavier than mass market players. However, I used the term "apparent quality" above because the quality seems to run only skin deep. I encountered some video problems playing DVD''s on the first unit I had, with vertical bars of black and multi-color running across the screen. My dealer taught me a cure for this problem, pressing the PAL/NTSC button on the remote(however, the placement of this seldom-used function on the remote, where it can easily be pressed by accident, rather than buried in some on-screen menu choice, is a design flaw). After two weeks, player #1 stopped reading disks and made a loud grinding noise attempting to load. I exchanged it for a new DVD-300 and #2 experienced bad video problems, similar to the PAL setting problems, but not curable with the remote. It also stopped playing a CD in mid-song. I replaced the DVD-300 with a Pioneer DV-440 (inferior, but still good video quality) and a used Rotel RCD-970BX (better sound quality) for the same $400. I''d have kept the DVD-300 and given it 5 stars across the board if it had been reliable.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer DV-440; Toshiba 4700

Outstanding overall player for both video and audio.

manual buttons are poorly marked and display is small and hard to read.

I have been looking for a dual purpose player for both DVD''s and CD music. Called my local supplier and he spoke highly of this player for that purpose. I was shocked by how good this player is for music CD''s, especially for the cost. DVD playback is excellent as well, with 3 dimensional clarity and vivid color. Definetly a "best buy" in my book, and givin its cost, there doesn''t seem to be anything on the market at this time that will come close for any price.

Build Quality
Connectivity
Features
Price
MultiRegion straight from box

I havent found any yet

Looks like Cambridge have taken a drive mechanism from the pc community paired it with its own sound processing bits and produced a top quality player.
One of the fastest players ive come across.
Picture Quality is very good from the RGB enabled scart and for those so inclined there are component video outputs as well.
Audio is well covered with a stereo channel,optical digital and coaxial digital and a full compliment of 5.1 outputs should you not be in the AV amp arena at the moment.
Dont know how good the 5.1 outputs are as ive gone straight down the optical digital route.
Audio is well defined and the system performs well with audio cd`s its navigation and re-production of MP3 files is the best i have come across in this price range of players.

Finally all i can say is get down to your high street store and test one put it against other 400 dollar machines and see what you think. You like me could be pleasantly surprised.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer DV343