Apparent quality of build. This is a heavy machine and very quiet while operating. Set up was a snap and video/audio quality very good.

This unit failed way too soon for the light use it gets ... and costs way too much to repair (68% of original cost). It appears that the optical pickup mechanism could be from a third party supplier and Yamaha should shop for a better component. I'm thinking that this is the Mercedes of DVD players (expensive to buy, breaks early, and expensive to repair). I'm looking for the Lexus equivalent of high-end equipment (player that performs like the Yamaha, but operates for 5-10 years or more before repairs are necessary).

The Yamaha DVD-CX1 I purchased in 2003 is an awsome machine that produces quality Audio & Visual through some older components in my system. I'm impressed with how quiet the changer operates and with the ease of set-up. However, reliability at less than 2.5 years has become an issue for me. This machine stopped playing with an "HO2" code. I took it to the only "authorized" Yamaha repair shop in the Phoenix metropolitan area and discovered the repair bill will be $340 to replace the optical pickup mechanism and an integrated chip. I'm now shopping for a comparable unit that will hold together better than the Yamaha.

Solid built player. Excellent analog audio playback. Easy to use remote. Numerous output jacks.

Slow when changing disks. Have encountered some problems when playing back MP3 disks. Cannot shuffle disk carrosel to reload all 5 disks at once.

I purchased this unit off of e-bay for an unbelievable price. Expecting the unit to show signs of visible use, the player was in mint condition. The first thing I noticed was the weight of the player. 23 lbs does make my previous Arcam and Toshiba put to shame. It is encased with a copper shielding to protect the technology from RF interference, great idea. I was looking for a high end carrosel player (which is no longer a market trend). After using an Arcam DV-88 for 2 years, I found the Yamaha DVD-CX1 to reproduce CD sound equivalent to an audiophile Arcam CD player as well as produce equivalent video reporduction as the Arcam DV-88. I am employing Audioquest Coral interconnects for the analog audio,Audioquest Toslink-4 for the digital and an S-2 supervideo cable as I do not have an HDTV yet. I preferred the DVD-CX1 over my Arcam DVD player as Arcam and Yamaha have compatability issues when playing DTS encoded disks. As a result, I prefer DTS sound and have shelved the Arcam DVD player. The DVD-CX1 is coupled with my Yamaha RX-C3000 which produces an ultimate home theatre experience. I prefer the DVD/A format over SACD and have no problems being restricted to DVD/A. I have been unable to find any real negative things about this player. If you are fortunate to find one of these players at a reduced price due to being discontinued, it is well worth the investment. The technology is first rate and competitive to Denon and Arcam.

Similar Products Used:

Arcam DV-88 Toshiba SD-2200

Quality. Weight. Connections. Ability. Stop and resume in-place. Sound. You just don't hae to doubt anything here.

Minor. No random mode for 5 disc music playing. Slower read including CD music only. Need more tactile diversity on the remote - to feel your way around instead of needing a light to figure the tiny buttons. I mean, who the heck leaves the lights burning brightly when getting into a movie for the evening. I've experienced a slight hang on chapter transitions, which I attribute to the various DVD formatting out there (some guy at a movie store told me about Disney or Miramax films being bad about this). Don't know what's up with that really, but I haven't as yet attributed it to anything on the player as it is not on all movies. Black issue previosly discussed in other thread. All considered, I still have no regrets on my purchase.

I have no enlightening information to add here, but would just like to note as well my experience with black levels being dark. I too have adjusted up my brightness and weakened the contrast to bring back detail from shadows on DVD play. In addition to tv controls, however, the on-screen tools allow some adjustment in the player itself and while you play - very cryptic and I haven't looked up their real meanings - that offer two preset bright/contrast modes and a third manual set. This hasn't been too noticeable most times, except for contrasty films - one example being the opening scenes of Sex and Lucia (a wonderful film I might add). I appreciate the mp3 ability, though I have not used it yet. This is a fine Italian sports car in the build quality department. Quiet, smooth operation. Comfortably solid and heavy. Display dimmer. If it won't play here, it won't play anywhere. Four stars on value becasue they dinged so many out of their spare $400 before I got mine at the marked down blow-out $500. Overall four stars because for me, spending $500 on a DVD player period better mean you get something darn good and trust in - and that I did. So did it exceed expectations to earn a 5 star - well, no.

Similar Products Used:

None.

This is an amendment to my previous review. After using this product more I constantly felt that something was off with the black level. Blacks seemed like they were being crushed. I couldn't quite put my finger on it but something was amiss. I soon realized that this problem only occurred when the unit was in progressive mode. I got out my Avia disk and a 'scope and measured the signal levels at various IRE gray fields and sure enough the levels were off on the low level signals. For example a 10 IRE gray field should measure about 71 mV. The player was putting out around 10 mV! I don't know if my particular player was defective or it's a design flaw but I ended up returning the unit. At first I thought it was my imagination but the image just looked too dark. I had to turn the brightness way up on my TV to get the picture the way I like it. Oddly enough I found a review of the unit on a website and the reviewer mentioned that he had to turn the brightness way up so I suspect that this flaw is endemic to all. I really wanted to keep it because the build quality is incredible for the money but this bug is a bad one. I ended up getting the new Denon DVD-2200 and it's a pretty good unit. Same guts as the 2900 but lower build quality (and therefore lower price).

Very good performance. Excellent build quality for the price.

Menus are cryptic.

This is a well-made product that offers very good video and audio performance. If SACD is your thing then you'll be disappointed as it does not support that. You can pick these up relatively cheap now as Yamaha has dropped the price dramatically (the original list price was $1299!!). The video performance is quite good with excellent color and sharp detail most likely due to the Faroudja deinterlacer. The audio performance is equally good with smooth, neutral sound and nice dynamics. Probably most impressive is the build quality for the price. The unit weighs a hefty 20 pounds. Internally, high quality electronics are evident along with a massive power supply. There's even an overall copper shield inside to guard against emag interference. Products under $500 usually do not have this level of build quality. The biggest weakness of the player is the menu system. It's somewhat confusing at first and the setup menu is only accesible when the player is stopped. Then there's the on-screen display which allows you to alter some other parameters via cryptic icons. However, once you set things up you probably never need access the menus again (thankfully).

Similar Products Used:

Sony S560D (infamous No Disc error). Toshiba SD4700 (died 1 month after warranty period, was great before that). Denon DVD-1200 (died after two days, very poorly built).

Sound, Video Quality, Construction, Remote.

Lack of MP3 support, SACD support.

Excellent DVD Changer. Except that it does not have MP3 text support and does not play SACDs, it outperforms most that I have listened. Of course, the price nearly half off retail played a major factor in it's selection.

Similar Products Used:

JVC, Aiwa and other generic brands.

Faroudja, Burr-Brown, weighs 23 lbs. - excellent build quality, numerous outputs for both audio and video, remote actually has an Off (standby) button - rare for Yammies

Takes about 13 seconds when switching from 1 disc to the next, but since it does play a number of formats, it has to take time to recognize what type of disc first.

This changer really has it all (well, almost - no SACD). Faroudja processing for video, Burr-Brown DAC's, DVD-A, more audio/video outputs than you can shake a stick at, and rock solid build quality. This is a very musical CD player. It really matches up well with my NHT speakers, delivering a nice, clean sound. I had a Yammie CDC-685 before this, and I've really grown to like the musical qualities of Yammies. They just seem to deliver a nice, clean sound, they don't try to fancy up the highs or lows, like some others I've had/tested. The picture quality is right on par with the Panasonic CP72 that it replaced. Great value for the money.

Similar Products Used:

Panasonic CP72, Yamaha CDC-685, Denon DCM-370

sonics both DVD and CD; faroujia video processing; convenience of 5 disc capability

weights approx 25 lbs and is large.

I recommend that anyone buying a DVD in this price range listen and compare this player with others in its price range. I and my sales guy listened to Sony, Pioneer, and Yamaha's new single disc player in this price range and we clearly preferred this unit.

Similar Products Used:

Meridian 508-24 CD player