is it time to take the next step?
I have been quite well served with the Pioneer BDP51FD for a number of years but now feel its time to upgrade. My primary concern is PQ and i am interested to see how much things have improved. I am interested in a number of players, notably the Marantz UD7006 and the CA751BD or anything else around that price point. I know there is a group test of these players in next months issue and i'm sure they will all perform well but my interest is seeing how much the PQ has improved over older players such as the Pioneer.
BTW i am in Dublin and we are not well served with mid/high end AV or HIFI retailers so i will be buying online from the UK so not much chance of getting a demo.
Any input appreciated.
The 51FD was/is a very capable player, I had mine for a couple of years and was very pleased. However, I upgraded to the LX91 and there was a massive difference in performance in all aspects. If you are not interested in 3d I would take a look at the older reference machines.
On a side note I have a 2500bt defaulted to region A, and its a great player as well. These can be had very cheap nowadays.
Rich
Thanks for the response guys. ideally i would love to get the LX91 but i fear it is outside my budget (even 2nd Hand).
I have however seen the denon 2500BT for £300 and the Sony BDPS5000ES for £600 from the same online store that specialise in clearance AV equipment. Not sure i can name the site here though.
I had decided to get the Marantz UD7006 after it won the group test but now am not sure what to do.
Hi,
I have not seen the Marantz so cannot comment on it, but the Sony ES is a very good machine and would make a big improvement over the 51fd. I have seen a few over the past 2-3 months well below £600, on the very well none auction site and av classified forums. Have you also considered the new Oppo's?
Rich
Fellas. in the end i bought the Denon transport. Should arrive this week. Cant wait..... 
Fellas. in the end i bought the Denon transport. Should arrive this week. Cant wait.....
Enjoy 
pete.g, did you get the Denon ? and if so how is it performing ?.
I ask as i have a Pioneer 51fd at the moment and have the chance of a 2500bt at a very reasonable price.
What`s the difference in picture and sound quality over the Pioneer ?
Cheers.
Gaun Yersel.
Hi Camac.
I am very happy with my purchase. not had too much time lately too watch movies but did manage to to test the denon with Avatar. It looked great on the Pioneer but there was a marked improvement on the Denon. The colours looked even more vibrant and the overall picture had an almost 3D quality. sound quality was even more impressive to my ears - seemed to fill the room a lot more.
If you can get it at the right price - i would definately recomend the upgrade
cheers.
Hi pete.g,
Got my 2500bt last night only thing i can say is "wow" . You are right it is a big improvement over the Pioneer in both picture and sound quality. Watched "The Dark Knight" on it and was blown away.
I have a Sony bdps-380 in the bedroom and i was connecting it and the Denon to watch the same scenes and in my opinion there was no comparison between the two. ( I know there was a big gulf in price when both were new)
I had auditioned a couple of the newer blu-ray players and felt that in my price range (around £600) there was not a big enough improvement to picture and sound quality to justify the outlay, i am only interested in picture and sound quality, and the Denon dvd-2500bt is more than a match for "anything" i have seen so i am glad i bought mine, and to anybody else looking to upgrade if you get the chance take a look at the "Old Denon" , if you are not interested in 3d and dont mind the slow loading times you wont be dissapointed.
Thanks to pete.g and jase fox.
Gaun Yersel.
Forgive ignorance but in the context of a BDP, what does 'transport' mean - I assume additional kit is required? 
If so, what?
Ta
The Denon doesn't decode the audio signals on a Blu-ray it just bitstreams them via HDMI to your AV receiver, which does all the decoding . This does, of course, mean you need an AV amp/receiver that can decode HD Audio formats. But being as most receivers - even budget ones - have been suitably equipped for several years now, that shouldn't be an issue. If, however, you have an older AV amp that can only receive pre-decoded HD audio then the 2500BT isn't for you.
I'm pleased to see a growing number of second-hand 2500BT owners. Glad you're getting the most from it!
As you say, barring an interest in 3D or demand for the swiftest loading times and BD Live, I'd encourage anybody with a budget Blu-ray spinner to upgrade to the older Denon.
I've had one for a couple of months now and find myself more impressed over time.
They're built to last, too, so unless you pick one up that has really been knocked around it should last for years.
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I know I keep saying it (after being advised the same by another forum member) but the Denon DVD-2500BT remains a worthy upgrade over much newer players, as long as the slow loading times and lack of BD-Live doesn't bother you.
You can find them up for grabs on ebay from time to time for relatively little, presumably because owners have now gone the 3D route. I can't imagine why else they'd get rid. It remains astoundingly good, if all you're after is a machine that will make the most of Blu-ray discs.