Ultimateavmag choice for audio over the Marantz 9600 and Denon 5900. Please see the reviews on their site. TJN's reference DVD player. Plays all formats. Stunning picture and possibly the best audio under $3000. A fantastic transport and great at SACD, DVD-Audio and an exceptional Redbook player. Upconverts video from HDMI to 480P, 720P and 1080i. One of the few to output 480i over HDMI so ideal if you have a scaler. The unit is in mint condition. $620.
UAV compared to the Marantz 9600:
In this case, I pulled out the Pioneer Elite DV-79AVi (review here which, when used as a CD transport, is the best-sounding DVD player I've yet had in my system.
Some listeners may prefer the Marantz' slightly warmer sound, but I found that the extra air and detail from the Pioneer simply made it more fun to listen to. It was by no means bright, but in comparison the Marantz sounded a little soft, though hardly dull.
But for me, the SACD and DVD-Audio sound from the Marantz lacked that last, important drop of natural warmth, depth, top end spaciousness, and air that make me want to continue listening to the music long after I've made the last entry to my review notes. The above mentioned Pioneer, on the other hand, hit the bulls-eye dead-on in all those characteristics.
