Quality sound, video and build. No surround processing for direct flawless input into a AVR receiver.

Usual DVD player slowness in reading discs format. Made in China vs. my older HK system was made in Japan.

I put off buying a DVD player for the technology to improve. Then my Carver bit it. I then decided to get out of my bachelor 5 foot stack of HK separates as there wasn't any decent receivers 10-15 years ago. Being married and on a budget I pick up the HK AVR7000 and DVD 5, along with new Whafedale MDM-7s and Diamond 7.1s, all at uBid. I went on past name brand quality and other reviews and took the chance.

I can't compare the new with old, but I am utterly impressed with all. Although I've only rented a few DVDs, they played flawlessly! I also decided to dump my laserdisc player as a result. I've listened to numerous CD's and I'm hearing background instruments that never stood out before. The vocal's are breathtaking! I miss the random disk switching option of my old player but the sound quality is worth it! Also shows how crude analog signals like from my digital cable is lame in comparison. Going to switch to satellite with optical outputs.

I think having no signal processing, and using the optical outputs saves the signal purity with a receiver with surround processing onboard. Also, I paid an additional $30 for shipping. And on the box, it has a label that states it's up to all factory specs. and has the factory warranty. But not to be sold new due to cosmetics. The only thing I noted was a very small dent on the disc's drawer, everything looks new but looking at the screws, it has been opened up before. Was manufactured June 2000, where's it been? At $209, 1/3 the price of my old CD player, I couldn't be happier!!

Similar Products Used:

Carver 380t reference tube-amp cd player

CLEAR PICTURE AND SOUND, LOOKS GREAT

NOTHING MAJOR JUST THE REMOTE

TESTED AND COMPARED HK WITH DENON AND SONY. I MUST SAY THE PICTURE AND SOUND QUALITY OF HK WAS MUCH BETTER THAN DENON AND SONY. DENON HAD A DARK TINT TO IT. LOOKS AMAZING. HOWEVER THE REMOTE LOOKED A LITTLE LAME, I LIKED THE SONY REMOTE THE BEST. ANOTHER GREAT THING ABOUT HK IS THAT IT HAS NO PLASTIC COMPONENTS OUTSIDE, SOLID STEEL MACHINE,.

Similar Products Used:

DENON 1500 AND SONY DVPC660

Sound (BOTH CD and DVD) and picture, remote, aesthetics.

Not much--can't play random across all 5 discs (whoopie)

I can't believe this DVD5 bumped-off my Audio Alchemy DAC (DDE 1.1) for CD sound quality, but it DID! This is true with both 24-bit and old-fashioned garden-variety 16-bit CDs. It wasn't even close! Vocals were buttery smooth, bass tight and percussion crisp.

Ok, so what about movies? Picture is as flawless as I've seen since watching a DVD played on a Sony XBR400...I only have a cheapo 27" RCA. Here's an example, the Golden Gate Bridge in Star Trek IV used to look a bit jaggie on my JVC. I've yet to see a jaggie after watching about 4-5 movies (all ones I've seen before). Not only that, I can clearly see foliage on the opposite side of the bay in that same scene in Star Trek IV!

Sound on movies? Well, being largely a music buff, that's what I tune-in on, and the orchestral background music for U-571, Star Trek, etc. sound outstanding to me. But a concrete example is in the Blue Brothers (original) where Elwood is playing harp in more of a back-up role with the band, you can pick-out each note he plays...whereas before, I was merely hearing a harp, but couldn't separate it out. Cropper's guitar sounded richer, and when Donald "Duck" Dunn hit a bass chord, I thought I'd faint!

The rest of my system is an HK AVR300, Tara Labs interconnects and speakerwire...except for DD/DTS optical cable by Theta, and Pinnacle mains and center speaker with Jamo dipole surrounds.

Look no further if you want a great CD changer and/or DVD player around $400. I haven't seen anything short of $550 with a picture like this, and the sound is like a good Rotel CD player...well, at least what a good Rotel sounded like 4-5 years ago.

Similar Products Used:

HK CD changer and JVC 701 DVD player

Great sound, picture, NO NOISE!!, looks, plays CD-RW's

Needs to play random for all discs

I was totally hooked on DVD after watching several movies at my friend's place, so I decided I had to get one. He had an older Sony model, so I figured Sony was a good choice... bad move!! The DVP-650 performed nicely as far as picture and sound goes, but there is a terrible, annoying, distracting, (I could go on forever here) sound made from the motor spinning the disc. I don't know about you, but I don't want to spend a load of cash on a home theater that sounds great only to have a loud, jet engine-like, (I have issues with the sony, I know) noise coming from the internals of my DVD player. So I returned the Sony and picked up the H/K DVD 5. WOW... what a difference. After hooking it up, I left it outside the audio cabinet and sat listening to it. Ahhhh... the beauty of silence. NO NOISE!! I would have been happy with the unit just for that, but I was in for a pleasant surprise. The picture quality and sound reproduction was excellent, better by far than the Turbine Engine, I mean Sony player. There is no noise or hiss on the sound tracks, even when played really loud thru the Denon AVR 3300 I have running it. I can listen to any CD and the reproduction is first-class, even when playing CD-RW (another BIG bonus for this player) the sound is great. I cannot think of a single reason not to buy this DVD player, the ease of setup and use is untouchable, the looks, well, just look at the other players on the market, then look at this beauty. Overall, I love this unit...go out and buy one for yourself and see if you disagree.

Similar Products Used:

Sony DVP 650 (the new one)

Quiet, detailed full midrange, smooth highs, very extended bass, good picture

????? Still Looking....OK, only one set of each type of video out (composite, S and component)

I am using this with the 2.0 and an ATI 5 Channel amp. The difference in sound between this and the Panasonic DVD player I had before is HUGE! The edginess is gone, the mid range is full and detailed not light and messy, imaging is excellent. Have not done any testing on video reproduction yet but it looks great so far. Overall a good value for the sound reproduction.

Similar Products Used:

HK Signature 2.0 Pre Processor

great sound and video; good looks;Menu system is easy;remote is backlit and enough inputs to make me happy.

built in china. no cd-r play back. not reliable at all.

I love this player and I hate it at the same time. It is great when it works. Two weeks after I bought this player it was KIA. The power standby would come on after pushing the main power switch but after that the player would no come on. So I took it back and got another. The new one will play all discs perfectly for about 5 min. and then it makes lots of noise and says discs error. I have tried all types of discs and it does the same thing every time. Well, I have had enough. I am taking it back and getting something different. I hope if anyone buys this player they have good luck with it because it is damn good player when ot works.
I will give it 2 stars overall just because it is such a good preforming player.

Similar Products Used:

auditioned a ton of players under $1000

?????????

Doesn't work

Worked for one DVD and is now in permanent standby. Am hoping that the exchange works out as I am beyond the 30 days return policy due to the gift nature of the player.

Would not say this is a reflection of the store purchased so I have left anonymous but will add if I have fun with them.

I am writing this because since I have had this problem a search on the web indicates that this is a WAY too common occurrence (read AMAZON on the HK model they stock). Many people have an HK that likes standby so much it stays there.

I am going to give a low rating just so that you can be warned and make sure you buy from a local dealer.

CD Player quality sound

None really, could use more CD player like functions such as random play and spiral play, but it is a DVD player.

This DVD will run circles around most other DVD players when it comes to sound. I have yet to hear one that sounds better, Maybe the Rotel, but because Rotel does not have a 5 disc player available for me yet I stopped the comparison there.

I have had zero problems with my mine, and I have zero complaints.

Fairly Quiet, Picture quality, Plays CD-Rs, Looks great!

Will not play CD-Rs with light backgrounds... Memorex CD-Rs is one of them...

I have to admit this is the first DVD I own, however... I have been putting of the purchase of a DVD for a while because I didn't know how the new format would be accepted...

I did get to see some RCA, Onkyo & Denon DVD playes in action during that time, from my friends...

I was highly impressed with the Onkyo 601 & Denon 1500 & had my heart set on one of those... Until I read the reviews here on the DVD5 & took the chance just to be different.

Don't regret it one bit... The HK is an Awesome DVD Player.
And plays CD-Rs... most DVD's don't... now I am the envy of my friends :)

Sturdy build. Crystal-clear picture. Great sound.

Remote. Occasional "Disc Error" message.

I've had the DVD 5 since December and have virtually no problems with it. For the money, I found it to be the clear-cut best multi-disc DVD player on the market.

True, the remote does suck, but it really is the only weakness I've found.

And since I listen to 50% music, it is extremely capable as strictly a CD player.

Similar Products Used:

Sony, Hitachi, and Panasonic.