Denon DVD-2200 DVD Player

To better understand my opinions and perspectives on this review, let me first list my other components:

Sony 32" HDTV KV-32HS500
Onkyo TX-NR801 AVR
B&W DM602 S3 font speakers
JBL center and Pioneer surrounds

Like many others out there, I myself questioned the DVD-2200 when it first became available. I auditioned the 2900 and Sony DVP-NS999ES and found the 2900 to be an overall better player, but I was on an extremely tight budget and came to realize the unfortunate truth that I would not be able to afford either of the two. Then I heard of the 2200 but was reluctant to give it a shot since there were no online reviews for it at the time. Finally one day, I made the plunge and purchased the 2200 and have not looked back.

The 2200 is ALMOST identical to the 2900 performance wise. In fact, I noticed that for some odd reason, the 2200 has a more appealing picture compared to that of the 2900 in progressive mode. For video testing I used The Lion King DVD, Terminator 2: Extreme DVD, and Charlie's Angels: Superbit. Tweaking the contrast, brightness, sharpness, and hue of both players to the exact same settings, the 2200's picture quality is slightly more defined. There were certain scenes in The Lion King where I could definitely notice more of an HD-like picture with razor-sharp outlines and smooth flowing images on the 2200 than the 2900. The only word I can use to describe the picture of the 2900 is that it is a tiny bit "softer". Regardless, both players were flawless on video. I was surprised to see the 2200 produce such stunning images.

Next, I tested sound between the 2200, 2900, and the Sony 999ES. Since I did not have a higher-end center speaker or surrounds, my testing was done primarily in stereo mode. I used many 2-channel SACDs to conduct my evaluation of the three. Hands down, the best music reproduction goes to the Sony. This is not to say that the 2200 and 2900 were horrible. They were both also very good with sound (the 2900 had a slightly warmer sound than the 2200 when I listened closely), but the Sony just had a more soothing sound to it. Still, you have to remember that a DVD player is after all for DVDs and not for music. What's important is picture quality and sound under DTS and Dolby Digital (which the 2200 does extremely well). The 2200 also includes bass management and channel delay, which I adjusted to my speaker's setup. This is something rare for a player of this price.

After many long hours and repetitive movie watching, I can now conclude that the 2200 is well worth the $599 price tag. I'm sure there are many audiophiles and videophiles like myself who cannot afford a $1000 DVD player, and the 2200 is the perfect solution. Video performance is top-notch and sound performance is nothing short of amazing. After having auditioned both the 2200 and 2900, I would have to say that the extra $400 for the 2900 is not worth it in my opinion. There isn't much performance increase in sound and video performance is arguable. The 2900 does have a more rock-solid build and bigger casing, but unless $1000 is pocket change to you, I highly recommend the 2200 over ANY other player in the same price range.