Denon DVD-2900

The DVD-2900 was Denon's second-generation universal player. It came after the DVD-1600 and DVD-2800 and sat below the flagship DVD-9000. It was Denon's first player to handle both DVD-Audio and SACD, and it sold for $999 new. The engineering is what set it apart. Denon called the design concept "Simple & Stoute," with separate power supplies and circuit boards for analog video, digital video, analog audio, and digital audio, so noise doesn't bleed between sections. Two power transformers fed dedicated supplies for the mechanism, digital, and control sections. The chassis had a double-layer bottom panel with vibration-damping material sandwiched between the layers. The player was part of the broader quest for universal DVD players supporting high-resolution audio formats in the early 2000s, as discussed in Mix Magazine (November 2004, p.156).

On the audio side, it used Analog Devices 192kHz/24-bit D/A converters - one per channel for stereo, four total for multichannel - and included Denon's AL24 Processing Plus. The specs were strong for the period: 118 dB S/N and 0.001% THD on DVD-Audio, 115 dB S/N on SACD, and frequency response out to 96 kHz on 192kHz DVD-Audio material. A Pure Direct mode cut power to the video and display circuits for music listening. The video section used a 108MHz/12-bit D/A converter with progressive scan (3:2 pull-down), and the player supported both PAL and NTSC. It also had HDCD decoding and came with a backlit learning remote.

Owners generally praised the build quality, and "built like a tank" is a recurring phrase. The video output was considered excellent for its day. The audio side drew more mixed comments. SACD and DVD-A playback were widely praised, but some listeners found CD playback slightly forward or bright, and one reviewer noted a roll-off in the highs on the CD layer of hybrid SACDs. The digital output only passes Dolby Digital/DTS from DVD-Video, not PCM from DVD-Audio, which matters if you plan to use it as a transport. Known failure points are the tray belt stretching (the tray won't open or close properly), power supply capacitors failing with age, and the VFD display dimming or going out entirely. Replacement displays are nearly impossible to source now.

Surviving information on production years is thin, and no exact launch or end dates are documented. Denon no longer offers parts or service support for the DVD-2900 in most countries, and the original laser mechanism part is no longer available from Denon, though replacements do appear on eBay from time to time. Working units with the original remote typically sell for $150 - $250 in the US and roughly £120 - £180 in the UK.