This is my first review, so go easy on me J . I imagine that if we fail to sell masses of these Marantz DV-6400 DVD players after this review has been posted, my privilege (or burden?) of writing reviews will be swiftly taken away by Steve. Well, here goes…..

Firstly, the specs and appearance. As you can see below the DV-6400 is a simple yet attractive design, and its available in black, silver and gold (to match the ‘champagne’ gold colour of other Marantz components). The front display can be turned off fully or dimmed if you wish, and all the usual connections can be found on the back – optical/coaxial outputs; stereo RCA outs; as well as component, s-video and composite video connections (plus 5.1 outputs for multichannel formats). Note that a Scart output is present on silver and black units, but not on the gold unit.

The remote control is quite easy to use, which is contrary to a review I read recently. Buttons are well laid out, making operation intuitive and quick, however its lack of back-lighting can make things difficult in the dark. If you or someone else misplace the remote, all is not lost - navigation buttons can also be found on the front of the player itself, a feature that very few players have. On-screen menus are easy to follow, with bass management available for multichannel audio formats.

The DV-6400 can truly be regarded as a ‘universal’ player for it supports the following disc formats: DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, SACD, CD-R/-RW, DVD-R/-RW, DVD+R, MP3, Video CD, MP3 and JPEG discs. This player is also multi-zoned out of the box. So how’s it perform?

Firstly, the sound side of things. CD playback sounds very natural and detailed, showing that, although Marantz has diversified in recent years (they now have a range of plasma panels and learning remote controls, amongst other product lines), they are still an audio company first. Whether through the analogue outs or digitally, I would guesstimate cd playback to be equal in performance to a $500 dedicated CD player. Those with a sensitive ear will pick the slightly warmer sound through analogue compared to the more clinical sound typically heard through an optical or coaxial digital connection. Having quite a wide-ranging taste in music, artists taken for a spin included Arrested Development, Credence, The Eagles (Hotel California being a no-brainer), some thumping beats from Janet Jackson and Everclear, some mellow tunes from Coldplay, and the great Billie Holiday (with her short and simple track ‘The very thought of you’ bringing a bigger smile than usual to my face when played through the DV-6400). Some good ‘ol country from Keith Urban, Martina McBride and the lovely Terri Clark rounded out the CD listening (Ok, ok - I’ll admit that I am a big country music fan, much to the dismay of everyone else here at Eastwood. But I now know that if I need a bit if space to myself at the shop, all I have to do is spin a bit of Alan Jackson and the place clears out real quick!). This player handled these various musical genres without skipping a beat, with CD playback being a noticeable step up from budget players. That could be explained in some part by the upgraded 192kHz/24-bit Audio DACS of the DV-6400, (the same as that found in the $3K big bro, the Marantz DV8400).

The highlight of the DV-6400, and of course one of its main selling features when compared to lesser players, is its ability to play DVD-Audio and SACD. I’ll admit that I wasn’t busting to be the first on the block to listen to, or own, a Super Audio CD or DVD-Audio capable player. My main reservations revolved around the (initial) high price of these machines, the limited titles available in these formats and the $30+ asking price…and these two formats haven’t exactly been setting the industry alight. But after listening to a few titles on the DV-6400, I gotta say I’m hooked. First up for a listen was Missy Elliot’s So Addictive DVD Audio compilation (stay with me – I promise the choice of titles improves). Her urban grooves and funky beats sounded superb and highly immersive when heard through the DV-6400, with a tight bass-line pervading through many of the tracks (Track 5, ‘Get ur freak on’ being a personal favourite). Queen’s ‘A Night at the Opera’ DVD-A was up next, and that’s when I really started to enjoy myself. The highlight had to be ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, with the track starting off quite slow and then building up to quite a pace. It was this disc and track, played on this player, that has converted me to being a staunch advocate of multichannel audio. The presence in the surround speakers during parts of this recording was a thrill to listen to, and the more multichannel discs I fed the 6400 the more impressed I was with this player.

Talking of thrills, Michael Jackson’s SACD recording of Thriller was a memorable listen. ‘Billy Jean’ has held a place on my ‘favourite songs’ list for some time and hearing it in a higher bit-rate stereo recording was a new and refreshing way to relive this classic. After listening to this SACD, the CD version sounded rather flat and lifeless in comparison. A change to the jazz genre saw Carol Kidd’s Nice Work SACD in the tray, and I continued to be impressed. Listening to these albums had me wishing there were more multichannel titles available.

I’ve talked at length about the audio side of things, but video performance in no way takes a back seat.

The Battle at Helm’s Deep (from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers) contains numerous dark shades, and many DVD players have trouble reproducing this chapter in a convincing manner. Not so the DV-6400 – blacks and dark greys were clearly discernible, while the psychedelic colour palette of the groovy Austin Powers’ Goldmember was bright and vivid. Fog scenes in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World are particularly hard to reproduce accurately because the fog has been digitally inserted into the picture. I’ve seen lesser (and greater) players struggle to make the fog look realistic without looking digitised (especially on a larger screen), but the DV-6400 had no such troubles.

A question we’re often asked here at Eastwood Hi-fi is ‘why pay more than $200 or $300 for a DVD player in this day and age?’ After spinning a few discs (whatever format you wish to throw at it) in the DV-6400 and having a look and listen, this universal player provides a convincing answer to this question. Not only is video and audio very well handled, but the ability to play SACD and DVD-A (and do an admirable job with these formats) makes this one of the most convincing and affordable universal players on the market. At a RRP of $999 (call Steve for his latest deal), The DV-6400 aptly covers the middle ground between budget DVD players and high-end universal players. You would have to spend considerably more of your hard-earned (at least double) to noticeably improve on the performance that the DV-6400 provides. Home Theatre Magazine recently described the DV-6400 as possessing "85 percent of the video performance and 75 to 80 percent of the audio performance of the DV-8400 (RRP $2999), at less than 40 percent of the price." Don’t think I need to add any more to that comment.