After buying a 200 pounds Yamaha natural sound 5.1 Av Reciever and 100 pounds on speakers and some more money on cables I was left with very little left and decided to buy a cheap DVD player to act as a stand in CD/DVD player until I had a few hundred saved up. The Yakumo was the obvious choice since i had some region one DVDs.
When it arrived I wasn’t expecting much for 35 quid but I was amazed when I opened the package. You can tell a quality of a DVD player by the build quality and looks well this has both. Still it’s about visual and video quality isn’t it. So I stuck in first contact for 5.1 Dolby digital from the coax to the AV and the sound and picture quality is up with a player three times the price, the picture is sharp and the sound is amazing. Stuck in a few CDs, Nirvana, Emiliana Torrini and some Godspeed you black emperor and they all sounded superb. I don’t think I 'll be buying that expensive player after all. I’m not going to fool you into thinking its a pioneer DV656 but it does rival players of the 100 pound mark at 35 quid inc delivery this was the bargain of the universe. This budget player even out performs my expensive Panasonic A110 in terms of sound & picture quality via the S-Video connection, the 5.1 sound via the coaxial connection is also outstanding with much better separation FX in the rear speakers!
The price to function ratio is great. Having searched both the Internet and bricks and mortar stores trying to find a DVD player that plays VCD's, CD-RW, Mpeg, MP3 & multi-region at a price I was willing to pay was proving difficult; till finding this player. It even arrived within 10 days of placing the order. So don't be put off by the 4-6 weeks delivery. This unit plays everything, and I do mean everything out of the box R1 DVDS inc RCE discs! DVD-R,SVCD,VCD,CDRS etc.
As other reviews on Amazon have said, it is easy to set up and does exactly as it says on the box. I have recommended to a friend who has indeed ordered one for himself. The only negative I can say about it, is that it is slightly wider than my VCR and satellite box, so if you are short on space underneath your TV, take note of the measurements. Otherwise a huge thumbs up, my negative just cannot detract from its positives.
One grumble though, the instruction manual supplied is very basic, but really what do you expect for the amazing price! For £35 all in, any gripes you may have with the on-screen navigation are negligable. The DVD playback is superb, and the player is region-free right out of the box. Slightly frustrated with the mp3 navigation menu, with the track info extremely limited to about 12 characters - usually the artist's name. Also, if you have the Pacific Home Cinema Kit (the one available from Asda), some of the DVD remote control's buttons turn the amplifier up and down, handy if you really want to confuse your flat mate!! One other slight grumble is the power button, looks like it's fallen off a Fisher Price toy and then been glued on but once again for the price your not going to get the Mona Lisa.
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Advantages: Multi-region, good audio/video quality, very low price, lots of features, player seems well made Disadvantages: Remote control could be better, MP3 player a bit buggy
essoft 07.06.2004 (07.06.2004)
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