Refine search for Home Cinema

  8 comments      Email TrustedReviews Newsletters

Elsewhere you'll find an iPod connection, which enables you to control your portable player using the unit's remote and send metadata to the front panel display, but you'll need an optional cable to hook it up. It's joined by RS232 and IR ports for custom installation use, radio aerial inputs (F-type screw and springclip) and sturdy binding posts for the left/right speakers.

It lacks digital audio inputs and a USB port wouldn't have gone amiss at this price, but the Primare does feature an analogue-to-digital converter which makes connected analogue sources available from the digital outputs, should you want to pass them onto an external recorder or amp.

The DVDi10 certainly isn't cheap but after glancing at the specs you begin to understand why. The star of the show is the Genesis FLI2300 video processor, which handles video upscaling duties (up to 1080p), and it's joined by an Analogue Devices ADV7320 video DAC. Then there's the 2.1-channel amplifier system, powered by an improved version of the modular Class D technology used by the CDi10, the CD/receiver combi on which this unit is based. Not only does this kick out 2 x 75W of audio power, it also saves space internally and generates a low amount of heat.

It's also worth noting that the DVDi10 plays MP3 and JPEG from CD or DVD but not DivX, while DAB radio fans will also be interested to hear that the DVDi10 offers 10 presets and 196kHz/24-bit conversion, resulting in superb sound quality.

But in operation the DVDi10 is something of an oddity and its quirks take a while to get used to. The remote, for example, is sprinkled with illogicality - the play button is separated from the other playback controls and doubles up as pause with no indication on the remote itself that this is the case. Neither is it made clear that the Stop button acts as open/close when you hold it down. There's also no Mute button and the banks of small, homogenous buttons towards the bottom with abbreviated labels don't help you find things in a hurry. That said, it's well built and attractive - perfect coffee table fodder.

Add your comment