When we received a few months back the Carmen CD/DVD player, we were pleasantly surprised by its quality. Both the audio and video surpassed anything Theta had done to date, including the David (I). Then came the David II ……. After the positive experience we had with the Carmen, we were very skeptical as to the performance of the David II, which is nearly 50% more expensive. With the David II cold, no even run-in, we quickly realised that we were listening and watching the best DVD player we had ever seen.

The picture is better than the Carmen, a bit more realistic and three dimensional, however, it is in the audio department that this CD/DVD transport shines. The sound is rich, but not slow or laid back. Excellent pace and rhythm.

Detail is amazing. We heard things we never knew were on the recording. Also, details which were difficult to define, are now clear and distinctive. Normally additional detail can bring about brightness. Not so with the David II, it absolutely smooth.

It is expensive, but then if the best CD and DVD transport is what you want, the Theta David II is the one