Comparative test: Dune HD Max vs iconBIT HD600Core media player

From afar, the media players look very similar – both are made in wide, “stand-up”, matte cases of almost identical charcoal-black color. The front panels of both media players have covers, only Dune HD Max has two – the left covers a laser disc drive, the right one – a hard drive bay, and the iconBIT HD600Core has a single cover that hides the whole front panel of the media player.

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION FEATURES

From a distance the media players look very similar – both of them are made in wide, “under the rack”, matte cases of almost the same charcoal black color.

The front panels of both media players have covers, only Dune HD Max has two of them: the left cover is for the laser drive and the right one is for the hard drive slot, and the iconBIT HD600Core has the only cover that hides the whole front panel of the media player.

Both media players are based on the modern Sigma Design SMP8642 chipset, equipped with a Blu-ray/DVD/CDDA drive from SONY and a SATA 3 hard drive bay.5″. Both Dune and iconBIT support hard disks formatted in FAT16/FAT32/NTFS Microsoft Windows or EXT2/EXT3 Linux .

On the rear panel of the Dune there are two slots for installing expansion cards that will allow you to upgrade the device in the future. The iconBIT media player is equipped with a WiFi-adapter for wireless network connection, while you will have to pay extra for Dune’s wireless network connection.

Dune has a dim indicator display on the front panel which displays all necessary information, while iconBIT doesn’t have such a display and the only non-adjustable blue LED on the front panel makes it glaring in the dark.

On both media players front panels you will find an SD/SDHC card reader and USB port for quick connection of removable media, but with Dune they are not covered, so it will be more convenient to use them.

Mounting and unmounting a hard drive in Dune is a snap thanks to the well thought-out mechanism of the bay door, which literally opens with the little finger of one hand.

It is not so easy to perform the same operation with iconBit: the drive is installed in a plastic U-shaped frame, which can be completely removed, and you must align the four studs on the frame with mounting holes on the hard drive, and then slide the frame into the compartment.

Forget about performing this last operation with one finger because the double locking mechanism of the frame works by pressing it simultaneously with thumb and forefinger.

You’d better hold the media player with your other hand, because the frame goes in and out of the compartment very tightly, so you have to exert effort, which, in our opinion, is unacceptable!

SWITCHING CAPABILITIES

Both media players have three USB ports to connect removable media and both are equipped with HDMI1 audio/video interface.3, component Y-Pb-Pr video output, analog stereo pair, LAN network connector, as well as optical and coaxial interfaces for digital audio.

Now for the differences: iconBIT is equipped with an additional USB port for data exchange with your PC. The port comes in handy when exchange through the local network is limited for some reason, for example during intensive downloads from the Internet.

On the other hand, the Dune media player is equipped with a set of 7″ analog surround-sound outputs.1, as well as composite and S-Video video outputs.

AUDIO/VIDEO/PHOTO PLAYBACK

The set of supported photo, audio and video formats is identical because both media players are based on the same chipset. Both Dune and

IconBIT can play high definition 3D movies and both support Blu-ray discs in any zone ABC multi-zone .

When playing high definition films and HD photos we didn’t notice any difference by eye. Image detail, color quality and smoothness of dynamic video are on approximately the same high level.

Considerable differences become apparent in sound reproduction, both digital and analogue. Dune has a more detailed reproduction of high-frequency sounds, providing a better scene and more realistic localization of apparent sound sources. When playing music, strings and metal percussion instruments sound more detailed with more natural aftershounds.

Additionally, Dune offers a more corporeal, richer sound with vocals, especially lower male voices. All in all, I liked the sound of Dune better than the one produced by iconBIT.

NETWORKING FEATURES

Both media players can be connected to a wired Ethernet 10/100 LAN and also functionally and iconBIT hardware support wireless LANs.

Both Dune and iconBIT support SMB and UPnP network communication, and with a built-in torrent client both media players can also download media content from the Internet without a computer.

MENU AND OPERATION FEATURES

Full screen interface of both media players is available in American. Dune menu is clearly more ergonomically arranged – the OSD is multi-paged, there are not many text and pictures on pages, symbols and images are bigger, so they are well readable. With iconBIT the screen interface is one page, therefore the texts and icons are smaller and less readable.

Media players have similar control panels with similar button layout. At the same time, the buttons of the iconBIT media player have a white backlight, which provides a distinct advantage for control in the dark.

FUNCTIONS

Both media players support Blu-ray movie downloads from the web BD-Live feature and offer copying, deleting and editing functions for removable media.

Thanks to the additional USB port the iconBIT media player allows copying the media from the PC without using Network, what is an obvious advantage in cases when the wired network controller is busy with intensive downloads and uploads if you are downloading by torrent-client from the Internet.

SUPPORT

On the websites of both companies dune and iconbit the latest firmware versions for the respective media player are available, and both websites also feature forums where you can exchange information with the owners of similar media players, get news or get expert advice.

At the same time the Dune website offers additional features, for instance, you can download a detailed user manual and additional useful applications.

PRICE

According to Yandex.Market at 11.09.2011, the average price of Dune HD Max in New York is 17,990 Dollars., iconBIT HD600Core – 11 755 Dollars. Price of iconBIT HD600Core is more than 6000 RUB.!

GOODS

Dune HD Max. Sigma Design SMP8642 advanced chipset. Supports a very large number of formats and codecs. Blu-ray/DVD/CD drive. A set of analog surround sound outputs 7.1. Composite video output. S-Video output. Front panel indicator display. Possibility of future media player upgrades by installing expansion cards.

iconBIT HD600Core. SigmaDesign SMP8642 advanced chipset. Supports a very large number of formats and codecs. Blu-ray/DVD/CD drive. Built-in WiFi wireless network interface. Optional USB port for PC connection. Remote control with backlight. Possibility to transfer data from computer via USB port.

NOTES

Dune HD Max. Relatively high price.

iconBIT HD600Core. Very un ergonomic hard disk setup/removal. LED on the front panel is blinding in the dark. On-screen interface is poorly readable.

TOTALS

Most likely both media players will perform their primary functions equally well – playback movies with high resolution of image and sound, and download and play back media content from the Internet.

Dune HD Max offers broader connections with other components of your home entertainment system, as well as an option to upgrade in the future.

On the other hand, the iconBIT HD 600 core is equipped with WiFi-adapter for wireless networks and additional USB port for switching with PC.

Once the first raptures about the AV capabilities of an AV component are over, the convenience of its everyday use comes to the forefront.

In terms of ergonomics and user friendliness Dune HD Max is a better choice, because it has an information display on the front panel, which does not bother your eyes in the dark, large symbols and text in its screen interface will be easier to read, and installing and uninstalling the hard drive will not be painful for you time and again.

For those movie-lovers who value not only its capabilities and design but also the ease of use of their AV components in everyday life, we can recommend the Dune HD Max media player. For those who are not afraid of difficulties and prefer more iron for less money, the iconBIT HD600Core is more suitable.