I HAVE JUST PURCHASED AN ONKYO SACD / DVD PLAYER DV SP 502 WITH DISAPPOINTING RESULTS.
WHEN CONNECTED CORRECTLY TO MY ONKYO RECEIVER TX DS 575X THERE IS A PRONOUNCED DROPPING OFF OF BASS IN COMPARISON TO THE BASS OUTPUT FROM MY ONKYO CD PLAYER DX 7222.
With sacd players, some have bass management. You should check and see if there is some sort of bass boost or a way to set the crossover. Another reason that low bass could be happening is that the sacd player isn't outputting in DSD, which is what Sony says is the way to decode sacd.
XZ
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Hi Neville ,
Besides this specific problem what's your opinion about the Onkyo SP 502 ? I'm talking about its audio while playing plain stereo cds ?
The ONKYO SP 502 DVD / SACD player is excellent as an ordinary CD player. It delivers full range sound with excellent bass. My great disappointmen was that, although it played SACDs with accurate surround sound, no matter what I did I was unable to achieve a full range sound with adequate bass that it can deliver on ordinary CDs. I am using a B&W ASW 650 sub-woofer.
I was so disenchanted with the unacceptable SACD sound from the DV-SP502 that I returned it to the retailer and received a refund. The retailer informed me, that if I wanted better quality SACD suround sound I should purchase ONKYO DV-SP800 DVD/SACD player which retails at AUS$2000! I have not purchased the DV-SP800.
I have been subsequently informed that the SACD circuitry by-passes the preamplifier in the receiver thus causing a noticeable dropping of off bass frquencies. I am not a technically informed man so I have to take this on face value as being correct.
XZ
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Hi Neville ,
I would recommend the HK DVD model 31 but it plays only DVDA , no SACD . But there are lots of other choices as you know .
Can anyone tell me if the ONKYO DV-SP502 DVD/SACD player is outputting in DSD. This may not be the case, and thus is causing a noticeable dropping off in the upper frequencies and particularly in the bass.
Even though mid-range is SACD's strongest side, it's no too bad at reproducing bass and high frequencies. But DSD is tricky to equalize in digital domain, which means that we're forced to put it through "as is" to amp and speakers.
IMO the best thing to do by now is to choose speakers according to our preferences regarding sound. Assuming the fact that we have to accept the audio signals some studio technician came up with, few possibilities to flavour sound as of our likes. Some albums have a decent bass, others don't.
One thing you could try though, is to use receiver's specific volume level settings for 5.1 analogue input. On the other hand, working with LFE crossover frequency is not an option for you. Iff used, surely player will do bass management on PCM converted signal.
Lastly, one way to figure out whether your player is "true DSD" is to check out modders' opinion. Audio Circles forum is one of their hangouts.
Has anyone had any experience with the ONKYO DV SP 800 DVD / SACD player?
I am interested in its ability to reproduce full range SACD surround sound.
So far my experience with DVD / SACD players has been that there is a noticeable dropping off of bass in the subwoofer.
Woody
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Neville, I have the same problem with my gear. (Pioneer universal player and Sony receiver). Everything else reproduces fine, especially in surround. I have to turn volume of SACD way up to get close to response that I would like, and in some titles bass is close to non-existent. (Jamie Cullum, Twentysomething). I have adjusted menus on both pieces of equipment to no avail. Pioneer and Sony have been no help either. I have both DVDA and SACD copies of some titles (Steely Dan's Gaucho, Keane's Hopes and Fears etc.) and prefer the DVDA because I can at least get some punch from them. I cannot adjust EQ at all on receiver for SACD. I understand the direct nature of the medium but it's frustrating. For a saleman to tell you the only way around it is to spend $2000 is pathetic. I don't use a subwoofer but it hasn't affected the bass levels in CD or DVDA.
Same problem here, all different sources seem to have different LF levels, but SACD is especially bad. I am thinking powered subwoofer w/remote control as a good upgrade in the future.
Neville et al: I left Onkyo behind and upgraded, but I can suggest a few things - first, from everything I read, the SP800 has "awkward" bass management. Whatever that means.
The 502 has the same problem as many mid-level players - lower SACD output. Period. I have a Yamaha, and had to boost the output on the player all the way up in order to match the PCM output.
Bass management - crucial. If you do use a sub, set all speakers to "small," then set the crossover point to 80Hz. That should help, and you can boost or attenuate the sub. If you do NOT use a sub - set the speakers to Large. All of them, no matter how "small" they are. Then set your sub to "Off."
I gave up my Onkyo receiver after I read about an exhaustive test that showed the Onkyo rolled off the bass below 100 Hz - with response down some 10 db by the time you reached 40 Hz. Hmmm. . .
Now that I have a NAD receiver and the Yammie player, my low output and low bass level has been pretty much solved.
So - first - set up your player so that, in the SACD mode, the output levels are max for all speakers (if you can do this?) Then do what I suggested above regarding speaker size and crossover.
Let me know how that helps - IF it does!
Respectfully. . .
REmember - in SACD mode, your bass management and tone controls on the receiver won't work.