|
Gold Member Username: PetergalbraithRimouski, Quebec Canada Post Number: 1280 Registered: Feb-04 | I went into one of our two audio stores and the man suggested the Yamaha DVD-S1500 for C$600. It's a universal DVD player that: - uses 192KHz/24-bit DACs for all channels. - an audio direct mode can be selected to ensure that no interference from the video circuity will affect the sound. Has independent digital and analog power circuits. - CD upsampling raises the CD sampling rate, for a smoother sound. It enables CD playback to approach the quality of DVD-Audio. Once CD upsampling is selected, it is automatically engaged whenever a CD is played. (I don't know what this CD upsampling really does) Could this be as good as a standalone CD player (e.g. NAD C521BEE for C$450) and separate cheap universal player (Pioneer DV-588A-S for C$150)? |
|
Gold Member Username: PetergalbraithRimouski, Quebec Canada Post Number: 1283 Registered: Feb-04 | http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/DVD_CD/DVDS1500.htm |
|
Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 1549 Registered: Feb-05 | Answer to the last question is still no. It will be better for all formats except CD. |
|
Gold Member Username: PetergalbraithRimouski, Quebec Canada Post Number: 1286 Registered: Feb-04 | Why is that Art? It switches off all video circuits. |
|
Gold Member Username: PetergalbraithRimouski, Quebec Canada Post Number: 1288 Registered: Feb-04 | The Yamaha DVD-S657 also has this features and is cheaper... http://www.yamaha.co.jp/english/product/av/products/ht/dvds657.html |
|
Gold Member Username: PetergalbraithRimouski, Quebec Canada Post Number: 1291 Registered: Feb-04 | But the DVD-S657 has fixed bass management at 120 Hz. I suppose I could set them all to large... |
|
Anonymous | I have had a DVD-S1500 for nearly a year now. It does have good sound (in all modes) and video. Although the bass management for DVD-Audio is a bit lacking. It has full BM for SA-CD (including selectable crossover of 60/80/100/120 with 12/18/24 dB/octave slope) but only offers speaker size and channel trims for CD/DVD/DVD-Audio (i.e. internally all speakers are set to large with subwoofer ON). However, since it is possible to transmit some DVD-Audio material over the digital optical/coax, the AVR's BM and DAC can be used for stereo DVD-Audio @ up to 96/24. One note with the S1500 though, you will have to boost the gain on your subwoofer and compensate by attenuating the subwoofer channel in the AVR, to achieve a even/comparable level when switching between the 5.1 (multi-channel) analog outputs (SA-CD/DVD-A) and the digital outputs. This is because the analog output - especially the sub - tends to be quite a bit lower (by about 6dB). Upsampling only applies to stereo playback over the analog output (i.e. when using the DACs in the S1500). One additional feature, is that Dolby ProLogic II is added by default for playback of stereo material (CD audio) via the multi-channel analog output. If anyone is interested, there was a recent review published at: http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/reviews/pdf_reviews/dvd1500_review.pdf |
|
Gold Member Username: PetergalbraithRimouski, Quebec Canada Post Number: 1294 Registered: Feb-04 | Yeah, I had seen that review linked from the Yamaha site. It's a confusing review from someone who prefers listenning to CDs processed with Hall DSP modes. Yuck. |
|
Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 1551 Registered: Feb-05 | "Why is that Art? It switches off all video circuits." So does my Denon Peter. You know how I am, I couldn't care less why. All I care about is the sound. I have yet to hear a universal for less than thousands of dollars fare well vs a dedicated cd player. I know you have a need to understand. Perhaps you should ask for the white paper on all of these products. |
|
Gold Member Username: PetergalbraithRimouski, Quebec Canada Post Number: 1297 Registered: Feb-04 | I have yet to hear a universal for less than thousands of dollars fare well vs a dedicated cd player. If we had a consensus on that opinion I could simply forget about SACDs... I'll try to keep a score sheet. |
|
Gold Member Username: PetergalbraithRimouski, Quebec Canada Post Number: 1298 Registered: Feb-04 | Okay Art, for straight CDs, any opinion on the Cambridge Audio Azur 540C : http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/summary.php?PID=15&Title=Azur%20540C%20award%20win ning%20CD%20player It's about the same price as the NAD C521BEE in Canada (C$450 to C$490). |
|
Gold Member Username: PetergalbraithRimouski, Quebec Canada Post Number: 1301 Registered: Feb-04 | Don't answer that here... I started a thread under "CD Players". Thanks! |
|
Bronze Member Username: Frostyda9Calgary, AB Canada Post Number: 34 Registered: May-05 | I pretty much agree with everything Anonymous has already said. My own personal notes on the player: it is VERY slow to read discs, and it runs very hot. Menus are tedious to navigate at times. My orginal player burned up the first time I plugged it in. Overall, the S1500 is a 6 or 7 out of 10. I almost bought the Marantz instead, I wish I would have. |
|
Gold Member Username: PetergalbraithRimouski, Quebec Canada Post Number: 1308 Registered: Feb-04 | Thanks. Crossed off the list... |