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Bronze Member Username: OknessadPost Number: 33 Registered: May-04 | After reading many of John A and others' posts I decided to jump into the world of DVD Audio and SACD. I do not have much money left after spending so much on a new tv, receiver and speakers (all of which i'm very happy with) so I browsed around and have come to find that dvd audio players can be had for significantly less than they once were. That said, they are not top o the line models either but I investigated a number of reviewed units and decided on the Pioneer DV-656A. All reviews seemed to be positive saying it is a bargain for the quality. It should arrive next week wed or thurs and I'll post back with the results. I must say, I'm a bit skeptical about how can this DVD-A sound so much better than a well recorded CD but I am trusting the opinions of others on here who said the difference is night and day. John, I did follow your advice and bought a DVD-A disc to play through dolby digital to see how I liked it. I got a Lynard Skynard disc and was pleased with the ambiance of "being in the crowd" at a live event. We'll see how much better the DVD-A player makes it sound! Later |
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Bronze Member Username: OknessadPost Number: 34 Registered: May-04 | Just an update to my other post... While all the reviews I read refer to the player as universal I guess thats not the case here in the states. SACD decoding is not included and has a star in the manual saying only in the 655a model... Although none of the reviews I read said anything about a 655A model so who knows. I'll just have to wait and see. I was looking forward to being able to play both but I'll be content with just DVD-A. |
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Gold Member Username: John_aPost Number: 1183 Registered: Dec-03 | Thanks, oknessaD. Let us know how it goes. I've just written tons on "Teaching an old dog new tricks..." about why I am not much bothered about SACD. But it is a "must have" for some good people. I thought that player did both, too, and it is the one I was considering, just for that reason, I think. |
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Bronze Member Username: SemPost Number: 92 Registered: Mar-04 | OknessaD, As an inexpensive alternative, you may want to look at the Pioneer 563-A. I picked up a factory recon for $99 a few weeks ago. It plays both DVD-A's and SACD's, though I hear it converts the SACD into LPCM prior to analog. Is that a bad thing? Is there a degadation in sound that's even noticeable? I don't know, I haven't picked up an SACD disc yet. For me though, its a quick and inexpensive solution to be able to enjoy hi-rez discs. I'm under no illusions about this unit, it is what it is. When the hardware technology evolves a bit more I'll invest in something more significant. Until then this will do just fine. |
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Bronze Member Username: OknessadPost Number: 35 Registered: May-04 | Well unfortunately its a bit too late as I already purchased the 656A. I think the two players are quite similar if I remember correctly as far as internal organs go. Do you use yours for movies as well? I plan, as you do, to use this to test out the waters of the hi res music scene. What is your take on DVD-A? Do you like it alot better? I am curious and can't wait to see! Enjoy the music, Jace |
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Gold Member Username: John_aPost Number: 1190 Registered: Dec-03 | Yes, please report back, both! I know I am beginning to sound a bit obsessive on this - but, look, if translating SACD/DSD into LPCM is good enough for the Pioneer 563-A, then there can only be a loss in having SACD in the first place. DVD-A, like CD, is LPCM all the way through. Wouldn't you design it that way, if you had the choice? Could we not say that SACD/DSD is a form of audio data encryption? And the Pioneer 563-A simply decrypts it? The best-case analysis is that there is no loss in doing that - so why do it, in the first place? Flames expected. Not you guys. Please enjoy the music! |
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Bronze Member Username: SemPost Number: 94 Registered: Mar-04 | oknessaD, That really stinks that Pioneer would use the same model number for both US and European units, when they are not actually the same. Where did you purchase the 656-A? Can you return it since its obviously not what you thought you were getting? To answer your question, yes, I do use mine for movies as well as music. For now I'm using the DACs on the Pioneer to do all the audio decoding as I have a noise issue when the digital connection to my NAD is used for movies. Since, I'm sure, the NAD DACs are a better quality, I'm less than thrilled with this scenario. I have been in contact with NAD, they have requested all the perinent information on my setup. Hopefully I'll hear back in the next few days. As far as DVD-A is concerned, the bass management is laking, but other than that, so far I am impressed. Although I only have auditioned a few discs, I have a hard time wiping the smile off my face as I listen. I picked up the Frank Sinatra Live at the Sands DVD-A yesterday. Although it was originally recorded in 1966, I felt as if I was sitting right there at one of the tables having a drink and listening to the show. Good luck. I hope you come to a satisfactory conclusion. |
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Gold Member Username: John_aPost Number: 1199 Registered: Dec-03 | Sem, Just to say I listened, seriously, today, for the first time ever, to The Dark Side of the Moon. It is my wife's stereo CD (1993 mix). Fantastic. Thank you so much, sir! Will write some more on Teaching an old dog new tricks. Did not mean to interrupt. oknessa, there you are, it is not just me: "I felt as if I was sitting right there at one of the tables having a drink and listening to the show". That is a disc I would like to own, too, I think it is the one with the Count Basie Orchestra. Sem, your recommendations are right on the ball! |
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Bronze Member Username: OknessadPost Number: 36 Registered: May-04 | I purchased mine on ebay for a low price so I don't think its worth trying to return it. I'm sure I'll be happy with it. And yes, it is odd that the same model number is used for the european model when clearly they have one pretty significant feature that is different. Another odd thing is that I can't find this player anywhere (except i found the manual) on the pioneer website. It's not that old so I would assume it would be on the products page... oh well. I'm sure I will enjoy the player and if its not the best for movies I have a Harman Kardon DVD50 to play movies on as well as HDCDs. So I have all my audio format bases covered except of course for SACD but you can't win em all. Sem, I'm sorry to hear about the trouble with the NAD. I too encountered a noise issue quite quickly when using the dolby digital mode and have since traced it back to my sub and am still not sure what I did to solve it but the noise is gone none the less. Hope you find out some good news from NAD. |
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Bronze Member Username: SemPost Number: 95 Registered: Mar-04 | oknessaD, I found the 656-A but only on the Pioneer-European website, http://www.pioneer-eur.com/eur/product_detail.jsp?product_id=2007&taxonomy_id=62 -84. Very odd. |
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Bronze Member Username: SemPost Number: 96 Registered: Mar-04 | John A. Being curious, I pulled out my gold disc DSOTM. Its actually a MoFi "Original Master Recording" Ultradisc, (UDCD), made in Japan. It does sound quite a bit better than the normal cd, quieter, and with a deeper low end without being muddled. And please, don't worry about "interrupting," my favorite threads have a way of branching out. I think it helps us all to learn from each other. |
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Gold Member Username: John_aPost Number: 1201 Registered: Dec-03 | Sem, I will definitely move this over to another thread because oknessa started this one for a completely different reason. I have loads to say. One is, it is completely obvious that the guys in LA who did that 1992-3 digital remaster could not hear the words (!); the "notes" booklet has them so wrong in places it is painful, and the whoever mastered the CD did not even know where the songs started and ended, either. Who cares? Well I always want to know what I am listening to! Wonderful music/words/songs though. I mean that. Maybe one does not need the words printed along with the DVD-A/SACD. |
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Bronze Member Username: OknessadPost Number: 37 Registered: May-04 | Thanks for looking that up for me Sem. Its very weird that I can't find a model that doesn't include SACD yet in the manual it explicitly says this model does not do SACD. Humph... I'll just see what happens when it arrives next week. |
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Anonymous | I recently purchased a DENON 5900 universal player. This a great sounding player, but seriously flawed. Many hybrid SACDs simply will not play on this machine. I took several of the discs it would not play to the dealer and they wouldn't play on the demo, either. No one seems to know what is the problem, but at $2000, this is inexcusable!!!! Needless to say, I'm looking for something else now. |
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Silver Member Username: KeggerMICHIGAN Post Number: 335 Registered: Dec-03 | i have both the denon 2200 and the pioneer 563a. the pioneer i use for movies and multi channel music and i am very pleased with it's performance for both video and audio can't do much better for the price of this thing.and it plays every piece of copied media i have inserted."can't say the same for the denon" as far as the denon goes it is being uesd as a 2 channel source for right now in another room. works and sounds beautiful.only issue is with the copied media thing. |
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Silver Member Username: SemPost Number: 108 Registered: Mar-04 | Kegger, Please forgive me but I'm too busy (or is it lazy), to look back through the threads to see what surround receiver you're using. Is it an NAD? The reason I'm asking is because I cannot use the DACs in my NAD receiver to decode the signal from my Pioneer 563-A when watching a dvd. There is a definite and annoying noise when doing so. I have been playing phone-tag for a couple days now with an NAD Product Manager to discuss. I hope to speak to him on Monday. |
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Bronze Member Username: DocdatCopenhagenDenmark Post Number: 82 Registered: Apr-04 | Anon, you might want to check out this thread, especially the last part: https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-audio/17140.html |
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Silver Member Username: KeggerMICHIGAN Post Number: 343 Registered: Dec-03 | harmon kardon 525 and have no problems with noise. |
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Bronze Member Username: OknessadPost Number: 46 Registered: May-04 | I have had a chance to play my player and there is no SACD capability. It is an odd anomolie but I'm going to be ok without it I'm sure. I have only had a chance to listen to Lynard Skynard DVD-A and I was fairly impressed. It is a live album so it is not a noise free recording but It did put my in the crowd thats for sure. I have a few more on the way from Amazon so i'll let you all know what the final verdict is. |
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Gold Member Username: John_aPost Number: 1298 Registered: Dec-03 | Not sure if this is relevant, but I have just read a very favourable review (June HFN) of an upgrade to the Pioneer DV-565A from Trichord www.trichordresearch.com According to the reviewer, the basic player was "unlistenable"; not so the modified version. |
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New member Username: Dgb100PA Post Number: 6 Registered: May-04 | Must be quite an upgrade to warrant more than quadrupling the price! |
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Silver Member Username: Two_centsPost Number: 211 Registered: Feb-04 | I question whether it's wise to upgrade a player with dodgy build quality. The Pioneer may be a great player for the price, but it seems flimsy to me. There are other mods available for high- and mid-level players, such as the Denons. I haven't listened to any modded players though, but would be interested to hear if there is much of a difference. |
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Silver Member Username: SemPost Number: 114 Registered: Mar-04 | 2c, I would agree completely. My recommendation for anyone buying this player: Realize why it costs what it does, you're buying a Ford Escort not a Z4. I'm happy with mine, but then again, I didn't expect much. I feel I'm getting a good return on my $100 'investment'. I will, no doubt, replace it with something better in the future, but I'm enjoying it for now. |