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Bronze Member Username: Drew_and_not_uWilmington, NC United States Post Number: 14 Registered: Nov-04 | My roommate and I finally got rid of our second Samsung 841 today, due to it being a total piece of garbage, and now we need a new DVD player. We've decided to give up on upscaling players untill we can get the Denon-2900, especially since we only have a 30" hd set. After looking at it's specs, the pioneer seems like a fantastic value, and I've always liked pioneer components anyways, plus I've read many favorable reviews, including one at ZDnet where they compared it to the Denon 2900 and apparently it performed just about on par as far as audio and progressive-scan video output were concerned. I don't see any technical features that would account for a $150 price gap. Essentially, am I going to see a $150 between the Pioneer and the Onkyo? the review is here: http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/Pioneer_DV_578A_S/4505-6473_16-30917074-2.html?tag= tab |
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Bronze Member Username: James0226Post Number: 22 Registered: Oct-04 | HI, I think the video section of the two are the same. I bought the pioneer and after returning it, I got the onkyo. Same setup screen and from what I understand pioneer makes the video part of the player for onkyo. Though sound section is completely individual. I emailed the customer service at onkyo to inquire about the DAC on the 502 since the previous model 501 is a Burr-Brown. They told me that the 502 is also a Burr-Brown. The onkyo feels very solid, looks nice and feels sturdy. It's quite heavy for it's size I think. The main reason I returned the pioneer was the built-quality. You should check it out in the store. The tray was making unpleasant noises when it opens. The tray for the onkyo is very smooth, though the only complaint I have is that it makes a high-pitch noise when it's doing initial reading of a disc. I love the sound of the onkyo, especially I am connecting through analog out for CD and it sounds nice. Not as boomy and "un-naturally amplified" as my NAD receiver, and I preferred the natural sound. DVD-A and SACD sound quite amazing, with only two front speakers..... Too bad I couldn't keep the pioneer to do side-by-side comparison. It would have been interesting. BTW, you can get the onkyo for $249.99 with free shipping. That's how much I had to pay anyways. Hope this helps! |
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Bronze Member Username: Drew_and_not_uWilmington, NC United States Post Number: 16 Registered: Nov-04 | Hey, thanks, that does help alot. I've decided that if I can get the onkyo somewher ehere in town for $250 today I will, otherwise I'll get the pioneer. I really don't want to spend the extra money, but I'd rather have the onkyo, so I'll let fate decide! thanks a bunch, drew |
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Bronze Member Username: James0226Post Number: 24 Registered: Oct-04 | No problem. |
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Bronze Member Username: Drew_and_not_uWilmington, NC United States Post Number: 17 Registered: Nov-04 | Well I ended up with the Pioneer and I am blown away by its performance. The video and sound quality are so much higher then that samsung. Animated DVD menus actually change smoothly, there're no noticable layer change pauses, and multichannel audio discs sound fantastic. It has tons of audio and video adjustments and settings. The only problem I have with the player is the slightly below average build quality, although this isn't really an issue because it does what it's supposed to perfectly. When I bought it I was still a little unsure because I really wanted the Onkyo, but no one around here had it. Now, however, I am completely satisfied. As long as the Pioneer holds up I doubt I'll be replacing it anytime soon. |