Pioneer DV-578A Universal DVD-Audio/SACD Player Review

[jdueitt]

For you economy minded audio-files you might look at the Pioneer DV 578A DVD/SACD/etc/etc (I think it replaced the DV 563) you should try this thing out! I had a DV 563 and was adequately happy with it--especially because of the price. I just sold it and was driving down to purchase a Denon 2200. However that $550 to $600 price still bothered me. I went to Best Buy to purchase the new Diana Krall SACD and then wandered into the DVD player area. They had just put out the Pioneer DV 578A player. I said what the heck and bought it for $141.00 (on sale). I'm glad I did!. This thing sounds great! It loads faster than the 563 and has a higher sampling resolution plus other improvements (electronic circuits). Everything is much improved!!! The progressive scan is great--no artifacts and great performance in component mode, the music in cd, dvd-a and sacd is pristine!! Just thought I would pass on the word.

I really like this thing especially for the money!!!

Happy listening, JD

[jdueitt]

....and oh yeah--the BASS output in 6 channel is much improved....however, I am still trying to be critical about this thing. So far I am elated at how this thing is performing.

Somebody else go buy one and give me your opinion...I am having a difficult time now justifying forking over an additional $400. on the Denon 2200.

Regards, JD

[FallenAngel]

Interesting. I have a DV565A (EU version) and the mentioned shortcomings are right at the spot.

$141??? I bought mine in Andorra for the double, 240 Euros, and now we're talking tax free... What's been carged for DV563 lately over there?

When you say improved "sampling resolution", do you mean D/A converter? I've heard that DV565A goes 192/24 in stereo and 96/24 in 5.1. Do you have the figures for 563 and 578?

Thanks and regards
FA

[Rob Babcock]

I'm relatively certain that the new Pioneer downconvers DSD to 88.2 PCM. According to Alex Peychev, this isn't a true DSD machine. That isn't the kiss of death at the price point, but he claimed the '563 was a true DSD machine.

That said, he is impressed with the sound and build quality of the '578A.

[Rÿche 1]

I just got the 563. Not sure whether to sell it and get the 578 or not.

[Rip Van Woofer]

I'm relatively certain that the new Pioneer downconvers DSD to 88.2 PCM. According to Alex Peychev, this isn't a true DSD machine. That isn't the kiss of death at the price point, but he claimed the '563 was a true DSD machine.

That said, he is impressed with the sound and build quality of the '578A.

Yep, and at that price you can get the Pioneer now and get a "true" SACD - only player later when you're more flush or have acquired enough SACDs to make it worthwhile. Hmmm...!

[Unregistered]

I have bought a DV-578A-s, and I have to say the sound quality is AMAZING on it, even on my smaller Aiwa stereo. I have a few DVD-A's and SACD's, and I have to say both perform well, although I give the DVD-A a lil edge since they don't downsample the MLP audio like it does with SACD DSD. Still, great system if you are just starting out on the high resolution audio path.

[Unregistered]

I also have a Pioneer dv-578a. Most of my dvd-a's and sacd's play fine but I am having some issues. Machine Head (Deep Purple) and Reveal (Rem) both output a lot of distortion when playing the 5.1 tracks. Also a portion of Life in the Fast Lane (Eagles:Hotel California) also produces this ugly sound. It's a very unpleasant ripping sound that plays along with the music. When I play these in my Toshiba SD-4800 they are fine. Also the stereo tracks play fine on the 578a.

I'm trying to figure out if the dv-578a model has a manufacturer's defect or is just the particular machine that I own. If any other dv-578a owner's have these discs could they let me know if they play okay?

[rgriffin25]

Today I went out and bought the DV-578A to see for myself how it performs. I have owned a Sony SACD player for over a year now so I am quite familiar with how SACDs sound on my HT. Before I made the switch I listened very critically to a couple of SACDs. I quickly switched the cables and played the same tracks through the Pioneer. Other than a couple of channel level adjustments, (made on my receiver) I truely can say the Pioneer is on Par with the Sony for SACD playback. I know there have been several threads arguing how this player and its predecessor "down convert" DSD to PCM. Well, if it does down convert the signal, I can't hear the difference. (I am a classicaly trained musician and I'd like to think my ears are better than most).

The point of my post is... If you are not rolling in the cash, and are concerned with buying a good product for a great price then look no further! I am not saying that it is superior to the Denon 2200, I just couldn't justify spending the extra $450 to get one.

So if you find yourself wondering which player to buy? Do yourself a favor and at least try Pioneer DV-578A out. Who knows it might save you a bundle of cash. I know my extra cash is going towards an OTA HD receiver. :)

[Rob Babcock]

Good to know the new one is a good replacement for the good old '563A. It does offer a lot of value for the money. From here on out (unless something changes) I'll always keep a couple Pioneer players around to play DVD-R's on as they're more reliable than my Denon in that regard.

[Unregistered]

I just got the 563A last week (open box from Best Buy for $65). I'm very happy with the audio functions. I am having a problem with the DVD function however. It looks great for live action DVDs, but animation tends to look shimmery. After a few minutes of shimmering the picture snaps into place. I'm not sure if this a problem with my machine or a design flaw. Has anyone else seen this? I called Best Buy today and they are willing to give me a new 578A instead. This seems like a good deal. But I've heard that the 578A is made of lower quality materials than the 563A. Has anyone seen any problems with their machines?

[FallenAngel]

I heard Pioneer a provided a firmware upgrade for DV563A. But rumours said it was a DVD-A fix. I have not had any video problems on my DV565A (EU model), except that it can be a little ticklish on bad discs. But then again, which player isn't?

I checked out Burr Brown website regarding DACs stated by Alan Peychew and British HiFi news to be employed in DV563A and DV578A. The former DSD compatible, the latter not. On the other hand, word was that DV563A also converts to PCM if bass management is activated.

Cheers
FA

[surveyor]

After all the things that I read about the Pioneer DV-578A here, I went to Best Buy and bought one yesterday for $129.99.
I'm glad I did!
Here's a article on the WEB about the above mentioned unit.

http://att.com.com/Pioneer_DV_578A_S/4505-6473_7-30917074.html

CNET editor's take

The best thing to happen to DVD-A and SACD since the Beach Boys and Beck (respectively).Read full review
Editors' rating:
Good
7.8
out of 10


At a glance
Editors' rating: 7.8 Good
User rating: 100% 0% from 3 users

The good: Affordable universal DVD-Audio/SACD player; excellent bass management; above-average progressive-scan video playback; plays MP3 DVDs.
The bad: Entry-level look and feel.
What's it for: Playing CDs, DVDs, and DVD-Audio and SACD discs.
Who's it for: Audiophiles on a budget.
Essential extras: HTIB, receiver, or preamp with 5.1-channel analog audio inputs.
The bottom line: Pioneer's entry-level Super Audio CD/DVD-Audio player sounds good enough for all but the most critical listeners.
Thanks all!

[Unregistered]

I have tried a couple of units and both have problems playing the neil young greendale and some newer dvd-a (Seal). One was manufactured in 5/04 and one 6/04.

Are you having this issue?

Don

[surveyor]

I have tried a couple of units and both have problems playing the neil young greendale and some newer dvd-a (Seal). One was manufactured in 5/04 and one 6/04.

Are you having this issue?

Don

I don't have either of these artists disks to test.
I have not experienced any problems playing any format yet however.

Cheers

[Unregistered]

For some reason this unit locks up on the DVD Audio of the Neil Young albums, does it on all the ones I have.

[BuddTX]

Does the Pioneer have HDMI or DVI outputs?

[surveyor]

Does the Pioneer have HDMI or DVI outputs?
Hope this answers your question?

Connectivity choices include progressive/component, composite, and S-Video outputs, coaxial and optical digital audio outputs, and stereo and 5.1 analog audio outputs. The DV-578A also features built-in Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 decoders, so you can connect everything via the 5.1-channel analog jacks.

[moverton]

I bought the 578 about two weeks ago.

Disks:
Pink Floyd Dark Side SACD/hybrid - 5.1 mix is awesome. this album was remixed very nicely. Even my wife sat down and listened for an hour; a first. You can hear all kinds of stuff that is garbled on the cd. And of course, this album is perfect for surround.
Elton John -Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. - Awesome, the best disk on this player so far. Sound quality far exceeds cd and the 5.1 mix is nice without being distracting.
Grateful Dead - Workingmans Dead -DVD-a - much better than CD. The surround mix can be a little strange. sometimes it seems like they reversed front and back. A lot of new instruments and backing vocals i never really heard before.
Norah Jones SACD/hybrid-much better than the cd but not a knockout, i find myself adjusting the sub level between songs, seems that the sub channel was mixed inconsistently. after adjusting sounds great.
Flaming Lips- Yoshimi battles... - DVD-a - the 5.1 mix is distracting to me; too much bouncing around. The stereo DVD-a track seems better than the cd. The dynamic range on this album is extreme. this mix forces you to pay attention to it.
Yes - Fragile - dvd-a - hate the 5.1 mix-seems gimicky. The stereo is much better than the cd. overall not that impressive.

In general I like the SACD/Hybrids best because I can use them in the car and in this player. Brings down the costs. I don't hear a consistent quality difference between dvd-a and SACD yet. Both are way better than CD.

next up-start replacing my jazz collection- anybody heard the sacd "kind of blue" release or any Bill Evans stuff? Any recomendations in this area would be welcome.

The player:
Good
The sound difference from my old cd player is enormous. I assume this is a result of the new formats (SACD/DVD-A). I recently bought a nice pair of Totem Tabu speakers after lusting for them for many years. When hooked up to my CD player they sounded better than my old speakers and sometimes great on certain tracks. When I hooked up this player and used SACD/DVD-a I suddenly heard a dramatic difference. They sounded like I had heard them when connected to $5000 amp/player combos.

As for DVD-video, it looks better than the DVD player it replaced but I am no expert in this area. I still am running video into a standard definition crt tv.

Bad
When first connected it is set up for someone without a surround system. This is understandable but you have to turn on 5.1 in several places. I spent several hours trying to figure out why it was stuck in stereo.

Related to this is the fact that you have to go deep into the setup to pick the stereo/5.1 layer for an SACD and then it sticks permanently. It would be nice if this was quicker to get to and was choosable for the current SACD only. As I mentioned above, some disks are good in 5.1, some are not. I find myself switching back and forth a lot. The menus make this difficult.

Surround speaker distance is settable but it appears that the rears cannot be set farther back than the fronts. If you set the fronts at 8 feet then the rears max out at 8 feet. Maybe there is some reason for this, don't know. My room is a little awkward and so my rear speakers are about 12 feet back and the fronts only 8.

The sub channel is a little problematic. I am not sure if it is the disks, the player or what. But I do need to constantly adjust the level a lot depending on the disk/song. I also still do not really understand what the best setting is in the player setup. They have the normal Large/small speaker setting (which I hate). I am unsure if you have to put it to small to have that channels sub sent to the sub output or if it always goes there and the setting just removes it from going to the normal speakers also. I have some speakers that can handle anything down to about 35htz. These are much more accurate than my sub and I'd like to use them for as much of this as possible. My surround speakers will lose anything below about 80htz and may actually rattle if sent too much low freq. So do I set the fronts to large or small? I wish they would just allow you to set the cutoff frequency per speaker. I also wish they would allow quick changes between sub and no-sub. Many things sound best as stereo just through the totem fronts.

Overall
The settings can be inflexible sometimes and the menus could use work but for $139 bucks it is probably the best dollar for dollar investment I have made. The difference between this and normal CD is amazing. I was a little shocked and extreamly pleased once i got it set up right.
I have to say I was skeptical about SACD/DVD-A. Not any more.

[WmAx]

The sound difference from my old cd player is enormous. I assume this is a result of the new formats (SACD/DVD-A).

The multi-channel capability is a real difference/improvement in potential ability. But the new formats have not offered anything in the way of *proof* that they are superior to CD in any other way. Please note that you can not assume the mix/masters of the stereo CD layer are the same as the stereo SACD/DVD-A layer -- therefor this in istself is no fair comparision.

I have to say I was skeptical about SACD/DVD-A. Not any more

This is what the record companies are hoping for, I believe. I also suspect purposely compromised CD versions in order to make the 'new' formats seem better. I would no more trust the pieces of crap running the record industry then I would trust a hungry crocodile to not eat my hand off if I attempted to pet him.

-Chris

[vinodude]

I just did the same thing..Went for the Dennon and came home with the pioneer. I am just begining to build my HT so I could not do it all at once, I bought a Yamaha-2400 and the pioneer. My initial thought was to use this as a bridge until I get a hi-def TV in early 05. But now that I have used this I think is great... I really like the DVD-A sounds and the dvd-video looks great on my regular 32" proscan of 4 years.

Great Buy very happy for 129.00 on sale.

[surveyor]

I have tried a couple of units and both have problems playing the neil young greendale and some newer dvd-a (Seal). One was manufactured in 5/04 and one 6/04.

Are you having this issue?

Don

Don, I bought the Emerson, Lake & Palmer (DVD A disk) Brain Salad Surgery yesterday at Hastings.
It will not play correctly on my Pioneer DV-578A. It plays, but with much distortion.
I was about to take the new disk back to Hastings, but I tried it in my other unit (Sony DVP-S360. It played fine in the Sony.
That is my first problem with the Pioneer so far. :mad:
Cheers

[moverton]

The multi-channel capability is a real difference/improvement in potential ability. But the new formats have not offered anything in the way of *proof* that they are superior to CD in any other way. Please note that you can not assume the mix/masters of the stereo CD layer are the same as the stereo SACD/DVD-A layer -- therefor this in istself is no fair comparision.

I suspect you are partly correct. They could record CD's in a way that sound very good, but they usually don't. Also, a little surround really does make the imaging easier to attain. I guess the questions is: "is spiting the record companies worth forgoing the obviously better results from sacd/dvd-a disks (whatever the cause)"?


This is what the record companies are hoping for, I believe. I also suspect purposely compromised CD versions in order to make the 'new' formats seem better. I would no more trust the pieces of crap running the record industry then I would trust a hungry crocodile to not eat my hand off if I attempted to pet him.

-Chris

[rgriffin25]

Don, I bought the Emerson, Lake & Palmer (DVD A disk) Brain Salad Surgery yesterday at Hastings.
It will not play correctly on my Pioneer DV-578A. It plays, but with much distortion.
I was about to take the new disk back to Hastings, but I tried it in my other unit (Sony DVP-S360. It played fine in the Sony.
That is my first problem with the Pioneer so far. :mad:
Cheers

If you are playing a DVD-A disc on a Sony DVD player you are playing back the Dolby Digital version not the DVD-A (No Sony DVD player supports DVD-A). I am not saying it is the disc to blame for the problem. I am suggesting that you find another DVD player that does play DVD-A.

[surveyor]

If you are playing a DVD-A disc on a Sony DVD player you are playing back the Dolby Digital version not the DVD-A (No Sony DVD player supports DVD-A). I am not saying it is the disc to blame for the problem. I am suggesting that you find another DVD player that does play DVD-A.
I will clarify here, the disk would not play on the Pioneer in any format, it by default apparently detects the DVD A format and won't default to Dolby Digital. The disk in question is apparently recorded in Dolby Digital also.
I've read that this is not a problem only with the lower cost multidisk player like the Pioneer.The more expensive ones will do the same on occasian.
I've experienced no problems playing any other DVD A disks with the Pioneer, yet (knock on wood).

Kelly :)

[surveyor]

I'm relatively certain that the new Pioneer downconvers DSD to 88.2 PCM. According to Alex Peychev, this isn't a true DSD machine. That isn't the kiss of death at the price point, but he claimed the '563 was a true DSD machine.

That said, he is impressed with the sound and build quality of the '578A.
This is from the Operating Instructions Page 36.
Note that High sampling rate DVD-Audio discs(193kHz or 176.4kHz) autimatically output down sampled audio through the digital outputs.
:)

[Rob Babcock]

So I see. However, that doesn't have anything to do with DSD- SACD uses DSD, DVD-A uses PCM. I've been told (although I've not heard it from Pioneer) that this machine converts DSD to PCM. At the price, that's still not a major issue IMO.

[surveyor]

So I see. However, that doesn't have anything to do with DSD- SACD uses DSD, DVD-A uses PCM. I've been told (although I've not heard it from Pioneer) that this machine converts DSD to PCM. At the price, that's still not a major issue IMO.
Sorry for not further clarifying Rob! I would take it that you are correct about the DSD down convert issue though.
I should have headed my message with something like all the info supplied by Pioneer about what the DV-578A down converts.

Kelly :)

[Adler Victor]

I just move from 563 to 578 this weekend.

This is my change log:

1 - I can't notice any degradation of sound on DVD-A neither on SACD
2 - The 578 can play DiVx :)
3 - The new one doesn't have volume control on the 5.1 analog outs
4 - Poor MP3 GUI on the 578
5 - 578 if faster than 563 to load all kinds of media
6 - The 578 can play WMA, 563 don't
7 - I think that 563 had more bass, and the 578 sound is more clean on DVD-A

I think that 578 is a totally new player that only shares the same from panel layout from the others Pionner DVDs. All conectors in the back panel are in different positions.

[adlervft]

I just move from 563 to 578 this weekend.

This is my change log:

1 - I can't notice any degradation of sound on DVD-A neither on SACD
2 - The 578 can play DiVx :)
3 - The new one doesn't have volume control on the 5.1 analog outs
4 - Poor MP3 GUI on the 578
5 - 578 if faster than 563 to load all kinds of media
6 - The 578 can play WMA, 563 don't
7 - I think that 563 had more bass, and the 578 sound is more clean on DVD-A

I think that 578 is a totally new player that only shares the same from panel layout from the others Pionner DVDs. All conectors in the back panel are in different positions.
Reply With Quote

[surveyor]

Sorry for not further clarifying Rob! I would take it that you are correct about the DSD down convert issue though.
I should have headed my message with something like all the info supplied by Pioneer about what the DV-578A down converts.

Kelly :)
SACD Frequency Response 4 - 88,000
DVD-Audio Frequency Response 4 - 88,000
No Direct Video Input (DVI)
I found some more specs, it definately downconverts.

Kelly :)

[surveyor]

I'm relatively certain that the new Pioneer downconvers DSD to 88.2 PCM. According to Alex Peychev, this isn't a true DSD machine. That isn't the kiss of death at the price point, but he claimed the '563 was a true DSD machine.

That said, he is impressed with the sound and build quality of the '578A.
I read that the 563 converts DSD to PCM also.
Here's the link.
http://www.goodsound.com/equipment/pioneer_dv563a.htm
:)

[Rob Babcock]

I guess I have no "proof," but I do know Alex is the guy that identified the problems with the SACD1000 and created the tech fix that Philips adopted. While that's not a slam-dunk, it does show Alex really knows those machines. His sole business is modding players, mostly Pioneer & Philips, and I think he's done a lot of in-depth research of the '563A (it was a very popular product for his mods). He's spent more time "under the hood" of the '563A than probably anyone except the team that designed it.

In any event, it was still a nice machine for the $. :)

[surveyor]

I guess I have no "proof," but I do know Alex is the guy that identified the problems with the SACD1000 and created the tech fix that Philips adopted. While that's not a slam-dunk, it does show Alex really knows those machines. His sole business is modding players, mostly Pioneer & Philips, and I think he's done a lot of in-depth research of the '563A (it was a very popular product for his mods). He's spent more time "under the hood" of the '563A than probably anyone except the team that designed it.

In any event, it was still a nice machine for the $. :)
I've read that the moded 563 will hang with machines up to the $2500.00 range.
Do think he would modify the 578?
Kelly
:)

[Rob Babcock]

Alex has a Circle over at AC; he's been asked about the 578, but I don't remember what he said. Frankly, it's been tough to get ahold of him lately. Since his modded SACD1000 won "Most Coveted Component of 2004" at Stereotimes, he's been very busy. So much so that I think he hired an assistant to help him.

When last I checked, he was waiting for a schematic to decide if the mods he does would be worthwhile. I just can't recall if he's decided yet. I'll see if I can get some info for you.

[surveyor]

Alex has a Circle over at AC; he's been asked about the 578, but I don't remember what he said. Frankly, it's been tough to get ahold of him lately. Since his modded SACD1000 won "Most Coveted Component of 2004" at Stereotimes, he's been very busy. So much so that I think he hired an assistant to help him.

When last I checked, he was waiting for a schematic to decide if the mods he does would be worthwhile. I just can't recall if he's decided yet. I'll see if I can get some info for you.
I would be interested in modding my 578, if Alex finds it to be feasable.
Thanks,

Kelly :)

[Rob Babcock]

Here (http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/viewtopic.php?t=11097) is a link to the discussion at the APL Circle at AC.

[surveyor]

Here (http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/viewtopic.php?t=11097) is a link to the discussion at the APL Circle at AC.
Looks like the 578 mod is out for me. I'll just wait and pick up a really good Denon or Pioneer, etc. later.

Thanks Rob. :)

[Rip Van Woofer]

After reading this thread and more I finally said what the heck; bid on and won a 563A on eBay today since it is "true" DSD. Since the rest of my system is still stereo the bass management and such don't really matter for now. But I'll finally be able to hear (or not) what the fuss is about!

My first baby step towards 21st century audio!

Maybe by time I assemble my multichannel system there will be an affordable (<$500) universal player with decent bass managememt and i.link. Hey, a fella can dream...

[surveyor]

After reading this thread and more I finally said what the heck; bid on and won a 563A on eBay today since it is "true" DSD. Since the rest of my system is still stereo the bass management and such don't really matter for now. But I'll finally be able to hear (or not) what the fuss is about!

My first baby step towards 21st century audio!

Maybe by time I assemble my multichannel system there will be an affordable (<$500) universal player with decent bass managememt and i.link. Hey, a fella can dream...
It a good unit, from all I read.
Enjoy :)

[spoonieluv]

Just picked up this player yesterday for $99 on clearance at BestBuy.
Can anyone else confim that it plays DivX files as an earlier post suggested?
And the claim here: http://cnet.nytimes.com/Pioneer_DV_578A_S/4505-6473_7-30917074-2.html?tag=top
that it will read MP3s from a DVD+/-R?

Thanks.

[surveyor]

Just picked up this player yesterday for $99 on clearance at BestBuy.
Can anyone else confim that it plays DivX files as an earlier post suggested?
And the claim here: http://cnet.nytimes.com/Pioneer_DV_578A_S/4505-6473_7-30917074-2.html?tag=top
that it will read MP3s from a DVD+/-R?

Thanks.
I own one and have not attempted to play any DivX files.
Where did you read that it would?

Thanks,

kelly :)

[spoonieluv]

from this post on pg 3.

I just move from 563 to 578 this weekend.

This is my change log:

1 - I can't notice any degradation of sound on DVD-A neither on SACD
2 - The 578 can play DiVx :)
3 - The new one doesn't have volume control on the 5.1 analog outs
4 - Poor MP3 GUI on the 578
5 - 578 if faster than 563 to load all kinds of media
6 - The 578 can play WMA, 563 don't
7 - I think that 563 had more bass, and the 578 sound is more clean on DVD-A

I think that 578 is a totally new player that only shares the same from panel layout from the others Pionner DVDs. All conectors in the back panel are in different positions.

[spoonieluv]

Last night I tried playing a CD-R with a DivX .avi file on it and it didn't work. Maybe Adler Victor can post the method he used.
It did play a DVD+RW with MP3s on it though.

If anyone has tried this player with a DLP monitor, I would like to hear your results as far as picture quality. The picture I am getting looks a little soft and slightly ghosty on my Samsung HLN4365W. I'm pretty sure I adjusted everything I could to try to make it better, but no luck.

[Sandman]

I wish this unit worked as well for me as it has for everyone else. I'm experiencing really poor bass response for DVD-Audio.

The DVD player has bass management, meaning, you can specify all your speaker sizes as either large, small, or absent. That goes for all 6 channels. I decided to try and confirm that the settings were actually working. (I had a reason to suspect it wasn't.)

So I set the settings to indicate I didn't have a center speaker or surround speakers. Then I unplugged all the audio outs from the back, cued up a song, and then one by one plugged a cable into each one individually. As it turns out, and the jacks were live. In other words, even though I "told" the unit I was only running three of the six speakers, it still was sending signal to all six channels.

This sounds like a firmware bug.

The reason I checked was that I actually don't have a center speaker, and I noticed last night that there was a concert DVD where, when I played it relying on the analog outs, the main vocal was missing.

That doesn't explain the lack of adequate bass signal, but it does indicate something is indeed amiss.

[spoonieluv]

So you set your center to "absent" and it didn't redirect the signal?
If so, that sucks.

[rgriffin25]

Try to adjust the settings again, it is pretty picky how you get out of the setup menu. I made a mistake getting out of the menu and the settings I made did not hold. After a second attempt I was able to get the settings to stick.

Are you playing back multi-channel audio on the DVD-a disc or 2ch?

[Polkfan]

Boy, if nothing else, this has to be the most talked about universal player on the net. :eek:

[thorrall]

Two of the three multichannel dvd-a's I have tried so far on the 578 have horrible amounts of distortion. Multi-channel SACD's seem fine. The DVD-A's are ok in 2 channel.

[whoareyou3]

what are the dvd-a titles you've had this problem with? I've had problems with Emerson Lake Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery, and Foreigner. This one distorts only when Center channel is set to small. Also Fleetwood Mac Rumors at times exhibits a slight distortion. Pioneer is "not aware of any problems with this model". They did suggest a firmware upgrade could help, but when I asked further, they said that none is currently available. I'm waiting to see how many people keep complaining about these issues.

[fhalden]

Ditto to the dvd-a problems. All of my DVD-a discs, which play fine in my Toshiba, begin each track with unlistenable distortion. If I backup to the beginning of the track, it plays fine up until the next track. I'm taking it to the service center next week. We'll see if they can fix it. Never again, Pioneer, never again. :mad:

[whoareyou3]

All of your discs? Not good. I've switched to SACD with good results so far because out of a very small collection, about 10% DVD-A exhibit some type of problem (just happen to pick the wrong discs?).

If the service center corrects the problem, would you please post details of the solution? Thanks

[rgriffin25]

I have had my fair share of problems with this value player, however I have yet to have any DVD-A or SACD disc give me a problem.

[potloodpuntje]

I am looking for some information about the universal DVD player.
What is under the Denon 2200 a good player with a good audio ?
how important is I LINK in this matter ?

[rchil]

I recently purchased a DV-578A and experienced the distortion problem some other people have been talking about in this thread. It happened with the first DVD-A I purchased, which was Metallica. It only seemed to happen on the booming vocals and lower frequencies when I was using the 5.1 outputs and not the normal 2-channel outputs. I did not hear the problem with any DVD videos or CDs or MP3 discs. I decided that the distortion with the DVD-A disc sounded like something was overdriving my A/V receiver. It just didn't sound like a digital problem. This player is connected to a mid-priced ($600) Sony A/V receiver using the 5.1 capability. It hit me this morning when I was reading other posts that when I set the DVD player up I selected the LARGE setting for the speaker settup under the Initial Settings of the DVD Menu. That really doesn't make much sense now that I think about it since there's similar speaker size settings in my A/V receiver. The DVD player should just send a certain audio level for each channel and let the A/V receiver determine the audio level that should go to the speakers. So, I went back into the Initial Settings menu on the DVD Player and set all the speakers to SMALL. I then tried the same Metallica DVD-A and didn't hear the distortion at all. The 5.1 output of the DVD Player was simply overdriving the 5.1 Input of my A/V receiver.

I hope this works for other people with this problem. After fixing this problem, I'm more than satisfied with this player. Especially with the advanced features and the $113 price.

[WoodieB]

I'm ready to buy one of the 578's as a strictly DVD movie player, without hooking up the 6 channel outputs for SACD play, just optical digital out for Dolby 5.1 & DTS soundtracks. My Denon 2805 will handle bass management, crossover point, etc. Can you disable all bass management in the 578 and just let your receiver handle it?

Thanks

[whoareyou3]

I recently purchased a DV-578A and experienced the distortion problem some other people have been talking about in this thread. It happened with the first DVD-A I purchased, which was Metallica. It only seemed to happen on the booming vocals and lower frequencies when I was using the 5.1 outputs and not the normal 2-channel outputs. I did not hear the problem with any DVD videos or CDs or MP3 discs. I decided that the distortion with the DVD-A disc sounded like something was overdriving my A/V receiver. It just didn't sound like a digital problem. This player is connected to a mid-priced ($600) Sony A/V receiver using the 5.1 capability. It hit me this morning when I was reading other posts that when I set the DVD player up I selected the LARGE setting for the speaker settup under the Initial Settings of the DVD Menu. That really doesn't make much sense now that I think about it since there's similar speaker size settings in my A/V receiver. The DVD player should just send a certain audio level for each channel and let the A/V receiver determine the audio level that should go to the speakers. So, I went back into the Initial Settings menu on the DVD Player and set all the speakers to SMALL. I then tried the same Metallica DVD-A and didn't hear the distortion at all. The 5.1 output of the DVD Player was simply overdriving the 5.1 Input of my A/V receiver.

I hope this works for other people with this problem. After fixing this problem, I'm more than satisfied with this player. Especially with the advanced features and the $113 price.
My foreigner disc has to have speakers set to large to play without distortion. The distortion was only from the center channel which was the only channel set to small. The only dependable configuration for this disc is setting all speakers to large, opposite of what you've experienced. Not a good situation.

[nocondorfx]

i just got this player. Will I need the analog cords for the sacd part AND the digital optical cord for movies?

[SQ Kid]

i tried the divx idea; no go for me either. both on cdr and dvdr

[KevinShin]

Does any owners of the 578A have issue with volume level of the player?
I have this player connected through coax for dd/dtc play back and 6 analog for dvda/sacd to a Denon 3803. The volume seems to be lacking. I have to set the volume at -10 to get loud play back, even then the sound seems to be compressed. I compared the sound at the same volume level with a older panasonic 110 when playing a dd movie and its no comparison. The panasonic sounds fuller and louder. Any help would be appreciated.

[SQ Kid]

which output was low? i just did an a/b test between my xbox (optical out) and dv-578 (6ch out) and volumes were pretty close. everything was running through my kenwood vr-407 (soon to be retired for a yamaha 5560). a/b'ing dvd-a/sacd vs cd's is fun.....

[KevinShin]

The digital output through coax was low and also the 6 channel, but I can't compare the 6ch output since Panasonic dvd player doesn't have 6ch output. I will try with the optical to see if that makes a difference. I hope the unit is not defective because its past the 30 day exchange period.

[karltl]

I tried the 578a based on several reviews I read on it. Theres a site out there called hometheaterhifi.com that has some very indepth test reviews of many DVD players (if your interested in an indepth discussion of DVD concepts (I didn'e know that there are only about 5-6 chip makers who make the de-interlacing chip sets for DVD players and that practically all DVD players use these same chipset's).

Anyway.. they rated the 578a very high for audio quality but show some problems with some aspects of bideo quality. My needs were primarily for DVD video. I found the sound quality of the 578a very very good but noted video quality shortcomings that ruled it out.

Another high performance budget priced unit (that I am trying now, again based on test reviews from hometheaterhifi, is the Toshiba SD-V592. It comes in very highly rated (in quite a few respects, better than even the Denon 3910), can be had retail for about $199 (best buy) and has excellent video performance. This unit is both a DVD and VCR player in one.

It's measured white level is a little on the low side (I think the test measurement came in at something like 97ire...perfect would be 100) but I think I was able to address this by tuning the monitor using the Avia home theater setup disk test patterns.

Operationally, the Toshiba responds, essentially, instantaneously to chapter skips and layer changes are practically instantaneous as well (I've read that these are problem areas for the newer Denon's (different chipset than the older 2900/3900/5900 machines). Video quality is very good for a unit this inexpensive and it's ability to deal with various DVD encoding issues and still get it right most of the time is great.

The only "BADNESS" I've found with the Toshiba is that any DVD's that are even slightly out of balance will cause the unit to vibrate and audibly hum. This problem is not peculiar to the Toshiba...several consumer reviews of the Denon 3910 mention this same issue. I exchanged the first unit and the second one, while a bit more forgiving, does the same thing. Given the very good video quality (and very good audio quality as well) and the low price..I'd like to keep it soooo..I found that if I put a, 1/8" thick felt pad under the front left foot of the unit (I know...this sounds really weird) it completely eliminated the audible hum. I can still feel vibration in the case but it cant be heard and it's not transferring to the equipment rack. Machine runs fine this way. Only downside to this is if you stare at the unit in the audio rack, you'll eventually notice that it looks just barely lopsided. So long as it doesn't create problems...I think I could live with that.

[SQ Kid]

my reason for getting the pioneer was strickly for the sacd/dvda. video seems fine to me, but i can always go back to the xbox if i need to...

[spoonieluv]

Has anyone else tried the Dr. Chesky's DVD-A with this player?
I got distortion from the rear speakers even when I switched to SMALL on the players speaker settings.

[RLA]

Hi All
For all interested in a DVD-A/SACD player we will be posting an in-depth review of the new Yamaha DVD-C750 If you are about ready to pull the trigger on a new low cost player you may want to wait just a few more short days until the review is posted ;)
Ray

[PolarWeasel]

Has anyone else tried the Dr. Chesky's DVD-A with this player?
I got distortion from the rear speakers even when I switched to SMALL on the players speaker settings.

I've been testing my DV-578a with Chesky Records’ "Ultimate Surround Sampler and 5.1 Setup Disc” for about a week. Since it's a DVD-Audio disc, obviously, it tests the analog 5.1 outputs from the DV-578a.

I've had no problems at all with the disc; in fact, it was only after playing this disc on my system that I discovered a shortcoming with the 578a's bass management.

As far as I can tell, when Pioneer says the 578a has "bass management" for the analog outputs, they mean it can redirect bass from "small" speakers to the LFE/sub channel. And that's it.

You can't redirect bass from your "small" speakers to your "large" speakers, or from the LFE channel to your "large" speakers. Initially, I had one of my subwoofers on my front-left channel, and my other subwoofer on my front-right channel. I then used the bass management in my Denon AVR-4802 to set my front-L and front-R channels to "large", all other speakers to "small", and subwoofer "off".

This meant that for 2-channel analog audio, I got the most use out of having 2 subwoofers, and for all digital audio (DD/DTS), the bass was redirected to the front 2 channels. Everything sounded great.

Then I got the 578a, and figured I'd set it up identically. I *thought* it was working fine until I tried the "bass management" test track on the Chesky disc. According to the manual, if your DVD-A player has bass management, you should hear the 60Hz tone out of your front channels, but if it doesn't have bass management, you should hear the 60Hz tone out of your subwoofer.

I had my fronts set to "large" and the LFE/sub channel "off" in the 578a menu, so I thought I'd hear the tone in my front channels.

I heard absolutely nothing. This means that the 578a is definitively incapable of routing the LFE/sub channel to any of the speakers, and since I had the sub turned "off" in the 578a menu, I was missing any bass that was mixed to the LFE/sub channel in my DVD-A and SACD discs.

In order to get the bass response I'm supposed to, I moved one of my subs onto the LFE/sub output of my AVR-4802 and turned the subwoofer "on" in the speaker configuration menu of the 4802 and the 578a. I then changed my front channel configuration so my front speakers now are being driven off the left and right speaker-level high-pass outputs of only one sub.

The only drawback to this configuration is that I don't get the benefit of using both subs for 2-channel analog audio sources (CDs and TV) -- but I now get the full bass response I'm supposed to for DVD-A and SACD.

It's too bad that the bass management on the 578a is so crippled, but I guess that's what we get for $150US.

-PolarWeasel

[UserFromMiami]

I have the same problem. I just got the Seal dvd-audio and for some reason is not playable in my Pioneer DVD-A/SACD player. No sound at all. I tried some other WB releases (REM) and it plays just fine. I'm not sure is the problem is the "DVD9" format.Please help, Ty

[Rajika]

Folks:

Apparently their is a firmware fix that MAY solve this issue. You can take the player into an authorized Pioneer service place and they will upgrade it (I think it's covered by the warranty - I plan to go next week).

The Pioneer tech told me to try it.

I'll let you know as soon as I get it back.

Rajika :)

[gobbleDgook]

Does any owners of the 578A have issue with volume level of the player?
I have this player connected through coax for dd/dtc play back and 6 analog for dvda/sacd to a Denon 3803. The volume seems to be lacking. I have to set the volume at -10 to get loud play back, even then the sound seems to be compressed. I compared the sound at the same volume level with a older panasonic 110 when playing a dd movie and its no comparison. The panasonic sounds fuller and louder. Any help would be appreciated.

Yes I basically have the same problem.
I have a stereo only setup. While playing CDs there is no problem- normal volume and sound quality. However when playing DVD-Vs (in stereo mode) the audio is extremely quiet, all the fine detail is "chopped off" and high frequencies sound rolled off. This is the same for analog outs and digital coax out to my MSB DAClink. Yes, I tried changing every setting possible. I swear it's like they took the 16 bit audio data, discarded the 4 LSBs, shifted the remaining 12 bits to the right and filled in the 4 MSBs with 0. That would explain loss of volume and detail. A firmware update *may* fix the problem. At least mine's still under extended warranty. Bought it December 2003.