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!!!
....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.
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?
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.
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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...!
__________________ "... it is surely a morally ambiguous position to persuade non-technical people that to get a really good sound they have to buy £2000 preamps and so on, when both technical orthodoxy and common sense indicate that this is quite unnecessary. " -- Doug Self "Audio Wisdom": Links for the new or confused audiophile.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions. - Naguib Mahfouz