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

[jdueitt]

Just got the Pioneer DV 578A DVD,SACD,and etc

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]

More about the DV 578A I am trying out

....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]

Problem with 5.1 Dvd-a

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]

Take the Challenge

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]

563A vs. 578A

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]

Pioneer DV 578A

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]

578a -disks/player/thoguhts/questions

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