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help: want to upgrade SACD/DVD-A player

post #1 of 7
7/18/09 at 5:29pm
Thread Starter 

I currently have a Denon 1930, which I like, but it's a bit noisy, and the difference between CD and SACD is not dramatic.

I'd like to upgrade to a better player.  DVD playback is unimportant to me.  I'm only interested in higher quality audio.

The Denon 2930 is appealing, since it's $500 off at Crutchfield, but I wonder if the DAC will be that much better.

Any suggestions?  I'd like to stay under $1000, but maybe I need to go over that for a dramatic improvement in audio.

Oh, I have 13-year old B&W 601 speakers and am running through a Denon AVR-2807.

Thanks in advance.

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post #2 of 7
7/19/09 at 1:19am
I am also thinking of upgrading my SACD DVD-Audio player.  I have a pioneer that's a few years old, it's worked great I can actually hear a substantial difference between the SACDs and just the regular CD versions.  The bass management is a bit lacking and I know that there are better ones out there.  I have a Yamaha receiver that I absolutely love so I have been looking at the players that Yamaha make.

http://www.yamaha.com/yec/dvd/singleplayer.html?CTID=5001800 

What SACD's are your favorite that you own?
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post #3 of 7
7/19/09 at 9:15am
Thread Starter 

Let me stress that I wouldn't mind a player that actually outperforms my system, which is to say, I'm planning on upgrading my receiver and speakers eventually, too.  However, I'm sure (even with my current set-up) I can get more out of my CDs and SACDs from a player with higher-end DACs and/or better transport.  Suggestions?

 

Tim, I have many favorites.  The best-sounding jazz SACD may be Coltrane's Love Supreme.  The best-sounding rock Big Star's # 1 Record/Radio City.  Classical: I really like the Jordi Savall releases, especially La Folia.

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post #4 of 7
7/19/09 at 3:06pm
I'm into classical music and there SACD won the format war hands-down.  So DVD-A playback is unimportant to me.  Surprisingly the Philips 936-SA is a great transport for SACD playback.  I have some reference quality recordings (e.g. SF Symphony Mahler 1st) that will knock your socks off.  It's an older drive so you would have to look on the second hand market.

Most SACD systems have a problem with bass management.  I went and got the Outlaw Audio ICBM.  It's really the only solution of which I'm aware - sadly now out of production but you see them on sale used all the time.

If you check out the reviews you will see that the modestly priced 936-SA/ICBM combo comes lauded from the reviewers.
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post #5 of 7
7/20/09 at 12:23am
I also prefer SACD to the DVD-A.  I think it has to do with the DSD but the SACDs definitely sound truer to the original source and as the musician intended.  Just like with DTS and DD on DVDs I think the DVD-A is overproduced and not quite as natural sounding as the SACD.

I have a collection of both that I like very much.  Where is a good place to buy SACDs, most stores don't carry them anymore.  Is sa-cd.net the best place?  I've been listening to Stevie Ray Vaughan - couldn't stand the weather high res 2 ch SACD and I still can't believe how great my system sounds, it's impressive every time.

Doesn't Yamaha use the burr-brown DA converters?  Are those still seen as some of the best out there?  I haven't researched this in awhile.
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post #6 of 7
7/20/09 at 3:27pm
I don't know if I prefer one format over the other but I have many more dvd-a's because they seem to have more of the music I like. I also like the video content on some and the way some have many audio choices to choose from like DD, DTS, hi-res stereo, mono, etc. But DSD might be the purist form of digital music.

I usually get mine from Amazon or eBay.

Most Yamaha receivers have Burr-Brown dacs (some on just the front channels) and they are said to be some of the better ones. But like anything else there are many different levels of performance depending on which B-B dac your device has. Wolfson is another major player. Even Motorola. And there are others but they escape me for the moment
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post #7 of 7
7/23/09 at 6:53pm
Surprised someone hasn't spoke of the Oppo Blu-ray universal player...ti plays e'thing sans HD-DVD for $500.
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