5.1 switchbox? DVD-A + SACD = 5.1 Switchbox? (1 Viewer)

[Westly T]

With only one 5.1 input on most receivers, are there remote control 5.1 A-B switches? I currently have DVD-A on one system and SACD on the other, but if I get a good collection of SACD's, I'll want a SACD player on my main system. A remote one would be nice since the equipment is in a closet and controlled by a pronto with macros to simplify use of the system.

 

[Jeff Adams]

I don't know about a remote switcher but I do know that Radio Shack carries switcher boxes. But that just means more money, more cables, more opportunity for audio interference and just more hassles. I for one am waiting for a more affordable combo player, then you wont need all that extra stuff. Taking up more space. See the thread in regards to the Pioneer combo player.

 

[Jeff Adams]

By the way, the thread is the DV-47A.

 

[PomingF]

I think Shawn @ SMR (?) makes one with remote option. I don't know his username here but on AVS he's 'sfogg'. Try to PM him & ask.

PF

 

[Westly T]

I made my own unit much like the one http://home.attbi.com/~shawnfogg
Mine was very close to this, except I don't use a switch, and because I was on a budget I connected the two sets of input cables directly to the box without the RCA plugs. Doing this allowed me to use three sets of RCA cables cut in half in place of 6 sets and three times as many RCA jacks. This saved me allot as the RCA cables are very expensive while if anything it would improve sound quality, but it added allot of time to the project.
Another option:
The Sony TA-P9000ES 5.1 Preamplifier:

Click here for a closeup of the face.
Sources for this unit include Oade Brothers and Crutchfield.

 

[Charles Gurganus]

Sony has the TA-P9000es you can get from oade.com for $475 delivered. It is made more for seperates but I think you could still use it with a receiver that has 1 5.1 input.

 

[John Tillman]

After spending the $250 on the Outlaw ICBM, I found it to be a mandatory piece of gear in the DVD-A/SACD mix.

I submit that they realize this as well and I also submit that they dropped the ball with not allowing for a set of inputs for the two.

Great product. Lame decision.

 

[John Kotches]

John,

I agree with you completely on that synopsis... It's thisclose to being the perfect solution.....

Regards,

 

[JaleelK]

After spending the $250 on the Outlaw ICBM, I found it to be a mandatory piece of gear in the DVD-A/SACD mix.

Absolutely, you can't have DVD-A or SACD without it. I just picked up one about two weeks and my DVD-A's sound sweet now.

 

[Westly T]

After spending the $250 on the Outlaw ICBM, I found it to be a mandatory piece of gear in the DVD-A/SACD mix.

I have come to this conclusion as well. I've listened to some music DVD's using the same settings I'm stuck with for DVD-A and then switched to my receivers DAC's with bass management and the difference is huge. SACD's sound better with the limited bass management, but are still lacking.

 

[rodneyH]

John, I totally agree, I don't exactly "NEED" an outlaw for my set up, but I do "need" a switch, so if it came out with a 5.1 switch I would have bought one. Now I don't have one and don't plan on it either (unless they do a switch version).

 

[KeithH]

If Outlaw comes out with an ICBM that switches between sources, I'll buy one if the price is reasonable.
I wonder if anyone from Outlaw peruses this site. Hello! Business opportunity!

 

[Charles Gurganus]

I think the SACD players need to improve there BM capabilities before we make all the cable companies rich! The players need a triple adjustable crossover allowing for selections from 40hz up in 10hz steps (say up to 120hz) for 3 groups of speakers (front main, center and rears). I will not buy one until they do this. There just isn't the software to justify an ICBM plus the cost of the players IMO. I have the Sony P9000es that has given my system the 5.1 bypass feature the E9000es was missing, but I will just use it for 2 channel until the players are versitle enough to handle the BM.

 

[JaleelK]

I think the SACD players need to improve there BM capabilities before we make all the cable companies rich! The players need a triple adjustable crossover allowing for selections from 40hz up in 10hz steps (say up to 120hz) for 3 groups of speakers (front main, center and rears). I will not buy one until they do this. There just isn't the software to justify an ICBM plus the cost of the players IMO. I have the Sony P9000es that has given my system the 5.1 bypass feature the E9000es was missing, but I will just use it for 2 channel until the players are versitle enough to handle the BM.

The ICBM gives you that type of flexibiity. To have DVD-A or SACD today without the kind of bass management that the ICBM gives you, the sound of DVD-A and SACD is lacking and the type of so-called bass management that present day DVD-A and SACD players come with is a joke.

 

[Westly T]

There just isn't the software to justify an ICBM plus the cost of the players IMO.

I did agree with this originally, but I got tiered of waiting and thought I could live with the issues. I needed a new DVD player with progressive anyway, so I got a DVD-A equipped player. Then my bedroom DVD player died, and having all Sony equipment in that room I wanted a Sony DVD to simplify things. I ended up getting the 5-disk changer with SACD for $249, and got 5 free DVD movies with it (some to keep and some to sell on Ebay). Having a SACD player proved to be a big temptation and I gave in and got some SACD's. Now that I bought the SACD’s, I really wanted to be able to hear them on the main system. When I saw a deal for $179 at Best Buy for the 5-disk changer, I grabbed it and made the 5.1 switch. Now I find I feel it's worth a few hundred more to improve what I have. When I think of what the disks cost (you know how they add up), a few hundred more to greatly improve them all doesn't seem so bad. It makes a much bigger difference then say, buying a new amp (or at least I think it will). I think It'll also improve all my DVD movies, music, etc so that also makes it more worth the cost. So do you think I'm I good at this progressive justification thing? I've had enough experience at it over the years!

 

[Charles Gurganus]

Jaleek, I know the ICBM gives you that flexibility. I am just saying, for me, there isn't enough software to justify an even more convuluted setup than I already have. I am hoping in a year or so, that there will be a player with good flexible BM and a enough software to justify the multi channel music. My HT processor has great BM capability. I don't want to add a outboard BM box at this point just for a few SACD discs.
At this point, I am happy with 2 channel and most of the so called SACD releases are just redone versions of my vinyl collection.

 

[chella]

I think it is all the manufacturers' fault. First they decided not to allow digital out from these DVD-A or SACD players. Then they completely fail to address the issue of BM on the players. There must be a way to force the manufacturers to address this issue rather than paying more money on equipments to 'fix' this.

 

[Westly T]

There must be a way to force the manufacturers to address this issue rather than paying more money on equipments to 'fix' this.

Yes, don't buy their stuff. However this could (Unlikely) kill a format, will slow new equipment becoming available, slow new titles becoming available, and postpone your enjoyment of the new formats. I did wait last year hoping they would get the act together with a good combo SACD/DVD-A player for under $500 with bass management this year, but it doesn't look like they've even got a chipset to allow this to be done. The few unit with bass management are still limited in function and costly. The players with both formats are costly and have problems. At this point I think it will be years before they get it right, and by then I'll likely be ready for an upgrade anyway. I don't want to wait that long to enjoy high quality multi-channel music and the higher quality the formats offer. I don't want to invest in DVD-Video music or DTS when there is something better.

 

[Mike Keith]

What's everyone mean by poor bass management and the need for a outboard manager like the ICBM, It's more like no bass management and totally un-useable. I have the Sony DVP-NC650V DVD/SACD player hooked up to a TA-P9000ES and TA-E9000ES preamps and in my opinion, there is no way to enjoy SACD at all with the onboard bass management, you must (evidently) have some outboard management or it just won't work right at all. Right now I have to turn up the Sub output all the way and the main's all the way down on the SACD player's menu, then I still have to turn the bass control on the TA-P9k all the way up on 2-ch SACD and half way up on Multi-channel just to get any kind of balance at all. Boy did they mess up on that one, I can't believe I bought into this SACD SCAM. BTW for those of you who have the TA-P9k Analog preamp combo, try putting in a 2-ch Hybrid SACD disc in and switching the By-Pass and Input 1 back and forth and see if you can tell a audible difference between the PCM layer's sound verses the SACD layers sound, I couldn’t.

 

[Westly T]

Here's another option, the Sony TA-P9000ES 5.1 Preamplifier:

Click here for a closeup of the face.
Sources for this unit include Oade Brothers and Crutchfield.