DSOTM 5.1 in PCM! (1 Viewer)

[Phil A]

Kevin, I've had a friend bring over his 8260 and heard it in my system. I just sold my Modwright XA-777ES. I had multiple players in my system comparing the 8260, Modded XA-777ES, XA-9000ES and 2000ES changer. The 8260 (at least in my system) is a so-so SACD and CD player. The friend who brought it over was shocked about its shortcomings (thought it was a much better player). He sold his after hearing it vs. other players in my system and bought the DV96000.

I don't have the same recordings (at least not yet) in DVD-A and and SACD but it is better than the Rotel RDV1060 in my system on DVD-A and DADs (moved Rotel to the bedroom). It is pleasant sounding on CD and SACD but it is not something I regard as that great. I am now using the DV9600 as a transport for CD for a MicroMega DuoPro DAC for CD. The big difference between the Marantz and the Pioneer Elite is probably the analog output stage. I find the Marantz smooth on SACD but lacking dynamics and punch vs. DVD-A.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Phil- It's funny, but I've been thinking about an XA777ES or a 9000 with an Arcam DV-79. But I don't think I have the motivation to go 2-box. I just ordered a 9600 today, so we'll see how that stacks up against the 59AVi. I have really come to like Pio's analog output stages over the years.

Be neat to see what machine sounds the best with the quad DVD-A version of Dark Side, vs the SACD. (Had to tie those 2 in somehow. )

 

[Phil A]

Kevin, let me know how the 9600 stacks up against the 59AVi. I'm running Thiel 7.2s (hooked to 2 Rel Strata IIIs crossed over at 22HZ) powered by a Bryston 14BSST and going thru a Bryston SP1.7 in 2Ch bypass mode for the left and right channel.

I've seen and heard the 59AVi, but not in the environment one can really form an opinion about (those popular home theater chains) other than the excellent video quality. I have my old Pioneer Elite DV-47A in the basement system I use about 5 times a yr. with a Marantz 7300 OSE rec'r and B&W P6s as the mains. I use the 37.5 lb. Samsung HD1000 for video and 2Ch DVD-A down there. I was never thrilled with the 47A and heard the 47Ai too. I soured on universal players for a long time (I'm using a Rotel RDV1060 and a Sony 2000ES changer in the bedroom system for DVD-A and SACD) based on long-term use of the 47A and hearing some other brands for several yrs. after that.

Before I made the plunge, I talked to my friend who works part-time at a high end shop who brought his old 8260 over (with real expensive Goldmund cones attached) and heard it vs. all the other players and then sold the 8260 and got the 9600. So, I had a frame of reference as I know him and his tastes well. I think the 9600 is listenable and smooth when it comes to CD and SACD. Having lived with the Modwright XA-777ES for just over 3 yrs. (and the unmodded machine for about 7 or 8 mos. prior to that), I could not live with the 9600 as a CD player. I had the Micromega DAC sitting in the seldom used basement system and fortunately it mates extremely well with the 9600. I can live with 9600 as an SACD player (for at least the present). Eventually, I'll have my friend who lives down the road bring over his XA-9000ES and do a comparison on CD and SACD with the 9600.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Don't let the sound quality of the 47A bias your views of other Pio and Pio based players. The 47A got universally (!) bad reviews for SACD sound quality. The 47A had Crystal DACs, the first time Pioneer didn't use Burr Browns. For the 47Ai and later players, they went back to BB's, and any complaints about sound quality disappeared. To be honest, I might even have a slight bias for the 59AVi going into this, but we'll see how it shakes out. I was really interested in the 79AVi, which presumably does have better audio quality than the 59AVi, but it's video is actually a step back in quality (as per Secret's) from the 59AVi. You do have a couple of killer setups to compare.

 

[Rob M.]

Hands down, best bootleg ever. Just gave this a listen, and while I'm not going so far as to say I prefer it to the SACD, I do love it. Sure is nice to have the choice.

 

[LanceJ]

and while I'm not going so far as to say I prefer it to the SACD

The sound, or the surround mix?

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Hmmm... Looks like you download it, and create your own DVD-A. I wish you could just buy it from someone.

 

[Rob M.]

Hmmm... Looks like you download it, and create your own DVD-A. I wish you could just buy it from someone.

Yep. Sure would have been nice for EMI to give us the choice. God forbid I get to spend money on one more copy of DSOTM.

 

[LanceJ]

Sure would have been nice for EMI to give us the choice.

Maybe they'll get tired of seeing situations like this ocurring i.e. "Hey, we could make money off those old tapes!!"

DUH! :rolleyes

 

[Doug_B]

Phil,

Why'd you sell your modded XA-777ES in the first place? Unless I'm reading it incorrectly, you're less than satisfied with the 9600 from an SACD perspective, in addition to CDs. I would think that your XA-777ES would have bested the 9600, although I've never heard the latter (faith in mods, as evidenced ->). BTW, I just picked up a used Modwright DVP-S9000ES, which I understand should be in the neighborhood soundwise (but not quite there) with the modded XA-777ES(?).

You can see my agenda in these comparisons

Thanks.

Doug

 

[Rob M.]

Maybe they'll get tired of seeing situations like this ocurring i.e. "Hey, we could make money off those old tapes!!"

Unfortunately, it seems the labels would instead label me a thief, even though I've purchased three other copies of DSOTM on optical disc over the years (20th Anniversery, MFSL, and SACD).

 

[Phil A]

Doug, system simplication to a degree. Got rid of the TA-P9000ES I used to switch between SACD and DVD-A too. While I have about 200 SACDs, it is a niche format and I don't expect tons of stuff out there in the future I'd want. I have a Micromega DAC (yes it is old, I traded excess stuff for it but it did list for $2.5k in its day way back when) and on CD with other transports I've had was an excellent CD source. There were certainly postives and negatives about it with some of the stuff I've used the DAC with compared to the Modwright unit. The DV9600 mates very well it with it. There are certain things I still like about the Modwright unit. Right now I'm extremely happy with CD playback. I just had a friend over who was very impressed with it. He's going to bring his unmodded XA-9000ES over sometime in the near future to compare to the DV9600 (he already can tell it is not in the league with the DAC in the system). I may look at other DACs.

So, the bottom line is I don't feel I'm really missing lots on CD, if anything at all, and that is most of my media. I'm getting better DVD-A playback and SACD playback that is not as good. I'm thinking media server sometime perhaps about 2-3 yrs. down the road with recorders (audio and video), TV tuners, Blu-Ray or HD DVD playback and hard drive based music playback and perhaps I'll be capable of storage that at something better than CD quality for DVD-As and SACDs (I'm much more into 2 channel). I was going to sell the Modwright unit last fall but talked myself out of it. The excess cash I have left after selling the stuff with pay for most of the upgrade on my Bryston SP1.7 pre/pro I'll do as soon as they settle HDMI 1.3. I'm also probably not as a neurotic audiophile as I used to be either

 

[Doug_B]

Hey Phil, if CD playback is the priority for you, it sounds like a good upgrade. For me, even if I never purchased another SACD (I'm near 50 discs), I'd want to have a good player for the ones I have. Probably an important distinction for me is that most of my SACD purchases represent my current musical tastes, whereas a large percentage of my redbook CDs are associated with music I don't listen to much anymore.

Doug

 

[Phil A]

Doug, I noted above, I compared SACD playback on a bunch of machines incl. the modded XA-777ES, stock XA-9000ES, 2000ES Changer and Marantz 8260. The modded XA-777ES was best but the biggest leap in performance among the machines was CD playback on the modded XA-777ES. My friend who has the XA-9000ES was over earlier and he will bring it over so I'll have a chance to compare the SACD playback on the DV9600. I may not listen to some of my older CDs that much but for a long time I held out buying CDs waiting on SACDs of the album that never came (SACDs purchases have slowed quite a bit for me vs. CD). Someone just sold the model you have with an asking price of $1,400 on Audiogon. Since I'm much more into 2-Channel (and a good portion of the cost of my mod on the XA-777ES I had done 3 yrs. ago was multi-channel), I could always buy a used modded player like yours and basically incur an add'l cost of around $150 (give or take a little) from where I was before. Most of the multi-channel discs I like are classical ambient mixes I have which is perhaps a bit over 10% of what I own and there are a few non-classical things I like in multi-channel but it boils down to the fact I prefer about 85% in stereo give or take a little.

If I had to do the mod again, I'd likely go a different route. I did own the stock DVP-S9000ES at one point. It sat in the bedroom system and the bedroom system backs to the wall of the main system and I fed both systems SACD from it. I sold it after a yr. to simply the bedroom system (Pioneer Elite DV-47A which is now in the basement system for audio only) and could not live with that in the main system for SACD so I bought the XA-777ES used locally and had it about 6 mos. before I had it modded.

 

[LanceJ]

As far as Pink Floyd is concerned:

According to this post over at quadraphonicquad.com along with many other sacd titles, the sacd of DSOTM is going out of print. But that doesn't sound quite right, since DSOTM is not on a Universal label (though the Elton Johns are). Maybe Universal *is* going to phase it out & the original poster just included it in that OOP list anyway?

Since dvd-audio discs are phyiscally based on the dvd-video format (& don't require a special manufacturing plant or require licensing from Sony/Philips) maybe Universal will allow their present dvd-audio titles to limp along awhile longer. And since this quad bootleg must be irritating the people at EMI/Capitol, hmm.........

 

[LarryDavenport]

It was, after all, an anniversary edition (30th). It will probably come out again for the 35th anniversary with yet a different variation of the cover.

 

[Yee-Ming]

Oooooo... I'm going to have to get busy this evening...

Having read the thread on QQ, it's just mind-boggling that something of this quality could show up as a bootleg. Here's hoping WYWH quad also shows up, especially considering the official SACD is nowhere to be seen.