Help me decide? Best DVD/SACD player for <$1000 on the street (1 Viewer)

[Terry.P]

I looking for the best "Jack of all trades" player to do both DVD and multichannel SACD for less than $1,000 street price. DVD-Audio would be nice but it is not mandatory.

I will be using component outputs for prgressive video and need to have good bass managment for 5.1 SACD.

Looking the best overall player for both Video and Super Audio sources.

Here is the order of my short list so far from best to worst.

Sony DVP-NS999ES
Yamaha DVDS2300
Marantz DV8300
Pioneer DV-47Ai
Philips DVS-963SA

Any comments would be appreciated.

Currently I have a Sony CX-875p and used to have a Sony DVP-S9000ES.

thx in advance.

 

[KeithH]

Terry, I have not demoed all of these components, but the Marantz '8300 seems to get high marks around here on the audio side. Given that it is modeled after the Pioneer Elite DV-47A on the video side, it probably shows the chroma bug.

The Sony 'NS999ES is a very good audio component, but I've read mixed reviews about its video capabilities. For just $400-500, the Philips '963SA looks to be a winner. It's great on paper, and the few reviews I've read have all been positive. One of its most intriguing features, in my opinion, is the 24/192 upsampling feature for CDs.

The Yamaha 'S2300 also gets good marks on the audio side, and some here have rated it the best universal player. The Pioneer Elite '47Ai is better than the '47A, but I don't think it is your best option.

Do a search here for reviews of these components. Given the good things I have read about '963SA coupled with its low price, I would start by demoing it.