My first SACD (Super Audio). Great price...but should I buy? (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

I don't want to mention the advertiser, but
a major online distributor is selling the
Sony DVD/SACD Player DVPNS500V for $299.
I don't have a SACD player. Not sure if I
want to get into the format as I am sure it
will mean that I will be replacing a lot of
CDs.
Generally, Sony products suck. The low end
stuff does. A Sony carousel unit I bought a
mere 2 years ago is already making my CDs skip.
What do you think of this player?
More importantly, is this a format worth
getting into?
Thanks in advance.
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Ronald Epstein (pronounced like the English "Ronald Epstein")
Circa 2000
Home Theater Forum Administrator
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[Yohan Pamudji]

It's generally the case that DVD players don't do as well with CDs as dedicated CD players because of the compromises that have to be made to accomodate both audio and video, or so I've heard. If you already have a DVD player (of course) I think getting a dedicated SACD player would be better. Dunno how good it is, but you can get the Sony SCD-CE775 SACD 5-disc for $350 at local stores. If you just need another DVD player, might as well go with the NS500V and experience SACD while you're at it. It all depends on your motivation, I suppose.
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[anthony_b]

I ordered a SACD player myself and then changed my mind and got a regular cd player. The sound was awsome but there are not a lot of titles out there, and when you do find them they cost about $20 plus shipping !!!! and who knows if this is going to be the format of choice ? (dvd-a maybe ?)...apex is coming out with a player that does it all (sacd,dvd-a,mp3,hdcd,dvd-v....)I'd wait for that and it's going to be cheaper !!!
[Edited last by anthony_b on October 18, 2001 at 04:52 PM]

 

[Steven Simon]

SACD is the most sensational audio I have ever heard!!!
Go for it!!!
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Thanks,
Steven R. Simon
HTF Administrator
Theater Pics Updated 9-11-2001
Send Email: [email protected]

 

[anthony_b]

I agree it sounds great, but the titles out there are not for everyones taste. Maybe if there were more titles out there I'd get one.

 

[Mark F Hall]

SACD is awesome. There are a lot of titles available on SACD. Universal Music has just joined the SACD world along with Virgin.
AerosmithJust Push Play
Alice In ChainsGreatest Hits
Louis ArmstrongAmbassador Satch
Louis ArmstrongSatch Plays Fats
Louis ArmstrongLouis Armstrong Plays W. C. Handy
BabyfaceThe Day
BanglesGreatest Hits
Jeff BeckBlow By Blow
Joshua BellBernstein: West Side Story Suite
Tony BennettThe Ultimate Tony Bennett
Tony BennettMTV Unplugged
Leonard Bernstein Bernstein: Candide Overture; West Side Story Dances; On the Waterfront Suite; Fancy
Leonard Bernstein Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris; Grofe: Grand Canyon Suite
Leonard Bernstein Mahler: Symphony No.1 "Titan"
Leonard Bernstein Dvorák: Symphony No.9 "From the New World"
Terence Blanchard Let's Get Lost
Blood, Sweat & Tears Blood, Sweat & Tears
Michael BoltonGreatest Hits 1985-1995
BostonBoston
Pierre BoulezHandel: Water Music; Royal Fireworks Music
Pierre BoulezBoulez Conducts Ravel
Dave Brubeck Quartet Time Out
The ByrdsGreatest Hits
Mariah Carey#1's
Charlotte ChurchDream a Dream (North American Version)
Charlotte ChurchCharlotte Church
Harry Connick, Jr.We Are In Love
Aaron CoplandCopland: Appalachian Spring, Billy the Kid, Four Dance Episodes from Rodeo
Miles DavisKind Of Blue
Miles Davis'Round About Midnight
Miles DavisJazz At The Plaza
Miles DavisBlack Beauty: Miles Davis At Fillmore West
Miles DavisLive - Evil
Miles DavisBig Fun
Miles DavisQuiet Nights
Miles DavisMiles Smiles
Miles DavisSketches Of Spain
Deep ForestComparsa
John DenverThe Best Of John Denver Live
Celine DionAll The Way...A Decade of Song
Divas SoundtrackVH1 Divas Live
Plácido DomingoThe Three Tenors Christmas
Bob DylanBlonde On Blonde
Wind & Fire EarthGratitude
Duke EllingtonFirst Time! The Count Meets The Duke
Gloria EstefanAlma Caribeña
Gloria EstefanGreatest Hits
Marvin GayeMidnight Love
Glenn GouldBach: Goldberg Variations, (1981 Digital Recording)
Glenn GouldBach: Italian Concerto; Partitas Nos.1 & 2
Glenn GouldBach: Two- and Three-Part Inventions
Billie HolidayLady In Satin
Vladimir HorowitzChopin: Piano Sonata No.2; Rachmaninoff: Étude-Tableau, Op.3
Michael JacksonThriller
Billy JoelAn Innocent Man
Billy JoelThe Stranger
Billy Joel52nd Street
JourneyArrival
JourneyEscape
KandiHey Kandi...
Keb' Mo'The Door
Carole KingTapestry
Cyndi LauperShe's So Unusual
Kenny LogginsYesterday, Today, Tomorrow - The Greatest Hits Of Kenny Loggins
Jennifer LopezOn The 6
Yo-Yo MaAppalachian Journey
Yo-Yo MaSolo
Manhattan transferThe Christmas Album
Wynton MarsalisMarsalis Standard Time - Volume I
Wynton MarsalisHot House Flowers
Wynton MarsalisThe London Concert
Ricky MartinSound Loaded
John McLaughlinFriday Night In San Francisco
Meat LoafBat Out Of Hell
MidoriMozart: Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat for Violin, Viola and Orchestra; Concerto in D for Violin, Piano and Orchestra
Charles MingusAh Um
Thelonious MonkStraight, No Chaser
Movie SoundtrackMy Fair Lady Soundtrack
Movie SoundtrackDances With Wolves Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Willie NelsonStardust
Eugene OrmandyVerdi: Messa da Requiem
Eugene OrmandyOrff: Carmina burana
Murray PerahiaBach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988
Murray PerahiaMozart: Piano Concertos Nos.20 & 27
Esa-Pekka SalonenBernard Herrmann: The Film Scores
Santana Abraxas
Joe SatrianiEngines Of Creation
The SopranosMusic From The HBO Original Series - Peppers & Eggs
Isaac SternVivaldi: The Four Seasons; Concertos for Two Violins
Isaac SternTchaikovsky, Mendelssohn: Violin Concertos
Igor StravinskyStravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps; L'Oiseau de Feu
George SzellSchumann: Symphonies Nos.2 and 4; Weber: Oberon Overture
George SzellSchumann: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 3; Manfred Overture
George SzellMahler: Symphony No.10; Walton: Partita for Orchestra; Stravinsky: Firebird Suite
George SzellGrieg: Peer Gynt Suite; Bizet: L'Arlésienne Suite, No.1; Mussorgsky: Pictures / Exhibition
George SzellDvorák: Symphonies Nos.8 & 9 "From the New World"
George SzellDvorák: Symphony No. 7, Carnival Overture; Smetana: The Moldau, Bartered Bride, more
George SzellStrauss Family: Waltzes and Polkas
George SzellRossini, Auber, Berlioz: Overtures
George SzellSchubert: Symphony No. 9 "The Great"
George SzellMendelssohn: Symphony No. 4 "Italian"; The Hebrides Overture
George SzellMozart: Symphonies Nos. 39 and 40; Exsultate jubilate
George SzellBeethoven: Symphony No. 3 "Eroica"; Overtures
George SzellStrauss: Till Eulenspiegel; Don Juan; Tod und Verklärung
George SzellWagner: Orchestral Music from The Ring of the Nibelung
George SzellDvorák: Slavonic Dances, Opp.46 & 72
James TaylorHourglass
TotoHydra
TotoToto IV
Tower Of PowerSoul Vaccination: Tower Of Power Live
TrainDrops Of Jupiter
Luther VandrossNever Too Much
VariousThe Antiphonal Music of Gabrieli
Stevie Ray VaughanTexas Flood
Stevie Ray VaughanCouldn't Stand The Weather
Arcadi VolodosRachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No.3; solo piano works
Bruno WalterBrahms: Symphony No.4
Bruno WalterSchubert: Symphony No.8 "Unfinished"; Beethoven: Symphony No.5
Bruno WalterBeethoven: Symphony No.6 "Pastorale"
Bruno WalterMozart: Symphonies Nos.38 & 40
Grover Washington, Jr.Prime Cuts - The Columbia Years: 1987-1999
Weather Report Heavy Weather
zebraheadPlaymate Of The Year
Coming Soon:
Roger Waters: In The Flesh Live (SACD)
and many more.
Mark
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[Edited last by Mark F Hall on October 18, 2001 at 05:06 PM]

 

[anthony_b]

Maybe I should be a little bit more clear. After viewing the amount/selection of titles available at this time I could not convince myself to purchasing one yet (I love to be the first on the block with new toys !!). Of the titles available there isn't a SACD title that I needed to hurry out and get. Maybe someone who has a diferent musical taste would find the titles available more apealing.

 

[PomingF]

I also am sitting on the fence for that universal player trying not give in to this stupid format war but already have 5 SACD's in my possession. My last three came from MusicDirect (http://www.amusicdirect.com) @ $17.99 each. They have a $10 off $50 offer for your first web order.
PF

 

[Joe Casey]

I wholeheartedly agree with Steve and Mark. But then, I got my first DVD player when there were only about 100 DVD's available

.
And yes the sound is incredible.
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Q
[Edited last by Joe Casey on October 18, 2001 at 06:30 PM]

 

[KeithH]

Ron, unless you need a new DVD player, I would look at an audio-only SACD player, such as the Sony SCD-CE775 SACD changer for around $300-350. I think you will get a better audio component by eliminating the video circuitry. Build quality on the 'CE775 isn't great, as it isn't an ES product, but reviews I have read have been positive.
I agree that Sony's mass-market products are no great shakes, but I think Sony has turned it up a few notches, so to speak, with its SACD players. All of Sony's ES SACD players have been a cut above recent ES CD players in terms of build quality and performance, and I would expect a similar superiority from the mass-market SACD players. My feeling is that Sony knows it has a tough road ahead of it to establish SACD in the face of the ubiquitous CD. As a result, Sony has had to put that extra effort into designing its SACD players. As important as it has been to do this with the ES models due to the fact Sony has often been targeting audiophiles there, I feel it is equally important for Sony to design first-rate SACD players for the price when targeting the mass market. In that vein, Sony is using state-of-the-art Burr-Brown DACs in all of its multi-channel SACD players, including the 'CE775.
With regards to build quality, one thing I have noticed in looking at the 'CE775 in stores is that the carousel mechanism appears identical to that in the SCD-C333ES stereo SACD changer, which I have. I've had no problems whatsoever with the 'C333ES carousel. The multi-channel SCD-C555ES also has this same carousel mechanism.
No matter which player you get, SACD is a great format, and you should consider jumping in now that prices of players have come down. Without knowing what other equipment you have (amp, speakers), I bet you will be able to hear the improvement afforded by SACDs over CDs anyway. It's true that you may incur the added expense of replacing CDs with SACDs, but SACD software prices have come down (you can always sell off used CDs, if desired). As you may know, many Best Buy stores are stocking the 'CE775 and SACD software. Single-disc stereo SACD releases are $16.99 and single-disc multi-channel SACD releases are $18.99. Two-disc stereo SACD sets, such as the soundtrack to The Sopranos, are $32.99.
I would head over to your local Best Buy or Circuit City to check out the 'CE775 (note that Circuit City doesn't sell SACD software currently). Where do you live in New Jersey? I ask because the Best Buy in Moorestown (across the street from the Moorestown Mall) still did not have an SACD display ('CE775 or discs) last Sunday. However, the Best Buy in West Windsor (Rt. 1 near Princeton) has the display.
Best of luck, whatever you decide to do. An easy thing to do might be to pick up the 'CE775 and some discs at a local Best Buy and try out the format at home. You will have 30 days to return the player for a full refund if you don't like it. They won't take the discs back, but you could always unload them on eBay (Sony SACDs aren't hybrids, so no CD layers are included).
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My:
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KeithH: Saving the Home Theater World Before Bedtime

 

[Kevin T]

hey ron:
you can always jump on the group purchase bandwagon with john, keith, chip, and i for the scd-c555es. of course, even with us it'll still probably be well beyond the $299 price you quoted. maybe you can strong-arm a couple more members into joining the group purchase! haha.
kevin t

 

[KeithH]

Kevin, I guess you didn't see two of my posts recently about the 'C555ES. The list of those wanting in on the group buy is getting smaller. I posted in a reply to you in another thread that Chip already ordered a 'C555ES from Oade Bros. In addition, I ordered one from OneCall today. I mentioned it in my upgrade thread currently on the board. I got the 'C555ES from OneCall for $824 delivered with 12-month same-as-cash financing (no payments, no interest).
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My:
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KeithH: Saving the Home Theater World Before Bedtime

 

[anthony_b]

I turned down an order from an authorized dealer for the SACD MODEL 775 for $283 shipped !!!...I'm holding out for now.

 

[Rutledge]

Ron,
I demoe'd the 775 a couple of weeks ago and it sounded awesome. I was really impressed. To me it was a bigger jump in sound quality going from cd to sacd than it was from vinyl to cd.
This was my first experience with a carousel changer and i did not like the clunkiness of it. It was not a refined sounding in its operation. I took it back and told them i would buy a single disc unit in a few months.
For $300 you can't go wrong. The disc that stood out among the ones they gave me was Doug MacLeod "Unmarked Road".

 

[KeithH]

Rutledge said:

I demoe'd the 775 a couple of weeks ago and it sounded awesome. I was really impressed. To me it was a bigger jump in sound quality going from cd to sacd than it was from vinyl to cd.

Most audiophiles feel that with quality equipment and good maintenance, LPs sound better than CDs. Some still prefer LPs to SACDs.
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My:
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KeithH: Saving the Home Theater World Before Bedtime

 

[JaleelK]

"It's generally the case that DVD players don't do as well with CDs as dedicated CD players because of the compromises that have to be made to accomodate both audio and video, or so I've heard. If you already have a DVD player (of course) I think getting a dedicated SACD player would be better. Dunno how good it is, but you can get the Sony SCD-CE775 SACD 5-disc for $350 at local stores. If you just need another DVD player, might as well go with the NS500V and experience SACD while you're at it. It all depends on your motivation, I suppose."
This is pure speculation and opinion. There has been no scientic listen test that I know of that have determined that DVD players don't do as well with audio as CD players.
Read October's edition of Sound&Vision magazine, they have an article on SACD, DVD, CD etc. and if sonic differences can actually be heard between those formats.

 

[Jack Gilvey]

Most audiophiles feel that with quality equipment and good maintenance, LPs sound better than CDs. Some still prefer LPs to SACDs.

Thank you, Keith. In all fairness, though, it wasn't stated if the "jump in sound quality" was up or down.

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[Edited last by Jack Gilvey on October 19, 2001 at 10:40 AM]

 

[Joe Casey]

Jaleel,
Hmmmmm......I guess if it isn't published it isn't so. But at the same time, a recent article in the The Evening Standard, London's most popular daily, basically said that there is no difference in sound quality between SACD, DVD-A, MP3, CD-R, or CD. Do you beleive that too?
Also, I'm curious: have you ever listened to SACD? In a stand-alone player? In a combo player? With an analog bypass? Or is your judgement based solely on what is NOT printed?
I just recently compared (last night) my friends Sony 9000 combo player to my XA777 SACD-only player in my system. Guess what? There was a difference and it wasn't subtle. Which was better would be purely subjective. But ours (and a few others) objective opinions were there was a definite difference. There. Its in print.
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Q

 

[KeithH]

Jaleel said:
quote: This is pure speculation and opinion. There has been no scientic listen test that I know of that have determined that DVD players don't do as well with audio as CD players.[/quote]
Obviously, evaluations of the quality of components are opinions. One doesn't need to follow "The Scientific Method" rigorously to determine whether he or she prefers the sound from a CD player or a DVD player. The argument can be made that double-blind tests be conducted, but I have said to you before, such painstaking procedures need not always be followed. At times, the difference in sound quality is so significant, that all one has to do is listen to two players for a minute or two each to draw a conclusion. Volume has nothing to do with it. Simple relative quality does.
The idea that many DVD players are lacking as CD players is nothing new. Respected reviewers state it all the time. My Technics DVD-A10 DVD-Audio player is no great shakes as a CD player. I find my Denon DCM-370 CD changer at $250 to be better than the 'A10 that cost me $380 and originally retailed for $1200. I didn't buy the 'A10 for CD playback, however. If the 'A10 could not play CDs, I wouldn't care. Also, my Pioneer CLD-D406 LD player is by far the worst CD player I have ever owned. Even as a transport to my Sony STR-V444ES receiver, the 'D406 is awful (other players sound quite good when used as transports to the 'V444ES, so the blame lies squarely on the 'D406).
There are no absolutes, however. It is possible for a DVD player to be a good CD player. Although I haven't compared it rigorously to comparably priced dedicated CD players, the Integra DPS-9.1 DVD-Audio player is a very good CD player. If I were in the market for a do-it-all-type machine, I would be very happy with the '9.1.
It is speculation that the Sony DVP-NS500V is not the ideal choice for an SACD player when compared to comparably priced audio-only SACD players, but that speculation is based on countless observations and reviews that DVD players playing CDs do not stack up to comparably priced dedicated CD players. Again, this is nothing new.
Compromises are commonly observed in audio, hence the desire by many high-end companies to keep things simple. If stereo music is the goal, often times, monoblock amps with a pre-amp is better than a power amp and a pre-amp is better than an integrated amp is better than a stereo receiver is better than a home-theater receiver at a given price point. Does this always hold true? Probably not, but it is often observed. Likewise, a single-disc CD player is better than a carousel changer is better than a megachanger at a given price point. Always true? Probably not, but often is.
It is commonly held that video circuitry, which is unnecessary for CD or SACD playback, leads to compromises in and interference with the audio circuitry. If you are a designer interested in making a quality CD player at a restricted budget of $500, it is likely you will have make certain compromises if DVD capability is to be included. It is likely that you will have to use cheaper parts for the audio section and will not be able to lay out the audio circuitry optimally to include video circuitry within the specified budget.
Note that in reviews, a reviewer is not usually surprised to get good CD performance from a CD player relative to comparably priced CD players, but is surprised to get good CD performance from a DVD player relative to comparably priced CD players. It's not that DVD players can't be good CD players, but it's not commonly observed.
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KeithH: Saving the Home Theater World Before Bedtime
[Edited last by KeithH on October 19, 2001 at 12:45 PM]

 

[Philip Hamm]

Ron,
The bottom line here is the following:
Do you sit and critically listen to music?
Or do you listen to music casually or as background? Unless you are critical listener I don't think any high quality audio format is going to make a meaningful difference over CD. Just my opinion.
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Philip Hamm
AIM: PhilBiker