Pioneer 47A and 47Ai questions (1 Viewer)

[Aaron H]

Hi everyone,

I am putting together my first system. The receiver will most likley be the Rotel 1055. I have been reading all of the threads of the Pioneer 47A and 47Ai players.

I have heard the video for this unit is top notch for the price. And I really like the DVD-A and SACD in 1 unit. With respect to the questionable SACD performance:

If I have never heard SACD (or DVD-A) before, will I be pleased with the SACD performance? I mean, I have nothing to compare it to, and I guess anything better than a "regular" CD would be a step up.

Also, has there been any insight as to whether the 47Ai will "upgrade" the SACD quality? i.e. is it worth waiting for in that respect?

Thanks for any insight you may have. The local shop has a few of these left and it selling them for $600. The other machine I was looking at was the Denon 1600 at around $500. I guess, for $100 more, it almost makes sense to get the Pionner.

Aaron

 

[WarrenCo]

Aaron

"will I be pleased with the SACD performance?" The only way to know is to listen for yourself. I found it useful to bring some cd's I know very well and I would suggest maybe pick up a DVD-Audio disc or 2 and a SACD disc or 2 and give it a listen. Try to hear it on the Rotel 1055 you are considering. Also try and use the same or similar speakers to the ones you have or plan to buy.

I would not assume that you will prefer the sound of SACD on the 47a over regular cd's. I actaully found the sound of SACD on the 47a unpleasant. Regular cd's sounded ok to me. (I love the sound of SACD's on my new Soney 555es however)

Most important is to trust your ears. I don't like the sound on the 47a, but you may. I would definatley listen to other players before making a final decision though. If it sounds as good or better than other players to you than thats whats important.

Good Luck

 

[Aaron H]

Good comments. I definitely want to audition everything. Just trying to get some insight. For some reason, I thought ANY SACD, even a bad one, would be better than a CD.

Are there any good DVD/SACD players out there? I'd really like to buy just one unit now, and there are many more SACD titles that interest me. I saw something about a Sony 700 and 900, which look like a good choice, but I wonder about the video quality compared to the RP91 and the Denon 1600.

As a side note, as anyone been able to integrate the Sony TAP9000ES preamp into their system to get two multi-channel inputs instead of the $30 radio shack "gimick"? (I love to say that word.)

Aaron

 

[Kevin C Brown]

You could try the Marantz 8300, which supposedly has upgraded audio components vs the Pioneer. But it costs a lot more, still doesn't have complete bass management, and still has the chroma bug. $600 for a 47a is a really good price. Will be curious to see/hear how the newer 45a compares to the 47a in terms of sound.

 

[WarrenCo]

Personally, I didn't like the 8300 for SACD either. Also the RP-91 I thought was significantly better on DVD-Audio. I posted several comments on it. If you do a search on the 8300 you will find them.

THere is another thread on a swither that pricewise is in between the radio shack and the sony. The thread is called "has anybody used this a/b switcher", or something like that.

 

[Dzung Pham]

The 47Ai supposedly has Burr Brown DACs. I believe the 47A uses Crystal DACs. Whether the sound quality will be any different remains to be seen.

 

[KeithH]

Aaron, I use the Radio Shack switch boxes, and while they are not as elegant a solution as the Sony 'P9000ES, they are not a "gimmick". They work quite well. I know you love to use the word "gimmick", but please try to use it appropriately.

 

[Aaron H]

Ok, maybe "gimick" was the wrong word. Either way, after reading, I think this RS option is the best way to go, at least for me now.
I'm thinking I want to go with the Denon 1600 for DVD and DVD-A, and then the Sony 222ES for the SACD. I'm not too sure I understand the whole bass-management thing, so I'm wondering - can 1 Outlaw ICBM be hooked up to this radio shack switcher setup, or do you still need 1 for each player?
Or just get the Sony 4ES and forget the whole "switching" thing.
Thanks in advance,
Aaron

 

[Lewis Besze]

If you also looking to buy a receiver then I would look for one that has 2 mch inputs.In a meantime I would audition the Pioneer but try to be open minded about it.If you going with preconceptions , then it may "taint" your judgement.
Happy hunting!

 

[Aaron H]

Re: Receivers. That will actually be the first purchase. This may sound crazy, but for me to be totally satisfied, I'm considering bring 3-4 units home at the same time and playing with them. Will most likley pick up the Rotel 1055, Sony 4ES, Pioneer 45TX and maybe the HK520.

Will probably be a lot of work messing with everything, but I think this will be the only way I'll be truly satisfied that I made the right decision. Unfortunately, only the Sony has 2 multi-channel inputs.

Aaron

 

[KeithH]

Aaron, it is possible to use the Radio Shack switch boxes with the Outlaw ICBM. I don't use the ICBM with the switch boxes, but it can be done. Run the DVD-Audio and SACD players to the switch boxes, the switch boxes to the ICBM, and the ICBM to your receiver or pre/pro.

The '1600/'C222ES would make a nice combo. If you can spend a bit more, consider the 'C555ES as an SACD/CD changer. It runs about $600 by mail, but it is a definite step up from the 'C222ES with both CDs and SACDs. Build quality of the 'C555ES is also first-rate. Don't get me wrong, though. The 'C222ES is a very good component for the money.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Keith- I've been thinking about using those switch boxes too:

The bass management on the 2 channel analog bypasses on the Outlaw and Rotel pre/pros doesn't work right. But Outlaw has the 80 Hz analog crossover on the 5.1 inputs. I'm thinking of using switch boxes between the front L + R's of the 5.1 leads from the 45a, and from my turntable...