Pioneer 578as Dvd-a/sacd (1 Viewer)

[Claudio*C]

Gentlemen,
I'm new in this forum, and I have a question: I'm considering the purchase of a Pioneer 578AS, mainly for its DVD-AUDIO and SACD reading capabilities. I never had the opportunity to listen to any of this new audio formats and I'd like to know if this player can be a good starting point, considering my limited budget (I mean, I can't spend more than $200.- on this item)

Many thanks for your help.
Regards,
Claudio César
ARGENTINA

 

[Rich Malloy]

Most definitely not recommended. Do a search.

I just happened to be looking for info on a particular SACD ("Layla"), and came across a post where someone realized the poor SACD reproduction of that player: http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/sh...0&postcount=47 (Also see the response in the next post for why the Pioneer does such a poor job: http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/sh...7&postcount=48)

 

[PhilBoy]

I just bought a 588A-s and although my gear is far from high end (Yamaha 5540 with AR 2062's) I can notice a big improvement in sound quality over CD's with both SA-CD and DVD-A.

The picture quality over my previous Toshiba SD3900 is also apparent.

I am very pleased with the 588A's performance even though I had minimal expectations. For $150 CAN and a 30 day Best Buy return policy, you can't beat it.

 

[Claudio*C]

Well,thank you Rich. Talk about an eye opener!
I've been doing a search in AVguide.com looking for a review
of the Sony DVP-NS775V (which Randall recommends in his post)buy I can't find it (in fact, that product is not listed in that site)
Do you know where to find some info about that Sony player?

And, one more: Which is your on-line source to get DVD-A and SACD discs?

Thanks again,
Claudio.

 

[Rich Malloy]

Claudio, the Sony is supposed to be a really good entry-level SACD/CD/DVD-V player... but it doesn't play DVD-As!

Also, I'm not sure whether the model that Philboy mentions (the 588) is the same as the 578 in terms of "down-rezzing" DVD-As and "down-converting, then down-rezzing" SACDs. I may be mistaken, but I believe the Pioneer model that came out before the 578 (hmmm.. the 568 or something?) kept the SACD signal as pure DSD before converting to analog. I don't know if these are still available, but it might be worth looking into.

I get SACDs and DVD-As from CD Universe, Tower.com amazon (mostly the foreign sites for imports), and many other places including Music Direct and Red Trumpet for those hard-to-find discs. Essentially, wherever I can get them the cheapest. For example, CD Universe often has the best prices, but Tower generally has better deals on the RCA Living Stereo series. It depends. But, generally speaking, SACD and DVD-A are widely available at all the usual online music stores.

 

[Claudio*C]

Rich, you are being a great help for me. I appreciate it very much, as I'm a rookie in HT matters.
Do you know of any DVD-A/SACD player within that price range ($200) capable of playing both formats "decently", I mean, without the cons that the Pioneer 578AS has?

Are there any differences between DVD-A and SACD in terms of sound quality?

My HT system is:

AVR: YAMAHA RX-V640
DVD PLAYER: PIONEER DV-333
SUB: YAMAHA YST SW-215
SPEAKERS: PHILIPS FB-975

Thanks a lot,
Claudio.

 

[Rich Malloy]

Claudio, I wish I knew of the best universal player in that price-range, but given that I invested in an expensive stand-alone SACD/CD player, I've only ever looked into DVD-V/DVD-A players. At the time, the only acceptable universal players cost a bit more than two separate SACD/CD and DVD-V/DVD-A players (that sounded even better). However, I recall that Linn, Marantz, Denon, and possibly Naim and NAD made/make acclaimed universal players, but I don't think any of these are in the $200 price range. But things have evolved, and prices have come down, and it's certainly possible that there's an excellent player out there at that price-point, but probably more like in the over-$500 range. Nothing's perfect, particularly for $200, so I think you have to consider trade-offs somewhere to remain at that price-point. I think you should know going in that CD performance tends to suffer most in these budget universal players, and I've read few reviews that find their performance in this regard to be acceptable. But if you have a stand-alone CD player that you like already, this won't be an issue for you.

Best of luck!

 

[Claudio*C]

OK Rich. As I can see, $200 is...not enough. Maybe is time for me to "rise my bet"
I'll continue my search right here in this forum. I'm sure that there must be someone into the same "problem".

I want to thank you for taking the time to answer to all my questions.

Best Regards,
Claudio.

 

[gene c]

Claudio, I recently upgraded from a Pioneer 563a to a Yamaha 6770 (same as the 750) and feel it's the next step up from entry level uni-players. Maybe not as good as the $500 and up stuff but a solid performer. The set-up menu is a bit of a challenge, but once past that, sight and sound are pure pleasure. A quick check of "Pricegrabber.com" shows $227 and up on a $299 MSRP, but look for authorized dealer status. As for DVD-A vs. SACD, I think DVD-A is a little warmer and "analog" like, SACD is crisper, brighter and more "digital". Love both of them. Let us know what you decide to get.

 

[Claudio*C]

Hi Gene,
Right after reading your post, y began my search to see if I can get this player here in Argentina (which, by the way, it's not an easy task...) I'm reading the Audioholics review about the 750 and I think it suits my expectations AND my budget (not necessarily in that order...)
Many thanks for the tip. I'll keep you informed.

Regards,
Claudio.