Pioneer DV-563A Review (2 Viewers)

[MikeSRC]

If you don't have a disc with some test tones on it, you may not be able to tell for sure whether it has bass management. Does it say anything in the owners manual about it?

Besides Toy Story, Mike's car in Monsters, Inc. is another good test for the chroma bug.

 

[KeithH]

Brajesh,

Thanks for the initial review. I'd like to hear your thoughts of DVD-Audio on the '563A with other discs down the road.


All,

I'd be interested in seeing comments on the '563A's handling of SACD in comparison to (any) other players. NO offense to Brajesh, but this is his first experience with SACD.

 

[Brajesh Upadhyay]

No offense taken I'd love to hear others' opinions on the 563A's SACD performance. I didn't get any time to play with the player last night, but recalling the manual, there was no mention of bass management.

Here's someone who did some video tests & didn't find the CUE (chroma bug).

 

[DavidK]

The published specs (excerpt below) for the 563A lists that it has 24/192 DAC:

"In addition to DVD-Audio and SACD discs, the DV-563A excels with CD and CD-R/RW discs, too, thanks to a 192 kHz, 24-bit audio DAC."

Does anyone know yet what specific brand/model of DAC is utilized in the 563A?.
THX...

 

[Brian L]

No offense taken I'd love to hear others' opinions on the 563A's SACD performance. I didn't get any time to play with the player last night, but recalling the manual, there was no mention of bass management.

BM is normally invoked when you set the speaker sizes. Most "normal" users will have mains that are not quite full range AND a sub. In that set-up, you set the mains to Small and Sub to On.

As long as the 563 will send bass from the main channels to the sub in THAT configuration, and with ALL media, most users will be happy.

To test that out, it would help to have software that has no .1 channel. I can think of at least one movie title (Disney's Tarzan) that is a DD 5.0 mix, so if you play that title, and you get output from the sub, you are probably OK with DD material. Normally, if a player gets DD right, it will also get DTS right.

It can get a bit fuzzier with DVD-A and SACD, and fuzzier still if you have 5 large main speakers and NO sub.

The 45A has some problem with some discs (Chesky 4.0 DVD-A), where BM does NOT seem to work. But, it is unclear if there is an authoring problem on that disc. There is another user (Steve_AS) that has been in contact with Chesky, and the jury is still out on whats going on.

It also may have an issue with SACD that DOES have a .1 channel. I did a test with Bowie's Heathen (almost all the bass seems to be on the .1 channel), and with the player set to all Large/No Sub, I did not seem to get bass from the .1 channel redirected to the mains. I need to do some more testing on that, though.

There of course may or may not be any commonality between the 563 and any other Pioneer player, but I am very eager to hear what happens when running the BM tests on the Chesky Ultimate DVD, as well as playing the 4.0 music tracks. I await reports from users with no subs in their rigs as well.

As for the Chroma Bug, it can be very hard to see with some players and some displays. With the 45A, I can see it when viewed on a 32" interlaced display, but do not see it when running progressive on a Pioneer 533 WS display. At present, there is no conclusive reason why.

I eagerly await the results from the Secrets test of the 563, should they test the player.

BGL

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Brian,

RE: chroma bug (non-)visibility on your Pioneer RPTV, are you using the TV's linedoubler, instead of the player's? Maybe your TV's linedoubler is filtering out (ie. hiding) the chroma bug to a great extent.

Is your RPTV ISF calibrated (or at least has well tweaked focusing and convergence)? If not, that might help hide the chroma bug too.

When I bought my Panny RPTV and used the old interlaced Tosh player, I didn't notice any chroma bugs. But when I tried the Panny S35 player (using its 480p output), I started noticing the chroma bug, which I did not expect to see at the time (since it's a Panny).

_Man_

 

[Brian L]

RE: chroma bug (non-)visibility on your Pioneer RPTV, are you using the TV's linedoubler, instead of the player's? Maybe your TV's linedoubler is filtering out (ie. hiding) the chroma bug to a great extent.

Sorry, I was unclear.

The player is normally in progressive mode, so I am not using the doubler in the set. That said, I have in fact tested both ways (progressive with the deinterlacer in the 45A, and interlaced with the deinterlacer in the TV), and still am not seeing it.

Since I can see it when connected to my older Sony 32" set, it is obviously present on the player, but it is being masked somehow.

The set is NOT ISF'd. The convergence is set as well as I can set it (64 pt. manual), but there may be a focus issue (that was Don Munsil's opinion when I corresponded with him on the subject).

I am contemplating trying an electrostatic focus (there are pots just behind the speaker panel, and I do have the service manual), but I lack the nerve to open the cabinet up and mechanically adjust the tubes!

BGL

 

[DavidK]

Anyone, anyone...Ferris????

Does anyone know/suspect yet what specific brand/model of DAC is utilized in the 563A?.
THX...

 

[Eric Wood]

I just want to make sure...Does this unit play WMA format?
Cuz you can purchase the Phillips 963 for $165 shipped @ Phillips 963

 

[WesleyHester]

The 563 will not play WMA or SVCD.

I got mine yesterday from Crutchfield.

No croma bug detected on any "test" DVD movies. I compared the output of the 563 with my Panasonic RP-91 back-to-back close up to the screen and they both look good.

I could not find any confirmation of analog bass management so I hooked up the player to my receiver through my Outlaw ICBM.

I believe the audio D/A converter is a Burr-Brown.

Yes, the 563 still converts SACD's DSD to PCM before D/A conversion.

 

[James Lee]

At the risk of showing off how ignorant I am, with the 563A connected to a widescreen TV via component cables, will 4:3 aspect ratio DVDs play in the proper dimensions (with the black bars on the sides, of course)?

I ask because I have a Samsung HLN507 DLP widescreen TV with a Samsung HD931 DVD player hooked up via the DVI interface and it forces 4:3 aspect video into 16:9 and you can't change it. I'm looking for an inexpensive secondary progressive scan player to add to my HT setup for non-widescreen DVDs, and the 563A sounds very promising.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Yes, the 563 still converts SACD's DSD to PCM before D/A conversion.

Wesley, what proof do you have of this?

 

[KeithH]

Sam, I have read from the beginning that the '563A converts DSD to PCM. I am guessing that this came out in an initial press release (e.g., based on the chipset used). The DSD-to-PCM conversion may not be a disaster since it involves conversion to 24/384 PCM. The problem is that the '563A is a budget component (no offense intended to anyone here), so any sonic issues that may be discovered with SACDs, especially in relation to more expensive players, could be a result of a host of issues, not just a DSD-to-PCM conversion.

 

[WesleyHester]

James Lee, the 563A does not have apsect ratio control. My tv locks into full mode with a progessive signal. So 4:3 will be stretched unless you can control the aspect ratio on your TV.

Sam Scamardo, the 563A's conversion of DSD to PCM before D/A conversion has been a known fact since CES in February of this year.

I agree with KeithH. This is a budget player and I knew that when I bought it. Going down from $1000 to $180 is a big deal in what gets lost inside the player. What I'm doing know is trying to determine if it is similar to a true DSD SACD player. If the difference sonically to my ears is small or undetermined then I think I've got a great deal. I'll have to listen to my discs played on a SACD player first though. I'm going to try and visit a new Best Buy here in my area and use my discs in their SACD player across JBL speakers and see if there is a big difference. If there is no difference great. If there is a little difference I could care less. If there is a big difference, I'll still keep this player because the DVD-Audio is fine and I only have one multichannel input--I'll keep SACD on hold some more.

But so far, I am very please with the 563A's SACD performance, especially with multi-channel--which I prefer over even the best stereo (no audiophile here). Again, DVD-Audio sounds just as great as I'm use to from listening to it with other players.

Also, the 563A's video performance seems great to me also despite the results of previous Pioneer DVD players in the "Shoot Out". No chroma bug is a big plus for me.

P.S. I still haven't got confirmation of the 563A's ANALOG bass management. If it doesn't have it then for anyone without an Outlaw ICBM (which I have) or receiver with it, this player is not quite that great a value because you'll end up spending $430+ for the right sound.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Keith and Wesley,

See the following comments from Allen Wright:

http://www.audioasylum.com/forums/hi...es/142636.html

He has opened up and looked at more SACD players than probably anyone out there. I'd trust him more than some of these CES press releases.

 

[WesleyHester]

I'm not saying ALL or most SACD players convert DSD to PCM, just the 563A -- it's the first and possible ONLY one at this time.

As far as I know (don't actually own a "true" SACD player) and have read. Cheap or expensive SACD players both DO NOT convert DSD to PCM -- again, just the 563A.

 

[BeatCrazy]

I'm not saying ALL or most SACD players convert DSD to PCM, just the 563A -- it's the first and possible ONLY one at this time.

People have been saying the other Pioneer Universal players did this for a long time. Apparently they're wrong. Why would Pioneer change what they're doing just for this model?

Regardless, I can't imagine that any SACD weakness from this player would be attributed to this (possible) conversion. Too many other factors going on.

 

[Lewis Besze]

The first Uni. player from Pioneer did the conversion also,I forgott the model number,it was a couple of years ago,even though this was a very expensive player.
In response to the logic that CES reports could be wrong,those come from the manufacturer, so I don't see why would Pioneer tell the world about this conversion if it's not true.In the other hand if the report was incorrect due to the reporting media's mistake Pioneer would have issued a correction notice,or demand such note from the publishing agency who made the report.

 

[Carlo_M]

Well given that the Denon costs 5 times as much as the 563A (in fact, more like 6 times for me since my dealer is an authorized Pioneer dealer) I think I'll risk the sub$200 on this for an all-in-one solution.

Having no basis of comparison (this will be my first SACD player) I don't think I'll find it lacking. And when they finally iron out this thing in a year or two I'll be able to upgrade then.

 

[David Scott]

So would I be correct in saying pairing this player with the ICBM would be the best economical way of getting the most out of the sacd/dvd-a experience? How much better do the formats sound when paired with the ICBM vs without it?