Equipment Upgrade Choices

[mwheelerk]

I am looking for some input on equipment upgrades I have done and I am considering.

I owned the Pioneer DV-47a universal player. The DVD-Video quality surprised me it was so good but my interest was in the DVD-Audio and SACD playback. I was satisfied with the DVD-Audio performance but always felt there was "something" lacking in the SACD playback. Additionally there was the lack of a couple of features (inability to turn off digital audio circuits and video circuits and easy access to changing from stereo to multi-channel SACD playback) that the DV-47a had.

I owned it for about 18 months. I decided to buy another unit. It was in the same price category as the Pioneer but had the features I was looking for and appeared to have improved processing for SACD. I purchased the Denon 2900. Well I appear to be in the same boat with SACD as before and now the video quality is what I consider to be a step down.

I have an option to return this unit and the only choice I would seem to have is the Sony DVP999ES. I know I loose DVD-Audio playback, but frankly after almost two years of waiting for any real quantity and quality of new titles to come out I have given up on that format. I have owned Sony DVD players in the past and was satisfied with their video performance. Given the fact that Sony is a developer of SACD and that this player is dedicated to SACD on the audio side might I expect a "better" SACD performance than I have realized to date.

Most of my discouragement in SACD sound is in the stereo format when compared to regular CDs through my system. I simply am not hearing the dynamic involvement I expected (and yes I do have it set for SACD stereo and not CD).

Can anyone give me input on your experiences with these products and any comparisons you have made between them?

Additionally, I am anticipating changing pre-amp processors. I now have a Parasound AVR 1800 which is about 3 years old. I am looking at the Rotel RSP 1066 pre-amp processor. I have read good reviews about it and know that Rotel like Parasound generally has a good reputation for quality vs. investment. What is your opinion of this product. Any problems to look out for? Any shortcomings in its operation to be aware of?

Thanks for taking the time to reply!

[Dave]

Hi and welcome to Steve's. :wave:

Are running in 2 channel or multi-channel?

Sad fact of life...I have yet to hear a pre-amp that does both surround and 2 channel equally well. Most do multi-channel very well, but when it comes to stereo they all bite when compared to a high-end 2 channel system.

If you don't care about DVD-A my suggestion is to fork out the $ for a 555ES (with upgrades) or the 777ES Sony SACDP's. :)

[Gary]

I have (will have) a DVD-V / DVD-A playback system that includes CD - with a TV of course....

... and another system for SACD / CD / turntable playback. No TV.

I don't think you can mix these formats (DVD-A and SACD) on one player with any high quality results.

Can you run two systems? Just a thought....

[Ian Lascell]

Mike,
I have similar equipment to what you have/are considering. I have the Parasound 1800 pre/pro. I have had the Pioneer 45A since it came out. And I purchased a SONY 999ES to improve my SACD sound.

I have the 999ES set up for stereo only SACD and CD, with all other processing turned off. I still use the Pioneer 45A for multichannel and DVDs. To me, the Sony was a definite improvement for both SACDs and CDs over the Pioneer. I have never used the video portion of the Sony, so I cannot comment on that. I compared the 999ES with the 555ES and was willing to pay a little extra money for the better sound. Plus, I can't stand multi-disc changers. I am considering selling off the 45A altogether now because, like you, I have realized I use the DVD-A capabilities very little. Just for the 2 Dead releases, mainly. I can always set the Sony up for DVD-Video and multichannel SACD, so I may end up going that way. I also recently ugraded my interconnects all the way through the SACD stereo path with Grovers and that opened things up further.

The Rotel pre/pro offers more up-to-date features, but I am not in any hurry to upgrade the Parasound 1800. I only want 5.1, so it has all the features I need. I think it sounds great for a multichannel pre/pro. If (when) I upgrade my preamp, I will probably invest in a separate stereo integrated amp to concentrate on stereo sound. I think the Parasound does a great job for multichannel stuff, so I will probably stick with it as long as it makes sense.

[mwheelerk]

Thanks for the input Ian. I am glad to hear of the SACD and CD improvement with the Sony 999ES versus the Pioneer even though you have the 45a and I had the 47a.

If I go to the Rotel RSP 1066 I primarily am hoping for improved sound quality but I am also seeking the features such as advanced processing such as Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS-ES, etc., and also the ability for component video switching and passing hd signals.

Thanks again

[Ian Lascell]

Mike, just a quick update:
I gave the Pioneer 45A to my brother for Christmas (he has never had an SACD player), and have set up the Sony 999ES for DVD-Video and multichannel SACD. The sound of multichannel SACD has improved a great deal (IMO) over the Pioneer, and I prefer the Sony menus for bass management, etc. The DVD portion looks better to me than the Pioneer, but I have not spent much time with this yet. Plus, I know that the 47ai had a better video section than the 45A I am upgrading from, so your experience may vary from mine. Again, I highly recommend the Grover interconnects as well. I still need to get more for all 5 channels.

[mwheelerk]

Ian,

I went ahead and made the switch from the Denon 2900, which had replaced my original Pioneer Elite 47a, with the Sony DVP 999ES. I am very pleased with the result. From an SACD standpoint I feel the difference in the Sony vs. the Pioneer and Denon was quite dramatic. From a video standpoint I think I still like the Pioneer richness of color and detail versus the Sony, but the Sony is better in those respects than the Denon.

This may be the first piece of Denon equipment I have purchased that I did not care for.

I am having one issue with the Sony though. In stopping a disc I am having to push the stop button three times. The first time nothing happens the second time it says resume and the third time it says stop. From the remote it immediately goes to stop. I went to a dealer yesterday and looked at theirs and had to push stop twice. I may misunderstand the resume function, I think it may remember where I stopped on a disc (which is removed) and I don't want that, so I make sure resume is not on the screen. Even if it is okay to open at resume (maybe it does not remember the position on the disc when replaced) I would like to shut that feature off but cannot find a way to do in it the manual or set-up screen.

Thanks

Mike

[Strabo]

I think the first time you hit stop it turns off the screen saver. Try turning off the screen saver in the set-up menus and see if the extra stop goes away.

I haven't tried it, but I think them memory is lost once a disc it taken out. So it shouldn't be able to resume if put back in.
Anyone tried this before?

[mwheelerk]

I discovered two things. First that the problem with having to push the button three times was related to the fact that it is mounted in the rack at a lower position. I was pushing from above, "down" on the button. When I push straight on it goes to Resume without pushing it twice. I also checked and now know that opening and removing the disc at Resume is like opening it at stop unless you have the Multi-disc Resume Memory turned on in the set-up menu. All is well. One push and I'm out of there!

[SVL]

I have the Sony DVP 900 with SACD, and IMO it is a very decent DVD player that has all the needed features and great build quality. As a SACD player, IMO a dedicated SACD machine could be a better choice. I feel the Sony sounds kind of soft and not with too much detail; e.g. I actually preferred the redbook CD layer of Steve's CCR s/t remaster through my regular CD player to the SACD layer through the Sony.

The resume function is there for DVD playback, primarily; I don't believe you can switch it off from the regular consumer menu, maybe through the service menu, but then I would doubt that as well.

[Ian Lascell]

Mike, I'm glad you are pleased with the SACD sound on the Sony. I wasn't sure if your experience would be as dramatic as mine.

I must admit I was surprised to hear about the less than stellar performance of the Denon model on DVD-Video. Although I have never owned any Denon products, I have read from numerous sources about their beautiful picture even on their lower level players. Oh well.

I was nervous about what the Sony picture might look like on the 999ES, because at one time I owned one of their entry-level DVD players and found the picture to be horrible. The 999ES, thankfully, was nothing like that earlier one. The best picture IMO that I have seen is still from a Toshiba player that I had for a while (both in progressive and interlaced). Unfortunately that player was built like a flimsy piece of plastic and did nothing else well (it had DVD-Audio on it). Funny it was so damn good with the picture though.