Philips SACD-1000: On Sale

Well, here's a deal for folks looking for a reasonably priced, good SACD player.

The Good Guys stores just started a clearance sale on the Philips SACD-1000 Multichannel SACD/DVD Video player. See info at www.sacd.philips.com/product.html They are discontinuing it in favor of the various under $1,000 Sony SACD players they now stock.

The SACD-1000 price is $999.99 and through April 5th, they will give you an extra $50 off any audio player that costs $500 to $999. so that brings the price down to $999.99.

Since the SACD-1000 originally list priced for $2,000 and it's player mechanism and circuitry is also used in other SACD players (like the $3,800 Marantz SA-12S1), this looks like a real deal.

Check it out!

Well, the price continues to drop on the Philips SACD-1000 Multichannel SACD/DVD Video player.

I'm told that Oade Brothers (www.oade.com) is now selling the player brand new for only $795. That includes the 2 free SACDs in the box.

A good deal for a starter Multichannel SACD player (the original list price was $2,000!).

Also of interest, this is the player that can be modified by EMM Labs to add an optical connector to the Meitner Pro DSD DAC.

Definitely a deal to look at !

A word of warning: According to their own publications (no personal experience, that is) the Philips SACD1000 will NOT play DTS encoded audio CD's !

I guess there is resampling going on inside the box...

Joop

I just clicked on the link and this is what it said........
Multichannel Super Audio CD player
SACD / DVD-Video / SVCD / Video CD / CDDA / CD-R / CD-RW playback
DSD / AC-3 / MPEG2 decoder built in (5-1 Channel output)
Optical and Coaxial Digital Audio output (PCM / MPEG2 / AC-3 / DTS)
Differencial High Quality Digital to Analog Conversion

Where did you get your info from, can you send a link .
So others can check it out to see before they spend their hard earned $$$, and get burned!

The SACD-1000 doesn't have a digital output. So DTS 5.1 music playback may indeed be an issue here.

Key features:
Multichannel Super Audio CD player
SACD / DVD-Video / SVCD / Video CD / CDDA / CD-R / CD-RW playback
DSD / AC-3 / MPEG2 decoder built in (5-1 Channel output)
Optical and Coaxial Digital Audio output (PCM / MPEG2 / AC-3 / DTS
Differencial High Quality Digital to Analog Conversion
Separate Audio and Video Circuit
Separate Power Supply units
Linear Toroide Transformer
Dual Laser optical pickup unit
Aluminum front
Dolby Surround for analog out
Universal remote Control
Enhanced ease of use graphical interface
Parental Control and Disc Lack
Multi system Video out
Smart Picture (scart only)
Slow motion
Screen saver

Am I missing something- Right from the site

Well, the lack of a digital output had been a complaint about the SACD-1000 when it first came out.

I just looked at mine and it does indeed have a digital output that is marked for DTS use.

Interesting. Perhaps Philips added it in later units ? Hmm...

www.consumer.philips.com/...01_dfu.pdf

Take a look at page 33: "before requesting service"

No sound
Check audio connections.
If using a HiFi amplifier,try another sound source.
DTS-CD do not play on the SACD 1000.

Joop

Interesting. I wonder what the digital out marked "DTS-Dolby Digital-MPEG" does then.

In my case, I play back the DTS Music CDs on my Pioneer LD/DVD player, so I've never tried them on the SACD-1000.

I am very curious... Is it much trouble to test this? Just a matter of connecting the digital out to your receiver i guess.

Just be sure to turn down the volume, in case it really does not work and the raw noise of undecoded data is send to your speakers.

If I get a chance this weekend, I'll try to move some audio cables around and check that. Could be very interesting.

I should also mention that Elusive Disc just picked up the SACD-1000 player as well. Although they have it for $999 while Oade Brothers was selling it for only $795 last I had heard.

Well, I can report that I tried a few DTS 5.1 Music CDs on the SACD-1000 and they don't work.

On the other hand, I did the same test with a Sony XA777ES Multichannel SACD player and that worked like a charm. It played commercial DTS 5.1 Music CDs as well as a few DTS Music Discs I have from the Quad era made by Quadradial and Jon Urban.

Interesting indeed!

>>I am very curious... Is it much trouble to test this? Just a matter of connecting the digital out to your receiver i guess.

Just be sure to turn down the volume, in case it really does not work and the raw noise of undecoded data is send to your speakers.<<

Thanks for the test!

I am looking for a new multistandard player. Philips was one of my possible choices. (I live in Eindhoven, Netherlands - Philips home city). But i have a huge collection of DTS cd's so the SACD-1000 is a no-no.

Sony is absolutely no option for me, for several reasons, like the anti- dvd-a policy they follow and the bad record of cd-r compatibility.

So i am looking for the Pioneer 47A of DV747A as it is called in the EU. But the price is incredibly high here, like 1600 $/Euro.

Well, you might check the two new Multichannel SACD/DVD Video players that Philips just released. They may not have the same limitation on playing DTS 5.1 Music CDs that the SACD-1000 does. And both carry lower list prices than the SACD-1000 has from what I recall.

As for Sony's "anti DVD-A policy", well I think it's hardly surprising that Sony & Philips, the co-developers of the SACD format, do not support DVD-A playback in their SACD and DVD players.

I'm sure it's the same reason that Warner Music limits their SACD releases to the Hong Kong and Singapore markets.

Royalty revenues can be quite compelling for members of both groups !

>>Thanks for the test!

I am looking for a new multistandard player. Philips was one of my possible choices. (I live in Eindhoven, Netherlands - Philips home city). But i have a huge collection of DTS cd's so the SACD-1000 is a no-no.

Sony is absolutely no option for me, for several reasons, like the anti- dvd-a policy they follow and the bad record of cd-r compatibility.

So i am looking for the Pioneer 47A of DV747A as it is called in the EU. But the price is incredibly high here, like 1600 $/Euro.<<

FYI, Philips has sold out of their inventory of the flagship SACD-1000 DVD Video/Multichannel SACD player.

Once the SACD-1000 player has left the market, Philips will be focusing on the under $1,000 priced mass market SACD players.

If you want one, drop by Acoustic Sounds at store.acousticsounds.com/...&do=detail

They appear to be the last dealer with stock remaining.

An interesting note over on the Hi Rez Highway discussion group at www.audioasylum.com/forum...10782.html
A poster there says the Tweeter chain of Hi Fi Stores is offering the Philips SACD-1000 Multichannel SACD/DVD Video player for $399 starting on December 8th. Given the low price, some interested folks are reserving their players at that price now.

For a "statement player" that originally sold for $2,000, that's a deal. If you live near a Tweeter store, you may want to check into this.

It doesn't output d.t.s. thou , Correct?
If so, Then I'll Pass on it! I have 2 Tweeters near me , maybe I'll go over and see if it plays d.t.s. and make sure!
Rob

As I understand it, it works with DTS encoded DVDs but not DTS 5.1 Music Discs.

On the other hand, you'll soon be able to add a Meitner DSD DAC to it. So, for $399 it is a deal.

The digital output is only for DVDs. It doesn't work with
any kind of CD including of course DTS CDs. ALso some
Philips machines have a 90day labor/1 yr parts warranty.
I don't know what this one has.