Sony DVP-NC685V DVD/SACD/CD 5-Disc Changer

[berninahusq]

I was putting together my new 7.1 channel Sony STR-DA7ES together as the heart of my entertainment system. I primary got this unit for its decoding capabilities, very flexible audio and video inputs and two multichannel inputs (one 7.1 bank for SACD/DVD Audio and another 5.1 bank for my Pioneer Elite SP99 Laser Disc AC-3 decoder output)...AND... because it is black like all my other components unlike the SONY STRDA5000ES which comes in silver only. I use only one of its amps to power my center channel. The other six are idle. My main and rear speakers will take the preamp outputs from this unit to go to two Yamaha MX1000 amps.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-0FNeZGaUQj3/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?i=158STRDA7E&s=0

When I connected my Yamaha 5-disc CD changer, it could no longer recognize any CD in its carousel. Knowing how much these things cost new and how much older units cost to repair, I decided to see what was out there. I did not want a 300-400 disc changer because I did not want my CDs to be subjected to constant heat with all the talk about CD rot these days.

I came across and bought the Sony DVP-NC685V DVD/SACD/CD 5-disc changer.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-0FNeZG...&c=6&g=54500&I=158DVC685V&o=m&a=0&cc=01&avf=N

Having a CD changer was much more important to me than getting a universal SACD/DVD Audio player because I hate going to the CD player every 20 or odd minutes to put in a new one while I'm engrossed in weekend work. No one made a 5-disc SACD/DVD Audio changer yet so I would just have to settle for this one.

This thing plays wonderfully and effortlessly recognizes between DVD, SACD and CD from disc to disc. (See the URL above to see what other formats it plays). However, when I insert a MP3 disc that I burnt that plays on my computer and portable CD/MP3 player, the Sony display says "data error".

Anyone have any experience with this changer with MP3 discs?

Thanks,
Ed

 

[petermwilson]

Hi Ed,
I also went the coach potatoe way. I have a 7 disc JVC FA92SL DVD-A player and an earlier version mltidisc Sony SACD player the 5 disc DVP-NC650v which I use strictly for dvd-a/sacd and a Panny rp82 which I use almost exclusively for video but it also upsamples my redbook cds to 88.2 and I have the 2ch analog ins's from the sound card on my pc set to WMP9 which recognizes and playes my HDCD's.

Fortuneately my Denon 5800/03 has 2 full sets of 8ch analog ins' so I don't need an extra switcher.

With regard to your Sony when I went to the Crutchfield site, I dnld'd the PDF manual for your player which is rather ambiguous when it comes to MP3's (Crutchfield seems to make it much more prominent than Sony does) and seems to say that mp3's have to be played on cd-rw's and even that is in small print. I think it's page 6 of 88 and looks like an afterthought which is not encouraging. Maybee if you can plug your portable MP3'r to your reciever if everything else fails. I've never owned any mp3's so I guess someone else will have to help from here.

Goodluck,
Peter m.

 

[berninahusq]

Thanks Peter. I tried again last night with no success. I joined a Sony forum and one guy says he plays MP3 discs all the time. Maybe I should write him a note. Not that I would routinely play MP3s all the time. I just wanted to hear how much fidelity they had on a real system for kicks.

Thanks again!

Ed

 

[bmoura]

Hi Ed,
I also went the coach potatoe way. I have a 7 disc JVC FA92SL DVD-A player and an earlier version mltidisc Sony SACD player the 5 disc DVP-NC650v which I use strictly for dvd-a/sacd and a Panny rp82 which I use almost exclusively for video but it also upsamples my redbook cds to 88.2 and I have the 2ch analog ins's from the sound card on my pc set to WMP9 which recognizes and playes my HDCD's.

Well, if one were to really go the "couch potato way", I think you'd need one of those Sony 400 disc SACD players!

 

[petermwilson]

Hi,
The 400 disc'r is an awsome idea and also takes care of storage issues.

A mlti format unit that makes the supposition that a separate player is going to be used for quality video and puts emphasis (upscale innards) on the audio side would also have a strong WAF. It's also amazing how that thing swallows software while the packaging evidence goes elsewhere.

If a couple of reviewers that wern't blatently on someones payroll sang it's praises and it came in under a grand, it might make alot of other issues go away. Particularly if it did MP3's,HDCD's and upsampled RedBooks.

Peter m.

 

[sspsandy]

I just added the Sony DVP-NC685V to my audio system last week. It is an excellent player. I'm floored by the sound of SACD, smooth and rich is how I'd describe it. I got the unit at musicdirect.com on sale for $199.00, shipping included, also includes 10 percent off on their SACDs for a year. Since I already have the trusty Panasonic RP-82 for DVD-A, a separate SACD player was the way I chose to go, the pure DSD stream appeals to the purist in me. The 2 discs I started out with are Pink Floyd DSOTM and Elton John GBYBR, I've never heard either ever sound better. All the criticism of the DSOTM mix aside, the sonics of this disc are astounding. This player has another feature that is interesting, it appears to convert the 2 channel output into Dolby Surround, perhaps by encoding it. Redbooks CDs played with this unit through the Tate sound very discrete. Curious to know if this is in fact the case.

 

[petermwilson]

Hi Sandy,
I'm not sure if your prepro or reciever recognises 88.2 but the Panny rp82 has a re-master option that tweakes regular cds'.

The reason I said what I did re your prepro is because I have the rp82 and an upgraded Denon 5800 reciever. The ability to recogize 88.2 only came after the upgrade, and in the manual for the rp82 it suggests checking the documentation of your prepro specifically for the 88.2 capability.

It says that even though many prepro's/recievers can recognize and play 96, they don't necessarilly do 88.2. In fact I just found it by accident when I put a cd in the tray and say the face of the Denon go "pcm 88.2" and when I couldn't find anything about it in the manual for the 5800 I found that feature as well as the 96 capability in the upgrade literature.

Anyway, someone with a large cd collection may find this feature handy but I sort of skipped a generation and went from LP's to HIREZ dvd-a and sacd's of which combined I now have about 300 so you can see where the info regarding a 400 discr would quickly get my attention.

Your Sony 685 may be a successor to my Sony 650 5 discr (and it seems that you got a BOFFO deal) which had been discontinued when I bought the floor sample at the local Sony store.

Sandy, with the mention of massaging 2ch to Dolby Surround, in what realm "Digital or Analog" is this being done in, out of curiousity?

I also picked up the floor sample of the dvd-a JVC 7 discr.

When I bought the Denon 5800 used from my brother 2 Chistmases ago I barely knew that dvd-a and sacd existed although I really liked mltich DTS music discs like Steely-Dan's Gaucho and Sting's Ten Sommeners Tales, but to tell you the truth when I found out that it came with 2 sets of 8ch analogs, (no clue what the other 2 were for) I thought they all did, since there were 2 new competing formats and the rules for digital delivery were still very much up in the air.

I'm glad you mentioned the critisizm of one of the mixes because my opinion is that it's all about the music and your personal enjoyment of it. Some purist may say that a certain mix is not true to the original or whatever and I guess if it really upsets him it's unfortunate but I guess I'm a cliche'.

I don't know anything about art but I know what I like. To me thats all that matters. The major difference that I've found with mltich is that it is best enjoyed as a foreground experience to get the most from the mix. There are forms of music that I'm getting into now that I never thought I'd be interested in so, for me and whomever shares in my purchase, I guess it's a good thing.

enjoy,
Peter m.

 

[sspsandy]

Pete, I'm using the 2 channel analogue outputs. In the manual it states that it converts the 2 channel output to Dolby Surround.

 

[bmoura]

I just added the Sony DVP-NC685V to my audio system last week. It is an excellent player. I'm floored by the sound of SACD, smooth and rich is how I'd describe it. I got the unit at musicdirect.com on sale for $199.00, shipping included, also includes 10 percent off on their SACDs for a year.

10% of SACDs from Music Direct for a year? Now that could be a fun deal to have given that Music Direct carries well over 1,000 SACD titles !

 

[AtomHeart]

If you think this unit is good now, you wont BELIEVE how it sounds after this:

http://www.decware.com/SACD/sacd.htm


My CD's and SACD's now sound almost identical to my turntable. This thing is so transparent and detailed with a tube output! VERY high quality transport and data retrieval in this unit...the weakness is apparently in the cheap solid state output stage.

I cant recommend this upgrade enough for all you guys who have one. Best money you'll ever spend. Only downside is, it takes about a month of continuous 24/7 playing to break in and sound right, but once it does, it is mindblowing for the price. It sounds better to me than several $2000 players I auditioned.

 

[sspsandy]

Pretty cool!

 

[Guy Robinson]

If you think this unit is good now, you wont BELIEVE how it sounds after this:

http://www.decware.com/SACD/sacd.htm


My CD's and SACD's now sound almost identical to my turntable. This thing is so transparent and detailed with a tube output! VERY high quality transport and data retrieval in this unit...the weakness is apparently in the cheap solid state output stage.

I cant recommend this upgrade enough for all you guys who have one. Best money you'll ever spend. Only downside is, it takes about a month of continuous 24/7 playing to break in and sound right, but once it does, it is mindblowing for the price. It sounds better to me than several $2000 players I auditioned.

It's hard to tell from the link but based on what I read am I correct in saying that the mod only works in stereo mode?