I'm In!! Got a demo DVP-NS500V!

[JonUrban]

I could not pass it up any longer. The Best Buy here had an open box "500" for $149, and I said "What the heck" and bought it. I am going to keep it up on the PC, not in the main stereo, as I am holding out for that MegaChanger, whenever Sony does it.

Anyway, the thing is GREAT!! Anyone who is waiting should jump on this sucker! It even has an internal DTS decoder that works perfectly!!

I took the 6 analouge outputs and connected them right to my Yamaha Multi-Channel sound card and immediatly started sampling the SACDs I had accumulated over time. I fired up Mx51 so I could watch and mute the individual channels while I listened and hey, it was cool!

The two Billy Joel surround SACDs are very interesting. I muted all channels but the center, and you can hear Billy singing solo, I even heard him say stuff that I could never understand after all these years.

The James Taylor is VERY nice, and Tapestry is still Tapestry. I am going to record these to wav files and compare them to the Q8 wav files to see if they are similar in the mix.

As a bonus, I now can play a DTS CD and "decode/unencode" it back to a wav file by using this machine's internal decoder. This will allow me to "go back" and clean up some of the earlier DTS conversions that I did where I did not save the unencoded wav files!

On top of all of this, I got a rebate coupon to get 5 Free DVDs!! Heck, what a deal!

Let's go SACD!!!

:-jon

 

[bmoura]

Great. You're all ready for the Stones SACDs next month and the Creedence Clearwater Revival SACDs that start later this month.

For best results in your system, be sure to connect the 6 audio outputs to an analog bypass. In my case, I'm using the EMM Labs Switchman II. It's the best I've heard yet for this use.

And on Multichannel SACDs, the James Taylor is very good. Ditto for the new Jorma Kaukonen SACD which is a native DSD recording. And don't forget the Telarc Multichannel SACDs - titles like A Celtic Spectacular, Film Music of Jerry Goldsmith and Pride and Joy by Kevin Mahagony (to name but a few) are all very fine!

Happy listening.

 

[bmoura]

It looks like you're in good company here. There's a new message over on Hi Rez Highway at www.audioasylum.com/forum...84882.html where famed audio designer John Curl also praises the sound quality of the DVP-NS500V.

Very interesting.

 

[bming]

Jon,
That's the exact same DVD player that I have. You don't have any problems with it playing your DTS encoded discs?
Brian

 

[JonUrban]

Brian,

I have not tried that yet! Let me try it and I will get back to you!!

<he tests and checks here>


Well, you are right! They do not play. I tried commercial DTS CDs, Tabs, Tads, Cai's, and a few from others and they all play EXCEPT mine! Mine do not trigger the decoder in the sony!! The DTS light never comes on, and I get a stereo signal that is the hissing white noise!

I burned a fresh CD with CDP Burn, no luck.
I burned a fresh CD with Vegas Audio, no luck.
I tried to burn to a CD-RW with Vegas Audio, no luck.

I went back to some REALLY old DTS CDs I made. When I first started. I did a Chicago "Hits" CD, and that plays, but the Jim Croce "Hits" CD, did not decode. I cannot remember what I did differently on those two. They are both burned to Verbatim CDRs from the same box. One decodes, one does not.

I then took all of these CDs downstairs to my theater setup, and all of them decoded through my DENON AVR-5800. Most strange.

I have to have some sort of SurCode problem. I emailed them a week ago, and they never responded. Those buggers, I may have to try calling them.

:-jon

 

[bming]

>I have to have some sort of SurCode problem.

You know a whole lot more about this than I do, but are you sure that SurCode would be the problem? It's strange that the DTS file on your site will decode perfectly, while one that you burn to a CD won't. I would be interested in seeing what would happen if you dowloaded that DTS track from your website, and burned it. If it won't playback in your player, then it looks like it would be a problem with the burning program.
Brian

 

[JonUrban]

Well, I tried burning with 3 different programs.

I even sent you a CD with the "big wav file" burned directly to a CDR using Adaptec (Roxio) EZ Creator, and you said that did not work either.

I will play around with it some more, I can't imagine why a burn would work in one place and not another.

The Sony does "see" the CD, and the tracks, so the "burn" must have been done correctly, it is the decoder that is not activating.

Next I will try taking the digital out from the sony and running it to the DTS decoder in my PC speakers. If that works, then the decoder in the sony is either weak, or my encoding is weak.

I will post tomorrow. At least I have the ability to see the problem now....

:-jon

 

[bming]

Yea, you're right. Well that eliminates the burning program as being the problem. I am still confused as to why the DTS file on your site works. Oh well, I will look for your post tomorrow.
Brian

 

[JonUrban]

Brian,

I could not go to sleep without trying this:

I found a cable and hooked up the DIGITAL OUT to the DIGITAL IN in my PC speaker system, which has a DTS decoder in it. Guess what?

All of the freaking CDs that did not play, play perfectly!!

WTF??? Could it be something like a "Start bit" that the Sony does not see and other decoders do?

OK, I need someone to explain this one to me, because now I am truely stumped and going to bed!

:-jon

 

[AllAroundSurround]

Jon , It sounds like a decoder problem. Is there any indication

of brand /type decoder IC chip they'er using. It still doesn't

explain why some other dts cdr will play and some don't. Very

strange. IT May have to do with some step you are doing in

some program . Now which one! Looks like you'll have to do a

lot of recording on different software and compare each as

you progress, untill you find the culprit. Very Strange Indeed!

 

[The Quadfather]

Why don't you Email the folks at DTS and ask them? If anyone will know, it will be them.

The Quadfather