Multi-Disc Changer DVD/SACD player for use with vintage Quad receiver?

[KeithD]

I'm looking for recommendations on a good player for use with my Sansui QR-4500 that I have connected to the TV for sound. I'm interested in used or new at a modest price. Needed features:

1. Discreet 4 channel (or 5.1 programmable to 4 channel) RCA outputs to connect to the 4 channel input of my Sansui QR-4500.
2. Must be able to play DVDs and CDs.
3. Must have a memory feature where it remembers the place you stopped a DVD or CD indefinitely until the DVD/CD is removed from the player. Must remember the place even when placed in "standby" mode.
4. Prefer a multidisk changer.
5. Prefer a player that can play DVD-A and SACD, but not critical.

I currently have a SONY DVD 5 disk player that meets numbers 2-4, but only has stereo and optical out. Another option would be to get an optical to multichannel analog decoder, but I don't know how reliable those are, or if you can downmix 5.1 channel to 4 channel.

 

[Old Quad Guy]

Well, other folks can perhaps answer your Questions better, but I use a Pioneer universal DVD-A/SACD player that has Multi-Channel RCA outputs, built in Dolby and DTS decoding, for under $50 off eBay, with a QRX-6500 for the vintage set up.

There is also this thread at the SHF that might be useful:
https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/dvd-player-that-plays-sacd-dvd-a.736043/

 

[KeithD]

Well, other folks can perhaps answer your Questions better, but I use a Pioneer universal DVD-A/SACD player that has Multi-Channel RCA outputs, built in Dolby and DTS decoding, for under $50 off eBay, with a QRX-6500 for the vintage set up.

There is also this thread at the SHF that might be useful:
https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/dvd-player-that-plays-sacd-dvd-a.736043/

I did see that thread via a Google search some time back. It led me to pick up a used Pioneer DV-46AV player. Works fine, but is only a single disk unit.

 

[John Svensson]

Most...(all?) of what we referred to as "universal" players are single disc players, maybe someone has a good memory of a multi-disc version. I sure can't recall one. I have Pioneers and a Denon, all single disc.

 

[KeithD]

Most...(all?) of what we referred to as "universal" players are single disc players, maybe someone has a good memory of a multi-disc version. I sure can't recall one. I have Pioneers and a Denon, all single disc.

I have a Toshiba SD-6915SU that is a 5-disk carousel. However, it does not have the resume function once you put the player in standby. Kind of maddening when you take a break in watching a movie, which we often do.

The Pioneer DV-46AV has resume for DVDs/CDs, but not SACDs or DVD-As. Whereas the SONY 5 disk player I have has the resume feature for CDs and DVDs, but it does not have 5.1 channel RCA outputs. I believe the big SONY 400 disk DVD/CD/SACD players have resume for all disks and have 5.1 analog out. I could pick up one of them, but that seems like overkill (would never load more than about 5 or 6 in there).

 

[Circular Vibes]

I don't think I have heardof a truly universal digital disc player that played multiple discs. I have a Panasonic DVD player that will do DVD-A but not SACD. I have seen Sony carousels with SACD but not DVD-A. As a bicycle mechanic, we have a saying... There are 3 features in bicycles, cheap, fast and light, which 2 would you like? I do not know your part of the world but stalking the electronic aisle at your local thrift shops may just pay off. I have found stuff in my thrift stores that would go for good money on that auction site if the store or the original owner didn't know about.

 

[Old Quad Guy]

I have a Toshiba SD-6915SU that is a 5-disk carousel. However, it does not have the resume function once you put the player in standby. Kind of maddening when you take a break in watching a movie, which we often do.

The Pioneer DV-46AV has resume for DVDs/CDs, but not SACDs or DVD-As. Whereas the SONY 5 disk player I have has the resume feature for CDs and DVDs, but it does not have 5.1 channel RCA outputs. I believe the big SONY 400 disk DVD/CD/SACD players have resume for all disks and have 5.1 analog out. I could pick up one of them, but that seems like overkill (would never load more than about 5 or 6 in there).

Yes, the Sony player might be over the top, but in a way, like having a music server. I too don't recall that there were all that many 5 Disc DVD-A and or SACD players in the 2000s. So the Sony might not be so bad, if it has the pause thing and does both formats.

I too like to pause movies, I'm just doing it with a small Roku box and YouTube TV with unlimited cloud storage.

 

[KeithD]

After looking at the SONY 400 disc player manual, they don't seem to play DVD-A, just DVD, CD, SACD. Seems strange to include SACD and not DVD-A, but oh well. I'll be sticking with the Pioneer for now. After looking at that manual in more detail, it does have resume, and even has a 5 disc memory, so you can take out a DVD/CD put in another one, then go back to a previous one, and it will remember were you left off on the previous one (up to five discs). Actually, kind of an impressive feature.

Essentially all of my components have come from thrift stores or second hand. It's really good to see and hear what you are buying, though most people (I find) have no idea what they are doing with vintage audio/video equipment. I regularly find stuff at Goodwill that is actually not fully functional. Best to test as much as you can in the store before buying. On the other hand, Salvation Army here as been really good, when they have something interesting. I helped out one thrift store for about six months testing donations for them. I found only about half of what was donated was actually working, or could easily be made to work. It kind of annoyed me that a fair number of people use "donations" to thrift stores as a "dump" for stuff they must know is not working.

 

[John Svensson]

It may be closer to their home than the local electronics recycling center. That my cynical side talking.....

 

[KeithD]

It may be closer to their home than the local electronics recycling center. That my cynical side talking.....

That and the fact that recycling centers charge for disposal of electronics, so sadly, they are shifting that cost on to the thrift store.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

That and the fact that recycling centers charge for disposal of electronics, so sadly, they are shifting that cost on to the thrift store.

They don't charge where I live. In fact the biggest limitation is only 2 CRTs per trip.

 

[KeithD]

They don't charge where I live. In fact the biggest limitation is only 2 CRTs per trip.

Then your local government is paying for it. Those CRTs in particular are full of hazardous metals, which is why even the thrift stores here won't take them.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

Its not a government related program at all. Its a private company that actually makes money on the recycle process. Here

 

[ubertrout]

There are a number of older Sony models you can get for a song which play SACD and have analog multichannel outputs and a 5-disc changer. They won't play DVD-A or BD-Audio though, and I think you're going to see more quad reissues on BD-Audio especially. You can get a Sony SCD-CE595 for $ 50 on eBay

Your best bet is to get a used older Oppo - all the models have analog audio out. I wouldn't bother with the higher end models because the upgrade is mostly in the stereo output stage. If you go on eBay now, you can get a used BDP-93 quite reasonably (probably about $200), and it will play anything you throw at it (except 4k discs, which seem irrelevant here).

 

[KeithD]

As luck would have it, I picked up a Sony DVP-NC80V at Goodwill yesterday for $15. Five disc carousel that plays DVD/CD/SACD, has 5.1 and separate stereo analog out, and has the resume feature. This is pretty much what I was looking for. Does not play DVD-A, but that was not a deal breaker. I only have a couple of those. One nice feature is I can connect the front/rear outputs to the 4 channel AUX in on my Sansui QR-4500 for movies and SACD discs, and connect the stereo out to the 2 channel AUX for CDs. That way I can get the Sansui simulated quad for CDs while still getting 4 channel for the multichannel discs. The Pioneer only had 5.1 analog out. The front L/R doubled as the stereo output.

Some day I may want to get an OPPO for the blue-ray capabilities, but right now I don't have any blue-ray audio. Quite honestly, I'm not sure it will be worth the investment between the cost of the player and the discs themselves. Sansui simulated quad is quite impressive. Not as good as multichannel sources, but 1/2 to 3/4 way there.

 

[ubertrout]

As luck would have it, I picked up a Sony DVP-NC80V at Goodwill yesterday for $15. Five disc carousel that plays DVD/CD/SACD, has 5.1 and separate stereo analog out, and has the resume feature. This is pretty much what I was looking for. Does not play DVD-A, but that was not a deal breaker. I only have a couple of those. One nice feature is I can connect the front/rear outputs to the 4 channel AUX in on my Sansui QR-4500 for movies and SACD discs, and connect the stereo out to the 2 channel AUX for CDs. That way I can get the Sansui simulated quad for CDs while still getting 4 channel for the multichannel discs. The Pioneer only had 5.1 analog out. The front L/R doubled as the stereo output.

Some day I may want to get an OPPO for the blue-ray capabilities, but right now I don't have any blue-ray audio. Quite honestly, I'm not sure it will be worth the investment between the cost of the player and the discs themselves. Sansui simulated quad is quite impressive. Not as good as multichannel sources, but 1/2 to 3/4 way there.

Blu-Ray Audio quads are mostly coming from Rhino (notably the Chicago and upcoming Doobies boxes). Otherwise if you're willing to pay OOP costs most else can be gotten on SACD.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

One nice feature is I can connect the front/rear outputs to the 4 channel AUX in on my Sansui QR-4500 for movies and SACD discs, and connect the stereo out to the 2 channel AUX for CDs. That way I can get the Sansui simulated quad for CDs while still getting 4 channel for the multichannel discs. The Pioneer only had 5.1 analog out. The front L/R doubled as the stereo output.

I assume somewhere in the Sony player's setup you can specify that you are running a 4.0 system so the center and LFE streams get routed to the front analog channels when playing 5.1? Otherwise that information is lost.

 

[KeithD]

I assume somewhere in the Sony player's setup you can specify that you are running a 4.0 system so the center and LFE streams get routed to the front analog channels when playing 5.1? Otherwise that information is lost.

Yes, you can turn off the center channel and subwoofer, so the center is sent to the front L/R, and bass is just sent to the speakers.