Opinions on this Onkyo DVD-A/SACD player?

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are you aware the Oppo will convert DVD-audio/sacd to PCM? ask Oppo!! Its only good for video!! You MUST be certain a deck will have the correct chips in it. to decode MLP and DSD!! otherwise you might just sell your hi-rez collection.

The Onkyo player discussed here converts DSD to PCM and as far as I know so does every player I have ever heard. The only inexpensive universal player I have seen described that avoids the DSD to PCM conversion is the Pioneer DV563A but there may be others. It is common for an inexpensive universal player to do this.

Chris
 
I can't see any of Chris' posts. A bit confusing. Anyway... I owned the Onkyo for a very very short time before I returned it. I posted some thoughts over at S&V at the time. I liked it as it looked very nice and seemed to play most DVD-Audio discs (which my non-upgraded Pioneer 563A couldn't). However, I ended up returning the unit. Mostly, I was paranoid about the bass output via the analog outputs seemingly being extremely low when compared to bass output of the optical/coaxial outputs when playing the exact same dolby digital/dts tracks. (Or so I thought. I guess it was true, but I think some of it was in my head. Since the Denon player I bought afterward also had a somewhat similar issue, if perhaps, not as extreme.) Eventually, I managed to come up with some channel level settings between the subwoofer and the amplifer that seemed to work quite fine for both the analog and the optical/coaxial outputs of the Denon DVD-2200 which I later bought. So I probably returned the Onkyo when I didn't really need to. It might have been just fine, though, if reports are true that it is indeed based on Pioneer models, then it might not have been such a good model, afterall. Weren't some of the Pioneer 578's unable to play newer releases such as Talking Head's "Brick"? So I guess it might have only gotten me around the firmware thing just temporarilly. (Hey, at least I finally got my Pioneer 563a firmware upgraded----even if it's now just become a backup player!)

One thing that did bug me Onkyo was that I recall the Frank Zappa DVD-A "QuAuDIOPHILIAc" wouldn't output DTS via the analog cables for some reason. (I think it was only on this one disc, though, since others were fine----if I recall correctly.)

I'd probably be more inclinded to check out the Oppo player since lots of folks are saying nice things these days and since it is probably a newer player than the Onkyo.

Oh... and as if though I haven't rambled on enough. Here's a link to the S&V post. I appear to be a little crazy in it, though. But I do talk about a few other features not mentioned here (such as lack of channel level controls OR the TV show American Idol). In the end, though, the result is the same as what I've posted here at QQ. I returned the Onkyo and bought a Denon and I've been very happy ever since.

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/idealbb/view.asp?topicID=36566&forumID=43&search=1&searchstring=

Logged in as myself, I see my posts and can post so I logged out and came back as a guest and my posts don't show up so it apparently has nothing to do with your account status, it must be my status that causes that. I think the Zappa DTS issue relates to the player seeing the disc as DVD-A, a menu option allows the player to see it as DVD-V and access the DTS audio.

In any event, the Denon universal players are very good and preferrable to the Onkyo/Pioneer player in my opinion.

Chris
 
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