Suggestions for SACD player.

grimmace19

Alright folks, I'm in the market for a new cd player. This will be my first dance with a good player and the budget is around $500. I prefer new because I don't want to deal with a disc read error or something along those lines any time soon.

My requirements is that it must play sacd and dvd-audio. I found a great deal on a Marantz UD5005 universal player (450 instead of 600) brand new with a 3 year warranty from a local shop. However, I am also looking at the oppo players. There are a lot more reviews on the oppo and I know everyone here gets stiff just thinking of their players. I like the aesthetics of the Marantz a lot better but that certainly wont be the final decision maker.

Does anybody have any suggestions on which of these players will sound better? Also, any other players I am missing out on in the price range that will do SACD / DVD-A ?

brgman

Onkyo CS5VL i sa great buy with wolfson dacs.

dcmartinpc

Right now, I primarily use a Pioneer Elite DV-79AVi for SACD and DVD-A playback and I love it. It uses Burr-Brown DACs, but I think it is a very good implementation! They can be had pretty regularly for less than $300. In fact, there is one on the gon right now for $275... I am not sure what other people think of this player, but I like it... I know you are looking for new, but I have never heard of anyone having problems with dic read errors and problems with the Pioneer Elite universal players...

I will be adding an Oppo BDP-93 along side it in the next week or so, but it remains to be seen if it will completely replace it or not.

Don

dcmartinpc

Rick88 wrote: »

I have the DV-79AVi as well, and I love it! I use it for all of my SACD/DVD-A/CD playback. I also have the Oppo BDP-83, which I use for HDCD/Blu-Ray/DVD playback. The Oppo is pretty good (great for video), but I feel the Elite is better sounding with music (through the 2 channel analog outs). It is also a great looking, very well built unit (weights 20 lbs). The transport is excellent on this unit as well. I got mine a year ago this month for $199 brand new from 6th Ave Electonics (it was originally $1000).

There are a couple of photos of mine here on this page that I took the day I got it (post #845):

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26433&page=29

I got mine used for $175!!! I still can't believe I got it at that price. I missed that deal when it came up They still sell used for around $300, and I think that is a good price.

Don

dcmartinpc

Yeah I did, and honestly, it is probably worth it in new condition, but I will take a 9/10 for half the price any day!

Don

nooshinjohn

Pioneer Elite PD-DJ9 is the best way to go for the money IMHO... but they seem quite scarce.

dcmartinpc

nooshinjohn wrote: »

Pioneer Elite PD-DJ9 is the best way to go for the money IMHO... but they seem quite scarce.

I was just trying to find that player John. I can't seem to locate one...

Don

dcmartinpc

Rick88 wrote: »

One thing that could be a dealbreaker for some with the DV-79 is that it does not output SACD through HDMI, so you must use either the analog or the iLink out to listen to SACDs...

True, but unless your receiver has a better DAC implementation that the 79AVi, it wouldn't make sense to use the HDMI out for music playback. It does have 5.1 direct outs for Multi Channel SACD and DVDA if that is what you are concerned about. I do think it does play SACD over the digital out though (Coax and Optical) I think HDMI is the only limitation.

If that isn't it, what is your concern about HDMI?

Don

dcmartinpc

Rick88 wrote: »

Well, if you have a good HT receiver and a surround setup, you will get better bass management using HDMI.

There is no SACD player that outputs the SACD layer through the optical or coaxial outs...

Agreed on the Bass Management. You are definitely correct there.

I have only used SACD in my 2 channel rig, so I have always used the analog L/R connections. You learn something new everyday! Thanks for educating me Rick!

Don

grimmace19

Thanks for the suggestions. One thing that I like about the Marantz and Oppo options are the blu ray playback they offer. I currently use my ps3 but have the feeling that any one of these new players would bring more to the table for blu ray playback.

As far as outputting sacd through HDMI and all that stuff, I plan to use analog out for music and have an HDMI connection for movies. I would assume that with any of these players the dac inside would trump the dac in my Marantz sr7002 receiver but correct me if I'm wrong.

dcmartinpc

I do understand the blu ray stuff. I have a BDP-93 coming, but I will bet I will still end up using the DV-79AVi... We will see though. The 79AVi on audiogon for $275 is a pretty good deal. The Pioneer PD-D9J that John mentions from what I hear is an amazing player, but it is SACD and CD only... And from what I understand, it is a little more expensive too, closer to $500.

Don

dcmartinpc

Rick88 wrote: »

Grimmace, that is a good point about the Oppo and Marantz having the additional benefit of having the option to play Blu-Ray discs.

I am not sure which DACs are in those two players, but if I remember correctly your SR7002 has Cirrus Logic DACs. Perhaps someone else will chime in as to which DACs the Marantz and Oppo have, and how they compare to the one in your receiver...

The Oppo BDP-83 and BDP-93 both us the Cirrus Logic CS4382. I think that is the exact same DAC as the Marantz SR7002 receiver :biggrin:

I don't have any experience with this DAC, so I can't speak to it's quality. Anyone know the quality of this DAC?

Don

reeltrouble1

I have used the players mentioned, at the risk of calling someone's baby ugly, I would opt for the marantz based on its imaging and clarity, I use an OppO in my HT, however, when I tried it in the 2-channel rig it only lasted about 20 minutes and I had heard enough, yes, I was comparing to higher end players from Musical Fidelity and Esoteric but I feel both the marantz and the Denon 2900 and 3910 were better, the Pioneer player is solid for hi-rez, not so great for regular cd. The Marantz is solid and as noted much nicer looking in the rack.

The Esoteric Players are much better than all of the above and something I would recommend...I had an older DV-50 which another member here now owns and it is excellent. Perhaps one of the above budget players to dip your toe, then an Esoteric or some such player...the difference is that large in sound quality that i felt it needs to be mentioned.

RT1

engtaz

Marantz-UD5005 399.99 at
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/MARUD5005/Marantz-UD5005-Internet-ready-universal-Blu-ray-player-3D-ready/1.html?gclid=CNGd3umeg6sCFRJX7Aodx0ws3g

dcmartinpc

engtaz wrote: »

Marantz-UD5005 399.99 at
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/MARUD5005/Marantz-UD5005-Internet-ready-universal-Blu-ray-player-3D-ready/1.html?gclid=CNGd3umeg6sCFRJX7Aodx0ws3g

That is a good price on that unit. I don't know much about it. I do know that it uses PCM1781 DACs, but I don't know much about those either. Wow, I am pretty useless. Does anyone have an opinion on this player and/or the PCM1781 DAC?

Don

reeltrouble1

grimmace19 wrote: »

As far as outputting sacd through HDMI and all that stuff, I plan to use analog out for music and have an HDMI connection for movies. I would assume that with any of these players the dac inside would trump the dac in my Marantz sr7002 receiver but correct me if I'm wrong.

seems like a good plan, it has been my experience that given a machine designed to play music using it to pass the analog signal directly to the amplifier is the preferred method. As a sort of rule of thumb the fewer connections the better as your sound quality can at best remain unchanged as it is passed between plugs...more likely the signal is degraded..although in small amounts when you take the system as a whole these small signal losses add up....the last 3-5% or so that holds the magic between sounding nice and making the goose bumps and hair tingle on the back of your neck. So I never want to give up anything I dont have to as the signal travels from source to speaker to my ears.

RT1

grimmace19

I saw that deal on the marantz... factory refurbished I'm sure is fine but that also cuts the warranty from 3 years to 1. The deal I was offered on a brand new player was $450 from a local shop so 50 bucks for 2 years of potential service would have won out.

However, after contemplating a cd player purchase for the last two months, I bought a Squeezebox touch last night from crutchfield for 249. I figure I will get more use out of it, especially because it now supports Spotify which I have grown quite fond of.

Plus, the WAF of the squeezebox costing exactly half after taxes was also in the running. Has anybody found a good mount for the squeezebox? I plan to somehow rig something where it sits on a cupholder mount in the theater seat next to me for easy access.

dcmartinpc

grimmace19 wrote: »

I saw that deal on the marantz... factory refurbished I'm sure is fine but that also cuts the warranty from 3 years to 1. The deal I was offered on a brand new player was $450 from a local shop so 50 bucks for 2 years of potential service would have won out.

However, after contemplating a cd player purchase for the last two months, I bought a Squeezebox touch last night from crutchfield for 249. I figure I will get more use out of it, especially because it now supports Spotify which I have grown quite fond of.

Plus, the WAF of the squeezebox costing exactly half after taxes was also in the running. Has anybody found a good mount for the squeezebox? I plan to somehow rig something where it sits on a cupholder mount in the theater seat next to me for easy access.

I have never seen a mount for it, but there is an iPhone/iPod app to control it that works very well. I use it almost exclusively.


Don

FTGV

dcmartinpc wrote: »

Does anyone have an opinion on this player and/or the PCM1781 DAC?

Don

The 1781 isn't one of BurrBrown's highest spec'd dac IC's ,it's more likely to be found in "budget"products.However the D-A chip is only part of the equation with power supply and analog stage design being atleast as important.I have no experience with that unit but Marantz have a good track record of making good sounding products at various price levels.