Picked up my first SACD/DVD player...opinions, advice?

Disc Jockey
Disc Jockey Posts: 1,013
edited July 2013 in Electronics
My Oppo recently died and there are not a lot of options over here for decent, low-priced electronics. My daughter is volunteering at the thrift store and yesterday she brought home a DVD player to replace it that was priced at $3.00. The component out didn't work and the included remote wasn't even for a DVD player, let alone the same brand.

We took it back today and I saw on the top shelf a boxed up Pioneer DV-696AV-s for $2.50, including the remote. It was just for her 32" tube tv so I didn't really care that much about the quality of the unit. Upon getting it home, however, I discovered it also does SACD playback and I think it gives a better picture over component than did the Oppo.

The question I have is, is this player worth trying to get some SACD titles? My setup here isn't great. I've got my modded RTA11TLs, which are nice, but are not the 2BTLs (which I have but don't have room for). They are stuck deep in corners and partially obscured by plants. Am I going to be able to appreciate the difference between standard CDs and SACD? If so, which titles are recommended to pursue first? Other than heavy metal and gangsta rap, I am open to all genres. Thanks!
"The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage." Thucydides
Post edited by Disc Jockey on
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Comments

  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    edited July 2013
    It cost you $2 for the machine. It'll cost you a few more bucks to order one SACD and decide for yourself.
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  • chumlie
    chumlie Posts: 8,658
    edited July 2013
    Pink Floyd Dark Side Of The Moon can be had for under $15 for the SACD. Give it a try and see for yourself.
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  • nguyendot
    nguyendot Posts: 3,594
    edited July 2013
    ^^ That is the one to try.
    Main Surround -
    Epson 8350 Projector/ Elite Screens 120" / Pioneer Elite SC-35 / Sunfire Signature / Focal Chorus 716s / Focal Chorus CC / Polk MC80 / Polk PSW150 sub

    Bedroom - Sharp Aquos 70" 650 / Pioneer SC-1222k / Polk RT-55 / Polk CS-250

    Den - Rotel RSP-1068 / Threshold CAS-2 / Boston VR-M60 / BDP-05FD
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,451
    edited July 2013
    Most all the Elton John SACD's can be had for very little and also are very well mastered for SACD.
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  • hochpt21
    hochpt21 Posts: 5,423
    edited July 2013
    Dylans SACD's are pretty cheap.
    2 ChannelTurntable - VPI Classic 2/Ortofon 2M BlueAmplification - Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II, Parks Audio Budgie PhonoSpeakers - GoldenEar Triton 17.2 Home TheaterDenon AVR-X3300W; Rotel RMB-1066; Klipsch RP-280F's, Klipsch RP-450C, Polk FXi3's, Polk RC60i; Dual SVS PB 2000's; BenQ HT2050; Elite Screens 120"Man CaveTurntable - Pro-Ject 2.9 Wood/Grado GoldAmplification - Dared SL2000a, McCormack DNA 0.5 DeluxeCD: Cambridge AudioSpeakers - Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary; LSiM 703; SDA 2A
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  • Disc Jockey
    Disc Jockey Posts: 1,013
    edited July 2013
    George Grand wrote: »
    It cost you $2 for the machine. It'll cost you a few more bucks to order one SACD and decide for yourself.

    Yeah, yeah, yeah. I should have expected this response and I don't disagree. It is the only way to know for sure. I' m in the middle of the DOD furlough so I was just trying to avoid spending money on SACDs right now if the differences were only subtle and I might not be able to appreciate them.

    For under $15, DSOTM is a great suggestion and it has a certain symmetry since that is the first CD I ever bought. Thanks for the other recommendations, I will keep them in mind when the purse strings loosen!
    "The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage." Thucydides
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  • ZLTFUL
    ZLTFUL Posts: 5,650
    edited July 2013
    Looks like the European version of the Pioneer Elite DV-46AV

    Pioneer DV-696AV
    img_35165_pioneer_dv696av_2.jpg

    Pioneer Elite DV-46AV
    354347888DV-46AV_med.jpg

    The DV-46AV is a good all around unit. And while not as robust as the DV-47A and up, it held its own overall.
    My aunt and uncle have a DV-46AV, and while it came from the tail end of Pioneer's "Silver Face" generation, it was only the AVRs that were sucky-ish. The DVD players of that era were decent to be sure.
    "Some people find it easier to be conceited rather than correct."

    "Unwad those panties and have a good time man. We're all here to help each other, no matter how it might appear." DSkip
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  • erniejade
    erniejade Posts: 6,321
    edited July 2013
    On amazon you can get Elton John sacd also for a reasonable price. I picked up Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Madman Across the Water and Tumbleweed Connection. Madman has some fantastic songs on it and the sacd sounds really good. It wasn't till I got the sacd that on Levon I could hear the pedal of the piano! Tumbleweed, I didn't realize how much bass it had on it! Goodbye Yellow, good recording but, on some of the songs, I didn't realize how bad the mastering was. Not the entire disk just some of the songs. I have the LP to that as well and yep I did compare the 2. The same songs I thought sounded weak on the sacd of yellow, the lp had the same weaknesses so, definitely the mastering.

    So I'm right there with ya Pittdog on the Elton stuff.
    Klipsch The Nines, Audioquest Thunderbird Interconnect, Innuos Zen MK3 W4S recovery, Revolution Audio Labs USB & Ethernet, Border Patrol SE-I, Audioquest Niagara 5000 & Thunder, Cullen Crossover II PC's.
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  • Disc Jockey
    Disc Jockey Posts: 1,013
    edited July 2013
    OK, sounds like I should pick up some Elton John then too. Looks like $18 for Madman Across the Water and $15 for DSOTM so that's doable. I'll get them on order and that will get me started.

    Thanks for the info ZLTFUL, that was helpful. I haven't had much time to look for the US equivalent and hadn't found it yet. Always good to hear from someone with personal experience!
    "The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage." Thucydides
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  • drummer86
    drummer86 Posts: 441
    edited July 2013
    If you're not in a hurry, buy them used on Amazon. I got my DSOTM for about $5 shipped a while back.
    Display: LG 47" LCD | AVR: Marantz SR5005 | BD: Panasonic BDT-210 | CD/SACD: Oppo 980 |
    Amps: Rotel RB-990bx | Marantz MA-500 | Speakers: Totem Mite : Totem Mite-C : RC60i | Sub: HSU VTF-2 MKIV

    HK AVR635 | Polk R30 | Sony DVD/SACD Player
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  • Tornado Red
    Tornado Red Posts: 939
    edited July 2013
    +1 on the EJ discs as well. Great sound, great pricing. Steely Dan's Gaucho and Dire Straits' Brothers In Arms also winners.
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  • Polkie2009
    Polkie2009 Posts: 3,834
    edited July 2013
    Tornado Red wrote: »
    +1 on the EJ discs as well. Great sound, great pricing. Steely Dan's Gaucho and Dire Straits' Brothers In Arms also winners.
    +1, excellent picks TR! Even throw in Aja.:cheesygrin:
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  • Tornado Red
    Tornado Red Posts: 939
    edited July 2013
    Polkie2009 wrote: »
    +1, excellent picks TR! Even throw in Aja.:cheesygrin:

    Polkie, do you have the SHM-SACD version of Aja?
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  • Polkie2009
    Polkie2009 Posts: 3,834
    edited July 2013
    No, I just bought a machine capable of playing SACD last Dec.(Oppo 103). I haven't researched any of the available SACD's out there, nada, zip. I'm late to the game, I know.:rolleyes:
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  • CinderLyon
    CinderLyon Posts: 108
    edited July 2013
    I just connected up a CD player i had i storage for about 5 years. sony dvp-nc80v. turns out it is an SACD player. so i have dark side of the moon on its way to test it out. been checking out wish you were here as well, but the price is up a bit. so waiting to see.
    Fronts: Polk RTiA9
    Center: Polk CSiA4
    Sides: Polk F/XiA6
    Rears: Polk RtiA3
    Sub:Polk DSWPRO 660wi

    extras: 2x JBL Monitor 4206

    AVR: Marantz Cinema 50
    Amp: Hypex UcD400 Class D, 2 Channels
    Power Conditioner: Belkin PureAV Home Theater Power Console pf60
    Many different streamers, Heos, firestick, apple
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  • chumlie
    chumlie Posts: 8,658
    edited July 2013
    Wish You Were Here is well worth the money.
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  • headrott
    headrott Posts: 5,496
    edited July 2013
    Tornado Red wrote: »
    +1 on the EJ discs as well. Great sound, great pricing. Steely Dan's Gaucho and Dire Straits' Brothers In Arms also winners.

    For Brother's In Arms, I would buy the Mobile Fidelity hybrid SACD.
    Relayer-Big-O-Poster.jpg
    Taken from a recent Audioholics reply regarding "Club Polk" and Polk speakers:
    "I'm yet to hear a Polk speaker that merits more than a sentence and 60 seconds discussion." :\
    My response is: If you need 60 seconds to respond in one sentence, you probably should't be evaluating Polk speakers.....

    "Green leaves reveal the heart spoken Khatru"- Jon Anderson

    "Have A Little Faith! And Everything You'll Face, Will Jump From Out Right On Into Place! Yeah! Take A Little Time! And Everything You'll Find, Will Move From Gloom Right On Into Shine!"- Arthur Lee
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