Showing posts with label sacd. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sacd. Show all posts

Sony SCD-CE595 5-Disc CD/Super Audio CD Player Review

Sony SCD-CE595 5-Disc CD/Super Audio CD Player
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Sony hit a home run with this, the best SACD player on the market for the average guy making the switch to super audio. When I changed from stereo to SACD I first bought one of those player that does both SACD and DVD. Nyet!
I don't care much about DVD and music is a large part of my life. I have collected classical recordings for 35 years and wanted to hear what those hybrid SACDs had to offer in SACD. My first experience was a nightmare; then I bought this machine.
Today I've listened to the Bach "St. Matthew Passion" highlights, Berlioz' "Symphonie Fantastique" and, now, Bach's "Two and Three Part Inventions" by Glenn Gould. Each of these SACDs delivers something a little different -- the Bach was made last year and is true surround sound; the Berlioz was recorded in 1959 and is three channel without surround sound; the Bach, recorded in 1964, is SACD in stereo only.
But each of these recordings, when played on this machine, sounds like they were made yesterday. This machine is easy to set up, easy to use, delivers great sound and has five disk trays so you can load it and play it all day long.
This is an excellent machine for people that want to hear SACD disks and doesn't cost much at most places. You'll like it and you'll really like the sound it produces for you.

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Sony BDV-T57 Blu-Ray 5.1 Home Theater System Review

Sony BDV-T57 Blu-Ray 5.1 Home Theater System
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I bought this from Costco a few months ago mainly for the Live Streaming and Netflix features but immediately started noticing little details that eventually led me to despise this system.
I've devised a Pro/Con list to break it down:
PROS -
- The system looks great.
- When volume is maxed out it's a LOUD system with great BASS.
- Upgraded from the previous 5.1 System Sony had without the Broadband connection, Netflix and other online features are great to have.
- Piss off your neighbors.

CONS -
- Asinine boot up time - 20 seconds minimum to get sound to come on! And if you accidentally power off and power on again it will take about a minute for sound to come on (you better have a DVR to pause your show/movie while this thing limps itself to work).
- You have to select the function almost every time upon starting up and adds an unnecessary step. The system seems to arbitrarily select the mode after starting up, while other systems usually have memory that will remember what mode you were in the last time before you turned it off, so if you were watching tv and decide to watch tv again the correct mode would have already beeen selected.
- Background sounds seem to take priority over speech in shows and movies at times making dialogue difficult to hear clearly at certain volume levels (I'm 27 years old with no hearing issues).
- Can't view and select Netflix movies from the system, you have to use your computer. This seems like one of those issues that could have been solved had they thought about it for an additional day before putting into production.
- One of the speakers are now crackling, awaiting the pop any day now (we never have the system maxed out above 30, usually at 22-24 volume range).
I don't recommend this system and I'm disappointed in Sony for not putting more thought/research into this before releasing. It really seems as if they added internet connectivity to the previous system without really dialing in the little details that make this system not worth purchasing.


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OPPO BDP-80 Blu-ray Disc Player with SACD and DVD-Audio (Black) Review

OPPO BDP-80 Blu-ray Disc Player with SACD and DVD-Audio (Black)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
You should look closely at this player if any of these descriptions fit you:
-You own SACDs or DVD-As and want to play them on the same player you use for Blu-ray and DVD;
-You want to upgrade to a universal player that can transmit all audio and video formats (including SACD and DVD-A) via HDMI;
-You own a high-end video processor (separately or built into your receiver or display) that you want to use instead of the one built into your player;
-You own a processor that does not accept HDMI but does have analog 7.1/5.1 inputs, and want to use them to hear lossless audio (TrueHD/DTS-MA) from Blu-ray Discs.
-You prefer to do business with a smaller company that has a reputation for responsive and effective customer support.
You are not the target market for this player if:
-You require that your streaming solution (for Netflix, Amazon, YouTube etc.) be part of your Blu-ray player -- this player does not stream;
-You own a very large display and need the very best available upconversion of standard DVDs (which would make you a candidate for Oppo's $499 BDP-83);
-You don't want to spend more than the minimum for standard Blu-ray audio and video performance, and you have HDMI-enabled equipment.
-You feel you can benefit from the audio performance of very high-end DACs for stereo or multichannel analog audio (which would recommend the BDP-83 or BDP-83SE).
While I've only had my BDP-80 for a few days, I've become very impressed with the thoroughness and elegance of its design. This is a very well thought-out player, aimed at users who have a reasonable grasp of the technology they're using.
I should note that I did not spend much time on the file-playback capabilities of this unit. I did play a couple of MPG files I had on a thumb drive (there's a port on the front of the player) and found a very nice menu and very straightforward operation. There is a long list of supported file formats.
Some of the things that jumped out at me:
-The very well-packed player arrives, inside the box, wrapped not in plastic, but in an Oppo tote bag made from recycled material.
-The manual is clear, well-written in English, and printed with premium materials. (Updated versions can be downloaded as well.)
-A 6' HDMI cable is included.
-The unit has a very solidly-built feel to it.
-It is silent in operation (no cooling fan) yet does not run hot.
-Tray operation feels and sounds solid, well-damped, and not a bit flimsy. There is no ambiguity about whether the disc is properly centered in the tray.
-Menus are attractive and unambiguous.
-The remote has a number of unusual but useful controls, but is still comfortable and intuitive for basic operations. (Note that it is not backlit; the backlit version costs more and is available direct from Oppo. This is moot if you plan to use a universal remote, as I do.)
-The player is very quick in all modes of operation. It powers up and boots very fast; the tray is ready to open in a few seconds. Blu-ray operations are on a par with the PS3; other types of discs load and play as fast as most regular players.
-In my installation, at least, I connected to my home network, the player immediately configured itself, contacted the mothership, found and downloaded the latest firmware, all in a couple of minutes.
Detailing every feature of the player and remote would basically be to reproduce the owner's manula which, since it's available as a pdf on Oppo's site, you can do for yourself. So I'll end by saying that the player appears to do everything that Oppo says it will do, and does it quickly and without fuss. The company includes a one-year parts-and-labor warranty, and has an excellent reputation for customer support.
You can pay a lot less for equivalent performance in Blu-ray playback via HDMI, even in players with support for streaming services. If that's all you need there may be no reason for you to pay more for a player like this. But particularly if you can use a universal player with Blu-ray, this is not just a great performer, but it's a stone bargain.

Click Here to see more reviews about: OPPO BDP-80 Blu-ray Disc Player with SACD and DVD-Audio (Black)

Overview : The BDP-80 is a full-featured universal Blu-ray Disc player that supports BD Profile 2.0 (BD-Live and BonusView), DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, Super Audio CD (SACD), HDCD, CD and other popular media formats such as AVCHD, MKV video files, digital photos and music. Sharing the same decoder and similarly optimized firmware as OPPO's award-winning BDP-83, the BDP-80 features fast disc load times, quick response to user operations, and robust audio and video controls. In contrast to the BDP-83, which utilizes an onboard VRS by Anchor Bay video processor, the BDP-80 design has been optimized for use as a digital audio/video transport, emphasizing the accuracy of its digital audio/video outputs. At the same time, the BDP-80 is versatile enough to be used as a stand-alone universal Blu-ray player, thanks to its full array of output connections and audio/video decoding capabilities. For video, the BDP-80 features an HDMI 1.3 port that supports 1080p Full HD, 1080p 24Hz, Deep Color and Source Direct modes. Component video, S-Video and Composite video connections are also available for legacy analog displays. In addition to its faithful reproduction of high-definition pictures on Blu-ray Discs, the player can up-convert DVD from standard definition up to 1080p to maximize DVD picture quality. Its "Source Direct" output mode makes the BDP-80 incredibly well suited as a digital transport to feed into an external video processor, a high-end A/V receiver or display device with built-in video processing. Unique features such as subtitle shift and vertical stretch zoom mode makes the player an ideal source component for home theaters with 2.35:1 CIH (Constant Image Height) displays. For audio, the BDP-80 supports internal decoding and bitstream output of the latest sound formats including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master audio. The BDP-80 also features a configurable 7.1-channel analog output that can be set as 7.1-channel, 5.1-channel, or stereo.

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Denon DVD-3800BDCI Blu-ray Disc DVD/CD Player Review

Denon DVD-3800BDCI Blu-ray Disc DVD/CD Player
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I got this player a week ago and I am totally blown away, and my TV is only capable of 1080i! (I won't be able to replace my TV until next year.) Two things struck me immediately, aside from the incredible detail, which beats the 1080i broadcasts that I am getting. The first was the colors. They are just dazzling! But it isn't because they're over-saturated or anything like that. It's like I'm seeing a variety of pastels that I've never seen before from my TV. So far I've looked mainly at nature films (like the complete Planet Earth) and I seem to be seeing a wider gamut of colors than I've ever seen before from my TV. I watched a regular DVD on it and the colors are "back to normal". So it is the high definition processing of the Denon that seems to be capturing the richness of the colors.
The second thing I noticed is the quality of the sound. I've never heard such magnificent sound from my system. I thought it sounded great before (and others have remarked how wonderful my system sounds), but there is a noticeable improvement with this Denon, and that improvement is also noticeable on regular DVD's.
This unit has already ruined it for me for watching regular DVD's and 480i broadcasts, and I OWN about 250 DVDs! I used to think that regular DVD's looked pretty good, but it is in reality the difference between night and day. I don't know how I'm going to be able to tolerate regular DVDs anymore. I can't imagine that when I get 1080p next year it is going to make much of an improvement over what I currently have, but I've read that there is a noticeable difference that I'll see that has nothing to do with this particular Denon.
Then there's the manual...sigh... This is a manual seemingly written BY engineers FOR engineers. There are so many undefined acroynms and buzz words that it will make you dizzy. Better have Wikipedia handy, that's all I can say. I looked through the entire manual and could not figure out how to set it up from the default 4:3 aspect ratio at 480i to what I wanted, 16:10 aspect ratio at 1080i (the best my TV will give me). I had to call the dealer and HE had to consult with his tech department! Once he explained it, it was obvious how I'd have to change it the next time I wanted to (if ever -- since the unit automatically upsamples), and then when the excitement was beginning to wear off, I looked through the manual more carefully and saw where it was documented, in the middle of the 30 page or so manual! Something so obvious, so deeply buried, because that's how the engineers that designed this thing thought about it! God help me if there's other things I need to adjust. That's mainly why I paid full price for this thing from a local dealer so I'd be able to get phone help anytime I wanted it. At current prices you don't pay that much more for it now full price anyhow. We'll see where the prices are six months from now.
Fortunately, the above was the only adjustment I had to make. There are tons of things that can be adjusted with this unit, but one thing that appealed to me about it was reports I've read: normally you won't have to adjust anything aside from the aspect ratio and scan rate, as I had to. Default color adjustments, brightness, and contrast are just faultless.
Speaking of the manual, it warns you (relatively up-front) about setting up the 3800 in a confined place. My dealer told me (incorrectly, it turns out)that was nonsense, so I installed it inside my hi fi cabinet, which is closed at the back and has a glass door on the front. Below it was a tuner and a pre-amp, below them was one of those ancient Laser Disk players (that still works -- a Marantz), and below that a truly ancient transistor 105 watt/ch Crown power amplifier (39 years old and going as strong as ever). Anyhow, I played one disk and felt the chasis and it was so hot I could barely touch it so I immediately took it out of its confined space and placed it on an open shelf just above the TV and it has been running at a much more comfortable temperature ever since. So believe the manual! It needs plenty of ventilization. These high frequency electronic devices really burn the calories, just like those old 3 GHz PCs (before the multi-core jobs came out that run at a much cooler 2.4 GHz but still allow you to get tons of work done much faster).
Why did I spend so much for a Blu-ray player? Insanity maybe, but the build quality is far beyond the $500 units and this thing is not about to wear out or deteriorate with age. It also has superb built-in isolation from vibrations and magnetic fields. Even though it is sitting about 6" above my TV, it is completely free from visible noise that might be caused by stray magnetic fields from the TV tube (a 36" CRT Panasonic) and the picture is rock steady. I also noticed in the shop where I auditioned it that other Blu-Ray players take forever to load a disk. This takes about 15 seconds. So you get quite a bit for what you pay for. If you've got the money, spring for it. There's satisfaction in knowing that you've got something that is uncompromising in image, sound, and build quality.

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OPPO DV-980H 1080p Up-Converting Universal DVD Player with HDMI and 7.1CH Audio Review

OPPO DV-980H 1080p Up-Converting Universal DVD Player with HDMI and 7.1CH Audio
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Just to add my vote, this is an excellent DVD player. I use it with an older Sony LCD tv (XBR1, only goes to 1080i), and compared the picture, using a standard widescreen DVD, with my older Panasonic progressive scan Panasonic dvd player (480p output). The picture with this one is clearly superior.
As others have said, the whole thing reeks quality and attention to detail. A good quality HDMI cable is included, as well as standard video/audio cables in case you need them for troubleshooting. The packaging is a class above the industry.
If you want something for watching standard DVDs with a good HDTV, consider this one or the 981HD model.

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