Matthew Posted July 30, 2004 Report Share Posted July 30, 2004 Does anyone know of a good SACD player for $500 of less? I'm becoming interested in SACDs, so I'm just wondering if there is a big difference in playback value with a SACD player of that worth, or am I just as well off sticking to my NAD 541i? I would be buying mostly rock SACDs, if that makes any difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nutty Posted July 30, 2004 Report Share Posted July 30, 2004 Try browsing www.head-fi.org , you can find a lot of helpful info there. I would imagine most forum members there will tell you that you will get better redbook CD playback from the NAD you currently own than you would from a stock SACD player in the $500 range. Also, having a quality CD player already may mean that you won't notice a huge difference between CD and SACD playback (unless you're interested in multichannel, that is). I myself would like to recommend the Philips DVD 963SA, which can be purchased online at J&R and B&H Photo for around $250.00 (sadly, I paid $400.00 for mine a year ago). A lot of folks at head-fi say that getting the player modded (which will run you at least 400 bucks) turns the 963SA into a high-end audio powerhouse. I don't have any audiophile gear to compare the 963SA to, so my stock unit sounds fine to me. It has 192kHz upsampling and excellent DVD playback if those are of any interest. The unit does tend to run hot, and some people say Philips quality control is lacking, but I haven't experienced any problems in the year that I've owned my player. The unfortunate thing about the audiophile world is that grading CD/SACD players in a similar price range is extremely subjective. Read lots of reviews about a lot of different players (try www.ecoustics.com), and after your head finally quits hurting make the proper decision. Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted July 30, 2004 Report Share Posted July 30, 2004 Well, I'm going to plug my favorite audio manufacturer once more and recommend this player: https://athena.safe-order.net/decware/SACD/sacd.htm It seems a bit over what you want to spend, and I really hesitated to buy it for some time, but I have amps (times two, and have had another of the amps as well) and speakers from this builder and LOVE THEM WITH ALL MY AUDIO HEART, so I began to yearn for a source from him as well. This is a Sony universal changer with a tubed output stage modified on that comes right off the DAC. It plays dvds, SACDs and cds and cdrs with MP3 burned onto them. It took about five weeks for the tube stage to really burn in and bloom. . . but man now that it HAS it is the best source I've ever had in my home. Regular cd playback sounds really wonderful, and a good SACD is the step beyond it should be. The stock player that it is built around is quite good as well, and all its outputs are still active, but the tubed output trounces it. Coming right off the DAC gives really a dynamic and detailed sound. I'm really happy with it after a month of wondering if I should have gotten it; after three weeks it started sounding really good, after five it shined brightly and now I'm in my sixth week and wanting to play hooky to stay home and listen. I think because he uses really oversized powersupplies all his products seem to take a really long time to break in. . . but the wait is worth it. Recommended, and there is a forum on this site that will have testimonials from the owners that gives good information as well. . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeway Posted July 31, 2004 Report Share Posted July 31, 2004 DENON SACD/DVD Can be had for about $500. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Bresnahan Posted July 31, 2004 Report Share Posted July 31, 2004 DENON SACD/DVD Can be had for about $500. If it's Denon you want, and I think you'd be very pleased with that choice, just wait another month or so. Denon is days away from releasing their new product lines. There will be a model 2910 with a list price of $699. It will be better than the current models. It'll even a DVI-D output for video. If you do not feel like waiting, I will say it again: I have a Pioneer Elite DV-45A combi-player (plays CDs, CD-Rs, DVDs, SACDs, DVD-Audio, mp3) and it has been great. The standard CD playback is as good as I have ever had. SACD playback is on par with any SACD player I've heard. Bass management is well done, which can be a problem for the earlier Denons. It can be had for around $400. Don't be fooled by it's small stature... it is a heavyweight audio machine. Pioneer has a reputation for the best transports too, a nice plus. Later, Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted July 31, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2004 Thanks for the suggestions everyone, I'll be thinking about this for a couple of weeks. I have three solid suggestions with the Denon, Pioneer Elite DV-45A, and the Decware. Decisions, decisions.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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