Pioneer Universal player for $180

[izafar]

Yeah, you read it right:

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-X9mzg6o...=0&cc=01&avf=N

[Dr. Spec]

I'll be nice and just say you get what you pay for. I'm sure the quality of the components (in particular the single DAC) is lacking.

Being able to handle DVD-A and SACD doesn't mean it does either format justice.

Doc

[Airplay355]

playing it and not doing it justice is better then not being able to play it at all

[Zero]

Will wait to see it at either Circuit City or Best Buy. . That way I could do the take-home trial.

For the price, I would not expect much....... but if you dont have 500-600 bucks to spend on a combo player, this may look pretty inticing.

[izafar]

Well this player might not be doing justice to all the formats it support, but it sure would start a trend of more affordable universal players, and I hope more manufactureres will jump in, and that where we all wanna go. May be 6 to 12 months down the orad we will see a good quality player in this price range.

[rs159]

And we all know that if people can play it they will be curious what their new toy can do and maybe, just maybe, will actually buy some of these new fangled formats. That might just be what the new formats need.

[Dr. Spec]

Originally posted by rs159
And we all know that if people can play it they will be curious what their new toy can do and maybe, just maybe, will actually buy some of these new fangled formats. That might just be what the new formats need.

That is a great point. Hi res audio could sure use a shot in the arm for mainstream acceptance.

Of course, this is a double edged sword. A lower quality player on a lower quality system might not yield the type of "wow" response these formats are designed to deliver.

I can just see someone with a $499 Sony HTIB system that has SACD and DVD-A capability play a disc and say "SACD is not all that - it sounds the same as my regular CDs".

In my best Matt Damon Ocean's Eleven voice "Well....yeah".

Doc

[rs159]

But Doc, it has that 'round sound :D

[rs159]

Of course you have to remember that most pop/rock CD's these days are not mixed for "hifi" as we know it, they are made for the most aggresive, in your face...LOUD recording you can get. If an artist bothers to release something on a hi-res format, why would they ruin the fidelity by gaining it to the stars? Sure...you wont hear the differences inherent in the the formats on a $250 mini system....but you will hear a mix with more dynamic range and no clipped peaks, a refreshing change from LETS MAKE THIS MIX AS F*CKING LOUD AS WE CAN. Maybe that would also end the loudness wars going on right now. (Something producers dont seem to get is that the loudness war is superficial, you can only make a CD so loud, dumbasses....listen to some Red Hot Chile Peppers and you see what I mean)

[Dr. Spec]

Originally posted by rs159
But Doc, it has that 'round sound :D

I love that line - where's the laughing smiles when you need them?

Doc

[fireshoes]

Sony actually does have a couple of HTIB's with SACD on it. It still smokes cd. :)