Denon SACD / DVD /DVD-A / USB Player

dave_c · « **on:** 28 Jun 2005, 10:22 pm »

Looks like Denon has a new player in the works that will pretty much do everything. The article says the top of the line will integrate a USB port that will recognize Digital Audio Players (DAP), even the ones that are USB mass storage device compliant. Sounds pretty impressive. That way you'll only have to hook up an external USB drive that has all of your music files on it and use the Denon as the interface. It also has SACD and DVD-A as well as upsample Video to 1080i.

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000883048467/

jimmyp58 · « **Reply #1 on:** 29 Jun 2005, 10:39 am »

Looks good but I'd wait for someone else to bring out a similar device. Seems like Denon's philosophy over the last few years is that they bring something out to have the consumer be the beta tester --- lots of bugs, then over 5 to 6 months they release software fixes only to then announce a newer product is on the horizon that is better. Heck, they just released the DVD-5910 just a few months ago touting how great it is and now this. That and in the meantime most owners are having lots of issues. Within the first two months of release, they had 9 software 'fixes'!

nickspicks · « **Reply #2 on:** 29 Jun 2005, 11:20 am »

still...
a deck that can take mass storage and play the contents...now that is something i've been waiting for.

I hope it plays SHN/FLAC files

ScottMayo · « **Reply #3 on:** 29 Jun 2005, 01:13 pm »

Quote from: nickspicks

still...
a deck that can take mass storage and play the contents...now that is something i've been waiting for.

I hope it plays SHN/FLAC files

Google "Roku". You'll still need a network and a computer, somewhere in the house, but for < $300 you might find a lot of what you need. Network in, optical steam out, connect to your stereo and done.

nickspicks · « **Reply #4 on:** 29 Jun 2005, 01:24 pm »

i've got a wireless PC w/digi out all ready. I want something a little more streamlined.

but thanks for the suggestion.

Dan Driscoll · « **Reply #5 on:** 29 Jun 2005, 01:55 pm »

Aren't there any receivers or pre-pros with USB ports that can be used to play portable devices? If there aren't any yet, I's sure there will be soon. That sounds like a more economical solution to me, just treat it like any other source component.

BTW, how many portable players actually output through the USB or memory port? Obviously they download from there, but that does not automatically mean they can playback through the connection.

nickspicks · « **Reply #6 on:** 29 Jun 2005, 01:59 pm »

i dont know of any.

any hdd based player with a digital output would do. but there are none of those either w/o getting into a professional recorder type of product. i've got those too...but I cant use them as a source because I'm constantly keeping the drive in tip top shape for high-res recording. can't load it up with gigs of music...

dave_c · « **Reply #7 on:** 29 Jun 2005, 03:05 pm »

Actually, the thing that I like most about the Denon is that it can use portable players as hard drives. Just accessing the data off of the player and converting the data internally into a digital output. That way the protable is only used as a data store and not a player. I'm not sure if the iPod is done the same way, but there is a dedicated iPod port on the front so there may be some iTunes emulator or something built in. Otherwise its probably taking the analog output from the iPod and doing some A/D work.

WerTicus · « **Reply #8 on:** 29 Jun 2005, 04:15 pm »

very interesting... you coud have a USB flash drive!

2gig would hold nearly 4 cd's at cd quality.

also a very nice looking unit imo

Dan Driscoll · « **Reply #9 on:** 30 Jun 2005, 02:13 pm »

Quote from: WerTicus

very interesting... you coud have a USB flash drive!

2gig would hold nearly 4 cd's at cd quality.

also a very nice looking unit imo

That's exactly the sort of thing I had in mind. In fact, I suspect that within a year or 2 we will be seeing 100GB+ hard drive music recorders, either as standalone components or built into receivers or pre-pros. Drop your CDs, DVD-As or SACDs into a tray and the recoder automatically rips it to a hard drive, possibly at a user selectable compression rate. It would be like a mega juke box CD player, but with many fewer moving parts, better mechanical reliability and potentially better sound quality.

Of course, the recording industry will go ape-shit over this, but I don't think the SC ruling the other day would prevent this type of recorder from being marketed. For all intents and purposes, it's just a really big, non-portable IPod.

WerTicus · « **Reply #10 on:** 30 Jun 2005, 03:42 pm »

i already use a pc as my source/ player/ preamp.

with 400gigs of storage two dvd drives and a lynx l22 sound card. i feel happy with this setup.

-Richard- · « **Reply #11 on:** 30 Jun 2005, 05:06 pm »

Hi Dan Driscoll,

There is a serious problem with SACD and perhaps DVDA as well...

They are formats that were conceived to allow easy incoding of a "stealth disrupture"
code to make it impossible to copy to hard drives without serious distortion...

I am certain that there are talented computer gurus out there that know how to disarm
and eliminate those frequency destroyers...but not the average person...like me...

I hate SACD for that reason...Sony could shove it as far as I am concerned and
I would love to see it die an early death...

The record industry thinks we are gullable and stupid...they are trying to pass off
a stealth technology on us that we cannot rip...and for considerably more money...
and most of what they are presenting to us is old material anyway...

I have a better idea...what I am hearing through my present system cannot get
much better...with plain Jane Red Book CD's...as long as they were recorded
within the last 15 years or so...glorious...thrilling...sonically rich and palpable...
intimate and present...who needs more? We just have to learn to tweak our
systems to match the media and get the most out of it...I am doing that for
next to nothing on the cheap...

It is like Hollywood of the 1950's telling you the girl next door is a dog and putting
their stunning hot hot number on the big screen to show you what they have...
only it was really the girl next door with a bit of a nip and tuck, capped teeth,
loads of make up and dressed to kill...if you don't believe me look at the photos
of early Greta Garbo or Marilyn...girl next door!

That is SACD...I would never buy their shitty stuff that I can't rip in my home for my
own use...

Warm regards -Richard-

WerTicus · « **Reply #12 on:** 1 Jul 2005, 02:22 am »

the girl that lived next door to me was actually really hot, but i had her and ill have my red book and ill rip my DVDA, but yes SACD is a problem....

I do find the cd version of most sacd's to be satisfying but its tough knowing there is a better quality version out there.

DS-21 · « **Reply #13 on:** 1 Jul 2005, 02:30 am »

Quote from: Dan Driscoll

Aren't there any receivers or pre-pros with USB ports that can be used to play portable devices?

Wouldn't a Firewire port be more useful than a USB port for portable music players?

-Richard- · « **Reply #14 on:** 1 Jul 2005, 02:47 am »

Congratulations WerTicus on your liaison with the girl next door...

"Better" is a relative construct...remember that the entire corporate
establishment is trying to convince us that they have the goods
the "better" stuff...and that it is expensive...there hyped bullshit
expresses this mantra: If you want better you have to buy from
us...well...the corporate stuff stinks...is just some add mans copy...
or some reviewer who has been payed off by them...

This is an "opportunity" for you and me and for everyone who really
cares about music reproduced in their homes to throw off that
corporate conditioning and learn to make what is cheap and available
to us work!!!! That is where the future lies...you will see...we will all see
the final end to this paradigm of bigger, more expensive and the exaggerated
fantasy life of the corporate octopus gradually fade into the same time
warp as the dinosaur...it will end...and we will help it along by figuring out
what we need to...to stay away from the hype that insists that we must spend
our way to great sound...

Check out the Well of a Dark Star thread under Red Wine audio's Circle and
introduce yourself to OB DIY speakers that cost $300. that are world class...I know...
I built them...and then look into digital amplification on the cheap...you
could put a system together for less than $1000 that rivals the most expensive
crap the corporate giants would have you believe is the "state of the art"...

So why purchase overly expensive media that is just ripping us off...the only real
"ripping" you will see from their SACD media...

Let it die...CD's are sounding great...in my house they are incredible...

Warm regards -Richard-

WerTicus · « **Reply #15 on:** 1 Jul 2005, 07:33 am »

yes i have a friend who has build a tripath chip amp for very very little that puts a lot of amps to shame.

even SACD isnt as good as the source tapes get - so no doubt VerySACD can come out later on for more milking

Dan Driscoll · « **Reply #16 on:** 9 Jul 2005, 03:25 am »

Quote from: DS-21

Quote from: Dan Driscoll
Aren't there any receivers or pre-pros with USB ports that can be used to play portable devices?

Wouldn't a Firewire port be more useful than a USB port for portable music players?

Sorry for the late reply.

It might be, if firewire were the standard for portable players. But it isn't, to the extent there is any standad, USB is it. And the bonus of USB is that virtually all computers, Mac or PC, less than 5 years old, have USB ports. Far fewer have firewire ports. So using USB makes the portable device compatible with more devices.

foggy · « **Reply #17 on:** 9 Jul 2005, 10:10 am »

Do these units have digital amplifiers?

dave_c · « **Reply #18 on:** 11 Jul 2005, 02:24 am »

No I believe they are players only.

foggy · « **Reply #19 on:** 11 Jul 2005, 05:21 am »

These units come packaged with a 2.1 speaker system, so they have at least two channels of amplification.

More info: http://www.audioholics.com/news/pressreleases/DenonSseriesStereoSystems.php