Pioneer DV 575A

[maxg]

Boy are these buggers in short supply or what!!!

Anyway I got the only one my dealer friend had - I outlined the deal in Eric's post on 3 channel but I thought I would state it here in a separate thread for anyone that might be interested.

As it happens I am listening to an SACD now - Opus 3, Test CD 4 (depth of image - Timbre - Dynamics) - not that I am using it for any of that - it just sounds nice.

Initial impressions after 3 hours of listening to SACD - it is a very different sound that I remember from the old Sony NS900 I used to run. Much softer and more laid back - very pleasant in fact. Of course it could be that my system is just more laid back now - but I am comparing with other sources on the same system as well and the asessment stands.

With more time and run in (believer here) I will report back with further observations. Thus far is is different from both CD and vinyl - too different to readily compate.

I will try to pick up some DVD-a titles as well - I just dont know where to get them here - they are even rarer than SACD.

[Erik Mandaville]

Max:

I hope I did not give the impression that this 3 channel setup was necessarily intended for the multi-channel format of SACD. I think the stereo/two channel layer on SACDs can be an improvement in a stereo system, but SACD was not the reason I wanted to experiment with a derived center channel. As was pointed out in the other fairly elongated thread about this, the concept of 3 channel playback is nothing new. From a 'people perspective,' I found the response to this kind of interesting. For one, it was Klipsch, himself, who is responsible for what I have been doing these past couple of days. It is such an utterly simple thing! We are all familiar with the writings in The Dope From Hope. That is where I got the idea. That fact alone made some of the responses to this surprising to me. I am 100% in agreement with Paul Klipsch on the efficacy of a center channel! I wonder how he might have weighed in on some of what I was writing about? My feeling is that it would have been more supportive than otherwise.

What I was primarily interested in was whether a third center channel and speaker would bring an improvement to strictly two channel arrangement. One way I interpret and can describe the effect it had would be to say that it made the former two channels many times better by seemingly greatly increasing the stereophonic effect, which makes the illusion of an 'image' only stronger. Take it away, and it's almost as if someone suddenly took the air out of the tires. Things collapse back into a presentation that in comparison now sounds uninvolving and far less satisfying.

In other words, I was mainly after an improvement with the playback of standard, two channel Redbook CDs. As good as this became, I am obviously very curious about the effect it will have on SACDs with dedicated center and surround channels. If I am not happy with that, I will, without even thinking about it, gladly go back to the incredibly complete sound of 3 front speakers/channels -- with possibly a subwoofer.

I just wanted to clarify my objectives. Good luck with your experiment,

Erik

[maxg]

Erik,

I understood that. I just wanted something to play the 70 odd SACD's I have had for a couple of years now - without a player. I sold off the old Sony NS900 as it was, frankly. dreadful.

This is definitely a better audio playback unit - so dont worry - I am very happy with my choice.

[Erik Mandaville]

Max:

"This is definitely a better audio playback unit - so dont worry - I am very happy with my choice."

I'm glad you like your new player -- the purchase of which was an entirely personal matter and choice. You can be confident that I wasn't worrying in the least.

Erik