[toiemoi]

Found in the current issue of Hifi World... hopefully it will open the eyes to some of the followers that bought the product, raved about it without even comparing it to a decent CD player.

"Philips 963 DVD £400 : Another good value option. One of the increasing number of DVD players with audiophile credentials, including SACD playback. BUT don't expect it to quite match the class rivals with CD : £***."

Toiemoi

Edit: typo in the title...

 

[dd3mon]

763SA or 963SA? These are very different inside.

-dd3mon

 

[spaceman]

Quote:

Originally posted by toiemoi Found in the current issue of Hifi World... hopefully it will open the eyes to some of the followers that bought the product, raved about it without even comparing it to a decent CD player. "Philips 963 DVD £400 : Another good value option. One of the increasing number of DVD players with audiophile credentials, including SACD playback. BUT don't expect it to quite match the class rivals with CD : £***." Toiemoi Edit: typo in the title...

Who cares? To quote someone here on the forum, "If it sounds good, it is good." I'm very happy with mine, especially for the price I paid

 

[TimSchirmer]

Theres also a review in TAS of the 962SA

They didn't seem to like the redbook when compared with similarly priced players, but they did say it was nice for an all-in-one player.

 

[blr]

These were exactly my impressions of the player. I couldn't hear it in SACD mode, but CD playback was nothing that great. IMO for the price, nearly every dedicated CD player will be better. After the audition in audio (it was in a friend of a friend's house) we watched some movies. As a DVD player it was great.

 

[TimSchirmer]

Yeah... Im definetly keeping the 963 in mind if i ever decide to look for a dvd player.

 

[toiemoi]

Quote:

Who cares? To quote someone here on the forum, "If it sounds good, it is good."

How can you compare 2 products or even say yours is good? What is your reference? This is the problem of that forum. Most have cheap sources (like a portable CD player or a soundcard) and suddenly, they invest in a player that is $200 or more.

The first reaction is being ecstatic about their new acquisition... afterall you do not like thinking you bought something "that" expensive without expecting it to be good. Secondly, since so many people told you it was good, I guess it makes it good... Disagreeing with the group is not a good thing (just look at Tuberoller review of Headamp implementation of Gilmore's amp). Thirdly, some justify the quality of their products by the numbers written down on the brochure... it is not because the CD player is 24bits/192kHz with 120dB SNR that it actually sounds better than a 16/44.1kHz one.

You should also know there is a very thin line between saying something is good and enjoying it.

Tim,
Quote:

Yeah... Im definetly keeping the 963 in mind if i ever decide to look for a dvd player

For the video part, you should consider the lower Philips Models... I suspect they have quite a similar layout (same Faroudja developped chip).

Toiemoi

 

[JaZZ]

I've compared my DVD 963 SA to an Audiolab 8000CDM/Theta Pro basic II combo, the latter alternately replaced by a Bel Canto DAC2. The Philips sounded clearly better than the Audiolab/Theta combo and could compete with the DAC2. Only when used as a transport to feed the DAC2, its own analog output was beaten - but not by far.

BTW I don't listen to MP3s with those, and I have some decent experience with CD players. You can also ask tuberoller, who even has much more experience with digital equipment, and he likes the 963SA.

You have to keep in mind that the hi-fi press is not always a reliable source when it comes to rate hi-fi gear. I rather trust serious Head-Fi members.

 

[Tuberoller]

As always,I suggest an audition if possible.The differences in digital gear are very subjective but small and esoteric as well.If you buy a digital player without an audition you are setting yourself up to be let down.

I think the Philips has the best DVD pic I have ever seen and I have seen all the newer Philips and Sony Players as well as the Pioneer and Toshibas from earlier this year.In terms of sound quality ,there is nothing at or near the price that even comes close.The Philips is spanking much,much more expensive players and there are just a bunch of people who don't want to believe it.look at some of the impressions from the meets and current owners.I got no reason to push the Philips other than it's just a great player for the cash.I have two very expensive high-end sources around now and yes,they are "better" but not $6,000 better.Those same Euro mags that give the Philips an OK rating are the ones who said the Marantz 8300 was a killer bargain and "among the best" that player was one of the worst digital sources I have heard in recent times.It was so bad Marantz quickly canned it.You must audition digital rigs.

 

[john_jcb]

I agree JaZZ I think some of the Hi-Fi press feel they would be boiled in oil if they extolled the virtues of a $400 player. How can it be any good when it doesn't cost $3000 or more dollars?

 

[toiemoi]

Who said a good player had to cost $3000 ? The journalist talks about class rivals... I also heard the same comments from professionals (i.e. real hi-fi dealers) and they said that sound wise, the 963SA was not as good as some dedicated CD player in the same price range.

Toiemoi

 

[JaZZ]

Rule #3: Don't trust hi-fi dealers!

 

[tracky]

I have the Hifi World magazine here. They rate the players from best to worst:

1. Marantz CD6000 KI Signature
2. Creek CD50
3. Arcam CD82T
4. Cambridge Audio CD500
5. NAD C541i
6. Rega Planet (newest version)
7. Philips DVD963SA

This is what say about the Philips: "Against all the others here, it sounded thinner, with less authority and detail. Vocals were insipid compared to the Marantz, Creek or Arcam, for example. We can't emphasise how good it is at the price, however"

 

[grohan]

It looks like we've been recently through an anti 963 hype...I found Tuberoller's advice quite right: listen for yourself, as the differences in digital are small... in my a/b-somehow-blind-comparo, the 963 was better by a little than the $1200 musical fidelity a3cdp-a classic cdp with many excellent reviews, the $2000 philips sacd 1000 and the $1800sony es 555[ msrp prices, of course] also, surf the net-audiogon, audio-asylum etc and read about quite a few favorable personal experiences with the 963...

 

[tracky]

Philips DVD 963 SA has been tested in a German mag named Stereoplay. It got 54 points for its CD playback sound, which indeed is very good. Here are the CD playback ratings of some players:

60. Arcam CD 23 T
58. Arcam DV 88
57. Vincent CD S6
56. Rega Planet Mk II
54. Denon DVD 3300
54. Philips DVD 963 SA
53. NAD C541i
52. Marantz DV 8300
50. Yamaha DVD S 2300
48. Harman Kardon DVD 30
47. Pioneer DV 656 A

Download test results at http://www.stereoplay.de