[JaZZ]

In the recent issue of the German «STEREO» magazine there are three hi-rez players tested: Philips DVD 963 SA (SACD), € 600, Toshiba SD-520E (DVD-A), € 500, and Yamaha DVD-S2300 (DVD-A + SACD), € 1300.


Ratings in %:

...................................... CD ....... DVD-Audio ..... SACD

Philips DVD 963SA ........... 41 ............. -- ............. 75

Toshiba SD-520E.............. 35 ............. 68 ............. --

Yamaha DVD-S2300 ........ 46 ............. 85 ............. 82


The Philips is said to have a CD reproduction quality equal to the best pure CD players in its price category. It's highly recommended.

The Yamaha is the first multiformat audio player ever to be rated as a serious alternative for audiophile demands from one of the five German hi-fi Magazines.

Comment: «Audiophile level with all three audio formats! The Yamaha plays itself into the proximity of DVD-Audio and SACD players of much higher price classes.»

Positive: most of its functions are accessible without a TV.
Negative: fixed time display, average transport noise.


One further multiformat player is announced to be launched in April, also in the € 1300 range: the Denon DVD-2900.


Lucky me: I have only two 963SA, and it should be easy to sell one of them when the time is coming.

JaZZ

 

[JPWeight]

Jazz, will you post the link to this review?

 

[JaZZ]

Sorry, no link available – you have to buy the magazine! Do you speak German?

I can try to translate the essential excerpts.

 

[Hirsch]

I have been contemplating the Philips, but the idea of adding DVD-A as well as another SACD player is way too tempting. I think I've got to wait until these universal players start hitting the market.

 

[elnero]

The Yamaha costs over twice what the Philips does so is it really all that suprising that it outperforms it?

Wait a second, it's a Yamaha... Ok so it is suprising.

 

[Tuberoller]

The Yamaha player is not available in the states in the exact configuration as in Europe and Asia.The one we will get will cost $1600 retail and have slightly different cosmetics.I have no idea what internal differences there may be.This unit was not on display at CES last month but was promised for mid-June.

If the opinion of the German mag holds up,that is the first serious multi-format player.I was mistaken about not hearing the Marantz 8300 multi-format player,it was in use in the Bugtussel loudspeaker room as well as the Consonace rooms at CES.I found out later after talking with the folks at Consonace and reading it in a few of the online mags.I'm still waiting on one of thise to audition and I would love to try the Yamaha when it becomes available as well.I just wish the multi-format players were not so expensive.I would love a player that just does Redbook,SACD and DVD-Audio.Skip the video and MP3 playback and allow me to save a few bucks.I would pay $750-900 in a heartbeat.$1300 for the Marantz and $1600 for the Yamaha is a bit steep.

 

[JaZZ]

The essence of the «STEREO» review:

«In the listening room, of course we first jumped on the noble Yamaha – and after the first beats of CD reproduction it was very clear: this player has that audiophile je ne sais quoi. The more we listened, the higher the 2300 climbed on our value scale. He builds an immense space extending in all dimensions, positions the actors accurately and precisely staggered within the depth, gives the singers sleek voices with delicate overtones and a lot of timbre, gets a well-contoured bass pulsing out of the speakers – as a motor for the whole sound image.

The question is: can it hold this level with the high-bit formats? With DVD-Audio and 192 kHz sampling rate, in pure stereo, the 2300 sounded impressive as well: its high-end-kind magic made its little brother DVD-5830 turn pale, and also Pioneer's multiformat player DV 757 Ai. Even clearer the Pioneer was beaten in the SACD comparison, and also the Philips 963 had no chance against Yamaha's wonder machine. Its master it finally found in Lindemann's reference player D680 – which is in a completely different price league.

Even though Yamaha's high achiever upstaged the Philips 963 a bit: with its stable, lusty sound and the tight bass it is also an excellent SACD and CD player which highly merits its four stars – the more so in view of its video equipment and its price. Rests only the bronze medal for Toshiba's SD 520 which sounds really not bad – in absolute measures. But audiophile gold is awarded for the first time to a universal player, which sonically excels in all three disciplines.»

 

[JPWeight]

Tuberoller, while I value your opinion, I believe you are mistaken when it comes to the Yamaha unit.

The 2300 is available now in the US. I have seen it at my local dealer. Sound & Vision magazine has a review on it in this months issue. There are some very large threads about it and people who own it at www.avsforum.com under the DVD hardware section. It can be had in the states for $999 retail.

As far as the European and Asain unit being different, I don't know anything about that.

 

[Nightfall]

I have not heard, or even seen the Yamaha player. I'm sure it may well be an excellent product, but I have one key observation to make. I, and many people here have purchased the Philips 963SA almost overwhelmingly with redbook cd playback as the primary reason.
The Yamah isnt an upsampling player, thus, regardless of what German magazine has said, I cannot possibly imagine it even equalling the Philips in cd playback, much less improving on it.
I fully agree with Tuberollers initial comparisons and assessments that the Philips embarasses many high end cd players that cost $1000-2000.00.
The Yamaha might be a brilliant dvd player, and it may well even be great with SACD's, and I might even purchase one for that reason, down the road (or perhaps the next model up, coming down the road, the 2900) but I think it unlikely I would find it capable of replacing the Philips with Redbook cds. Again, I could be wrong, but only another upsampling player has any shot at this, IMO.

 

[Tuberoller]

Quote:

Originally posted by JPWeight Tuberoller, while I value your opinion, I believe you are mistaken when it comes to the Yamaha unit. The 2300 is available now in the US. I have seen it at my local dealer. Sound & Vision magazine has a review on it in this months issue. There are some very large threads about it and people who own it at www.avsforum.com under the DVD hardware section. It can be had in the states for $999 retail. As far as the European and Asain unit being different, I don't know anything about that.

I may be wrong.I should never take the word of the manufacturers rep in these cases,they are notorious liars.Where did you see the player? I might pick one up to do a comparison review between it and the Marantz 8300 when it becomes available.I just got a Sony 999 ES to compare to the Philips 963 and I'm dying to get my hands on one of the multi-format players.

 

[Nightfall]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tuberoller I may be wrong.I should never take the word of the manufacturers rep in these cases,they are notorious liars.Where did you see the player? I might pick one up to do a comparison review between it and the Marantz 8300 when it becomes available.I just got a Sony 999 ES to compare to the Philips 963 and I'm dying to get my hands on one of the multi-format players.

I'm VERY interested in your comparison review of the 963 and the 999 ES as dvd players Tuberoller. Please keep us posted, with your usual in depth evaluation, as soon as its ready.


JC

 

[Tuberoller]

I will pick up a Yamaha 2300 tomorrow from my friends at Decibel Audio,a Yamaha dealer.I just called the owner and he says he has had them since late last month.I asked how it sounded and he suggested I listen for myself,which I will do over the weekend.He didn't sound too enthusiastic about it but he rarely gets excited about audio gear.We'll see.

 

[merc]

I just received my long awaited DV-8300, but cannot test it until late next week. Maybe by then, I'll have a Yamaha s2300 as well???

I also got in my new MG Head OTL but am waiting till I get Nick's 5751s before I give it a runthrough...

 

[Tuberoller]

Quote:

Originally posted by merc I just received my long awaited DV-8300, but cannot test it until late next week. Maybe by then, I'll have a Yamaha s2300 as well??? I also got in my new MG Head OTL but am waiting till I get Nick's 5751s before I give it a runthrough...

Man,those factory reps are really screwing up.In a very detailed email the local Marantz rep states that the 8300 won't be stateside " for about another month" and "you'll be the among the first to get a review unit".OK,I feel really goofy now.I don't want to be the first,but I sure as hell want to know what it sounds like before I recommend it to anyone or make comments about it.

 

[nebuchadnezzar]

Yamaha DVD-s2300