Cheap DVD Players, How's the Sound?

[tombanjo1]

So everyone loves their $200 DVI connected HD upconverted DVD players, and why not? They out perform units costing 10X as much in many cases.

I'm happy with my Sammy 931. Happy with the picture, that is. The sound? Well, that's another story. SACD, DVDA, and film soundtracks have that cheap plastic sound that only a $200 box can give you. I got sick of straining to hear center channel material and I tweaked everything to no avail. So I swapped out the Sammy for an old Pioneer Elite 47ai that I was planning to sell and my audio problems vanished. Unfortuantely, that "creamy" picture returned.

So what's a poor boy to do? Seems like you can't have your cake and eat it too. Or can you? Is there a way to rig a picture only from the Sammy while another unit handles the audio? I always thought that the Pre/pro would automaticaly take over the sound as the signal is run through it to your speakers, but apparently the DVD player handles much of this. Is your audio only as good as your DVD player makes it?

[akirby]

So everyone loves their $200 DVI connected HD upconverted DVD players, and why not? They out perform units costing 10X as much in many cases.

I'm happy with my Sammy 931. Happy with the picture, that is. The sound? Well, that's another story. SACD, DVDA, and film soundtracks have that cheap plastic sound that only a $200 box can give you. I got sick of straining to hear center channel material and I tweaked everything to no avail. So I swapped out the Sammy for an old Pioneer Elite 47ai that I was planning to sell and my audio problems vanished. Unfortuantely, that "creamy" picture returned.

So what's a poor boy to do? Seems like you can't have your cake and eat it too. Or can you? Is there a way to rig a picture only from the Sammy while another unit handles the audio? I always thought that the Pre/pro would automaticaly take over the sound as the signal is run through it to your speakers, but apparently the DVD player handles much of this. Is your audio only as good as your DVD player makes it?

The sound should be the same or very, very close since it's a digital bitstream. Are you sure the Sammy was setup for 5.1 digital output and not PCM stereo or ProLogic II? What type of audio connection (optical, coax, 6 channel analog)?

I can understand a difference in quality but nothing that drastic. Sounds like a setup problem to me.

[tombanjo1]

The sound should be the same or very, very close since it's a digital bitstream. Are you sure the Sammy was setup for 5.1 digital output and not PCM stereo or ProLogic II? What type of audio connection (optical, coax, 6 channel analog)?

I can understand a difference in quality but nothing that drastic. Sounds like a setup problem to me.

No, it's on bitsream with a Kimber Kable Silver Streak coax connecting it. It's hooked up to some damn good equipment, so maybe that's why I hear the difference so much. I'm an audio first kinda guy. I thought it should be the same also, but hey, maybe it's just in my head. Maybe a double blind test is in order here. If only I could get my wife to swap out the units. LOL!

[raff]

I thought it should be the same also, but hey, maybe it's just in my head. Maybe a double blind test is in order here. If only I could get my wife to swap out the units. LOL!

Not to say you're crazy, but as I've posted a few times before, the human brain is not very proficient at accurately remembering audio. This is a deficiency that most people have, and why we are sometimes susceptible to gimmick products... cause we want to hear a difference. The digital audio on your DVD player should only be a pass-thru to your receiver. If you really think you have a technical problem, you may want to try the optical connection, shouldn't make a difference, but it's worth a quick try.

[chuckken]

I wish I was a rich man, cause if I was, I'd buy you each one DV-59AVi DVD player and one VSX-49TXi receiver so you could hear the quality of i-Link audio while watching an excellent upscaled DVD... ...YES!...I love you all THAT MUCH!!!...

[Richard]

Jitter is about all I can think of with a digital connection but we discussed this at the old forum and per that exchange jitter is being corrected for by the receiver but I can't say that was an empirical conclusion. It sure appears you think there is a difference so there probably is. My golden rule with audio is, if you have to think about it then there probably was no difference. Stick with what is clearly heard, defined and repeatable.

Chuck, didn't you just state something similar with your I-link versus optical or coaxial connections with movie DVDs?

[chuckken]

Chuck, didn't you just state something similar with your I-link versus optical or coaxial connections with movie DVDs?

Richard...yes I did, there is no question as to whether the i-link was an improvement over coaxial or optical...but, since humans are so fractured in their tastes, it would be hard to please everyone in this area...I would speculate that one would need to be somewhat of a sound connoisseur to separate the pleasant difference in the sound quality...I personally am sold on i-Link audio...

[Richard]

If anybody has any credible info as to why this would be please let us know.

[chuckken]

Rich...I checked in my owners manual for the DVD player as well as the receiver and all it says is, "When playing DVD, DVD-Audio, CD or SACD discs over the i.Link, the digital audio is jitterless if the connected receiver is compatible with PQLS (rate control).