Pioneer DV-58AV versus OPPO DV-980H
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| Posted on January 18, 2008 at 12:40:22 | ||
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There is a buzz on the new Pioneer DV-58AV DVD player, and since I've just purchased one I thought I'd offer some feedback to those who are contemplating an upgrade to a universal player. I can best make a comparison with the OPPO DV-980H since I have been living with one for the past two weeks, and it is a logical option in that price range. True, the OPPO is an amazing bargain but sonically provides something quite different than the Pioneer. The OPPO is bright and open, and detailed -- but can be a bit thin on the bottom, and even shrill on certain CDs. The 58AV is the polar opposite --with a smooth, warm, tube-like and dark sound. ...not the detail I was expecting. It has much more inherent bass than the OPPO -- but, unfortunately, not nearly as tight on the bottom. The DV-58AV can work wonders on thin sounding CDs -- but can be a bit muddy on warm ones. On deep notes, the OPPO was producing an annoying sympathetic hum on the aluminum flashing at the top of my chimney! It was impossible for me to duplicate that hum with the Pioneer. Now, I'm not an acoustics engineer, but the chimney test tells me that the OPPO is kicking ass on the deep bass. I should warn you that my testing is being done with vintage tubes: a souped-up Marantz 7C preamp, a Marantz 8B amp in triode, and a JBL S8R system in custom cabs -- these highly efficient speakers produce a monster sound. The midrange drivers weigh 35 pounds a piece! ...each speaker weighs 200 pounds -- it doesn't get much bigger or tubier than this. ...and it is the most revealing sound system I have ever heard. The room is 18' x 32' and gets filled up easily. Most purists would bristle at all that honey dripping down the sides of my speakers, but no one would ever accuse my setup of being fatiguing! The addition of the Pioneer DV-58AV nearly put me in a diabetic coma -- that's a lot of sweetness in one sound system! My conclusion is: the Pioneer (designed by committee) was created for the solid state market. It may be the perfect symbiotic companion for a dry, hard S.S. amp -- it will give the music a badly needed tuby coloration and warmth, while it receives a toning-up of its flabby bass by the S.S. amp. I would recommend the OPPO for vacuum tube systems, old or new. It was easy to get used to its detail working along side of the bloomy notes of my Marantz. ...and since I have tone controls on the 7C preamp, I could turn that eleven pound weakling into a hulking brute with one flip of the bass knob. The Pioneer has an expensive sound to the sonics -- and the OPPO is a bit of a hotrod. Since I like rich desserts, I just may keep the DV-58AV in my system -- I'm considering doing a modification with Ric Schultz, the "Wizard of Mods". He says that his $200 mod on the Pioneer can transform it into a blue blood unit rivaling the $3,000 players. The extra transparency and detail that he can uncover may make it the perfect player for my beer budget.
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 RE: Pioneer DV-58AV versus OPPO DV-980H - Disbeliever 03:09:49 04/11/09
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RE: Pioneer DV-58AV versus OPPO DV-980H - BTDT 18:04:21 09/03/09
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Are you using both players' analog outputs? (NT) - Kal Rubinson 13:41:38 01/24/08
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RE: Pioneer DV-58AV versus OPPO DV-980H - Ric Schultz 13:41:11 01/18/08
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| Are you using both players' analog outputs? (NT), posted on January 24, 2008 at 13:41:38 | |
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Joined: June 5, 2002 |
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