Hi-Rez Highway: REVIEW: Sony DVPS9000ES DVD Players by Dean/Klipschead

Model:	DVPS9000ES
Category:	DVD Players
Suggested Retail Price:	$1499.95
Description:	Progressive Scan DVD/SACD/CD/CD-R Player
Manufacturer URL:	Sony
Manufacturer URL:	Sony

Review by Dean/Klipschead ( A ) on April 25, 2002 at 16:23:34
IP Address: 198.97.67.58

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This is the 2nd part of a two part review of the Sony DVPS900ES. Part 1 dealt with general impressions and Redbook playback. The primary reason for the review being broken into two parts was because the SACD's from Elusive Disc had not yet arrived -- and I wanted to write my impressions regarding Redbook playback while they were still fresh in my mind.
SONY DVPS9000ES WITH SACD
The only reason to not go with SACD is because it is very difficult to pronounce. It just doesn't come off the tongue very well. I was telling my Dad about SACD and he says, "What are they called again?" I say, "SAC-D." "SAC what?" he asks again. "Saaaac-Deeee". I'm sure at this point he thinks I have a speech impediment -- so I spell it out for him, "It stands for Super Audio Compact Disc, and it sure is different."
Different it is -- and I will endeavor to describe it the best I can.
My SACD's from Elusive Disc arrived on time yesterday on a beautiful Ohio afternoon. I pulled into my driveway and saw the ubiquitous FedEx box sitting on my porch like an abandoned orphan. Since I had to immediately take my son to soccer practice, I could only grab the box and go. I figured I could at least drool over the contents while I sat in the car watching him kick the ball around.
While I was driving I said, "Hey Ethan, why don't you rip that thing open and let's see what we got in there." Ethan is 11, and watching him pull on the strip-tab was as bad as watching a 90-year-old woman trying to start a 90-year-old lawnmower. He finally manages to get it open, and the first thing that happens is all the Styrofoam peanuts begin floating out of the box and flying out the windows. I felt bad, and wondered what expletives the folks behind me were engaging in as all the peanuts twirled in a trail behind my car.
Which reminds me of a story. Do you remember when Mrs. Bobbit cut off her husband's 'indispensable'? When the police asked her what she did with it, she replied that she had tossed it out the window. Not well known is the fact that the 'indispensable' actually flew back and hit the windshield of the car behind her. When the 'indispensable' first splattered, and then rolled off the windshield, the driver exclaimed, "Did you see the size of the pecker on that bug!?"
At any rate, I always wonder what the people behind me are thinking when I do something completely idiotic behind the wheel. So, with most of the peanuts now inhabiting various yards in the neighborhood -- the SACD's come tumbling out.
The Byrd's Greatest Hits: I bought this for one reason. I used to own the Redbook version. It was completely unlistenable. Awful. Just awful. It was so bad, I had it 2 days and gave it away.
Alice in Chain's Greatest Hits: I was looking forward to this one. Their first recorded CD was great -- but fairly grainy sounding.
Santana Abraxas: I'm a huge fan of Greg Rolle.
Jeff Beck - Blow by Blow: I only like about 1/2 of this thing, but I was VERY familiar with the early vinyl version, and also own the Redbook version.
Roger Waters - In the Flesh: Just because I hadn't heard it yet, and figured it would be the one to best represent what SACD could offer at its best.
We pull into the parking lot and Ethan jumps out of the car for soccer practice. I jump for the discs.
The packaging is nice -- each disc has a sleeve that fits over the jewel case. I wondered if it was really necessary, and how much extra the additional packaging contributed to the total cost of the disc. I guess someone felt the need to make me feel like I was holding something 'special'.
We get back home and I immediately go upstairs. The system is already warm, as I had left everything on from the night before -- with the exception of putting the SF Line 1 and AE-25 in 'standby'. The Super Amp is throwing off waves of heat, and so I load the first disc. The Sony promptly gobbles up 'The Byrds'.

THE BYRD'S GREATEST HITS
It's listenable. Pretty darn good considering the age of the original recording. Definitely better than the Redbook version. It is however, obviously a remix, and I realize that it is going to take a while before I can know for sure what to attribute to SACD, and what to attribute to the recording.
The first thing I do is turn down the volume. I then forward to 'Eight Miles High' -- which I've heard at least a 100 times on vinyl. Not because I love it so much, but because that's how many times I had to listen to it to learn my guitar part for our once upon time wannabe Rock band.
At the lower SPL on this recording, it is very easy to tell what SACD is doing. The imaging is much better than Redbook, and I can tell the instruments are spread out from each other a little more. There really is more distance between them, and there is also a little bit of ambiance. On the whole, light years ahead of the Redbook version, and I remember thinking that it sounded much like I had expected the Redbook version to sound when I first bought it -- until I played it and had my ears assaulted. The tone of the guitars seems right on -- and I think this is important.
Though SACD rendered the tones correctly, the remix has the guitars too up front, and the drum kit sounds like someone pushed it off the stage. It's a very midrangey sounding remix, but it's also very clean and open without any congestion. In spite of the forward midrange, it's not making the insides of my ears curl into the fetal position.

JEFF BECK - BLOW BY BLOW
I don't like fusion all that much with the funky offbeats and the band sounding like they are all on a different piece of sheet music. However, much of what is on this recording is pretty cool. I'm sitting back listening to it, and am impressed with drum work that has great transient attack. It is sharp, but at the same time, has a softness to the leading edge of the transients. Again, I notice the acoustical space expanded and more space between the instruments. This space adds to the illusion of having each instrument alone, occupying it's own space. Good Redbook does this too -- but not like this. Another old recording vastly improved.
I had just recently, within the last month, listened to this same recording on vinyl at a friendâ€™s house. He has a Rotel turntable, which is about 6 years old, with an Ortofon MM cartridge. Nothing fancy here. However, this record, on his Klipsch RC7's (identical to the RF7's I have, with the exception of having two 8's instead of two 10's, and a smaller enclosure), and two Boston PV1000 subs -- in spite of filling the room up, sounded fairly flat and very strident. I realize this is probably not the fairest of comparisons, considering he is using old Adcom 555's and a modest vinyl rig. However, now, instead of attributing the differences in our systems to being a matter of levels of refinement -- mine now sounds like it just underwent a major speaker upgrade. The difference is that dramatic.
I can easily see vinyl sounding better than SACD, but it would take a considerable investment. Mark's Rotel/Ortofon rig did a somewhat better job I think, of pushing the music from this recording out into his room, than the same recording in SACD in my room. However, I also think the SACD rendering of 'Blow by Blow' on my system, in my room sounds much more realistic. There's just no congestion, the background is much darker, and the space between the instruments really draws you in. The SACD recording of 'Blow by Blow' is superior to the Redbook version, and the vinyl version played on a modest rig ($800), in a system using old Adcoms.
I might add here that the real limitation of these old recordings is the source itself, and even with a good vinyl rig -- you are more times than not, stuck with the old vinyl releases. It is more than possible for SACD to always sound better than the best vinyl rigs on these older recordings simply because the new rendering is so clean and uncompressed. Just something to consider.

ALICE IN CHAINS' GREATEST HITS
This disc is cool because the first song was recorded in 1990 and the last song was recorded in 1996. It's sort of like a mini time line of digital recording. The debut CD for these guys was great, but grainy as hell. The grain is all but gone on the early songs and towards the end it starts sounding mighty good. Again, an improvement over the original Redbook release.
Roger Waters' - IN THE FLESH
This one is the bomb. An absolutely outstanding and jaw dropping experience. I have nothing in Redbook that even comes close. Maybe Fleetwood Mac's 'The Dance', which sounds pretty damn good. This SACD however, pushed voices out to my chair. It is so incredibly smooth sounding that by the time I got to 'Comfortably Numb', I was pushing the volume to a level I would never have attempted with any Redbook recording in my possession. I kept waiting for the little triode amp to go up in flames, and every time I looked over, it was blowing me kisses.
I will certainly buy some of my old favorites, if and when they are re-released. However, what I am really looking forward too is new releases of my favorite type of music on this medium.
I would characterize SACD as extremely smooth and transparent. Dynamic, yet not sharp to the point of excess. There is a 'softness' to the leading edge of transients that stayed consistent throughout my listening regardless of recording (whether this is a characteristic of the Sony or SACD I cannot know for sure). SACD also does a great job of rendering instruments in their proper tone and acoustic space. It has a realistic quality to it, spilling out the naked truth more so than ever before.
The Sony? It did A.O.K. It did itâ€™s job. It drew me into the music, and let the music extend out to me when the program material allowed. It maintained much the same sonic signature it had with Redbook â€“ and this was much to my liking.

Product Weakness: ?
Product Strengths: accuracy

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Cary AE-25 Super Amp/ 15 wpc in triode, class A , no global feedback
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Sonic Frontiers 6922 based Line 1
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Sony DVPS9000ES
Speakers:	Klipsch RF7
Cables/Interconnects:	MIT Birwire 2/ Monsters
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Rock
Room Size (LxWxH):	27 x 12 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments:	Cape cod, 2nd floor doubles as bedroom and listening room
Time Period/Length of Audition:	4 hours
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Monster HTS1000
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner