Introduction In a world where you can pick up the Sunday newspaper and see full-feature, entry-level DVD players advertised for less than the price of a video game and DVD-Audio-capable players for about the same price as top of the line video game consoles, you may be asking yourself, do I really need a high-end DVD player? If you are one of the many millions of consumers with a TV, big screen, plasma or LCD that can take a progressive (480p) video input (which most if not all can do), then it might be time to consider the visual benefits that come from a more upmarket source component. At $1,000, the Adcom GDV-850 could be just the player you want. With its beautiful matte silver finish and a clean, simple layout, the front of the Adcom GDV-850 is not your run-of-the-mill DVD player. Featuring progressive scan video output with “field adaptive” deinterlacing, high-quality DACs for ...

Introduction Pioneer Elite, as its name indicates, is the premium audio/video line of Pioneer Electronics. Pioneer has come a long way from its origins as a Tokyo-based radio and speaker repair shop back in 1938. Pioneer has since expanded to become one of the more trusted names for home, professional and automotive electronics in the world. With all the latest 5.1 audio formats and ample connection options, the $1200 DV-47Ai is a “universal” player that is within reach for many listeners looking to upgrade their home theater systems. This progressive scan DVD player with multi-channel DVD-Audio and SACD playback is a formidable option to enjoy the most advanced audio and video formats with the ease of a single player.

Introduction Audio enthusiasts struggle to understand why every DVD player can’t always play every kind of disc. The answer is complicated and often has to do with nothing more than the raw cost of the universal drives. It is expensive, especially for a high-end audio/video company, to buy a transport from an OEM manufacturer and make it into a player that can play all of the new formats. Some of the early players that can play both DVD-Audio and SACD skimp on bass management for SACD and/or convert DSD (the technology that makes SACD sound its best) into PCM, which is the technology that is most associated with DVD and even CD. For an audio enthusiast, these compromises are wholly unacceptable, which presents a difficult challenge. In order to do DVD-Audio and SACD correctly, audiophiles needed separate players, as well as a receiver or a preamp with two sets of six-channel analog inputs. Up ...

Introduction I’m not generally an early adopter of most new technologies. Usually, I prefer to wait for “the latest and greatest” to mature a generation or so. It's only been in the last couple of years that I've developed a strong interest in pursuing the current high-resolution digital audio formats. This hasn’t been due to a lack of inquisitiveness regarding the performance enhancements of these technologies, but rather to a scarcity of compelling source material. However, with the increasing availability of greater options in high-definition playback equipment, substantial increases in titles and a broader genre of music, I have begun eagerly pursuing these new formats and the improvements they offer. With a theoretical frequency response from DC to 100kHz and a potential dynamic range greater than 120dB, these new high-definition formats have the ability to reproduce the music with the highest degree of realism, resolution and detail. Needles to say, when I was offered an opportunity ...

Introduction The Kenwood Sovereign Entré entertainment hub and Kenwood Sovereign DV-5900M DVD-Audio Mega Changer combination is a high-tech source component system that bridges the gap between home theater and computer audio. While the changer can be used without the Entre’ hub, it really excels when the two are used together. The $1,400 DV-5900M is a feature-laden Mega-changer that need not make any excuses about quality. When the DV-5900M is connected to the $1,500 Entre hub, the already above-average graphical interface becomes remarkably advanced. DV-5900M DVD Changer The DV-5900M DVD-Audio changer has a huge array of features, quality and ease of use. This changer is relatively large in size, measuring approximately 17 inches in width, eight inches in height and 21 inches deep, weighing 23 pounds. It facilitates 403 CDs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, DVDs and/or DVD-Audio discs, including MP3-encoded CDs. Just about the only type of discs it won’t play are SACDs. The changer holds the discs in ...