Topic: its really a shame that...

[pfife]

the Tosh 4960 is such a piece... Mine was still playing discs, but the skip forward/back functions stopped working altogether, and it was driving me crazy.... so I hooked up my old phillips cd player/burner unit so I could rock some cds, and its noticably less quality than the 4960.  Burr-Brown rulz.  cheap crap droolz!

I'd like to pick up another one, or the samsung equivalent, but I think I'm just going to live with the phillips until I collect enough scratch for a DAC... at which point I'll be integrating a pc into my system.   

enough rambling.  RIP pfife's 4960.  I'll miss you terribly.... kinda...

[Tim]

3960+Bel Canto 2.0 leaves me happy. I'd like a nice player but there's always a need for money elsewhere...

[scervin]

Get the Oppo 970 or wait for the 981 early next year.  It will have 1080P upconversion and all the audio goodies.  Those Toshibas are a POS!

[Nick's Picks]

i'm running a new POS toshiba universal.
great picture
pretty good SACD playback
PCM is transport only, as its internal DAC sounds terrible.

$80 !
can't go wrong.
model number SD-6980

[scervin]

i'm running a new POS toshiba universal.
great picture
pretty good SACD playback
PCM is transport only, as its internal DAC sounds terrible.

$80 !
can't go wrong.
model number SD-6980

How do you get "pretty good SACD playback" if "internal DAC sounds terrible"??

I got one of those Toshiba's for my living room and it sucked.  Gave to my brother and it has since crapped out on him.

I've really been thinking of getting the Oppo digital to run 480i into a scaler and use it also as a universal.  I just don't know if it will work as a decent transport to feed a nice DAC for 2 channel. 

I'm guessing the Onyko SP1000 will best it in all areas, so I will probably keep it.  Eventually it will be a dedicated transport and universal, once I find something decent that sends 480i via HDMI.  Or I might just SDI mod the Onkyo.

[Nick's Picks]

because the SACD sounds better than redbook or DVDA analog output.  so, therefore I say SACD sounds pretty good, but not awesome or anything.
but when i run digi out into my integrated amp, and can push buttons between the two (analog output vs. digital), I can easily hear how sucky PCM playback is on this thing.  can't do that w/SACD, and to my ear it sounds much better than redbook on this player.

its 1080i picture is what I bought it for.  the universal playing aspect is just a bonus. 

[dmonterisi]

How do you get "pretty good SACD playback" if "internal DAC sounds terrible"??

aren't different DAC's required for SACD playback?  or do some players go DSD>PCM>DAC?

i have this sony dvd/sacd player.  I listen to cd's via digi-out to my receiver.  the sacd playback sounds pretty good.  video quality is okay, but is nothing phenomenal.  i basically bought it because it's relatively inexpensive, has sacd playback and dvd upsampling.  i'd say at under $200, it does a decent job.  At some point, i will upgrade this piece, but it's fine for now.

[Nick's Picks]

as per Sony....
I'd like to have one of the dvp9100es SACD / DVD decks.

[pfife]

Get the Oppo 970 or wait for the 981 early next year.  It will have 1080P upconversion and all the audio goodies.  Those Toshibas are a POS!

see, and you're gonna think I'm a dumbass, but my audio and video systems are seperate.   This is the player for my audio system, which is solely 2 channel.   I'd like it to play DVD-As, for my shows, but if I integrate a pc, then I won't need that.  I'm actually considering getting a nice CD player.

I have them seperate b/c I really like my living room, which we vowed to keep TV-less.   Its where I have all of my plants,large window, natural sun... and its a rather peaceful room to listen to death metal in...

[Kyle]

Get the Oppo 970 or wait for the 981 early next year.  It will have 1080P upconversion and all the audio goodies.  Those Toshibas are a POS!

see, and you're gonna think I'm a dumbass, but my audio and video systems are seperate.   This is the player for my audio system, which is solely 2 channel.   I'd like it to play DVD-As, for my shows, but if I integrate a pc, then I won't need that.  I'm actually considering getting a nice CD player.

I have them seperate b/c I really like my living room, which we vowed to keep TV-less.   Its where I have all of my plants,large window, natural sun... and its a rather peaceful room to listen to death metal in...

nope, not a duymbass - I have seperate video/audio rigs as well....

[scervin]

Get the Oppo 970 or wait for the 981 early next year.  It will have 1080P upconversion and all the audio goodies.  Those Toshibas are a POS!

see, and you're gonna think I'm a dumbass, but my audio and video systems are seperate.   This is the player for my audio system, which is solely 2 channel.   I'd like it to play DVD-As, for my shows, but if I integrate a pc, then I won't need that.  I'm actually considering getting a nice CD player.

I have them seperate b/c I really like my living room, which we vowed to keep TV-less.   Its where I have all of my plants,large window, natural sun... and its a rather peaceful room to listen to death metal in...

Why would I think you are a dumbarse for having 2 systems?  I wish I could do the same, but space is limited.  Our living room is for unwinding at night.  If it is a player for you audio system I'd spend the extra cash and get a nice universal.

My next home will have a dedicated HT and 2 channel room.... I hope.

[BobW]

If you can live without SACD the Harman Kardon DVD-31 is impressive for audio.
Decent build quality as well
My Tosh is holding up well for the 'rents, where it landed after I decided that I wouldn't invest in any SACDs.
They use it almost 100% for video. Which would be, like three or four plays per month   

[pfife]

I just hooked up a 400mhz pc to the amp, using a Zoltrix Nightingale 6 sound card, analog out to the amp, and it sounds just as good, if not better, than the cd player....

I've been of the opinion that a nice DAC to go between the computer and amp might rule, but I'm also starting to think that a squeezebox might be a more economical and practical idea...

[Nick's Picks]

AND....
can also be your DAC.  digi out from the Zoltrix into the SB3, and its fairly decent sounding from what i've read.
Stereophile posted it to their 60 best componants of 2006, so its got to be good .
roll eyes...

[pfife]

AND....
can also be your DAC.  digi out from the Zoltrix into the SB3, and its fairly decent sounding from what i've read.
Stereophile posted it to their 60 best componants of 2006, so its got to be good .
roll eyes...

woah, seriously?    It has digital inputs?!?   I had no idea!   At any rate, if I get an SB3, it would most likely replace the zoltrix, but I could run my cd player through it.... 

Edit - I'm not seeing any inputs on the SB3...