Price Paid:  $400.00 from AudioAdvisor

Summary:
The price was too high but it was for shipping and handling overseas plus my damn country´s local taxes...well, now I have it. And I am really happy for it, as it is an excellent DVD player. On the SACD side, Diana Krall´s The Girl in the Other Room an E. Power Biggs´The Four Great Toccatas and Fugues sounded amazing. Diana´s voice was natural all the way, and the acoustics instruments detailed and vivid; the four organs on the Toccata and Fugue in D minor, on the other hand, where thunderous and full, making this 1974 version a must-have in SACD format. The only thing I noted is that my receiver´s Dolby Digital processor (NAD T743) performed much better than the Pioneer´s processor, so I think that almost every body will prefer to use the Pioneer just as a transport unit with an external processor. But the sound that came from the Pioneer 5.1 analog outputs was clean, clear and right in tone, just what you need for SACD and DVD-audio. Not so good for CD unless you use an external processor.

Strengths:
Looks, dimensions and overall sound, specially with the new multichannel music formats. A reliable brand (I have a Pioneer 9 years old LD player and it never had failed).

Weaknesses:
Lightweight cheap construction but, hey, I will not use it as a freezbee!

Similar Products Used:
Marantz DR6000 CD recorder, NAD C521 and C521i CD players, Sony DVPS330 DVD plater, Panasonic DVDRV32 DVD player.

Price Paid:  $150.00 from BestBuy

Summary:
Giant killer of a DVD player. I have comped this played against Philips machines costing twice as much and Denon machines costing more than 10X as much. The 563 consistently produced a better picture on my Sony 60" LCD/RPTV. Wish I had bought another one and kept it for when this one breaks. With any luck it will last me until Blu-Ray. Hopefully those machines will be backwards compatible with DVD format. Can't really comment on the sound of the 563. I send DVD audio info via digital coax out to a pre/pro. Analog out of the Sony is reportedly not so hot. Don't know, don't care. Hey this machine isn't even made anymore and I would not buy one used. It's replacement is supposedly much inferior.

Strengths:
Video picture quality is on par or better than $2000 Denon.

Weaknesses:
Analog audio out is weak.

Similar Products Used:
Sony 363, Denon 1600, 2200, 2900, Philips 763, 963, 795

Price Paid:  $140.00 from Crutchfield.com

Summary:
A fantastic DVD and Universal player that outperforms every dvd player in its class, and even outperforms most dvd players twice the cost. I bought this DVD player because of the excellent value it offered. It had received a large number of positive reveiws and this was of particular interest to me because nothing speaks louder than a satisfied owner. I needed a dvd player that would also have the ability to play SACD's and DVD-audio discs, as well as CD-R's and DVD-R's. The picture quality is very good and the audio quality is where this palyer shines. The high resolution formats are encoded perfectly with balance, clarity, and detail throughout the entire frequency response. DVD movie soundtracks sound incredible and really come alive in my room. I recommend this player to anyone who needs a rock solid DVD/Universal Player on a tight budget.

Strengths:
DVD Video Quality is excellent
Audio quality is amazing
SACD's and DVD-audio are excellent
Ability to play any recordable format

Weaknesses:
Slight pause(1/2 sec)on layer change in DVD movies.

Similar Products Used:
APex, Onkyo, Sony

Price Paid:  $132.00 from Circuit City

Summary:
This is the BEST combo unit for the money... period. It can play almost everything, including high resolution DVD-Audio discs and SACDs as well as RW discs. It has all the necesary outputs (including compent video for progressive scanning) and the menus are very easy to navigate and program. It only has a 10 bit 54MHz Video DAC but I cannot tell a difference between it and a Sony that uses a 12 bit 108MHz DAC. The edges are clean and crisp and color is very vibrant. The sound is also excellent- especially on SACD's. This is the perfect unit for anyone looking for a Multi-Format Disc player that is reasonably priced. You are not going to find a better unit unless you spend twice the money, and even then you are hard pressed.

Strengths:
Price. Retails for $250 but sells for $150-$180.

Compatability. Plays pretty much everything you can throw at it except for DVD-RAM.

Looks. It isn't ugly. Only wish they offered it in black.

Quality. Pioneer is a good brand. I haver never had any problems with any of their products.

Price. Did I mention that it is only $150? That is only $20 more than the top Sony DVD player but the Pioneer offers DVD-Audio (in high resolution) and SACD compatability with 5.1 channel outputs.

Electric Bill. It is actually Energy Star qualified. Help save on unecessary wasted electricity.

Weaknesses:
None worth mentioning...

OK maybe one. The remote isn't backlight.

Similar Products Used:
Harman Kardon, Sony, Samsung, Toshiba

Price Paid:  $170.00 from Good Guys

Summary:
Thin, unremarkable sound from anything but SACD, which is quite natural. SACD still is not true SACD, but converted to PCM before D/A conversion. Good zoom and MP3 management, though. The DV-655A PX has much better Dolby Digital, DTS, and DVD-A performance, though.

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