480p output, SACD compatibility, build quality

Nothing major, but a little picky about CD-R

EXCELLENT player. Video quality is SUPERB, especially for the price. I've never seen any other progressive players, but the video quality should basically match or exceed that of the more expensive Panasonic and Toshiba models, since they all use the same Genesis chip, but additionaly, the Sony has a 12bit Video D/A video converter, as opposed to the 10bit of the other players. Sound is excellent as well, I got a Demo SACD disc with the player and it sounds fantastic. It may be my imagination, but it seems like regular CD's play better as well- just my opinion though. I haven't tried any CD-Rs on the player yet, but I've been hearing conflicting stories of whether they work or not. It sounds like it depends on the speed and quality of the CD-R, but I don't see how speed should affect it if the the disc is good quality. Any thoughts on this?
Overall, the 9000ES is an EXCELLENT player, I highly recommend it.

P.S. I've been searching the net for info on the Sony STR-V555ES and haven't found anything out. Anyone have experience with this reciever? Also, I've been thinking about getting the Sony SAV-E815ED speakers for one of my theater set ups, since they look so darn cool, but does anyone know about their sound quality? I can't find info about them ANYWHERE. What do you guys use for component video cables? I'm not sure whether I want to shell out 100 bucks for monster cables, and I've heard rumors on usenet that any well shielded 75 ohm cable will do, without drop in quality. Any opinions? Oh yeah, if any of you are wondering, I DO have a slight disposition towards Sony.

Also, don't bother responding to the email address above, its fake- not only do I hate spam, I'm paranoid. ;-)

Similar Products Used:

Sony DVP-C670D

Progressive scan.. Hey I found a good place to buy dvds
http://consumer.20m.com

Most of what has already been said I agree with so why repeat? This is a preliminary review because I have only had it for a week. First the looks are not as exciting to me as the pictures of the unit. This is not important but there is a curious retro look to the bottom front panel, like something from the sixties/seventies with the small square buttons that are not labeled themselves but only in hard to read symbols above the buttons. They hardly move, so to get a reaction you really need a good push, and the display is kind of small and hard to see from 12 feet away. Since most actions take place with the remote this is not important but a disappointment in a "signature" piece. Pushing those buttons leaves fingerprints on the front panel too.

The picture is nothing short of mesmerizing, especially if you have a display that takes the progressive out. Most of the gain in quality of progressive is not easily seen unless you have a front projector, but here you can see the difference on much smaller screens. The inclusion of separate memories for color, tint, bright, black level, sharp, gamma (the most extensive video equalizer ever) on a non-professional unit, and noise reduction is remarkable and can be memorized for up to 300 movies so that when you play them back a second time the machine remembers all these "tweaks" you made - a home run for Sony. I wish some of the buttons were larger (this is a large remote) but there is lots of empty space on it. The DVD menu key is small and squeezed in. The loading drawer is smooth and elegant but shallow to the point of not being sure the disc is centered. I wish a button on the remote switched from standard to progressive (a la Toshiba) instead of having to press buttons many times to reach the item in the menu. The menus cover the whole screen or most of it (Panasonic has the best menus, just across the top in three layers)and Sony's graphics are not very intuitive to use. But you can read the manual and learn. CD sound is very good, and SACD that loads as fast as any CD is better than the 777ES player or SACD 1, which take up to minute to load a disc!

$1500 gets you an aweful lot of great features and a great picture. At short experience so far, I would say it equals the Panasonic 1000, passes the Pioneer 37, and betters the Toshibas 6200, 9200. This is a great product that suffers only in the interface of front controls, menus, and less than perfect remote.

By the way, while it does sound very good, I also have the 777ES SACD player. This is a killer unit. I have never heard better sound at any price, including the Wadia $8000 unit. Your CD's will sound spectacular and the SACD's sound is even better, but depends on whether you have a remastered recording from the fifties (lots of Columbia old classics)or something recorded in SACD new. Old recordings sound better, new ones are simply astounding. This should be the last CD player you will need. The 9000 sounds good but the 777ES will blow it away, but then that CD player costs twice the new DVD player.

I have been watching some of my favorite DVDs over on the Sony and have never been more impressed. The video and audio (movies) is as good as it gets. This player will send people scurrying to upgrade processors, amps and speakers. I just watched Titus, the Shakespeare play (certainly not for everyone)with the commentary turned on. There is a scene when Anthony Hopkins lies down on the paving stones in absolute grief over his daughter, and the commentary says "its a shame that you can't see the single tear that falls from Hopkins eye on DVD as you could at the movie theater. You CAN see that tear with the 9000 playing on my Pioneer 710! It is simply an astounding picture coming from the Sony, if your display can handle it.

I am giving it four stars only because of the details of the interface, otherwise it would be perfect!

Excellent picture,beautiful piece of equiptment !

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All this talk about the Sony DVP-S9000ES not playing CDR's ????????? I'm playing one right now...All downloaded Napster songs. It does say in the instruction book that this dvd player won't play CDR's but, in fact it will. First CDR i popped in Pearl Jam started "Hunger Strike" sounds awsome.. BTW, it's a blank Sony CDR. I have some different brand CDR's...i'll try some others but, first one worked ! Now, i didn't buy this for cd playback, i bought it for movies. Since i've been reading so many people going back and forth about the CDR issue i hadda try it. IT WORKS.

L8R, Chip

Similar Products Used:

Panasonic ***divix DVD player

CDR- You have to burn with 1x or 2x.

I am using a computer burner.....

Sound Quality
Build Quality

Doesn't officially support CD-R (in the manual).
Doesn't support multi-channel SACD.

After spending two weeks listening mainly to SACDs and some CDs on this machine I can say without a doubt it is one of the finest consumer source machines I have ever heard.

If you are reading this review for info on the DVD playback section of the machine I cannot offer any opinion as I have not switched the machine out of Audio Direct mode since it was first turned on (Audio Direct shuts off the video and digital audio output circuitry to reduce interference with the analog outputs.) It is worth the price for SACD playback alone.

SACD -- Short of a live microphone feed, nothing I have heard compares to the sound of a native-DSD recording. For those that have SACD players, do yourself a favor and buy Tom Jung's DMP-label "DMP does DSD". Then you will really hear what this format can do. Listening to the old tapes from the Sony vaults is very rewarding since few humans have ever been witness to the actual masters themselves, but a native DSD recording is astonishing.
I have heard 24/96 recordings played back in professional environments and, while much better sounding than CD, a pure DSD recording simply blows it away. I have not had the priviledge of listening to 192 khz PCM playback so cannot make a comparison.

CD -- This is the best CD playback I have owned and pushes aside my old combination of a Denon transport driving a Lexicon 300. No doubt this is due to internal clocking and Sony's improved filtering. I'm sure there are better setups out there but not for less than $2,000.

CD-R -- The manual states very clearly that the DVP-S9000ES does not support CD-R format and I have tried a couple CD-Rs in the unit with no success. After reading some posts from folks that have gotten it to work I'll keep trying.

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Marantz SA-1

Could someone please tell me what "Tom" is talking about.
His review should be removed, He sounds like a complete idiot!

Tom,

What? That makes no sense.

You must've done something wrong but then again, you think the Hitachi line is the best out there in terms of HDTVs (WRONG) and you think Plasma is the best video source so I don't know if you know what you're doing.

Plasmas are overpriced.

Picture, SACD, CD playback, appearance

Won't play some CD-R, buttons on front, some trouble searching tracks

This is my first DVD player, having just gotten into upgrading my stereo and video equipment a few months back. The picture is wonderful even on my analog tv--can't wait to see how it will look on my Toshiba HDTV RPT that I have on order.

I initially wanted to buy a better CD player after having bought my Martin Logans, and everyone told me to buy a good DVD player, since it will do both. The audio playback on this unit rivals the $2K Krell (I am sure the Krell is a little better, but for the $$. . . ) at my local stereo shop, so the added bonus of it playing DVD is nice. The SACD sample disk that they send out sounds great but none of the tracks on it are of music that is particularly "audiophile" music or recordings, so I would like to hear more samples before making the plunge to buy SACDs.

CD-Rs are tricky. They seem to play back better when recorded at a slower speed (1x or 2x) and the newness of the source disc seems to make a difference as well. Another reviewer suggested using special audio CD-Rs (Kodak makes some I believe), which I will try.

I have noticed one problem. Sometimes after searching forward w/in a music track the skip (to another track) function disables. Has anyone else noticed this? I have to stop the disc and even turn off and on the player to clear it. This player is also very sensitive to any dirt on a DVD (which shouldn't be suprising). It is a good unit but not perfect, which should be expeced for a first year of a model. Maybe next year's model will have a few of these and other bugs ironed out.

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none

Build Quality!!, excellent 2ch audio player witha very open and detailed sound, SACD, features,
Increadible DVD picture quality, Looks!

No CDR playback ( no big deal to me anyway )

I am one of those people that still enjoy about 75% 2ch audio but,
I also like having the pleasure of watching a good movie in surround.
I did not have allot of space in my cabinet, so I was looking for a
CD/DVD player in one chassis. One that focused as much attention
On the CD playback as it did the DVD. SACD was not a primary concern.
However, that changed when I heard the DVP9000es. I was first impressed
With the build quality of the Sony 9000 (28lbs) for a CD/DVD says allot.
The transport on the machine is of the best quality and the DAC’s are of
Audiophile quality as well. I first planned on using the Sony 9000 as a
CD transport and using the DAC’s in my Classe preamp processor.
But, I was quite taken by the open sound and Imaging of the DAC’s in the
Sony DVP9000es against the $3000 Classe SSP-25. The 9000 has a great
Feature “Audio direct” which turns off all the video and digital output
Circuitry, and allows the player to be just a 2ch audio or SACD player.
“Video off” feature will do the same only leaving the digital output on
so you can use it as a transport. Another nice feature is that it has 2 sets
of audio outs so I can connect one pair to the preamp and the other to the
TV so my daughter can watch her DVD’s without having to turn on the
Amps and preamp for sound.
It also has a detachable power cord. I replaced it with a Cardas Quadlink and
Heard some differences in the tightness of the bass and openness of the soundstage.

SACD- I was surprised at SACD. I did not know what to expect.
I have since ordered several SACD’s from Acoustic Sounds.
My favorite, if you like Female Jazz vocals is “ Jacintha/ Autumn leaves”
By Groove Note. Excellent recording and wonderful voice.
SACD is more open and natural sounding than CD. It is more dynamic
And has more of a presence. Imaging is very defined with a deep soundstage.
I have the DVP9000es connected to the Classe preamp with a pair of Kimber
Kable Silver Streek RCA’s and an Illuminatti D-60 digital cable.

Video- Oh, by the way, the DVP9000es is one hell of a DVD player. Sharpest
Images I have seen yet, even as good as the Highly rated California Audio Labs
CL-2500 for $2500. The 9000 gives you progressive scan, component output,
Loaded with DVD features and many more. All I can say is “ You have the picture
Yourself”

I can highly recommend the Sony DVP-9000es to you as an Audiophile quality
CD- DVD- SACD player. It is built like none that I have ever seen. Solid!!
It sounds fabulous as a CD player and the picture quality is a “Must See”
System: Classe CA-151 amp and Classe SSP-25 preamp/processor
Sony DVP-9000es, Rotel RB-993 3ch for center and rear surrounds.
B&W CDM9NT’s and B&W LM-1 for rear surrounds.
Purist Audio Aqueous speaker and Interconnect cable.
Kimber silver streek interconnect and Illuminatti D-60 digital cable.
Synergistic research, Harmonic Technologies and Cardas Power cords. Black Diamond Racing Cones.

.

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Denon DVM-3700, Rotel RDV-995, California Audio Labs CL-2500

Wonderfully detailed audio. Does video too.

Flimsy media tray - I worry about my 2 year old feeding it crackers.

I have been a dormant audio enthusiast going through that stage in my life that leaves little time for the indulgences of listening carefully to recorded music. Prior to this, when we had a disposable income, we'd put together a fairly good system bolstered by a Bryston amp and Acoustic Energy AE1's (esoteric British speakers)- but that was 10 years ago. I recently discovered MP3's and was happy with that until I started playing them through my "real" system and realized how limited they are. So when I got a Christmas bonus and summoned up enough courage to approach my wife, I indulged in a few days reviewing the state-of-the-art (reviews like these) and plunked down $1075 for an s9000es from Oade Bros (unparalled service).

I brought this for it's audio properties - to enhance my CD collection currently served by an old Philips CD850- with the promise of something outstanding from SACD. I also like the minimalist styling and the general overall impression of robustness, which may make make it more resistant to my children. Oh, and it plays DVD's as well, but I knew that wouldn't make much difference on our basic 21" Sony Vega compared to much cheaper models. It all had to fit in with the decor of our "quiet room".
For three weeks I was rather useless in anticipation, just about holding on to job, wife and life. It finally arrived two days ago.
Wow! Even to our untrained ears the SACD reproduction is amazing. From the sampler disc that comes with it Bob Dylan's "I want you" reveals a vast, rich detailed sound that fills our entire 18 x 26ft room( all the tracks sound fantastic). I can't imagine how multichannel reproduction could improve much on this. Even our old CDs( at least the well-recorded ones) have come alive.
Then we played the Men In Black sample DVD and even with 2 channel sound and a small interlaced TV the effect was stunning (the audio making up a great deal of the experiance).

Now I'm busy looking for SACD recordings - They don't seem to be rolling out as fast as I'd hoped. I read a rumor of 3,000 releases this year on a newsgroup, but so far in January the base of 100 recordings or so hasn't increased appreciably.

For us this "fusion" product really fills a gap- first time DVD buyers with an audiophile persuasion. Perhaps next year I'll make a play for a better TV. My wife thinks this is money well spent.

System:-
Sony DVP s9000es
Bryston 2B, NRB
Acoustic Energy AE1's with stands
Cables and interconnects from BetterCable
Sony Vega (small).

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None