like this for a full 20 seconds before the music started. I got similar results with SACD material and DVD-A sources often took even longer. One, Big Phat Band’s Swingin’ for the Fences (Silverline DVD-A 82002) took a full 35 seconds, because the player actually had to access two menus (automatically bypassing the first after pulling it up) before the disc started to play. It is not a great big deal, and probably involves the player’s ability to deal with so many different kinds of recordings. However, some users might wonder if the player is having some kind of initial hang-up problem when playing CDs or any other audio-only source materials.
In addition, after installing a disc most CD players and other DVD players give a total-time readout on their front panels and then go into a hold mode and wait for the operator to press play. In contrast, when a CD is first installed in the DVD-S1500 no total-time readout appears and the player begins playing after the lengthy cue-up procedure. This is not all that critical (unless you are a reviewer wanting to put total- play-time information into his review and it is not included on the CD box information package), but it might bother some users. Sure, I can turn on the TV to get the on-screen menu info, but who wants to turn on a big-screen TV monitor just to get total-time info about a CD?
Player idiosyncrasies aside, for most of us audio nerds the big deal with this player will be SACD and DVD-A performance. Unfortunately, both of those formats are nearly stalled when it comes to marketing, and it is quite possible that they will never amount to much more than niche formats. It is also possible that they both may end up being involved in a long and drawn out DOA situation, at least when compared to hotshot technologies like the CD, DVD-video, and MP3.
If we are going to discuss DVD-A and SACD as practical technologies instead of their sales successes or failures, we first need to come to grips with the bass management and distance compensation issues that involve the DVD-S1500. This can be important, because most surround processors and receivers do not offer these emendations with their 6-channel analog inputs. The signals are passed through unaltered.
With the DVD-S1500 you get full bass management from the six-channel (5.1) analog outputs with SACD source material. The subwoofer crossover points and slopes are user selectable: 60, 80, 100, and 120 Hz, with slopes of 12, 18, and 24 dB per octave. This is a great feature for those with sub/sat systems that have smallish satellite speakers. For those with full-range satellite speakers in combination with a subwoofer, the player offers an SACD “direct” mode that automatically bypasses all bass-management settings from the six-channel outputs. I really like these options.
Unfortunately, there is no bass management with DVD-A source material, no matter what speaker-size settings you choose from the player’s menu, meaning that if you use the above-noted (and typical) small- satellite sub/sat system the small satellites will be getting full-bandwidth bass right along with the subwoofer. Strangely enough, there is also no bass management with CD source material when using the six-channel output’s stereo-only mode, although the DPL II mode, which is a more viable option in every way I can think of, does manage the bass.
Fortunately, full-bandwidth signals from the player’s standard two-channel outputs from CD sources also allow one’s receiver to apply bass management in the usual manner. Interestingly, with the six-channel outputs playing CD and DVD source material you do get the ability to independently balance the volume levels on each channel. However, you do not get this with SACD sources.
While DVD-A is shortchanged when it comes to bass management, it is SACD that is shortchanged with distance compensation. DVD-A gets the ability to adjust for different speaker distances to the listening position and full compensation abilities are also provided for DD and DTS sources. SACD gets no compensation at all. For it to work at its best with SACD, the five satellite speakers all need to be similar distances from the prime listening location. This is a weird situation and is probably related to the political machinations that occurred when the parameters for these new technologies were being worked out.
I mentioned above that most processors or receivers do not offer bass management or distance compensation with their six-channel analog inputs. Even the Yamaha RX-Z1 receiver I reviewed in issue 93 lacks these features, because it does its bass management in the digital domain, independently from the six-channel analog inputs. It manages bass from standard, two-channel analog inputs, because those are digitized prior to being run through the amplification and any DSP surround functions. However, the six-channel analog inputs are run directly to the amp sections via the volume-control circuits.
One exception to the bass-management situation with receivers and processors (there are more exceptions, I am sure, but I have no experience with them) is the above-mentioned Yamaha DSP-A1 integrated amp that I use in my middle system. That unit does its bass managing in the analog domain, after digitizing and DSP operations are completed and the signals converted back to analog prior to basic amplification. When you set up the DSP-A1 to bass manage digitally connected DD and DTS sources after they are converted back to analog for amplification it also applies the same manipulations with the six- channel analog inputs.