Sony DVP-S9000ES: Best viewed as a fine DVD player featuring good construction and SACD capability
Written: Dec 13 '01 (Updated Feb 12 '02)
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Pros: Superior video quality, higher build standard, fine SACD implementation
Cons: Film mode de-interlacing performance is good but not top notch given availability of newer technologies.
The Bottom Line: Unquestioned value in the wake of lowered prices.
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| lhkm's Full Review: Sony DVP-S9000 ES DVD Player |
You may be surprised to learn that I have acquired the DVP-S9000ES this late in its production life cycle and in spite of an awareness that newer players (including the Denon DVD-2800, Panasonic DVD-RP56, DVD-RP91, DVD-H2000, Kenwood Sovereign 5700, Sony DVP-NS700P) can potentially outperform the aging Sony with improved de-interlacing technologies or DAC performance - at least on paper. In order to understand why I bought the DVP-S9000ES, you will need to know where I am coming from.
As an audiophile, I value good sound, rigid construction, reliable electronics and mechanics. In that regard, I like to ride conservatively on the technology curve without succumbing to the allure of relentlessly advancing technologies and the misguided convenience (read environmentally unfriendly) of disposable hardware that is so pervasive in North America. Apologies, I am not your definitive North American consumer. I recently acquired a Sony KV-36XBR450 (you can read my review recently posted at http://www.epinions.com/content_48619228804). This TV deserves a good quality DVD player. Being acutely (and perhaps even sorely) aware of the current state of the DVD player market, I have researched a number of considerations – I believe this is where you can get value out of this review.
These considerations include:
1 - Build/Construction
People often use terms like “heavy”, “solid”, “bullet proof” or “tank like” to describe what they consider as high build quality. Unfortunately, consumer reviews posted on the web can mislead with their limited judgment calls or inaccuracies. I would use the terms “tank-like” or “bullet proof” when housing military grade electronics in US made M1 Abraham tanks or German made Leopard 2 tanks. In the consumer world, a benchmark for top notch build quality would likely be the Mark Levinson No. 32 Reference Pre-amplifier with its machined casework (that consists of a one-piece chassis, a work of CNC precision) and circuit boards made from costly Arlon 25N. Moving down the ladder (but still quite high in the pecking order) a good example would be the Sony SCD-1 SACD player with its “Base Pillar” construction and machined parts. The Pioneer DV-AX10 player would fall into that build category and so would the Panasonic DVD-H2000 with its die-cast aluminium chassis. Further down the ladder (the higher end of the mid range) you could include Sony’s well established “Frame and Beam” construction that is applied to the higher end of the ES series. The DVP-S9000ES falls into that category and so does my 10 year old CD player, the CDP-X555ES. The Pioneer DV-38A with its triple-layered chassis and three chambers fits in that category as well. Continuing with the descent, one may need to eject discrete components, reduce sheet metal gauge, replace metal with plastic and so on and so forth. In other words, you can make the plunge and end up with a DVD player that is made nearly entirely out of plastic - and that may be perfectly acceptable as long as you are aware of potential downstream costs including a much shorter product lifespan and the possibility of having your valued collection damaged by failing/flimsy mechanicals. If you’re renting DVDs most of the time, buying a lower end DVD player may suffice. It is not fair to feed expensive players with potentially soiled rental discs.
The DVP-S9000ES with its copper shielded frame and beam construction, dual transformers (feeding audio and video circuitry separately) and discrete audio/video circuits guarantees a good job of shielding electronics from unwanted noise and vibration. It also serves to protect surrounding audio/video components from potential emissions. The ‘fixed base’ mechanism creates stable and protective environment for your DVD collection while the hermetic shutter protects the optical pickup from airborne vibrations and dust.
I seriously considered the Panasonic DVP-RP91 based on good reviews. The experience of lifting the unit could be best described by my friend as “picking up an empty biscuit tin”. Flipping the unit over, you will notice a number of plastic clips/latches protruding from the base. It really makes you wonder how the electronics and mechanics are secured. Pressing the open button reveals a flimsy plastic tray - like the one you see in DVD equipped PCs. Sugar coat the player with nice cosmetics (that includes a thinner than usual aluminium faceplate) you will likely lament on spending over $800 Canadian for a player that fails to give an impression that it will last. As a consolation, this player is made in Japan - it should last longer than expected. Please do not assume that I am the sort of person who will dismiss light weight electronics under a veil of audiophile arrogance or ignorance. I am simply seeking reasonable build quality – and it does not necessarily mean buying heavy or outrageously expensive equipment. Five pounds of cheap metal and plastic is not compelling. A seven pound unit employing ceramics or honey-combed construction without significantly increasing costs would be much more intelligent and I could live with that. Some of you may ask why I did not buy the Panasonic DVD-H2000. Although it is a good machine, it remained relatively expensive at the time of purchase.
2 – Motion artifacts: De-interlacing Performance
For a good backgrounder, you should visit:
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_7_4/dvd-benchmark-part-5-progressive-10-2000.html
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_8_3/dvd-benchmark-progressive-shootout-2-8-2001.html
De-interlacing performance can be subjective. Poor performance on paper does not necessarily guarantee a bad viewing experience. You will need to trust your own eyes in order to make a final decision around accepting the severity of motion artifacts including combing and flickering. When playing “Shrek” in interlaced mode, I noticed the characteristic feathering or combing – this is particularly true when watching a 36 inch television from a close distance. Turn on the progressive mode and you will witness a significant improvement. The film mode de-interlacing algorithm used in the Sony DVP-S9000ES does a fine job of removing these artifacts. When coupled with reverse 3-2 pulldown feature you can experience film like quality. Video mode de-interlacing performance is questionable as artifacts remain noticeable. However, let’s place this into perspective: the image quality is better than VHS and I am not buying a DVD player to primarily watch video based sources.
3 - Multi Region Capability
If your DVD library will include discs from around the world, you will need to consider a worldwide model or acquire a player that has been ‘tweaked’ by third party outfits. In my case, I have purchased a Region-1 only unit believing that I will likely not acquire discs from Asia or Europe. Politely put, regionalizing DVD players is counter-productive. I view this as a form of censorship and it does little to deter people from engaging in piracy or other activities of an illicit nature as deemed by international authorities.
4 – Technology Updates and Implementation
You can argue that there are better players out there featuring the latest de-interlacing technologies such as Silicon Image/DVDO PureProgressive (SIL503) Decoding Engine or Sage/Faroudja’s ‘Directional Correlational De-interlacing’ technology (DCDi) chipset and MPEG decoders that are free of the streaky chroma upsampling bug. That’s fine. I can accept that. At the time of this writing, DVD players featuring 108 Mhz 12-bit/14-bit Video DACs are looming on the horizon. (February 2002 update: Denon recently announced the DVD-9000 featuring 14-bit video DACs and 108Mhz oversampling) Digital technology updates are frequent and relentless and, like PCs, the latest player you buy today is really yesterday’s news.
I have seriously considered the Denon DV-2800 and the Panasonic DVD-RP56. The Denon (with DVDO) displays a lush picture although it is a little soft for my taste. The Panasonic DVD-RP56 (with its unadvertised Sage/Faroudja chipset) generates good images although vividness or saturation does not compare to its upscale brother, the DVD-RP91 with higher performing DACs.
I am aware that many players including the Sony DVP-S9000ES suffer from the chroma upsampling bug. I recognise the immense potential of the Sage/Faroudja FLI2200 deinterlacer chipset including the promise of producing smooth and natural images by eliminating the jagged edges seen on moving angled lines in video (anti aliasing, as some would call).
When you factor the above considerations (among others) into the overall puzzle, these pieces can become small under the shadow of bigger deficiencies – a bad television set or poor cabling? How often does one detect a problem with chroma upsampling? Does one need to scrutinize every picture frame? Do you need to go looking about for imperfections in a specific area? Is it a good idea to fixate on blemished paint on the deck chair of the Titanic when a gaping hole on the side of the hull threatens to sink everything else? The point I am making is that we should not fail to take a more encompassing approach, even in recognition of the above mentioned problems/issues. Try not to forget that good implementation of older technology can outperform a poor implementation of newer technology. Any form of sophisticated digital processing by the DVD player can not fully compensate for a bad transfer to DVD. Food for thought: Should you buy bad DVD discs then spend a premium for a player that is able to minimize the deficiencies?
5 – Playable Discs
I bought the DVP-S9000S specifically for DVD playback. Good SACD performance on this player is a bonus. The relatively slow introduction/poor availability of SACD material (same issue with DVD-A) makes me question the future of these technologies. I believe most people will not notice the improvement over a properly produced CD given all else is equal. You really need trained ears and good equipment.
If you insist on playing CD-R, CR-RW, HDCD, MP3, DVD-A, DVD-RAM you will need to look elsewhere. The DVP-S9000ES does not play them. Quite frankly, I believe that accommodating these additional sources will likely compromise video quality as the cost of development and parts will need to be spread. You need to decide on an acceptable balance. Ultra dedicated or general purpose electronics?
6 – Discrete Electronics
Packing audio and video electronics on the same circuit board will likely introduce interference. The DVP-S9000ES features discrete and isolated circuit boards for audio and video. You can defeat display electronics and digital outputs to help further reduce the potential of introducing noise.
7 - Video Quality and Customizable Controls
The DVP-S9000ES video is saturated and vivid. It can be quite stunning in progressive mode. The Custom Memory/Playback Memory allows the player to remember a wide array of video settings for up to 300 discs - quite useful as you will likely find large variations in the image quality of DVD discs. For example, I find ‘Matrix’ too dark for my taste but this can be solved by tweaking brightness, contrast, and gamma settings. Save and forget. In addition, you have 5 general memories settings. It is all very flexible and quite handy. When picking a player, consider availability of controls including aspect ratio adjustment and scaling.
In summary, I purchased the DVP-S9000ES primarily for its superior video quality and higher build standard. This player sold at a local store for about $1,500 Canadian (or USD $960), taxes included – good value indeed. I will be enjoying the DVP-S9000ES for a long time.
LHKM
December 2001
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 960
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lhkm
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