korkster, i also own the Panny CP72 and it has performed quite stellar in dvdv and dvda capacity. I have the previous version upstairs (the non progressive scan multi disc Panny) as well.
DVDA sound has been absolutely amazing. The few discs we own are truly of incredible recording or remastering quality. I cannot say that will be the same necessarily for all dvda or sacd though, but i figure if someone wants to record or remaster music in that format, they will likely take their care in trying to do so.
You are correct that the dvda and sacd formats have not really taken off commercially. Everytime i've gone looking for discs, i've come home empty not having found anything worth buying since the selection was so thin. With that being said, i would still buy more dvda or sacds if i knew the formats were going to continue into the future. Since this is uncertain, i'm holding off buying any more discs.
Personally i think the Dolby Digital (DD) format is going to replace the dvda and sacd since it plays back on any dvd unit and without the extra cable connections from the dvdp to the receiver. Instead you just need 6 speaker cable connections from the receiver to the speakers which is standard for any surround system anyway.
As for your conundrum about cd/dvd players, i wouldn't worry much about audio quality (note that video quality is a completely different topic) across the expensive vs. inexpensive spectrum. The DACs onboard many of these cd/dvdps are similar if not identical to those found in boutique name players, likely because the chips are so incredibly cheap these days. You may pay a ton more for the name, perhaps a more quiet transport or extra features, but as long as you buy a good brand name, like Panasonic, and nothing too inexpensive such that they really cut back on fundamentals required for clean audio (like a cheap power supply or non shielded components causing any kind of signal interference), you should be fine with a universal player that costs alot less than a Rega or the Rotel.
Although i do like my Panny CP72, i am thinking about buying a different dvdp for movies since the transport is kind of loud and the whirring can be distracting in quiet scenes. Either that or i need to buy an enclosed audio case to dampen the sound.
Last edited by chesseroo; 05/20/07 05:54 PM.
