-Plays all formats well
-Very easy to use

-Really loud running noise which covers up soft sections
-Does not sound as good as the Pioneer DV-563A
-Downconverts DSD into PCM for less clear sound

Plays SACD and DVD-A fine, but it does not deliver as crisp or clear a tone as its early model the 563. This probably is due to the fact that it downconverts DSD to PCM. Beware that the ONKYO 502 is just the 588A in an onkyo box. I haven't tried it out but i assume that same problems occure. Also when listening to soft passages the loud buzzing noise of the dvd player covers up much of the music.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer 563

- Video rendering is very good - blacks are deep, shadow detail great, colours are bright and vibrant.
- Handles all disc and software formats - so far I've tried CD, SACD, DVD-Audio, DVD-Video, CD-R, DVD-R, works with MP3 (off DVD discs too!) and also plays DivX which lets you fit tons of video onto a single disc.
- Ability to experiment with high-res formats is great. You can really appreciate the difference even with mid-fi gear.
- Looks good in black, if a bit small next to my Denon AVR. As long as you don't touch it, you will be under the impression that it's a far pricier player :-)

- Build quality will disappoint some (I think it's okay at this price-point).
- The GUI feels a bit sluggish and doesn't look at all exciting but gets the job done. DVD navigation also suffers a bit from this problem.
- The transport was a bit noisy during the first hour or two of operation, but then quieted down. Now I only ever hear it when it seeks on DVD's, I can't hear it during quiet passages of CD's which I was worried about when I first started it up. If you want a player that you never ever hear, you'll need to cough up more.
- The remote is a very non-descript gray plastic box. I use my Denon receiver's remote to control playback so it doesn't bother me. Again, noone should expect more at this pricepoint.
- Takes ~5 seconds for the unit to start up. You can't eject the disc tray during this time.

I bought the Pioneer DV-585A (which is the Euro version of the 588) after seriously looking at the Denon DVD-1920. I decided to wait until the High-Def format wars settle down and universal HD players become affordable. I didn't care much for upscaling of standard DVD's and digital video connections often fail to beat good old component video, so that's not much of a concern for me either. In the mean time I can at least play with the new high resolution audio formats which is great. Don't let my overall rating put you off, this is a fabulous player for the money. It lacks some features you will get further up the scale but it has all you really need.

Similar Products Used:

Ancient Sansui CDP, various cheap Pioneer DVDP's, auditioned various Denon, Marantz, Cambridge Audio components before purchasing the Pioneer

-consistency -clean audio signal -plays every format I've thrown at it, including DVD+-RW, MPEG2,3&4, WMV, WMA, and variously encoded AVIs...more than that even! -very wife-friendly -full set of controls on the box itself -solid tray and well-built tray mechanism

-remote is as crappy as other consumer DVD players -would like a heftier power supply (but for $99, who cares?) -looks a little chintzy (silver, plastic, ugly Pioneer logo)

This little machine isn't that pretty. The build quality is just okay, and the software interface could do a bit more for you. But it works great. With EVERYTHING you throw at it. I would consider myself an audiophile if I could afford it, but I can't. This little silver box gives accessibility to formats that have been previously out of reach to people like me, at a fraction of the cost of similar players. This player is for all of us cheapos waiting for a true "universal" player. Audio: The optical input lets my receiver do the work of presenting the pure digital signal, without the colouration I've had from a revolving door of other CD players. Exactly what I want for "A-Bing". I can use my receiver's custom presets for any manipulation, but I generally like the signal to be direct. From Keith Jarrett's Koln Concert to layered, articulate rock n' roll, to Sam Cooke, this player presented a clear, unprocessed sound. This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's EXACTLY what I wanted. This approach allows flexibility in your listening experience, and provides a good starting place to compare speakers. Not much else to say here, except that the DV-588A is as clean and neutral as it gets for consumer gear. Build: The build quality on this unit is a little better than you'd expect, but not much. The usual flimsy case is there, along with the faux-metal (read: plastic) silver front that plagues the electronics world. The unit is not that heavy, but heavier than the Toshibas, Samsungs, and even the Harman Kardon DVD22. The buttons aren't as good as the Panasonic models out there, but this unit has full controls on the face of the machine, with the standard play-stop-pause-skip-skip buttons, as well as menu and directional buttons. Great for when you lose the remote! Also, the tray is solid and the tray mechanism is strong. An worthwhile point, in my books, considering the flimsy stuff I saw while shopping. The remote is the standard-issue crap you'd expect. This was not an issue for me, as I switched to the Harmony remote. Formats: This machine's biggest strength is it's ability to play a multitude of formats. Got a JPG slideshow? No prob. xVID encoded AVI? Doesn't break a sweat. A rare jazz recording compressed with the little-used FLAC format? Burn it and turn it. Want to watch that DVD+R? It doesn't even blink. This unit also plays BOTH Super Audio CDs and DVD-Audio work seamlessly, taking a relatively short time to recognize the disc. After hearing DVD-A or SACD through decent speakers, I can't wait for more releases to come out, because players like this will (finally!) create the market for them. It will find an unsuitable format at some point, but so far it's so great that you have a single player that just WORKS with the commonly used audio and video formats of the day. Interface: The interface is truely minimalist, with only the basic functions. This is truly a MAJOR benefit in my mind, as I have no need for the ridiculous bells and whistles that most DVD players lean on. The only little feature I would have liked was a shuffle option for MP3 discs, but I don't really use MP3s anyways. *****Word to the wise...when burning data discs with AVIs, MPEG, etc., keep in mind that the display only allows for your old school 8 characters. A bit crappy, but oh well. You're not using it to watch the menus, I figure. Just make sure you rename your files so you can tell them apart.

Video & audio performance(when it works), SACD, Price

Distortion on selected CD's and probably DVD's Pioneers Service Department

To understand my rating of this product - read on... I just received this player as a repalcement for the 578 model that I had returned to Pioneer because of a significant distortion problem encountered with 3 of my CD's on selected tracks It is not the CD's, since they play OK on every other CD/DVD I have - including a Pioneer DVD Recorder I have on my computer Alas this new unit suffers from the exact same problem. On some tracks on some CD's there is a significant crackling and popping distortion that can be heard - i.e. on the quiet tracks The previous unit was returned to Pioneer for the same problem several times and it was not until I went into the service department and actually pointed out the problem did they agree there was a problem. The new unit is actually a little worse, in that I now encounter the problem on more tracks I have placed yet another call with Poneer to see what they can do about it. I will not be using this unit as I cannot trust it to reproduce the signal as recorded, and with the possibility of significant distortion and the volumes at which I play movies, it could concevably damage other components in my system with continued use. The features on this unit are probably the most comprehensive for the price and the video performance and setup is very good Six channel output works very well and the sound is quite pleasant for Pioneer Here's hoping Pioneer can fix this unit quickly. If they can I will be extremely happy, but right now it's just and ornament! The "value rating" below is based on getting a unit that actually works The overall rating is based on the fact that the current unit - which cannot be trusted to perform as designed

Similar Products Used:

Pannasonic - very good