Build quality

JVC product.......

Beware buyers, this is just a repackaged JVC player with a Rotel metal front panel on it to make it over 9 pounds. There are much better bargains out there. Look at the Marantz 4000 for instance!!!!!

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Marantz dv7000
Sony 7000
Sony dvp600
Nakamichi DV10

That famous Rotel build value. Easy front panel controls,easy to read display, makes a dandy transport for my CDs'

non backlit remote,just Toslink optical, No coaxial.

A brief update. The audio analog output on the 985 is just still only so so. After lengthly break in, the analog out is only satisfactory. However, once I used the Toslink out with some decent grade Audioquest fiber, the sound is so much more engaging. My Sony DACs' in the TAE-9000es do a decent job of handling the "bits" & other assorted pieces making the music come alive. A big surprise for me because I have been considering the RCD-991 player for my CDs'. Funny how these 2 machines look so similar. But from what I understand the chassis internals are definately different. So I'll wait abit longer and listen more and see. So far I am very pleased with the digital out performance. Doesn't sound dull or lifeless, or lacking pace. I just leave the analog outs "out" of the picture and my Jazz is served up the way I like it. My Nakamichi OMS-5 much loved by me sounds more vieled in comparison, and though the bass extention is greater than the 985, we are just talking slight here. Movie soundtracks are dished up just fine with an immediacy that you need for home theater. Far from perfect here overall but allot closer to, and going in the right direction at least and keeping my music rolling without me turning the volume down. This is a good sign. I will probably improve the fiber to a better one when finances allow. V.C.

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Pioneer 606d

see my prior review

this is update of prior review with respect to D/A converter

I want to update my prior review of this product.

I was prejudiced against the audio d/a circuitry in this unit because of my association of this feature with JVC, who produced some of the innards of this player. I also did not understand how "bits" work in a d/a converter and was prejudiced against the 1-bit type DAC. Now that I've learned more about d/a conversion technology suffice it to say, without explaining everything here, that there is no reason for my prejudice in this regard (you can check out posts in the "tech talks" area of this site for explanations on how single-bit DACs work as compared to multi-bit DACs). I also note that this player is able to read digital information at 24 bit/96 khz resolution, same as any other high quality player made today.

Having gotten over my prejudices I note that I have been very happy with my player's sound performance; movies have sounded simply wonderful. CD's don't sound as good as my regular player, but they shouldn't, because I have a very high quality cd player and this unit isnn't built as a dedicated cd player. Point is, outside of the prejudices I came in with, I have been perfectly happy with this player. See below for my raves about the other qualities of this player. (And, of course, don't worry about the DACs in this player at all if you will be connecting to an A/V receiver through its digital input.)

True Region Free DVD player, The GUI onscreen, Non wistles and bells looks, the over-all quality of this product

No Coaxial Digital out, remote control is a bit simple for such a player,

I bought/used several players before I came to buying the Rotel RDV-985. I was offcoarse impressed about the true region free mode (no 15 time change lock seen on Philips players, no manual region change , no exotic remote control inputs - A total auto region player!) the GUI is truly great and very functional. Even a 6-year old could handle this machine... The quality glow this product gives is wonderfull. I use DTS , doby digital 5:1 , etc and all gives a very nice feeling. Video quality is impressive.
Ok , there's no coaxial digital output , but there are many converters witch converts optical signals to coaxial signals at no quality change= problem solved. Ok, no scart . Offcoarse europian users would expect a scart , but this is an american product and scarts are only used i europe, so by a 10 dollar converter and the problem AGAIN is solved.
i've been searching, driving from one dealer to another and finally one machine has got me: The Rotel RDV 985 !!!!!!

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Sony DVP-S715