Pioneer Elite DV-58AV - Page 28

More specifically what analog video problems does this player have through the component outputs?

Pro:

I believe there are black-level issues.

My 58AV arrived today from Vanns. Brand new unit made in September 2007 Do they keep the precious few left at Fort Knox?

FW is YGD7906E Other than that, build quality is very nice. Haven't had much time to listen but initial report is very good.

I contacted Pioneer to request an updated FW. Don't need to be running into any of the previously mentioned audio issues since this player will be used strictly for high rez audio.

Has anyone on the forum actually had to exercise their warranty with one of these machines? If Pioneer doesn't come through, in a couple of months I'll be turning to Hakan for support.

I received a reply from Pioneer and was told there is an 08 update for my 07 machine to fix playability issues. They instructed me to contact a specific authorized service center and have it sent in for an update.

Even though firmware is readily available and down-loadable from Pioneer for for my 51FD and 05FD Bluray players

Just plain ridiculous.

Now have to decide if I want send my pristine unit away, at my expense, to get thrown around on a workbench at "A TV and Strereo Electronics" in Kingman, Arizona!

Looks like I'll give it a few months and HKan it is.

Just plain ridiculous. Oh wait, I already said that

Other than that, enjoying the 58AV...........sounds goooooooood!

Just so you know YGD8827A at hakans site is a pioneer factory firmware and it is the exact same one that you would get at the repair center.

I am aware of that, the problem is that my firmware is YGD7906E and Hakan does not have that one in case I need to flash back to it for warranty reasons. Unfortunately Pioneer keeps track of what firmwares are associated with what serial numbers from what I understand.

Actually, he does have YGD7906E at the DV-LX50 Dead Player page. However, I'm not sure if that firmware will install via CD. Hakan would know best on that one.

That is pathetic. Also what about the missing blue power button light on the 49AV. That's the very least Pioneer should have done when they slapped an Elite label on that DV-610 clone.

Wow! Nice catch Big C. Will have to shoot Hakan an e-mail.......thanks!

Actually, I believe the DV-800AV and DV-LX50 have the same blue lights as the DV-58AV. Just a reminder: As poorly we may be treated as far as SD firmware upgrades and paying extra for the Elite name being slapped onto the DV-610AV, at least with Pioneer players, you're less likely to encounter short-term disc mechanism failure. Also, they use better components such as Burr-Brown audio DACs instead of cheeper Cirrus Logic ones.

Except for the Onkyo SP-506S which I took from Amazon (not 3rd party reseller) for $120 shipped a few months back.....price mstake Burr-Brown 1796 DAC's in that one too and it sounds as good as the Pioneer to my ears right now, but I like the Pioneer much better. The Onkyo has some flaws and there has never been a FW update for it. Onkyo treats you identically as Pioneer when it comes to SD FW. Either way they are great machines, it's just unfortunate they have zero interest in optimizing their performance.

I thought about the Onkyo DV-SP506. However, it lacks contrast and gamma adjustments, as well as the COMPONENT/RGB/FULL-RANGE-RGB HDMI color space options. Also, it uses a Zoran instead of a MediaTek as an AV decoder. I think the MediaTek plays Pal better, and gets rid of the layer change.

I am not much into the video aspect of these machines. Rather stockpiling SACD/DVD-A players for future playing of a growing high-rez audio collection. Although, the Zoran has been just fine over HDMI, and haven't yet had a layer change issue that I noticed.

This is NOT for CD upgrading!
It's only for upgrading via cable!

Ok, thank you for the reply!

Good luck with the repair center, the one in my area once scratched the flawless face plate on my receiver that was there for warranty work.

Curiocity got hold of me and I had to purchase a US service manual download. I figured that as long as I already have the European version of the DV-58AV service manual (the DV-LX50), I'd get the U.S. service manual for the DV-49AV. Here's how you're supposed to perform firmware upgrades on Pioneer's SD players:

8.1 RE-WRITE FOR DVD FIRMWAVE
1. Purpose
After replacing the DVD MT PCB Assy, be sure to update the firmware to the latest
version. The firmware of the Assy for
service may not be the latest.
DV-49AV
2. Procedures for creating the disc for updating
Necessary tools:
1 PC with a CD-R/CD-RW drive
2 Blank CD-R or CD-RW
3 Firmware file (*****.BIN)
How to create:
1 Start up the program for writing to CD.
2 Load a blank disc in the CD-R/CD-RW drive.
3 Enter "PIONEER" as the volume label.
4 Select the .BIN file.
5 Write the latest version of the firmware in ISO 9660 format.
While the screen shown at left is being displayed, updating is in progress.
DO NOT TURN OFF THE POWER DURING UPDATING.
When the screen with the Pioneer logo is displayed, updating is completed.
The time required for updating is about 2 minutes.
3. Procedures for updating the firmware
How to update:
1 Turn on the main unit and open the disc tray.
2 Place the disc for updating in the disc tray and close the tray.
3 Press the PLAY button.
4 Updating of the firmware is completed.

Sound familiar? Pioneer has NO faith in us!

too bad the service manual, like the firmware, is not offered to the public on Pioneer's support site. Only available through 3rd party channels. Those items are for the "qualified authorized techs" Even though you don't have to be one to download and execute the widely available Pioneer Blu-ray firmwares. sigh......

I have the Integra version of this 506S. The DPS-6.9. For audio only use it is superior for SACD playback vs the 58AV, but Inferior for DVD-A playback.

Overall I prefer the Integra for SACD but the 58AV for DVD-A using HDMI.
The menus and operation on the Integra are better as well.

Can't speak for the video since I don't use them for that.

I haven't done enough comparative listening yet, but both units produce fantastic audio.

The Onkyo drive unit does produce a high pitched whine during disc playback. It's not bothersome except at very low volumes but annoying nonetheless.

During DVD-A playback, the pause, FF, and fast reverse buttons are inactive. I told Onkyo that the Pioneer does not have this problem with the same discs. They said send it in for repair. I told them get a handful of DVD-A discs, try it, see for themselves it's broke. Other users have reported the same issue. I am not sending it to them so they can play with it at my expense. Being that I got it so cheap, I won't have warranty work on it until it really breaks (if it does). Better yet, I'll send it to them right before the 2 year warranty ends to get a free checkup!

The Onkyo, however, has a really nice TV display for SACD playback. Tracks and disc info are all laid out nicely on the big screen vs. the Pioneer with just a blank screen.

Hmmm ... The Onkyo doesn't have as much stuff inside it as the Pioneer. They both use Burr-Brown PCM1796 DACs. How can SACD playback be better on one, while DVD-AUDIO playback is better on the other, especially if the DV-58AV is bigger and has more suffisticated circuitry than the DV-SP506? My goal was to have a single player to handle both movies and hi-res music. It looks like I'll be using two separate players like the rest of you guys.

Actually, the gut count is nearly similar. Both units contain 4 sections:

1. Power supply board
2. AV decoder board
3. Analog DAC board
4. Optical drive unit

The Pioneer has an EMI sheild over the power area, the Onkyo doesn't.
The Onkyo is all metal (aluminum face) and built very well, however both are way above average.

The chassis size is nearly identical. I'd be hard pressed at this point to hear differences in audio. As I said they both sound fantastic.

I use the units (I don't have the Onkyo I have the Integra DPS-6.9 which is similar) as TRANSPORTS only.

I use HDMI to a 1.3a compatable receiver. With the exact same HDMI cable I don't know why but SACD on the Integra is more dynamic, lifelike and has a better dynamic range to my ears on the same system than the Pioneer (and the Pioneer has an upgraded power cable that costs 1/3 the price of the player). Both are HDMI and using DSD direct to the receiver (Pioneer SC-07)

Take a DVD-A disc and compare them and the Pioneer sounds exactly the opposite. Much more open on the source, more dynamic with better highs and lows. The Integra seems muted by comparison and less dynamic.

Transport mechanisms do matter. Ask Kal Rubin. Some players are better at SACD than DVD-A. Power supplies matter. Vibration reduction matters.

If you go to Pioneer's parts site and do a search for DV-58AV or DV-49AV, you can buy hardcopies of these service manuals for $33 and $18 respectively. But why pay extra if you can get them either by donating to Hakan, and if he can't get a particular service manual, by downloading it for $10 from where I got mine?

Another nice catch Big C. thanks!

When you can, use Hakan's site because many times, it has more up-to-date firmware. The only time I use GetManual is if there's something Hakan is unable to get, such as firmware and service manuals for U.S. models.

It fixes DivX issues. I'm not into DivX. However, it fixes the problem where SuperBass and SACD interfere with each other. Here's a link.

SACD small setting for MCH doesn't redirect low bass to the subwoofer, setting the LS and RS to small sets the equalizer to Rock, setting the equalizer to off sets the LS and RS to large. Try a 5.0 SACD. HDMI works just fine though.

I reverted

Cool! When did you get a 58? Are you connected via HDMI or analog?

No problems here with 4.0 discs via HDMI only. Pehaps analog 5.1 processing is the issue Kal Rubinson noted with the earlier firmwares and 4.0 discs?

Hkan's firmware does not fix this issue? Pioneer states that the newest firmware does...