Upcoming universal player releases any new info?

Avguru... I do not consider Arcam to be Hi end but rather mid fi, and its no universal either in case you missed that part in thr title of the thread.
My local Arcam dealer told me that there quality is not were it once was either...at least not on the players being shipped to him lately.
You have very obviously not heard an Onkyo sp 1000 as it has been compared to the dv-50 as being real close, better than a Marantz sa-14,9500 and Sony 777 and it is a fairly new player to have been compared to many players just yet.

One thing I have noticed is absolutely nobody has been disappointed after trying one, which is a lot more than I can say for any other newer model universal at anywhere near its U.S. selling price.

These hi end universals do not have as good of a video section as the Onyo sp 1000 and you failed to mention this.

If you have not tried something first, why even bother offering an opinion?
After all, the sp 1000 sells for 5k or more in Europe and Asia so it must be hi end by your assumptions right?

If we compare all universals to the 75k Goldman, I guess all your mentioned so called hi end players are really mid fi at best right?

Ears,
My Onkyo DV-SP1000 just keeps getting better and better!
I have been breaking it in for almost a week now and it is sounding better and better.
Now the SACD performance as well as the Redbook CD performance of the Onkyo is superior to BOTH on my Sony SCD-XA777ES! I am amazed!
The picture is also improving as well. I am currently using a 31" SANYO T.V. with no Progressive Scan input, no S video input, and no component video input, and has aN interlaced image only, and the image from DVD's played back through the Onkyo are absolutely stunning!
I cannot wait to get a HD T.V. with component and S inputs with Progressive Scan! I cannot imagine what kind of image it would have then.
Everything great that you wrote in the threads and told me about the Onkyo DV-SP1000 is 100% accurate. This is one hell of a machine on any format!
Thanks again,
Lanny

You guys talk without actually listening, I have offered to come to AVGURUS home with my modded players to have a comparison done against the DV-50 in balanced mode, in his system, with his stuff. I guess you guys just want to bad rap independent modders, who are experts. John is an actual Rocket Scientist, who puts his heart and soul into audio. Alex is an engineering genious. Tube reserch is doing mods, I guess they are just low/mid fi too. John makes some of the BEST SET amps on the planet. You guys are nutz. When a guy like me, who is willing, and able, to buy any player, up to 20k, says he is willing to compare, in YOUR system. Something is wrong. I like keeping the $$$$ with Americans, how bout you? Especially when they are well spent.

711, who is trashing modded gear, certainly not I,but this thread is about stock universal players.

I just happen to have compared a couple of modded players to the Onkyo sp 1000.
After owning three Denons...all whith problems, I would not even consider having one modded by anyone.
So if I were to have any universal modded, it would be the sp 1000 which sounds very musical out of the box, and has superior video to boot.

The Denons just sound too digital and bright out of the box so why mod a player thats inferior in build, audio and video in the first place over one thats got a great company track record for dependibility, and finally built a great universal?

One of the reasons you see Denons being modded so much is that there is a lot of room in the case on a 2900/3910 which makes it easier to mod.

BTW... my Sim Audio gear is modded for two channel use, and so is my H/T set up.

Greg

Ears, I've been following the discourse between 711milin and Avguru over several threads. The basis of 711Smilin's comment bypasses the question of whether the Denon should or shouldn't be modded. 11Smilin has offered Avguru the opportunity to personally listen to two SOTA modded 3910 machines in Avguru's own home. Ignoring the argument about whether a Denon should or shouldn't be modded, wouldn't it make logical sense to HEAR the machines...even if it's just out of curiosity about how they sound? I mean holy crow, one can argue the validity of modding all day and all night, but the lip flap doesn't amount to anything if one isn't first willing to LISTEN!

That's all 711Smilin is doing...offering an opportunity to hear the machines. Only after someone has heard the machines can they effectively debate the pluses and minuses of the mods.

Would you want an attorney to defend you in court if he had only read the facts of your case, but had never personally interviewed you? Of course not. This is the same thing.

Hey Avguru, take 711Smilin up on his offer. Listen to the machines. Then, if you want to continue to argue that they're not worthy, at least you're point of view will be based on some real world experience.

Kumbaya, dudes. Kumbaya.