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Yamaha DVD-S1500 DVD Player

Manufacturer:

 Yamaha Electronics Corporation, 6660

Orangethorpe Avenue, Buena Park, CA  90620; 800/
492-6242

Price:

 $450

Source:

 Manufacturer Loan

Reviewer:

 Howard Ferstler.

This  review  is  a  bit  longer  than  usual  (even  for

me), because it will deal not only with an SACD/DVD-
A  player  but  will  also  discuss  the  viability  of  those
two  technologies  in  general.  Consider  it  as  a
combination  player  review  and  one  of  my  regular

Skeptimania

 columns lumped together. In addition, Dr.

David  Rich  will  offer  up  a  tutorial  on  DAC  design,
including comments about the converter in this player.

A  number  of  my  upcoming 

Scoping  Software

recording  review  columns  will  deal  with  specific
SACD releases and will involve the use of the player
being reviewed here. Some of those will also critique
the technology in general.

I  reviewed  the  Yamaha  DVD-S795  DVD  player

back in issue 80 and reviewed the more upscale DVD-

S1200  in  issue  90.  I  liked  them  both,  although  I  did
point  out  that  one  could  at  that  time  get  video  and
audio  performance  from  lower-priced  versions  that
was  about  as  good  as  what  they  each  offered.  The
Yamaha units had some notable features that set them
apart from lower-priced models from the competition
available at the time, however.

OK,  now  we  have  still  another  player  from  the

company  and  one  difference  between  those  earlier
Yamaha players and this new one involves price. The
DVD-S1500  costs  considerably  less  than  both  of  the
others, while at the same time delivering everything
that they could and more in terms of picture quality
and sound. It still is not dirt-cheap, but the price is in
line with what serious audio enthusiasts who would
be reading this “get sensible” magazine might care to
pay for a good machine.

In addition, the DVD-S1500 can do something that

neither of the earlier Yamaha players could do: deliver
SACD and DVD-A playback. Its versatility goes well
beyond these audio formats, however, because it can

also play Video CD, Super Video CD, CD-R and CD-
RW (MP3 and JPEG supported), DVD+R, DVD+RW,
DVD-R  and  DVD-RW  materials  that  have  been
finalized. What’s more, it can play back European PAL
video DVD source material, in addition to standard,
US source NTSC releases. Admittedly, the Euro-disc
ability  is  something  that  would  only  matter  to  a
handful of enthusiasts – and probably to only a very
small  handful  indeed  when  it  comes  to  those  who
would be reading this magazine.

The player is notable for its very low profile, being

only 2.25 inches high. It is a standard 17 inches wide
and is a bit more than 12 inches deep, and weighs in at
a modest 7 pounds. This is in considerable contrast to
the almost elephantine, but still very fine performing,
Onkyo DV-S939 player that I reviewed in issue 86. The
DVD-S1500  has  a  big  edge  even  over  the  earlier
Yamaha models when it comes to space/weight issues.

The  small  front  panel  is  sparse  and  includes  an

on/off  button  and  the  usual  stop,  pause,  and  play
buttons. However, it has no scan or skip buttons and
leaves it up to the remote control to deal with those
and  other  more  esoteric  functions.  There  are  also
several mode indicators, including one that shows that

the “audio-direct” feature punched in via the remote
has been activated. (This function, which the Onkyo
player  also  had,  disengages  the  video  circuitry  to
possibly  enhance  the  sound  with  audio-only  source
material.) Other front-panel indicators include those
that tell you that a multi-channel source is playing or
that  you  are  playing  a  disc  that  allows  auto  down-
mixing from multi-channel sources. In addition, there
is a special indicator that lets you know when a DVD-
A  or  SACD  release  is  being  played,  as  well  as  an
indicator  that  tells  you  when  the  unit  enters  the
progressive-scan video mode.

The  rear  panel  is  a  bit  more  expansive  than  the

front. In addition to a detachable power-cable hookup,
it  includes  the  usual  composite-video  and  S-Video
outputs and also includes the now common, three-jack
component-video  hookups.  There  is  also  a  “scan
mode”  switch  back  there  that  would  be  used  if  one
had an HDTV monitor that accepted progressive-scan
inputs. Optical and coaxial outputs for digital signals
are also included (for Dolby Digital, DTS, or PCM), as

Содержание DVD-S1500

Страница 1: ...MP3 and JPEG supported DVD R DVD RW DVD R and DVD RW materials that have been finalized What s more it can play back European PAL video DVD source material in addition to standard US source NTSC rele...

Страница 2: ...ent particularly if that older model receiver lacks on board DPL II decoding The only fly in the ointment is that the DVD S1500 s on board DPL II processing is factory set and does not offer the fine...

Страница 3: ...automatically bypasses all bass management settings from the six channel outputs I really like these options Unfortunately there is no bass management with DVD A source material no matter what speake...

Страница 4: ...ng room is roughly 17 x 22 feet with an 8 foot ceiling and the listening position was about 10 feet from the axis between the main speakers If this face off were not able to highlight the surround ban...

Страница 5: ...technology and the extended bandwidth above the top audible octave provided by SACD technology remains in my opinion laughable overkill Of course this only involves one comparison It is possible that...

Страница 6: ...irrus data sheet to come up with some info He indicated that the most important thing that separates the great players from those that are merely good involves the quality of the DAC Below is some tec...

Страница 7: ...as the required minimum for a professional studio designed for very low background noise which may only be achieved with special construction techniques and materials I do not recall the maximum signa...

Страница 8: ...effect on the reconstruction of signal in the time domain Audio Engineering Society conference papers have been presented giving more details on this but I have not seen them make it to the society s...

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