Unlike many DVD players, the DV-47A does a good job converting anamorphic DVDs, which are enhanced for a wide-screen set, for display on standard 4:3 televisions. Unfortunately, it lacks full aspect-ratio control. If your wide-screen TV cannot control its aspect ratio with progressive-scan material, you'll have to watch nonanamorphic letterboxed DVDs at a small size or in interlaced mode. On the other hand, Pioneer provides a so-called compressed aspect ratio for watching 4:3 DVDs in progressive mode.
Even on our modest test system, which included a Pioneer VSX-810S receiver and speakers, the DV-47A sounded amazing. The SACD of Herbie Hancock's Headhunters resounded with incredibly lifelike drums, and the sax had a fullness that the CD simply didn't capture. Neil Young's DVD-Audio Friends & Relatives enveloped us like no recording of a concert we've heard, and his voice sounded even more painful and unearthly than ever.
It's hard to imagine audio- or videophiles finding anything to complain about with this product, other than the hefty $1,200 list price. For about $500, you can buy both the SACD-capable and the DVD-Audio, progressive-scan-capable and get the same functionality, although switching cables would be a nightmare. But if you believe that budget and high-performance audio don't belong in the same sentence, you should try the Pioneer DV-47A.
What You'll Pay
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