Question for the what hifi team or anyone else?

[admin_exported]

I have a very complex decision to make concerning 2 blue-ray player's. I need to know asap if i should buy a PIONEER BDP-LX52 blue-ray player or should i wait and buy the newer version PIONEER BDP-LX53 blu-ray player. Will there be a huge amount of difference in the sound and picture quality between both of them also what about new feature's. I have 2 day's from today to decide if i want the older LX52 or not and considering it's on sale at £330 sound's good to me but there are only 5 left so therefore i need to be quick and decide if to buy or not. So please let me know what i should do. I do like the look and other feature's of the the LX52, it's highly praised and got 5 star's and a glowing review in the what hi-fi sound & vision magazine and also the price of £330 is very, very tempting, so come on people WHAT SHALL I DO, TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY is the question.

DR KAY

 

[Andrew Everard]

To be used with?

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry forgot to mention that i have just bought a new PIONEER SC-LX82 a/v amp and a PIONEER PDP-5090 KURO plasma tv. I hope this help's also would there be much difference between both the player's that i mentioned before and one last question is that does the LX52 or the LX53 use WOLFSON D/A converter's if not then should i let the a/v amp do the converting. Thank's

 

[Andrew Everard]

I would think either player would be more than suitable, so if you can get a good deal on the 52 I'd say that's the one to go for.

I'm not aware that Pioneer has made any specific information available about the brand of DACs the players use, but they'll be irrelevant anyway, as I assume you'll be connecting the player via HDMI to the receiver.

 

[Anonymous]

Thank's for the advice and i think you are right and i should go for the LX52 as it's at a very good price and also i do not think that there will be a huge amount of difference between this and the newer version. I will definitely will be connecting the bd player via a CHORD SILVER ACTIVE HDMI lead, but why would this make the DAC's quality irrelevant?

 

[Andrew Everard]

Because if you do that the DACs in the player are bypassed: the signal is sent to the amp in digital form, and decoded and converted in the amp, not the player.

 

[Anonymous]

Thank's again i was not aware of that.

 

[Andrew Everard]

No probs: when connected via HDMI to an amp with onboard decoding and conversion, the player is acting purely as a transport.

 

[Anonymous]

dr kay , when you are playing sd dvds on your new pioneer , you should set the bluray player up so that its not upscaling , your tv is the best upscaler there is .. the same rule for sd tv if using a sky or humax box etc , the kuro will upscale better than either ....

 

[Anonymous]

maxflinn:dr kay , when you are playing sd dvds on your new pioneer , you should set the bluray player up so that its not upscaling , your tv is the best upscaler there is .. the same rule for sd tv if using a sky or humax box etc , the kuro will upscale better than either ....

Thank's for your advice. I was just wondering wouldn't my PIONEER SC-LX82 be a better upscaler than my KURO plasma?

 

[Anonymous]

DR KAY:
maxflinn:dr kay , when you are playing sd dvds on your new pioneer , you should set the bluray player up so that its not upscaling , your tv is the best upscaler there is .. the same rule for sd tv if using a sky or humax box etc , the kuro will upscale better than either ....

Thank's for your advice. I was just wondering wouldn't my PIONEER SC-LX82 be a better upscaler than my KURO plasma?
nope , the best thing to do with a kuro is to send any sd material direct to the tv in its natural form , no dvd/bluray player can upscale as good as the kuro tv ...

 

[Anonymous]

Andrew Everard:No probs: when connected via HDMI to an amp with onboard decoding and conversion, the player is acting purely as a transport.

So if the LX52 bd player only act's like a transport when connected via HDMI to an amp with onboard decoding and conversion then really i can get away with using the cheaper BDP-320 or even the BDP -120, is this advisable or should i stick with the LX52 because it matche's more with my expensive SC-LX82 a/v amp.

 

[Anonymous]

DR KAY:
Andrew Everard:No probs: when connected via HDMI to an amp with onboard decoding and conversion, the player is acting purely as a transport.

So if the LX52 bd player only act's like a transport when connected via HDMI to an amp with onboard decoding and conversion then really i can get away with using the cheaper BDP-320 or even the BDP -120, is this advisable or should i stick with the LX52 because it matche's more with my expensive SC-LX82 a/v amp.

the best thing to do is demo for yourself ...

if it were me , id buy the cheapest pioneer blu-ray player ...

 

[aliEnRIK]

maxflinn:DR KAY:
maxflinn:dr kay , when you are playing sd dvds on your new pioneer , you should set the bluray player up so that its not upscaling , your tv is the best upscaler there is .. the same rule for sd tv if using a sky or humax box etc , the kuro will upscale better than either ....

Thank's for your advice. I was just wondering wouldn't my PIONEER SC-LX82 be a better upscaler than my KURO plasma?
nope , the best thing to do with a kuro is to send any sd material direct to the tv in its natural form , no dvd/bluray player can upscale as good as the kuro tv ...

I wouldnt be so sure that NO player can upscale as well

 

[Anonymous]

so i believe ... i may be wrong though ...

 

[Andrew Everard]

DR KAY:So if the LX52 bd player only act's like a transport when connected via HDMI to an amp with onboard decoding and conversion then really i can get away with using the cheaper BDP-320 or even the BDP -120, is this advisable or should i stick with the LX52 because it matche's more with my expensive SC-LX82 a/v amp.

If all you're going to do is plug through HDMI to the TV via an amp, yes, that's perfectly possible, but it's up to you whether it's worth spending more for a cosmetic match with your amp.

 

[Anonymous]

Just to let you know that you can find the Pioneer LX 52 for 299 at Superfi so it's even a better deal!

 

[Anonymous]

cortom:Just to let you know that you can find the Pioneer LX 52 for 299 at Superfi so it's even a better deal!

Thought i'll let you know that after reading all the reply's i went on to purchase the PIONEER BDP-LX52 bd player and guess where from? yep you've guessed it from Superfi's for only £299 what a bargain. Thank's for the advice.