Well,having now had the Dynavector P-75 hooked-up to the Onkyo P-303 for a week and just two hours ago switched back to the Dynavector P-75/EW Kenwood 700C,I thought I'd drop a note on my impressions.
A brief recap,the Onkyo P-303 has the best onboard phono stage of all the moving coil-capable,full function phono stages I have(I can't test the Moving magnet stages).That's out of the EW 700C,Yamaha C2x and Kenwood Basic C2.Good news for vinyl lovers.
Switching back to the Dynavector P-75(stand-alone phono stage)though this time into the line inputs of the Onkyo P-303 instead of my usual EW 700C.There is a step forward in sound quality which indicates that the phono stage of the Dynavector is sufficiently better than the Phono stages of the Onkyo and the EW 700C,that I could get far more of an idea of the potential of either unit, by using the Dyna for a showdown of their respective linestages(the Dynavector having line level output).They have better linestages than phono stages.
The Onkyo with the Dynavector stage was awefully reminiscent of what I hear via the Dyna with the EW 700C.Huge gobs of detail coming through,almost the proverbial pin dropping during a thunderstorm retrieval of info levels.I could live with this happily.The real bummer about the P-303/Dyna phono combination is that it uses the Onkyo's only line input,so if you like to put your SACD/DVD-A/DVD-V listening into your main system,you have to swap the leads over with the Dynavector each time.I can't keep them simultaneously hooked-up the way I can with the 700C and the others.:thumbsdn:
I wanted to hear the P-303's capability with SACD into the line inputs.I happen to have Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" both on special edtion SACD,and on a special pressing made from a metal master cut at Strawberry Studios,where the album was recorded.I also have the UK mastered pressing.
The SACD of "GYBR" sounded very good.I'm quite taken by the sound of SACD.It's relaxing.The Onkyo was excellent here and I feel that it's one and only line input is a very good one.Switching back to the Dynavector phono stage feeding the very same one and only line input,this time using the Strawberry pressing of "GYBR".Wow.Not leaps and bounds better than the SACD,but more believable,convincing,involving,and quite frankly better detailed.:yes:
I could live with either,but I'd never swap vinyl as my primary source unless a better digital source comes along or they dramatically improve cheap SACD players.The Onkyo's line input is great with high rez digital then,also.
Now here in the present I switched-back to the Dynavector P-75 phono feeding the EW 700C.
Given about a hour and a half to settle and the EW 700C/Dyna combo is doing it's superhero thing again and I realise why I couldn't wait to get back to this point.In my system they are a magic combination and this is better than anything I've heard anywhere.Fullstop.:yes:
This combination places the individual contributions of individual sound sources on the recording in their own place in 3D.It also has that involvement level thing happening.The Onkyo and the EW 700C both have massive abilities musically and information-wise,the EW 700C seems to put it all to better use in 3 dimensions than the Onkyo.That appears to be the most obvious difference.
I'd like to hear the EW Onkyo P-303.
Leave it with me.
A brief recap,the Onkyo P-303 has the best onboard phono stage of all the moving coil-capable,full function phono stages I have(I can't test the Moving magnet stages).That's out of the EW 700C,Yamaha C2x and Kenwood Basic C2.Good news for vinyl lovers.
Switching back to the Dynavector P-75(stand-alone phono stage)though this time into the line inputs of the Onkyo P-303 instead of my usual EW 700C.There is a step forward in sound quality which indicates that the phono stage of the Dynavector is sufficiently better than the Phono stages of the Onkyo and the EW 700C,that I could get far more of an idea of the potential of either unit, by using the Dyna for a showdown of their respective linestages(the Dynavector having line level output).They have better linestages than phono stages.
The Onkyo with the Dynavector stage was awefully reminiscent of what I hear via the Dyna with the EW 700C.Huge gobs of detail coming through,almost the proverbial pin dropping during a thunderstorm retrieval of info levels.I could live with this happily.The real bummer about the P-303/Dyna phono combination is that it uses the Onkyo's only line input,so if you like to put your SACD/DVD-A/DVD-V listening into your main system,you have to swap the leads over with the Dynavector each time.I can't keep them simultaneously hooked-up the way I can with the 700C and the others.:thumbsdn:
I wanted to hear the P-303's capability with SACD into the line inputs.I happen to have Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" both on special edtion SACD,and on a special pressing made from a metal master cut at Strawberry Studios,where the album was recorded.I also have the UK mastered pressing.
The SACD of "GYBR" sounded very good.I'm quite taken by the sound of SACD.It's relaxing.The Onkyo was excellent here and I feel that it's one and only line input is a very good one.Switching back to the Dynavector phono stage feeding the very same one and only line input,this time using the Strawberry pressing of "GYBR".Wow.Not leaps and bounds better than the SACD,but more believable,convincing,involving,and quite frankly better detailed.:yes:
I could live with either,but I'd never swap vinyl as my primary source unless a better digital source comes along or they dramatically improve cheap SACD players.The Onkyo's line input is great with high rez digital then,also.
Now here in the present I switched-back to the Dynavector P-75 phono feeding the EW 700C.
Given about a hour and a half to settle and the EW 700C/Dyna combo is doing it's superhero thing again and I realise why I couldn't wait to get back to this point.In my system they are a magic combination and this is better than anything I've heard anywhere.Fullstop.:yes:
This combination places the individual contributions of individual sound sources on the recording in their own place in 3D.It also has that involvement level thing happening.The Onkyo and the EW 700C both have massive abilities musically and information-wise,the EW 700C seems to put it all to better use in 3 dimensions than the Onkyo.That appears to be the most obvious difference.
I'd like to hear the EW Onkyo P-303.
Leave it with me.