| | |  | CD Players | Home » » » » » Onkyo Super Audio Cd Player | | | | | | | Description: | | Sampling audio signals at a rate 64 times higher than CD, Super Audio CD gives you the closest possible approximation of being in the same room as the musicians. Little wonder, then, that it has established itself as the audiophiles’ format of choice. Now, with the C-S5VL, Onkyo makes quality audio more accessible than ever. The C-S5VL is a stellar playback solution for Super Audio CD—as well as regular CDs and WMA- or MP3-encoded discs—and makes an ideal partner for Onkyo’s slimline A-5VL integrated amplifier. The C-S5VL incorporates Onkyo’s VLSC™ technology, along with high-end Wolfson DACs, to ensure a pristine conversion of the audio signal from digital to analog. Meanwhile, a high-precision crystal oscillator and jitter-cleaner device work together to stabilize the clock frequency. You get meticulous timing for all digital signals and hence beautifully clear separation of musical instruments. So, if you want to get serious about digital audio playback, open your ears to the C-S5VL. | | | Features: | |
• Plays Super Audio CD, Audio CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3 CD, and WMA CD
• High-Grade Wolfson 192 kHz/24-Bit D/A Converter (WM8742) with DSD Bit-Stream Support for Super Audio CD Applications
• 2 Digital Outputs (Optical and Coaxial)
• Repeat Modes (Super Audio CD and CD: Disc/Track/A-B Repeat, MP3 CD and WMA CD: Disc/Track/Folder/A-B Repeat)
• Hi-Rigidity, Anti-Resonant Flat Chassis (1/16? [1.6 mm] Thick)
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 12.5 inches | | Product Width:
| 17.13 inches | | Product Height:
| 3.15 inches | | Product Weight:
| 9.9 pounds | | Package Length:
| 21.6 inches | | Package Width:
| 17.5 inches | | Package Height:
| 8.37 inches | | Package Weight:
| 14.25 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 34 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 34 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
63 of 68 found the following review helpful:
 Great SACD player for the moneyDec 13, 2009
By belcanto
"TULIP"
I listen to classical music and have almost a thousand CD collections. I own a number of CD players as well as dedicated DACs. To my ears Onkyo C-S5VL is the first CD player that is able to reproduce the violins in orchestra as "violins". You could almost hear them being played individually as a group without sounding harsh nor bright. My Spendor BC1 now sounds almost up to its full potential. Many believe Wolfson WM8742 DAC is the best there is in terms of digital to analog conversion. Oh did I say C-S5VL also plays SACD. IMO a good recording of SACD disc with Onkyo C-S5VL is hard to beat. Heads off to Onkyo for the making of a good sounding affordable CD/SACD player.
**update**
I have this player for about 4 months. The strength of this player is its ability to select and use one of five different advanced digital filters that come with WM8742 (applicable to CD only, SACD uses different filters). Out of the five filters, the most notable one is Minimum Phase Anti-Alias Apodising filter (FIL 4). Minimum Phase Anti-Alias Apodising filter is regarded by many as a major break through in improving digital media play back quality in recent years (a filter of a similiar kind is implemented in Meridian 808.2 by a 150 MIPS processor and expensive customary circuitry). This particular filter not only removes the pre-echo artifact that is commonly associated with conventional CD players but also sweep away the digital "glare" that we have almost come to accept as inevitable when listening to music of digital media. To my ears when FIL 4 is employed musical instruments exhibit consistent and substantial improvement in timber, clarity, definition, and tonality. The resulting sound signature is close being analogue. Onkyo C-S5VL enables me to enjoy the music even after hours of listening.
39 of 42 found the following review helpful:
My CD sounds much better and the SACD playback is wonderfulNov 03, 2009
By Z. Chen
My CD playback was never satisfactory. C-S5VL finally changed that. It replaces my Jolida CD 100 with a tube output stage. The Onkyo sounds transparent and involving. All my CDs are refreshed! Now, I can also enjoy SACD. The SACD playback is a noticeable improvement. This allows me to start collecting SACD.
Under the hook, the 8742, the latest of Wolfson DAC, does a wonderful job. For CD, I am using the default digital filter #1. For SACD, I am using the DSD direct, bypassing digital filters. Onkyo did an excellent job to keep high end sound with a modest cost. Highly recommended.
-- update --
Now I have C-S5VL for nearly two months. I enjoyed it enormously. Most importantly, I have collected many RC Living Stereo SACD, the BIS Records Beethoven Symphonies SACD boxset, and a few other SACD from Chesky and Reference Recordings. The sound quality of SACD is significantly better than CD; it is hard to go back to listen to many of my older CDs. The sound stage is so real, the instruments sound so natural, the performance is so vivid, it is hard to leave my listening chair. Now I start to understand why the Vinyl LP audiophiles have difficulty to switch to listen CD. They have enjoyed more music 40 years ahead of us.
22 of 22 found the following review helpful:
Very satisfied.Jul 10, 2010
By Gaylen Halbert
I am very satisfied with my purchase of the Onkyo C-S5VL. I have the superb Marantz SA8003 [$1000] in my Home Theater rack and the Onkyo in a good stereo system. I believe that if I could do a direct A/B comparison that the Onkyo would come close to matching the Marantz in sound quality. Using headphones the Marantz sounded a bit better, but I suspect that is because of its high end headphone amp. I think running to the same room speakers it would be difficult to distinguish between the two units. The build quality of the Onkyo is excellent. I am happy with what I hear from both CDs and SACDs. If you can get the Onkyo for under $400 it would be like another reviewer stated "a steal"!
15 of 16 found the following review helpful:
Onkyo C-S5Vl -GIANT KILLER-Jan 30, 2010
By iAlex
Great sounding unit! (see posted pics) Unit sounds fantastic, smokes every other budget player I've listened to, (including several older mega $$ units)plus it has SACD capability! Selectable digital filters not a gimmick, try filter #4, this is a minimum phase apodising filter currently being used in the Meridian 802.2 Signature Reference player, ($15,995) or #2 the Minimum phase soft knee filter, yeah the one that's used in the Ayre players, again ($$$$$$) but you get the both here $350-$400 ~STEAL.
10 of 10 found the following review helpful:
SACDs are fantasitc. I wish all my CDs were SACDs from pure DSD recordings.Feb 23, 2011
By SkyMind
I've had this player for about 2 weeks now and I've been mostly pleased with it.
For regular CDs it has a dark, concentrated sound that's hard to describe. There are 5 PCM filters and you can invert the phase from the original recording. Compared to my old Yamaha CDX-710 made back in 1988 it doesn't sound nearly as warm. For vocal recordings I think I like the Yamaha better and the Yamaha seems easier on the ears with a rounded yet still pretty detailed sound. But the Onkyo is crisper, super smooth and super detailed and has tremendous bass. Its imaging is top notch and it's dynamic. For symphonic music and acoustic stringed instruments the Onkyo is better. I tried filter PCM filter 4 (Minimum Phase Apodizing Filter) but while it seemed to reduce the harshness of the upper register, the digital glare, it also seemed a bit muted. So I've settled on filter 5, the linear phase apodizing filter. This seems a bit more alive and detailed but at the cost of some of the dreaded glare, a kind of excessive polished sound in the higer frequencies that some, like me, might even like most of the time.
I just listened to my first SACD, La Mer [Hybrid SACD] [Hybrid SACD - DSD], which was originally recorded in DSD, not PCM. Though I've only listened to it once, I was deeply impressed. What the other reviewers have said is true. DSD has a warmer sound, more analog sounding, but still retains a high level of detail and great dynamic range. The harsh glare of PCM is gone, but it's still so detailed that it creates a warm sense of presence, as if you're in the environment in which the music was performed. I used the default setting for DSD, DSD Direct. I can't imagine that the other filters could improve on it.
I've read that a study was done that showed that PCM could not be distinguished from DSD. I don't believe it. Many of the recordings they used for the study might have been recorded on PCM equipment, then subsequently mastered in DSD. This is usually done in rock and pop and for old records. I did not just imagine the improved sound! I think the lack of ringing in the higher frequencies and the lack of pre echoes is the main improvement for DSD, along with great detail.
The player does have a few other issues. It makes an audible whirring noise when it starts spinning the disc. This seems to die down a bit after it gets going, but it's not totally silent. You might need to put it into a cabinet if absolute silence is desired. The SACDs have to be spun at a higer rate, so I guess this is why it has such a substantial mechanism that makes a bit of noise. The drawer also does not come out all the way, requiring you to position the CD in the drawer slightly inside the player. This might cause some scratches on the disc while you struggle to position the disc in the drawer. The seat that the disc sits in also does not rise much above the disc. Trying to make sure you have the disc centered in the drawer also might create some scratches. The drawer is also clunky sounding which does not instill a great deal of confidence. So far I've had no problems though, and the build quality seems pretty substantial, even if it is only about 10 lb.
It's a great player for the price. It excels at SACDs and is good for CDs, but maybe a little constricted in the midrange and a bit harsh in the upper range, though that is probably pretty subjective. You'd probably have to spend $1000 to get a better SACD player though.
See all 34 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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