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Pioneer DVD-V7400 as a transport: INCREDIBLE

I have been on a search for a nice transport for a while now. I am a very picky person and it might take me months to come to a solid decision when it comes to new components. For a while we have been trying to find something to replace our classic Technics SL-P999 as a CD transport. We finally found one and are completely blown away by the sound quality. It is none other than the Pioneer DVD-V7400 Professional/Industrial DVD Player.

This little machine is not a consumer-grade toy but a solid piece of equipment designed for heavy duty usage and flawless reliability. To give you an idea how burly it is the transport is rated for 37,000 hours of usage before failure. The machine has no onboard display to muddy the sound so you must use an external display for setup and configuration. This is easy as ANY modern TV will work. Once set up you can forget about it and let it blend into the background.

This is a no-nonsense professional machine which is not only at home in a million dollar facility but in any hi-fi setup as well. For those of you who like to impress and one-up your friends you'll have a DVD/CD player which has features which simply NO consumer grade one has or possibly ever will have. I am focusing on the sound quality of this unit because the video features are so impressive that they are worthy of their own review.

How does it sound? Absolutely breathtaking. The soundstage is massive. I am hearing details in well known albums that simply were hidden under a veil before. I am hearing the music better than ever before and forgetting that there is even a CD playing. The DVD-V7400 does vocals, strings, and can relay a sense of emotion into the music. I feel confident saying that I would have to search far and wide to find another transport this nice.

If you're not seriously looking at adding one of these to your hi fi rig then that's fine. Just know that the next time you go out searching for a digital transport there's an absolute giant killer which you could have bought instead. After all not everyone needs the utmost detail and musicality in their stereo. Leave the Pioneer DVD-V7400 for those who do.
oandj
acman3
4,234 posts
 
Bought one today for my wife (yeah right) as a DVD player for $32 with 7 day return.

Now I only need a DAC to go with it. I don't think she owns a DAC either. I better get looking.
oandj OP
10 posts
 
Hello Chuckie,
To compare the DVD-V7400 to I've used several other CD and DVD players as well a Pioneer Laserdisc transport for comparison. All of them were sold off once the DVD-V7400 took over. We also currently have a Marantz UD5005 Blu Ray which I can use as a transport but I prefer the Pioneer.

You have to remember that the DVD-V7400 is commonly used as an industrial high-reliability DVD player. It will be installed in mobile setups that get moved to conventions, shows, or displays. Failure will of course come if one has been dropped or subjected to an otherwise torturous environment.

For those of you buying these second hand remember that you will NEED either a remote control and a video display or some other method of controlling the transport. We use the video display on our Fosgate FAP-T1 but if that was not an option then we would use an external video monitor. Take time to read the manual because there are several key features and capabilities that you may not know about until you read the manual.
pixelphoto
70 posts
 
Oandj, I've been looking for a replacement for my Oppo 980H that I could afford and lucky me (so rare) I saw your post. After considering all the responses and comments I went to eBay and lucky me (again!) found a like new one for $129. plus S&H. Should arrive in a week or so.I'll update once it's up and running and I've given a listen. Oh boy!

Marvin
pixelphoto
70 posts
 
Hi all, would owners of the V7400 comment on the sound difference if any between analog and digital out.
oandj OP
10 posts
 
The analog out on this machine is totally unusable. It is a mono output meant to be used with a small video monitor. The digital output is the only one to be used. It's a coaxial output and get a nice digital cable to enjoy the full effect.
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