A Tag DP owners thoughts.

Steve.EX

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A Tag 7.1DP owners ponderings 5 years on.
I originally owned an original base unit 32R. As I recall I followed all the hardware/software updates and lived for some time with a top spec 32R 7.1. Having loved the original unit, I knew (rightly or wrongly) that it was going to take very few positive feedbacks on the new spec 32DP unit to convince me to part with some money.
I bought a new top-spec AV32DP 7.1 in 2003, roughly 6 months after release, selling on my original unit. After a very shaky first 6 months which involved many returns and several different units, everything was, and has been, fine.
So to today, the AV world of new hi-res audio and the continuing (no doubt ego related in part) thought that I might be missing something? Is my processor in need of retirement and the apparent insistence by some that hi-res audio over HDMI to a £500 integrated unit outperforms almost all last gen kit has forced me to act to find out for myself. I had spent the first 3 of those 5 years of ownership in relative bliss, enjoying DVDs and music alike. Approximately 2 years ago I bought my first HD DVD player whilst overseas, the large and heavy A1 which was bought back in a small suitcase as hand-luggage, something I am unlikely to repeat. Since then I have owned several machines, of both formats, settling on an XE-1 and an older Sony unit. Obviously the PQ improvement on offer is very much appreciated and in that respect I personally have had few issues with HDMI as a transport medium, I am much less convinced with audio however. I have borrowed both (admittedly far cheaper) Yamaha and Onkyo integrated units to see if I felt I really was missing out on something with these new HD audio tracks via HDMI.
To try and cut the story down, it didn’t take as long as I thought it would to come to my own decisions.
I preferred the source players connected to the Tag (bypass) via 6 channel analogue interconnects over HDMI to the Yamaha or Onkyo. To say preferred is selling the analogue route short, I was disappointment with the HDMI derived audio by comparison. At the risk of being shot down in flames, in quite a few examples I very much preferred the plain-jane DD or DTS track (via SPdif) via the Tag to the Onkyo HDMI option. That being said, it is only fair to say that there have been a few examples of DD/DTS (via SPdif) that I have preferred to the Tag bypass option from the same source. Ultimately I realise you are comparing a product that is an eighth of the other so any comparison is tenuous at best. My opinion is you might liken this to the arrival of SACD. For a while there was quite e few professional reviews that stated we needed to throw away our £3000 transport/DAC combos and buy a £200 Sony SACD from RS for HiFi nirvana. Time, and now more considered opinions present a different view. To take nothing away from SACD (or its AV equivalents) as a format, simply put engineering, component design and software have every bit their place today as they always have. I look forward to hearing some high-end designs at some point and expect (and hope) to hear definitive improvements. Certainly my preferred hi-res tracks via analogue to the Tag show (to me at least) improvements in the frequency range extremes (tops and bottoms) and dynamic range. This is in keeping with my experiences of SACD/DVDA.
So I’ll be keeping the Tag for a while. It has had the rectifier card hardwired and I will sent it away early next year for a cap refit but other than that it remains a superb unit that is still flexible enough for all my requirements. I am very happy that after 5 years I am still of a mind that I don’t require anything better, a sentiment that rarely lasts for that amount of time in many other areas of AV kit.






As a side issue I would like to say that during the initial 6 months of my wondering more than once whether I had been a little premature in buying the new Tag I received service that I had not received before or sadly since. On every return (of which must there have been 6 or 8 in number) I would specify where and when the courier should arrive to collect, and similarly on any return. I always received a loan Tag a la swap-out and I would receive daily update e-mails from the chaps in white overcoats (John/Steve). During one particular weekend I spent both Friday and Saturday evenings right through to the A.M, returning e-mails from John/Steve regarding trying various set-ups in attempting to replicate the bug.
It has subsequently occurred to me that whilst I have embraced and enjoyed the HD era, the Tag days where probably the last time i can remember having “fun” with my AV interest.
Visiting many obvious U.S sites, most “outsiders” generally likened the Tag community to a cult sect. The Tag forums were often quoted as being populated by single-minded disciples who’s blinding faith matched that of many a religious cult!
Well, I used to really enjoy it. I thought it was mainly idiot-free, and populated by some very clever people asking some very well informed questions. Almost up until the end, the Tag software chaps would reply to such requests on the forums, offering pro’s and con’s and action where necessary.
I was always aware that a negative (business based) opinion of the Tag hardware upgrade policy existed, but I was in all honesty gutted when Tag folded. In its wake however I have 5 years of wonderful ownership. I am still impressed with its abilities, and am pretty sure that I simply don’t require anything “better”.
R.I.P
 
Steve, good to hear you're still happy with your Tag. :)

I've been ogling at the latest Denon and Pioneer flagship amps a few months back, but haven't felt a huge urge to switch. I didn't say "upgrade" because I feel that the Tag is still exceptionally good in what it does (stereo, s/pdif and room equation).
 
Yeah, I too still have my DP unit. It's a work horse. It does what it should and with aplomb, and besides, I still love that sleek look!

As for the Tag Community, it was a very informative community that taught me a lot about AV stuff that I'd never learn otherwise. As for Customer Service the only companies I've come across that reminds me of Tag are Lumagen and Oppo. So there's still hope.

Nevertheless, the Tag is the spider in my AV web, just wish they'd produced it with a more environmental friendly standby wattage consumption.

Soundwise, it's still a reference unit.

Cheers
 
Your Thoughts can easily be applied to the AV192R owners also.
I'm wondering if that is the payback when investing in very high end gear: I mean, if you've invested in a mass market integrated AV amplifier in 2002, instead of the TAG Gear, you may have ended up in changing your equipment at least two times since then.
Saying that, I think that the bill would be still less than what we paid.... but in hobbies the rational sometimes leaves the place to less controlable impulse.

Enjoy it! Lenny
 
Nice summary.

I went the Lexicon route with the audio, hence when I bought the finest DVD player in the world (DVD32R) I was reluctant to buy a AV32R.
I have over the years gone Lex DC1, MC1, MC12 and my recent MC12HD EQ

I have often wondered what the CD playback would have been like though using the sync link and I am really close to buying an old AV32R just for the CD and relegating the dvd to my hifi system rather than selling it for huge loss.

I have lost 10's of thousands over the years in depreciation (the worst being a CRT PJ and processor paid around 10k and sold 2000 hours use later for £750) so I need to try keeping old equipment and this is probably the best excuse in wringing the most out of it.
 
Rigman,

From someone that has both formats decoded in a high end processor (DD and DD-HD) can you tell us if your findings are like Steve said ? That sometimes plain old DD sounds better than the HD one ?

I too have a DP and i was wondering if it was worth to buy the BlueRay player and try the 5.1 bypass that the Tag offers....

I still find hard to find all the music i like in BR format....and specially on HD.
 

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