I definitely preferred the component output, but the S is not bad if you don't have that option. DVD Audio is the key feature on this player. However, up until a few weeks ago, this was a feature I had real difficulty testing, as there really wasn't any quality software to test this with. Now, that is starting to change. However, when we switched to Natalie Merchant, the vocals jumped out, and the resolution difference began to hit me.
Voices are deep and rich, and the music is enveloping.
The setup menu features speaker settings and the whole gambit, but I chose not to utilize these features since my receiver, the Denon AVR 5800's 7.1 input, allows control of the input via the receiver. I always prefer to localize everything in the receiver when possible. The Technics and the Panasonic DVD-A players both offer interlace video, and are comparable in performance. Inc. All Rights Reserved.