I recently upgraded my DVD player from a two-year-old "cheap" Apex unit to a new (also pretty cheap) Magnavox. I did it because I have a new TV with component video inputs... my Apex didn't have component video outs or progressive scan. To my considerable surprise... the new Magnavox provides significantly better sound from both movies and 2-channel music CD's, even though I used the optical audio connections for both players.