Multi format Blu Ray Player

[Dave2002]

I noticed that the Oppo BD 105 player seems able to handle multiple disc formats - Blu Ray, SACD etc., and some of the reviews are very complimentary. It's a bit pricey (over £1000), but as some reveiwers have pointed out, it combines the functionality of several other boxes into one high quality unit. Anyone experience of this, or anything else comparable?

http://www.oppodigital.co.uk/ecommerce/product/oppo-bdp-105eu.aspx

[richardfinegold]

As we have been discussing in another thread, I own this player it is worth every penny. I also use it as a DAC since it has the ESS Sabre 32 bit chip and multiple digital inputs, including HDMI. It is very revealing--if the rest of your system is up to it, you will hear every detail in the recording.
I use mine for audio only. My two Home Theater Systems have cheap Sony Blu Ray players for the video duties. I did once hook a monitor up to the Oppo (which resides in my music only two channel system) and the picture did look pretty snazzy, but that isn't my priority.

[Dave2002]

Thanks Richard,

Indeed I did notice mention in the other thread. There is a UK/EU version which is probably v. slightly different. It has UK BBC capability, for one thing.

[johnb]

There is a UK/EU version which is probably v. slightly different. It has UK BBC capability, for one thing.

Sorry for harping on about this but anyone buying a device which purportedly supports BBC Radio streaming needs to determine whether the new HLS (320kbps AAC) streams are supported (unlikely at the moment) or whether there will be a firmware upgrade to support them in the future (by no means guaranteed).

(Though few devices, outside Apple-world, currently support the new HLS stream most will probably support the interim 128kbps mp3 Shoutcast streams which are provided via aggregators.)

[AmpH]

I have this player on home dem at the moment in one of my systems ( playing CD's and SACD's ) and it is indeed proving to be a revealing and rewarding listen with a wide variety of musics. The all important DAC section seems to be one of the strengths of the player. I think there is a good chance it will end up in one of my systems.

[richardfinegold]

I have this player on home dem at the moment in one of my systems ( playing CD's and SACD's ) and it is indeed proving to be a revealing and rewarding listen with a wide variety of musics. The all important DAC section seems to be one of the strengths of the player. I think there is a good chance it will end up in one of my systems.

Go for it, Amp.
I have had mine for a year. I have 2 minor complaints. One is the disc tray, which is a bit flimsy for a product in this price range. I have had a few discs that didn't play properly. This is one reason that I left the previous player in the system. It has only happened a couple of times.
The other is the usb DAC. I don't think it is quite as revealing as the optical or coax inputs, but the difference is slight, and I have heard the same complaint addressed to other usb dacs as well.
Overall, it is a bargain, a real high end player at a real world price.

[Anastasius]

..... at a real world price.

At a £1000 ? Not in my real world !!

[johnb]

I have had a few discs that didn't play properly. This is one reason that I left the previous player in the system. It has only happened a couple of times.

When this happens it is worth copying the original CD to a CD-R on your computer and then using the CD-R in the Oppo. This often works when a particular player has difficulty with a CD that plays on other equipment.

[vinteuil]

At a £1000 ? Not in my real world !!

... I know what you mean. After all you could get a couple of decent bottles of claret for the price -

http://www.bbr.com/producer-10-chateau-ausone

[pastoralguy]

I have had mine for a year. I have 2 minor complaints. One is the disc tray, which is a bit flimsy for a product in this price range.

I have a Quad Elite CD player, (which cost about £1200), and the cd drawer is pretty flimsy too. I had a Meridian CD player prior to that which was built like a tank and felt like a quality product. However, the Quad's electronics are superb and that's obviously where the money has gone.

[Keraulophone]

The Oppo universal disc players share the same Chinese MediaTek platform as the Azur 752BD from Cambridge Audio. The American players have a few more bells and whistles such as balanced XLR outputs, but the CA disc spinner does a similarly high quality job of playing virtually any CD-sized disc, including SADC and DVD-A, but for around 25% fewer £s. I purchased one after reading glowing reviews and that the reviewer in HiFi News had bought one for his own use at home! It has proved to be a fine investment. As CA are beginning to update their range of AV receivers for the US market, it is possible to find one or two discounted models, like the matching Azur 751R V2, at Richer Sounds who have exclusive distribution rights in the UK.

http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/products/hifi-and-home-cinema/azur-752bd

http://www.richersounds.com/product/blu-ray/cambridge-audio/azur-752bd/camb-752bd-blk

[richardfinegold]

The Oppo universal disc players share the same Chinese MediaTek platform as the Azur 752BD from Cambridge Audio. The American players have a few more bells and whistles such as balanced XLR outputs, but the CA disc spinner does a similarly high quality job of playing virtually any CD-sized disc, including SADC and DVD-A, but for around 25% fewer £s. I purchased one after reading glowing reviews and that the reviewer in HiFi News had bought one for his own use at home! It has proved to be a fine investment. As CA are beginning to update their range of AV receivers for the US market, it is possible to find one or two discounted models, like the matching Azur 751R V2, at Richer Sounds who have exclusive distribution rights in the UK.

http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/products/hifi-and-home-cinema/azur-752bd

http://www.richersounds.com/product/...camb-752bd-blk

Yes, unfortunately the C.A. sounds markedly inferior to the Oppo. I have done a side by side comparison. Marantz also uses the same platform as the Oppo and imo Marantz players always seem to roll off the top end.

[Keraulophone]

Perhaps mercifully, Richard, I wasn't able to do a direct comparison myself as Mr Richer doesn't sell Oppo, so I wasn't tempted even further up the HiFi heights of expenditure on diminishing auditory returns. Actually, I don't think the 105 was yet available at the time I acquired the 752. I did read one side-by-side review, which, though it didn't go so far as to find a 'marked' difference, stated that the 103 was a fairer comparison for the CA as they shared a base chipset, while the 105 was based on a more sophisticated (and more expensive) MediaTek unit.

[Bryn]

Perhaps mercifully, Richard, I wasn't able to do a direct comparison myself as Mr Richer doesn't sell Oppo, ...

Are you quite sure? I seem to recall reading that my Cambridge Azur 650BD multi-format Blu-ray Player was built by Oppo, though I have also read that Mr. Richer denies this, and that it is simply a matter of many shared components, and better build in the Cambridge device.

[richardfinegold]

Perhaps mercifully, Richard, I wasn't able to do a direct comparison myself as Mr Richer doesn't sell Oppo, so I wasn't tempted even further up the HiFi heights of expenditure on diminishing auditory returns. Actually, I don't think the 105 was yet available at the time I acquired the 752. I did read one side-by-side review, which, though it didn't go so far as to find a 'marked' difference, stated that the 103 was a fairer comparison for the CA as they shared a base chipset, while the 105 was based on a more sophisticated (and more expensive) MediaTek unit.

My Surround sound systems were installed by a store near my work office. They are a C.A dealer. When I bought my Oppo
Via the Internet I brought it to the store and we plugged it into the same system as the CA. Since I have a few CDs and SACDs that are duplicates we did simultaneous comparisons with the CA Azur integrated Amp. Even the store owner thought the Oppo was the clear winner.
The British Hi Fi mags such as Hi Fi World and Hi Fi News have reviwed both products. In subsequent issues they continually refer to the Oppo as a reference player and never seem to mention the CA.
The Oppo has the ESS Sabre 32 bit DAC. The CA has something more prosaic. The Sabre has been used in other products and is widely considered to be the industry standard.
Bryn might be confused with NuForce. They did release a product that is essentially a modded Oppo, with Oppo's blessing. The CA and all the other Universal Players use the same platform that Oppo created, but different Power supplies and DAC chips.
I might add that here the price difference between the Oppo and the CA was not that great, perhaps 10%.