The Audiophile Thread

[Guitarplyrjvb]

I would say less than $500!

[Firth]

A lot of these answers depend on your budget, but here's my opinion:

- CD players have come a long way. A $200 player today will sound better than a $1000 player 5 years ago. Definitely replace it.
- An old amp may still sound damn good, however the capacitors inside have absolutely degraded and are not working up to spec anymore. You could have it recapped if you like the sound of it, or you could replace it. Again, budget is king.
- "Digital" amps are called "class D" amps because they use a different method of amplifying the signal. Not because the decode digital signals and make them analogue. You always need a DAC (digital analogue converter) to do that. DAC's improve all the time, so to me it doesn't make sense to have one dedicated inside your amp when you can buy a better CD player and get the upgrade fairly cheaply in comparison.

All signals are analog. Life is analog. Digital is really analog. As it turns out the input to a Class D amplifier could be considered digital, or a sequence of 1's and 0's. More ones for a bigger amplitude than a smaller amplitude. The amplifier changes the voltage which maps into a 1 or a 0. Logic has been implemented with different voltages for 1 and 0. The digital signal encoded in this way is converted to signal amplitude versus time, by low pass filtering. With proper respect given to issues with interference, new Class D like amps actually do need a signal which is not binary. So over the period of 1s, there is actually a taper which reduces the chance of interference, but that is still not a true signal amplitude versus time, it's a pulsewidth proportional to time, but the pulse isn't square, it has a rounded top.

[Dean Watson]

In all honesty, if you're looking for an excellent CD player, pick up the Oppo bdp-105 - high quality build, high quality dacs, and you get a 7.1 bluray player to boot.

[BobM]

I would say less than $500!

Check these out:

Marantz CD5004
Marantz CD6005
NAD C 516BEE
NAD C 546BEE
Oppo BDP103

Some different price points and features. All good.

[rcarlberg]

All signals are analog. Life is analog. Digital is really analog.

There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

[Guitarplyrjvb]

Thanks, all!

[Firth]

In all honesty, if you're looking for an excellent CD player, pick up the Oppo bdp-105 - high quality build, high quality dacs, and you get a 7.1 bluray player to boot.

Does it support DVDa, SACD with DSD over hdmi. Built in player DACs don't excite me. A receiver or processor with built in microphone based calibration and high quality DACs do. Ultimately enjoyment of high res music via surround needs acoustic phase and frequency alignment.

[rcarlberg]

Does it support DVDa, SACD with DSD over hdmi. Built in player DACs don't excite me. A receiver or processor with built in microphone based calibration and high quality DACs do. Ultimately enjoyment of high res music via surround needs acoustic phase and frequency alignment.

Looks like it does.
https://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-105/

[trurl]

I've never been disappointed in any Oppo I've owned. Oppo rocks.

[Firth]

Looks like it does.
https://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-105/

That's alot of cash to spend for DACs, if you have to buy more DACs because you need to send the digital output to a receiver or processor for room calibration and then convert to analog using another expensive DAC for output to an amplifier. I would prefer just a player with Oppo capabilities and HDMI output. Then I could do what I want. The BDP 103 is more like it, 499 vs 1199 for the 105. I then get over what I have, 4k video playback and up conversion, high res audio inputs, and HDCD playback:

BD-Video, Blu-ray 3D, DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, AVCHD, SACD, CD, HDCD, Kodak Picture CD, CD-R/RW, DVD±R/RW, DVD±R DL, BD-R/RE
BD Profile BD-ROM Version 2.5 Profile 5 (also compatible with Profile 1 Version 1.0 and 1.1)

Internal Storage 1GB (Actual space available for persistent storage varies due to system usage)

Output Analog Audio: 7.1ch, 5.1ch, stereo.
Coaxial/Optical Audio: Dolby Digital, DTS, up to 2ch/192kHz PCM.
HDMI Audio: Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD High Resolution and DTS-HD Master Audio, up to 7.1ch/192kHz PCM, up to 5.1ch DSD.
HDMI Video: 480i/480p/576i/576p/720p/1080i/1080p/1080p24/4Kx2K, 3D frame-packing 720p/1080p24.

Input HDMI Audio: Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS, AAC, up to 5.1ch/192kHz or 7.1ch/96kHz PCM.

HDMI Video: 480i/480p/576i/576p/720p/1080i/1080p/1080p24/1080p25/1080p30, 3D frame-packing 720p/1080p24.

MHL Audio: Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS, up to 5.1ch/192kHz PCM.

MHL Video: 480i/480p/576i/576p/720p/1080i/1080p24/1080p25/1080p30, 3D frame-packing 720p/1080p24.

[strawberrybrick]

I've never been disappointed in any Oppo I've owned. Oppo rocks.

Me too.

One of these days I'm going to upgrade to the BDP103 (but not the Darabee edition)

[R_burke]

I've never been disappointed in any Oppo I've owned. Oppo rocks.

I was thinking of one (BDP-105) for a High Rez media streamer in my system, but it requires a IOS or Android phone to "manage" it and that was a show stopper for me.

[rcarlberg]

I was thinking of one (BDP-105) for a High Rez media streamer in my system, but it requires a IOS or Android phone to "manage" it and that was a show stopper for me.

Why?

[jkelman]

I was thinking of one (BDP-105) for a High Rez media streamer in my system, but it requires a IOS or Android phone to "manage" it and that was a show stopper for me.

No it doesn't. It comes with a very extensive remote control. It just also offers folks an app so that they can use their phone or tablet to control it...along with other devices.

But you don't need to control it with the IOS or Android. Until our reno is done and all is in place, I've been using the Oppo with the included remove on its own and i can do everything i need....and more.

[jkelman]

Me too.

One of these days I'm going to upgrade to the BDP103 (but not the Darabee edition)

You may find, as I did with the BDP-105, that Oppo discontinues the non-Darabee edition as it seems to be the most popular. I couldn't find a non-Darabee in canada, and Oppo told me they were out of stock and had no immediate plans to restock.

Just FYI. Also, if you can afford it, it's absolutely worth getting the 105.

[jkelman]

Does it support DVDa, SACD with DSD over hdmi. Built in player DACs don't excite me. A receiver or processor with built in microphone based calibration and high quality DACs do. Ultimately enjoyment of high res music via surround needs acoustic phase and frequency alignment.

It supports any media type that come on a 5" plastic disc. DVDA, SACD, HDCD and more.

[jkelman]

There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

[R_burke]

Why?

I own a windows phone, and there is no other GUI for the unit. Other units have enough of a display that you can simply use a remote to control, but the Oppo doesn't, or at least I couldn't see one and the support team didn't suggest anything other than they have no plans for supporting windows or blackberry

[R_burke]

No it doesn't. It comes with a very extensive remote control. It just also offers folks an app so that they can use their phone or tablet to control it...along with other devices.

But you don't need to control it with the IOS or Android. Until our reno is done and all is in place, I've been using the Oppo with the included remove on its own and i can do everything i need....and more.

How do you see what is on the drive you have attached and pick the song(s) to play

[rcarlberg]

I own a windows phone, and there is no other GUI for the unit. Other units have enough of a display that you can simply use a remote to control, but the Oppo doesn't, or at least I couldn't see one and the support team didn't suggest anything other than they have no plans for supporting windows or blackberry

Nobody supports BlackBerry anymore.

[Firth]

You may find, as I did with the BDP-105, that Oppo discontinues the non-Darabee edition as it seems to be the most popular. I couldn't find a non-Darabee in canada, and Oppo told me they were out of stock and had no immediate plans to restock.

Just FYI. Also, if you can afford it, it's absolutely worth getting the 105.

Darbee sucks : http://hometheaterreview.com/oppo-bd...ayer-reviewed/

Besides it was just a bandaid until 4k media comes out. Could be that they are dumping that stock of the 105d, getting ready to ship the real thing 4k media ready.

[jkelman]

Darbee sucks : http://hometheaterreview.com/oppo-bd...ayer-reviewed/

Besides it was just a bandaid until 4k media comes out. Could be that they are dumping that stock of the 105d, getting ready to ship the real thing 4k media ready.

My understanding is Oppo won't have a 4K model until the end of 2015.

I bought mine in late 2014...hey, if you wait for the next best, you'll never buy. I didn't want Darbee, but had no choice as the regular model was simply not available.

[jkelman]

How do you see what is on the drive you have attached and pick the song(s) to play

Like I said, until everything is installed after our renovation, I'll not be doing everything so won't know about that stuff til then. Right now I am using an analog tv which my Oppo cannot connect to, but when the reno is done there'll be a 4k TV installed. Ask me then

Of course, using iTunes and planning to add Apple TV, I'll be streaming to my system a different way anyway.

[jkelman]

Darbee sucks : http://hometheaterreview.com/oppo-bd...ayer-reviewed/

Besides it was just a bandaid until 4k media comes out. Could be that they are dumping that stock of the 105d, getting ready to ship the real thing 4k media ready.

Did you read the whole article? Other than an issue with high processing excess noise (that can be easily dialled back), the overriding impression the article left was that Darbee is very good and that other players might also incorporate it.

Seems to me like we read two very different articles. Sucks is hardly the word I'd use do the impression of the reviewer:

Most video reviewers and enthusiasts run screaming from any type of video enhancement technology, and I think most of us first greeted Darbee Visual Presence with skepticism. Darbee is making believers out of us all, though. Oppo certainly isn't a company that's prone to cramming its machines full of undesirable, potentially detrimental features just to say it has them. The company feels that DVP adds a compelling performance upgrade, and after seeing it for myself, I agree. For the serious videophile who is looking to eke out that last bit of depth and detail from the image, Darbee Visual Presence is something you need to see, and its inclusion in the Oppo BDP-103D makes the player a must-demo if you're in the market for a new universal disc player.

[Firth]

Did you read the whole article? Other than an issue with high processing excess noise (that can be easily dialled back), the overriding impression the article left was that Darbee is very good and that other players might also incorporate it.

Seems to me like we read two very different articles. Sucks is hardly the word I'd use do the impression of the reviewer:

Did you read the beginning of the article about 4k. Did you read the comments at the end of the article, or my entire post, or the comments below about when the 4k machine comes out. Darbee isn't enough to make me buy their useless stock. As TVs get better, quantum dots and so on, these processing gimmicks will become even more obviously ridiculous.