Best blu ray player under £1000 using analogue outs?

[psurquhart]

As luck would have it, full review of the Panasonic DMP-BDT500 in the July issue, on sale this Friday 🙂

Hoo ray :cheers:

I knew if I kept pluggin away I would eventually get a responce - thanks Andy & team.

 

[ashcorn]

Another option is the OPPO 95, very well built with excellent support from dealers and manufacturer.

Excellent picture quality and sound for BD.

Tested multichannel analogue and sounds superb, although I am just running 2 channel analogue at the moment until I purchase the interconnects.

Streams flac files from my NAS with no problems, wireless streaming is solid as well.

+1 This is a great player, very well built too.

 

[Nabs]

While on this subject I too am in the market for similar (Happy with my Arcam AVR300). I will be using the device to play bluray and stream (I am not too bothered about the dvd upcaling as have an Arcam DV139). I will be probably using the streaming function from my server quite a bit(easier than constantly changing discs - esp for the children who I do not wish near the discs).

I current use a PS3 (ps3media server) and an octava 7.1 hdmi matrix to strip out the audio and pass to the avr300. However I am fed up with the ps3 limitations (and Cinavia), also would like to be able to downmix to a 5.1 output (as only run a 5.1 system) and have some sort of speaker management. I also find the Octava is not as good as the dv139 through the analogues but then again probably the different sound from the dac and the sum of parts,

Thinking of the Cambridge audio 751 or something like the OPPO 93 (with option to change to Nuforce boards later - although yet to see a comparison review between the Oppo 93 Nuforce xe and the CA).

Any comments on which may be better from a streaming point of view, also from what I read the CA751 may have more weight behind it. Doing a demo between the 2 is going to be difficult I think as no nearby dealer for the Oppo.

Maybe this would be something for what hifi to so - an article of streaming media from server but retaining high quality sound esp for those who have older amps. I have read the oppo 95, ca, marantz comparison although would like a comparison for the oppo 95, ca, oppo 93 nuforce xe, primare and maybe a DUNE HD Max/duo (or pro if this ever materializes) + any other players that come on the market but also a focus on streaming with it.

Unpublished - duplicate post

 

[Nabs]

While on this subject I too am in the market for similar (Happy with my Arcam AVR300). I will be using the device to play bluray and stream (I am not too bothered about the dvd upcaling as have an Arcam DV139). I will be probably using the streaming function from my server quite a bit(easier than constantly changing discs - esp for the children who I do not wish near the discs).

I current use a PS3 (ps3media server) and an octava 7.1 hdmi matrix to strip out the audio and pass to the avr300. However I am fed up with the ps3 limitations (and Cinavia), also would like to be able to downmix to a 5.1 output (as only run a 5.1 system) and have some sort of speaker management. I also find the Octava is not as good as the dv139 through the analogues but then again probably the different sound from the dac and the sum of parts,

Thinking of the Cambridge audio 751 or something like the OPPO 93 (with option to change to Nuforce boards later - although yet to see a comparison review between the Oppo 93 Nuforce xe and the CA).

Any comments on which may be better from a streaming point of view, also from what I read the CA751 may have more weight behind it. Doing a demo between the 2 is going to be difficult I think as no nearby dealer for the Oppo.

Maybe this would be something for what hifi to so - an article of streaming media from server but retaining high quality sound esp for those who have older amps. I have read the oppo 95, ca, marantz comparison although would like a comparison for the oppo 95, ca, oppo 93 nuforce xe, primare and maybe a DUNE HD Max/duo (or pro if this ever materializes) + any other players that come on the market but also a focus on streaming with it.

 

[manicm]

I've reviewed the Panasonic DMP-BDT500 and think it's an excellent machine - great picture, upscaling, sound and file support. But I also tested it side by side with the Cambridge Audio 751BD, and the latter is a performance step up again - as it should be at that price!

The Panasonic offers awesome value for money, but if you want better performance - and universal disc support - the CA and others do offer it, at a premium...

So I haven't totally wasted my cash then. 🙂 To answer one of the recent posters here - forget about serious streaming from Blu-ray players. They either have interface and/or usability issues. However playing videos/music through a memory stick, the CA 751BD is cracking. And since sticks have growing capacity I wouldn't bother with a hard-drive (the CA refused to read my old USB powered 160GB drive).

If you are dead-serious about streaming then you'd consider a dedicated audio streamer or a multimedia streaming box like WD etc etc.

Note that, in my slightly cynical view, makers provide all these features like SACD/DVD-A/Streaming in Blu-ray players to entice unwitting buyers when in 99% case all these are implemented in a half-cocked way.

For example, in a YouTube video a CA representative said they realise they need an iOS app for the expensive top-dog 751BD - we're still waiting.

 

[Inter_Voice]

I have demoed the Oppo 95 & it is a brilliant player. It does carry some very strong reputation.

Yes it does look good. What have you compared it it to?

I haven't done a side by side comparison, but I was left impressed by its audio capabilities.

If you can spend that kind of money I also recommend OPPO 95. I am now using OPPO 83SE NuForce Edition (with further modding). When I compare mime with OPP 95, the later sounds more analogue and has tube like sound in its 2 channels. Audition it if you can. Lastly it is very heavy and solidly built.

 

[nopiano]

If you can spend that kind of money I also recommend OPPO 95. I am now using OPPO 83SE NuForce Edition (with further modding). When I compare mime with OPP 95, the later sounds more analogue and has tube like sound in its 2 channels. Audition it if you can. Lastly it is very heavy and solidly built.

The Oppo 95 would be at the top of my list too, to audition, with this budget.

 

[Nabs]

Do the oppo or CA for that matter have speaker management/ delays on its analogue outputs?

 

[nopiano]

Do the oppo or CA for that matter have speaker management/ delays on its analogue outputs?

I have read that the Oppo does downsample to PCM if you use bass management or speaker distance settings, but now you're getting a bit beyond my knowledge.

 

[WishTree]

before this thread, I thought Oppo 95 is a no brainer especially for analogue outs.

After seeing some posts here it looks like some opt for the other alternatives but not clear if the choice was made after testing their preferred choice along with Oppo 95.

Prior to getting SSP-800. I was considering getting the Oppo 95 for analogue outs into my previous SSP-300.

The DACs in Oppo 95 are supposedly the best at the price and in my research beyond the Oppo 95 needs to have a very good resolving system to reap the benefits.

Personally, I have not heard it but sharing my research notes.

 

[Chewy]

Another vote here for the Oppo BDP-95.

Whilst I haven't compared it to anything other than the Oppo BDP-80 it replaced, the improvement for me in all areas was huge.

Redbook CD's through the 95 via the balanced analogue outlets are superb, but the SACD's that I have dabbled with, over HDMI, take things to a completely different level.