Which Blu-Ray Player for Music

[Stuartk]

Hi there,

looking at getting a new player to use as a CD Player, Blu Ray films connected to a Rotel RA 12 and Monitor Audio RX6 Speakers.

Thought I would get a decent player to universally do everything including DVD-A and SACD but mainly CD with Spotify via Apple TV.

So which one?

Marantz UD7007 or Denon DBT3313

Im I better off sound wise to get a CD Player and keep my existing Pioneer Blu Ray Player (basic)

I want to get a clear distinct sound with a good base so please help with your suggestions

Thank you

Stuart.

 

[bigfish786]

I'm looking at getting this, and giving it dual duties. If it can beat the rega Apollo, I'll be selling that on. If not, I'll just use it for movies and Netflix.

 

[CarlDW]

I would also throw the Oppo 103D into the mix. Stereo is supposedly a step up from the norm.

 

[bigboss]

Both Denon 3313UD and UD7007 share same components (same manufacturer). So they will perform similarly.

As suggested, Oppo 103 is a brilliant option as well.

 

[Stuartk]

Both Denon 3313UD and UD7007 share same components (same manufacturer). So they will perform similarly.

As suggested, Oppo 103 is a brilliant option as well.

Thanks guys.

The Oppo is priced similarly to the Marantz & the Denon but the later of the 2 are half price but that does not prove they are better machines.

So which is the better one.

I have had a Marantz DVD player which was excellent but never used either of the others.

Stuart.

 

[bigboss]

I would trust Oppo to provide regular firmware updates and support for a long time. Besides, it has lot more features than Marantz or Denon.

 

[Stuartk]

I would trust Oppo to provide regular firmware updates and support for a long time. Besides, it has lot more features than Marantz or Denon.

Thanks Bigboss.

I see you have both Marantz & Oppo products so your experience is great.

The Opp is well thought of but taking aside the fact it has better features is the sound quality better, that is my overall question.

Cheers.

 

[kmlav]

The arcam bluray players are very good for CD's , not heard the new UDP411 but by all accounts its meant to be very nice

 

[bigboss]

I would trust Oppo to provide regular firmware updates and support for a long time. Besides, it has lot more features than Marantz or Denon.

Thanks Bigboss.

I see you have both Marantz & Oppo products so your experience is great.

The Opp is well thought of but taking aside the fact it has better features is the sound quality better, that is my overall question.

Cheers.

Your Rotel has the brilliant Wolfson DAC. If you're going to use that, you only need a CD transport. Having said that, the Oppo is a truly remarkable product with amazing picture and sound quality.

 

[Leeps]

The only caveat to your idea of having one player for everything, is that aside from their musical ability, Bluray players are comparatively slow, clunky and annoying to use as CD players. In my own case, I removed my CD player from the rack recently because I use streaming as my main musical source now, but my CD player will be making a come-back when I get motivated to fiddle around the back of my amp again.

I still use CD's from time to time. I find Bluray players very slow to respond to commands, and sometimes don't respond at all without repeated prompts. If you want to eject a disc, it won't do so until it's correctly identified and displayed specifically what kind of disc you're about to eject! Both my current Pioneer Bluray and previous Panasonic Bluray players are guilty of this. It's OK if you're putting on a Bluray to watch a 90 minute movie, but to listen to a handful of CD's it's a faff in practice. And you often want different settings when playing a multi-channel disc bitstream via HDMI compared with a stereo PCM disc.

In my system, there's not much in it for sound because I'm only using the disc players as transports. But with decent movie playing Bluray players being so reasonably priced, I'd personally prefer to have a separate CD player and Bluray, for the same or less as a higher-end Bluray, providing you have the space for it of course.

 

[Stuartk]

The only caveat to your idea of having one player for everything, is that aside from their musical ability, Bluray players are comparatively slow, clunky and annoying to use as CD players. In my own case, I removed my CD player from the rack recently because I use streaming as my main musical source now, but my CD player will be making a come-back when I get motivated to fiddle around the back of my amp again.

I still use CD's from time to time. I find Bluray players very slow to respond to commands, and sometimes don't respond at all without repeated prompts. If you want to eject a disc, it won't do so until it's correctly identified and displayed specifically what kind of disc you're about to eject! Both my current Pioneer Bluray and previous Panasonic Bluray players are guilty of this. It's OK if you're putting on a Bluray to watch a 90 minute movie, but to listen to a handful of CD's it's a faff in practice. And you often want different settings when playing a multi-channel disc bitstream via HDMI compared with a stereo PCM disc.

In my system, there's not much in it for sound because I'm only using the disc players as transports. But with decent movie playing Bluray players being so reasonably priced, I'd personally prefer to have a separate CD player and Bluray, for the same or less as a higher-end Bluray, providing you have the space for it of course.

Thanks Leeps.

Very good points they do take forever to load and that's probably one good reason to have separate players and to be fair my Pioneer BDP 450 is good on Blu Ray duties so a separate CD Player is the way to go.

Bigboss:

The Rotel has a good DAC (apparently) so a CD Player is the way I'm going, therefore the Marantz CD 6005 has great reviews but I cannot find any reviews on the Rotel RCD 12 which also has the Wolfson DAC but I would imagine that having another DAC in the system is not required.

Is the Marantz the one to go for?

Cheers.

 

[bigboss]

I can't advise you about CD players as I've never demoed any. I always thought CD is a dying format, so it didn't make any sense to me to buy a separate CD player. I use my Oppo for occasional CD listening and I'm very happy with its performance.

 

[Stuartk]

I can't advise you about CD players as I've never demoed any. I always thought CD is a dying format, so it didn't make any sense to me to buy a separate CD player. I use my Oppo for occasional CD listening and I'm very happy with its performance.

Yes I think the future is defiantly will be solely streaming but as most people do have a good sized CD collection players will be in demand for a while yet well that's my way of looking at it in that I want a good player to get the most out of my collection.

 

[7760]

Hello Stuart,

why don't you simply connect your BDP digitally to your RA-12? It'd probably take far too much money to better the CD performance you'll get this way; there actually isn't any _need_ for you to buy a dedicated CD player even if only as a transport (unless of course you're into experimenting around with used kit (used because it's far cheaper), and unless you want a more direct CD "handling").

 

[Reijer]

Hi Stuart.

I'm using a panasonic bdt500 and I'm very happy with the sound. Great specs and connectivity. Not that pricey.

Maybe a good alternative...

 

[HDNumpty]

I have a Denon ud-1611 performing CD duties, it does very well either through the Supernait DAC or its own - I plumped for its own due to better treble but there wasn't much in it. If you have an amp with a great internal DAC I would just get one of the better-looking Pioneer, Denon or Marantz players and run a coaxial cable from it. Good luck whatever you choose!

 

[richardw42]

What is it about the Pioneer that makes you want to change it ?

 

[Stuartk]

What is it about the Pioneer that makes you want to change it ?

Well I bought the Denon from Superfi as it was reduced in price.

Today I set it up put a disc in and...........nothing, it said no disc and after several other CDs still nothing.

initial thought was transport mode but no there are no instructions on it for that so must be just play.

I phones Superfi who said need to email them and I should get a reply in 3-5 working days, I said why so long but got no where there and it was so obvious that after I was asked if I bought it from The Nottingham branch they were not interested they just said its faulty so email for a return.

That to me is very poor service no wonder people are put off buying on line, I'm so annoyed I should either have gone Marantz or as some suggest stick to the Pioneer Blu-Ray Player.

My thinking was that I would get a dedicated CD player as it would give better sound to CDs but reading the replys I may be some what miss guided so now I have a new Amp in the Rotel RA-12 I should actually try the Pioneer for CD.

It all came together so set it up to ply the Denon and we all now know how that went!!

Is it possible I'm missing something with the Denon, is there something I should be doing before playing ie could it be locked for transportation like players used to be.

Thanks for looking guys/gals.

Stuart.

 

[Stuartk]

I have a Denon ud-1611 performing CD duties, it does very well either through the Supernait DAC or its own - I plumped for its own due to better treble but there wasn't much in it. If you have an amp with a great internal DAC I would just get one of the better-looking Pioneer, Denon or Marantz players and run a coaxial cable from it. Good luck whatever you choose!

After my Denon day, yes that sounds good to me thanks.

 

[bigboss]

What is it about the Pioneer that makes you want to change it ??

Well I bought the Denon from Superfi as it was reduced in price.

Today I set it up put a disc in and...........nothing, it said no disc and after several other CDs still nothing.

initial thought was transport mode but no there are no instructions on it for that so must be just play.

I phones Superfi who said need to email them and I should get a reply in 3-5 working days, I said why so long but got no where there and it was so obvious that after I was asked if I bought it from The Nottingham branch they were not interested they just said its faulty so email for a return.

That to me is very poor service no wonder people are put off buying on line, I'm so annoyed I should either have gone Marantz or as some suggest stick to the Pioneer Blu-Ray Player.

My thinking was that I would get a dedicated CD player as it would give better sound to CDs but reading the replys I may be some what miss guided so now I have a new Amp in the Rotel RA-12 I should actually try the Pioneer for CD.

It all came together so set it up to ply the Denon and we all now know how that went!!

Is it possible I'm missing something with the Denon, is there something I should be doing before playing ie could it be locked for transportation like players used to be.

Thanks for looking guys/gals.

Stuart.

 

Denon and Marantz are made by the same manufacturer.

In my opinion, Oppo, Panasonic and Sony are the most reliable players and rarely have playback issues.

 

[Stuartk]

Thanks Bigboss I didn't realise that.

I had a Marantz years ago and it was solid very well constructed but the Denon seemed very flimsy especialy the CD drawer I defiantly was not impressed with the build of it and obviously the fact it wouldn't work.

Oppo get a great review in their build, Sony I have not used but their reputation has always been solid.

 

[Jota180]

The only caveat to your idea of having one player for everything, is that aside from their musical ability, Bluray players are comparatively slow, clunky and annoying to use as CD players. In my own case, I removed my CD player from the rack recently because I use streaming as my main musical source now, but my CD player will be making a come-back when I get motivated to fiddle around the back of my amp again.

I still use CD's from time to time. I find Bluray players very slow to respond to commands, and sometimes don't respond at all without repeated prompts. If you want to eject a disc, it won't do so until it's correctly identified and displayed specifically what kind of disc you're about to eject! Both my current Pioneer Bluray and previous Panasonic Bluray players are guilty of this. It's OK if you're putting on a Bluray to watch a 90 minute movie, but to listen to a handful of CD's it's a faff in practice. And you often want different settings when playing a multi-channel disc bitstream via HDMI compared with a stereo PCM disc.

In my system, there's not much in it for sound because I'm only using the disc players as transports. But with decent movie playing Bluray players being so reasonably priced, I'd personally prefer to have a separate CD player and Bluray, for the same or less as a higher-end Bluray, providing you have the space for it of course.

The Oppo has a dual core chip and it's fast in all it's operations. (I own one) An out and out BluRay player is only going to be used for movies and you're not up and down changing them every 10 minutes so they don't need to be fast operating.

The Oppo is designed to be as much a CD/SACD player as a BluRay player so they designed it with that use in mind. It truly is a viable one box solution for movies and music.

 

[Al ears]

The only caveat to your idea of having one player for everything, is that aside from their musical ability, Bluray players are comparatively slow, clunky and annoying to use as CD players. In my own case, I removed my CD player from the rack recently because I use streaming as my main musical source now, but my CD player will be making a come-back when I get motivated to fiddle around the back of my amp again.

I still use CD's from time to time. I find Bluray players very slow to respond to commands, and sometimes don't respond at all without repeated prompts. If you want to eject a disc, it won't do so until it's correctly identified and displayed specifically what kind of disc you're about to eject! Both my current Pioneer Bluray and previous Panasonic Bluray players are guilty of this. It's OK if you're putting on a Bluray to watch a 90 minute movie, but to listen to a handful of CD's it's a faff in practice. And you often want different settings when playing a multi-channel disc bitstream via HDMI compared with a stereo PCM disc.

In my system, there's not much in it for sound because I'm only using the disc players as transports. But with decent movie playing Bluray players being so reasonably priced, I'd personally prefer to have a separate CD player and Bluray, for the same or less as a higher-end Bluray, providing you have the space for it of course.

The Oppo has a dual core chip and it's fast in all it's operations. (I own one) An out and out BluRay player is only going to be used for movies and you're not up and down changing them every 10 minutes so they don't need to be fast operating.

The Oppo is designed to be as much a CD/SACD player as a BluRay player so they designed it with that use in mind. It truly is a viable one box solution for movies and music.

I can only concur with above (owner of Oppo 105EU). It's not slow and is the best all-round sources currently available for it's price.

 

[jerryapril]

I've had a Denon DBT 3313UD for about two years now and it's the best /CD/ player I've had.

It is not surely slower than I am. It is however amazingly sleak and library quiet - something the OPPO was not when I demoed one.

Good discounts on them as well...

 

[bigboss]

My Oppo is super quiet, the main reason I went for it.