Post by NorthStar on Jan 17, 2012 3:54:24 GMT -5
Since Santa was kind to me, I ended up with this flagship universal player from Oppo. Been too busy of late to do much with it. Finally decided to hook it up to see how it does. I haven't yet seated it in it's final resting place in the cabinet but strung cables across the front just temporarily.
Unboxing this is a treat. I got the impression that I was revealing a very special player. Was surprised at the weight of it too... it is substantial. A wireless dongle is included. I haven't tried any streaming yet. The remote, HDMI cable and other assorted parts are packed in a lovely box. It all exudes class and high quality (as well it might for $1k!
. Setup:
The Oppo is connected to my projector via HDMI output 1. HDMI output 2 connected to UMC-1. Amplification is via an XPA-5 for the 5.1 and and a UPA-2 feeing the rear surrounds. For 2-channel audio it was an RCA connection to the UMC-1 using Transparent Audio cables.
The front panel is sleek and has backlit capacitive touch buttons for the transport that work really well. There is no power button! Well there is but it is hidden behind the Oppo logo. Nice! The unit looks very minimalist with flush mounted tray and buttons. A USB port is hidden at the right edge.
At the rear you'll find 1 Ethernet port, 2 HDMI outputs, USB port, eSATA port, IR and RS232 ports, component video and composite video outputs, optical and coaxial digital audio outputs. There is also provision for 7.1 channel analog audio outputs and fully balanced XLR outputs. I noticed the fan and had visions of hearing the fan whirring during quiet moments of a movie (more on that later).
A major difference between the BDP-93 and BDP-95 is the stereo analog audio output on the latter. This was a major consideration in my purchase decision.
Video performance:
I had high expectations of the PQ from this unit. First I played Gladiator on DVD. There are a couple of fast moving chariot scenes during which I could see a little moire int he past on my BDP-83 and I was keen to compare this with the 95. Played and replayed it a couple of times and there is no moire! The PQ was superb and I felt it was an improvement on the 83. Actually was so close to being Bluray quality that I was truly surprised. The BDP-95 uses Marvell's Kyoto-G2 video processor with 2nd generation Qdeo processing and it is clear that this performs top notch.
Bluray performance was tested with 10000 BC and Terminator 2 - Judgement Day. The former is a torture test for a lot of players due to the subtle hues and filters used in outdoor scenes. T2 has a great mix of stark contrasts. I really enjoyed these movies on the 95. PQ was excellent although the SQ was comparable with the 83. That fan? never even noticed it! My gear is in a cabinet so when I finally install the 95 in the cabinet, I have no concerns about fan noise.
The Bluray playback quality was superb as one might expect. DVD upconversion was better than in the 83 IMHO. Significantly,I do not have Gladiator in BR to be able to perform an A/B test between the 83 and 95. However by my reckoning it upconverts better. I hope hemsterwife appreciates this as she often whiles away her afternoons watching movies and my collection has more DVDs than BluRays.
Audio performance:
This is an area of much interest as the 95 does everything that the 93 does for video but for audio it sports a pair of dedicated stereo output ports on its analog audio board. Actually there are two ES9018 DAC chips - one for the 7.1-channel output, and another for the dedicated stereo output. The SABRE Reference ES9018 DAC is the only tangible benefit for a 100% uplift in price from the 93. Of course there are others such as a higher rated power supply etc. but the analog audio is where the main difference lies. How does it perform? Read on!
I dove right in with the World's Greatest Audiophile Vocal Recordings on SACD. This is a disc I know very well as it is my ‘go-to’ source for evaluating gear. Must have played it dozens of times by now. So with the 95 as the only variable, I turned off the phones and sat down for some critical listening. I was blown away by the SQ from this player. Why? The major difference for me coming from the BDP-83 was the clarity. The vocals sounded very clear and I felt as if Rebecca Pidgeon was right in front of me crooning ‘Spanish Harlem’.
Similarly, when I played Fleetwood Mac ‘Rumors’ SACD, I felt that the clarity was improved than on the 83. Redbook sources included Eagles ‘Hotel California’, Lou Reed ‘Velvet Underground’ and Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’. I don’t want to sound like I’m only holding a perfect 10 card but to be honest, I felt that the SQ from these sources was a definite improvement over the 83 which is my only frame of reference. I would love to compare the 95 with an ERC-2 (but in my room).
I did manage to do some rudimentary A/B testing between 2-channel analog and HDMI audio. Also tried the L/R RCA outs. I’ll cut this short and say that there’s no contest! Not even close. The difference was quickly identified by my technologically-challenged teenage daughter. Yes, I did the audio version of an optometrist’s test… “which sounds better… A or B? Again, A or B?” She picked the analog option 9 out of 9 times. Case closed!
You can find reviews from respectable sources online that state the measurements of this unit. Secrets of Home Theater and Audioholics testers found that distortion, errors and THD were so low that they couldn't measure them with their test equipment!
I’ve had the pleasure of listening to the Naim CD5i player at a friend’s place in London, and let me tell you, that is one special player. However it belongs in a room full of high-end gear to be able to get the best out of it. So, how did the Oppo-95 compare with the Naim? I don’t think I can comment fairly because I don’t know how the Naim sounds in my room. In my buddy’s room it was superb but then he has spent a mortgage on his stuff (Wilson Watt Puppies, etc.).
Conclusion:
The Oppo BDP-95 has been much hyped as a flagship universal transport from a company that has a stellar track record of providing excellent value for money. Having owned their OPDV971H DVD player, their BDP-83 and now the BDP-95, I can resolutely state that they have set the mark very high indeed. I look forward to many years of firmware update support as they have provided on the older players.
Many of you may be wondering: Is the 95 worth the price difference over the 93? I have no regrets on my decision. But seriously, double the price? That’s a lot of coin! Not everyone would agree it’s worth the uplift. If you do decide to take the plunge, I can say that the water's warm! Kudos to Oppo for a superb performing player. Oppo being an ID model, it's too bad that we can't obtain the 95 for trials in our own rooms. That said, this is a fantastic player even if bought sight unseen.
Is the SQ twice as good as the 93s? I don’t know as I don’t have the 93. More importantly, I have not listened to the 93 in my room.
In the end, a whole lot depends on the rest of your gear and whether you can take advantage of the 95’s fine analog audio capabilities.
Sorry, I think this is easily my longest post! Hope it’s of some use to you.
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Edit: Forgot to mention that HDCDs can be enjoyed on this player in full glorious 20-bit!
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