BIG Blu-Ray Audio drive from Universal Music in 2013

[Dixie4]

Technically the disc is faulty if it requires a firmware update to play. Not stupid at all. I've been using an oppo for a while so I've learned how to get around most issues. The Oppo's DAC is likely to make a very audible difference from even a high end AVR. Glad you got er working. OOC were u playing the actual disc or doing it from NAS/HDD ( may think about it if you wanna save the disc)? You MAY find playing from the HDD to be better than disc.

I'm playing from discs. I'd been thinking for sometime that the sound wasn't quite what it was, don't get me wrong, it was very good, but I thought there was detail lacking ?? I obviously changed to bitstream for some reason, but can't recall why ?

( So looking forward to receiving SITKOL now ! )

 

[Dixie4]

Sorry, just another query....i'm just trying a movie, that is DTS HD MA, left it set at LPCM, Oppo states DTS, AVR, states LPCM 48....I presume i'm hearing DTS HD MA playback ?

( Well I'm just playing back Die Hard 4.0 & the action scenes are making me ( and I would think the neighbours ! ) jump out of my skin ! So I think it's safe to say the Oppo is doing the DTS HD MA processing.

 

[leevitalone1]

Sorry, just another query....i'm just trying a movie, that is DTS HD MA, left it set at LPCM, Oppo states DTS, AVR, states LPCM 48....I presume i'm hearing DTS HD MA playback ?

( Well I'm just playing back Die Hard 4.0 & the action scenes are making me ( and I would think the neighbours ! ) jump out of my skin ! So I think it's safe to say the Oppo is doing the DTS HD MA processing.

While playing it, push the display button under the page button. It will tell you what the player is doing. Then you don't have to guess.

 

[Bleedink]

24/48 is standard for movies.

 

[Dixie4]

While playing it, push the display button under the page button. It will tell you what the player is doing. Then you don't have to guess.

Yes, always check Oppo display....just getting used to not seeing DTS, e.t.c. displayed on my AVR, which creates a tiny tiny doubt in my mind. ( but that's just me ! )

 

[fredblue]

Thank you for that, that's so helpful ! ( I feel so stupid, contacting Amazon to say I have a faulty disc ! ) My sound has got it's "zing" back. ( due to Oppo's PROCESSING ? ) Haven't tried a movie yet, but will adjust to bitstream if need be ?

what AVR have you got again Rob? its a Sony isn't it? I don't want to come across as anti-Sony but if it is I can assure you 100 gazillion percent your Oppo will wipe the floor with it if you let the Oppo do all the work and just use the Sony to power your speakers.

I say this only from a layman's point of view (as I don't have the technical know how to back it up) but having gone from a Sony to a Yamaha to a Denon to another Yamaha - and in every instance all but my latest Yamaha AVR (not coincidentally the highest-spec'd & most expensive AVR I've owned to date) sound quality seemed improved if I let the player do all the work rather than the AVR.

 

[fredblue]

I'm playing from discs. I'd been thinking for sometime that the sound wasn't quite what it was, don't get me wrong, it was very good, but I thought there was detail lacking ?? I obviously changed to bitstream for some reason, but can't recall why ?

( So looking forward to receiving SITKOL now ! )

there's a school of thought that bitstreaming must be preferred (some kind of philosophy bordering on mythology re: a pure/unfutzed with signal etc I guess!?) but as Bleedink has rightly said the average AVR will have inferior DACs to the Oppo and so sending everything as LPCM to the AVR is the way to go in a large percentage of cases.

 

[fredblue]

Yes, always check Oppo display....just getting used to not seeing DTS, e.t.c. displayed on my AVR, which creates a tiny tiny doubt in my mind. ( but that's just me ! )

ignore all that! AVRs with their flashy lights and displays are mostly toys really.. if I could guarantee a pre-pro/power combo of separates would be the all-in-one reliable solution I need for my HT and handle everything I throw at it (including 3D BD video, reliable HDMI handshaking etc, etc) I'd go that route.. i've wanted to get something like a Rotel pre/power setup for ages.. but they never quite cut it in the gadgetry end with the pre-amp/processors, so I've gone for the easy route and compromised with integrated AVRs all along. at least with my newer Yammy I can use it as a pre/glorified control box if I want to down the line and get separate power amps. it's probably the next upgrade I'll make.. that or a whole new set of speakers (not that there's anything wrong with any of my gear.. I've just got overwhelming "upgrade-itis" at the moment..!).

 

[Dixie4]

what AVR have you got again Rob? its a Sony isn't it? I don't want to come across as anti-Sony but if it is I can assure you 100 gazillion percent your Oppo will wipe the floor with it if you let the Oppo do all the work and just use the Sony to power your speakers.

I say this only from a layman's point of view (as I don't have the technical know how to back it up) but having gone from a Sony to a Yamaha to a Denon to another Yamaha - and in every instance all but my latest Yamaha AVR (not coincidentally the highest-spec'd & most expensive AVR I've owned to date) sound quality seemed improved if I let the player do all the work rather than the AVR.

Yes Adam, it's a Sony. I just can't recall why I changed it to bitstream ? ( Tony, actually told me a couple of weeks ago, that he'd changed his settings from bitstream to LPCM, and commented on the difference, said it was so much better....and as you know he hasn't got a Oppo )
I didn't watch any TV last night, because I was so enjoying the playback on the Oppo. It's really zinging ! ( Don't intend fiddling with the settings again. )

 

[Dixie4]

there's a school of thought that bitstreaming must be preferred (some kind of philosophy bordering on mythology re: a pure/unfutzed with signal etc I guess!?) but as Bleedink has rightly said the average AVR will have inferior DACs to the Oppo and so sending everything as LPCM to the AVR is the way to go in a large percentage of cases.

Yes, I think I had that thought process, and that's why I probably changed it originally ?

 

[Dixie4]

ignore all that! AVRs with their flashy lights and displays are mostly toys really..

....will do from now on !

 

[leevitalone1]

Yes Adam, it's a Sony. I just can't recall why I changed it to bitstream ? ( Tony, actually told me a couple of weeks ago, that he'd changed his settings from bitstream to LPCM, and commented on the difference, said it was so much better....and as you know he hasn't got a Oppo )
I didn't watch any TV last night, because I was so enjoying the playback on the Oppo. It's really zinging ! ( Don't intend fiddling with the settings again. )

I employ 5.1 analog cables. I have the nuforce ne mod installed. I never have heard the HDMI signal. But that dac in the oppo is superior to anything in the Dennon, that is a few years old with no HDMI ports. I may end up with the 103 though. But use the same method to listen.

 

[Bleedink]

Analog all the way. Actually not to offend anyone who likes HDMI (I do sometimes)--but I'd probably prefer coathangers going to my analog ports than listen to HDMI most of the time and my system does HDMI pretty well actually!

 

[leevitalone1]

Analog all the way. Actually not to offend anyone who likes HDMI (I do sometimes)--but I'd probably prefer coathangers going to my analog ports than listen to HDMI most of the time and my system does HDMI pretty well actually!

although oppo recomends hdmi, I have read where the video signal will interfer with the audio signal. I just turn the video off, if not doing a BD. Either way, I know the 2 are seperate. I can't tell you the difference, but since I put that board in it I have been hearing new stuff all over again in my music. The bass lines alone are so clear now, and vocals amaze me still, after all these months. I learned with equipment anyway, you get what you pay for. The biggest improvement was adding the Denon!

 

[fredblue]

Technically the disc is faulty if it requires a firmware update to play. Not stupid at all. I've been using an oppo for a while so I've learned how to get around most issues. The Oppo's DAC is likely to make a very audible difference from even a high end AVR. Glad you got er working. OOC were u playing the actual disc or doing it from NAS/HDD ( may think about it if you wanna save the disc)? You MAY find playing from the HDD to be better than disc.

interesting comment.. I must have a shitload of "faulty" DVDA's then because a ton of them wouldn't play properly on the old Pioneer before it got a f/w update!

 

[fredblue]

Analog all the way. Actually not to offend anyone who likes HDMI (I do sometimes)--but I'd probably prefer coathangers going to my analog ports than listen to HDMI most of the time and my system does HDMI pretty well actually!

not being contentious but are you satisfied with the level of adjustment/tweaking (bass management etc) your BDP can do, as opposed to your AVR?

if I use the MultiCh analogue outs on my BDP I only get basic options (room correction/distance and level settings, no EQ) on the BDP.. whereas with HDMI I get the whole shebang on the AVR!

 

[fredblue]

oh and I've been trying to find out whether there's any discernible difference between say a Burr-Brown DAC and a Wolfson? does one have a "signature" sound etc.?

for example, my Yammy AVR has Burr-Brown PCM1789 and my Cambridge Audio (Oppo-clone) BDP has the Wolfson WM8728..

..so far I can't find much info beyond specs and even then there doesn't seem to be an awful lot in it.. THD etc minimal difference..

..though alarmingly I don't think either of them are DSD-capable!

so I presume both my AVR and BDP are lying to me when they tell me they are handling DSD, no matter whether I connect the two up via HDMI, analogue cables, or coathangers..!?!?!? @:

 

[fredblue]

So.. with two weeks to go, here's the complete list from Fnac of BDA titles coming on 13th of May:

1.) Monkey me - Mylène Farmer.

2.) Rock'n roll attitude - Johnny Hallyday.

3.) Breakfast in America - Supertramp.

4.) Sang pour sang - Johnny Hallyday.

5.) Aux armes et caetera - Serge Gainsbourg.

6.) Grand écran - Eddy Mitchell.

7.) Zizanie - Zazie.

8.) Sempre libera - Anna Netrebko, Claudio Abbado.

9.) Symphonie n.9 - Moldau - Préludes - Antonin Dvorak, Bedrich Smetana, Franz Liszt, Ferenc Fricsay.
Symphonie n.5 - Gustav Mahler, Herbert von Karajan.

10.) Messe pour le temps présent - Pierre Henry.

11.) Ascenseur pour l'échafaud - Miles Davis.

12.) Ne me quitte pas - Jacques Brel.

13.) Les Marquises - Jacques Brel.

14.) I put a spell on you - Nina Simone.

15.) The Velvet Underground & Nico.

16.) Layla - Derek and the Dominos.

17.) Big band bossa nova - Quincy Jones.

18.) Tostaky - Noir Désir.

19.) Fantaisie militaire - Alain Bashung.

20.) Osez Joséphine - Alain Bashung.

21.) The look of love - Diana Krall.

22.) Legend - Bob Marley.

23.) Night train - Oscar Peterson.

24.) Getz Gilberto - Stan Getz, Joao Gilberto.

25.) L'aigle noir - Barbara.

 

[fredblue]

So.. with two weeks to go, here's the complete list from Fnac of BDA titles coming on 13th of May:

1.) Monkey me - Mylène Farmer.

2.) Rock'n roll attitude - Johnny Hallyday.

3.) Breakfast in America - Supertramp.

4.) Sang pour sang - Johnny Hallyday.

5.) Aux armes et caetera - Serge Gainsbourg.

6.) Grand écran - Eddy Mitchell.

7.) Zizanie - Zazie.

8.) Sempre libera - Anna Netrebko, Claudio Abbado.

9.) Symphonie n.9 - Moldau - Préludes - Antonin Dvorak, Bedrich Smetana, Franz Liszt, Ferenc Fricsay.
Symphonie n.5 - Gustav Mahler, Herbert von Karajan.

10.) Messe pour le temps présent - Pierre Henry.

11.) Ascenseur pour l'échafaud - Miles Davis.

12.) Ne me quitte pas - Jacques Brel.

13.) Les Marquises - Jacques Brel.

14.) I put a spell on you - Nina Simone.

15.) The Velvet Underground & Nico.

16.) Layla - Derek and the Dominos.

17.) Big band bossa nova - Quincy Jones.

18.) Tostaky - Noir Désir.

19.) Fantaisie militaire - Alain Bashung.

20.) Osez Joséphine - Alain Bashung.

21.) The look of love - Diana Krall.

22.) Legend - Bob Marley.

23.) Night train - Oscar Peterson.

24.) Getz Gilberto - Stan Getz, Joao Gilberto.

25.) L'aigle noir - Barbara.

...which by my estimation leaves another 25 titles yet to be announced/put up for pre-order, if the launch tally of 50 is to be maintained.

wouldn't it be great if the next 25 included the Dire Straits, ABBA, U2, Queen, etc albums which have been alluded to by the UMG CEO...

 

[Dixie4]

+ of course, Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life.