I have a BDP83SE and a friend brought over a BDP95 to compare in my system (all tube, Aesthetix Calypso linestage, custom 845 SET monoblocks, Gallo speakers) for SACDs played in stereo mode. I fully expected to get a BDP95 on the assumption that it would outperform my unit and was real surprised that I heard little difference and the 95 sounded sorta recessed. Maybe it lacked break-in (approx. 30 hours when I heard it) but I was definitely underwhelmed and am sticking with the 83SE for the moment at least. BTW, both of them were way inferior to my Raysonic 128 for CDs. |
30 hrs! You did yourself a disservice by forming an opinion on out of the box performance! I as well as many others have found the recessed sound to go away with no less than 50-75 hrs of playback and full burn in around 500 hrs and up. You might just be the first I've heard to choose a 83se over the 95, as it has taken on units well beyond its class, stand alone or universal. 50jess you owe it to yourself to research this topic well, a good place to start is over at avsforums and many more, plus the main stream reviews as well.
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Is the Oppo a step up over the Marantz in DVD playback? |
Isn't break in a bitch? I wonder how many fine products have been maligned because they were evaluated before breaking in. Does anybody know the true reason there is such a phenomena? Molecules being aligned is one theory I know of.
If I was a manufacturer I'd break in every piece of equipment before sending it out for review or demo. |
Strangely, my experience (after about 450 hours on the 95) is similar to that of Dopogue. I wouldn't use the term "recessed", but I am unimpressed. What I hear is a lack of "meat" on the bones...a lack of density of tone and image. The 95 also sounds somewhat strident to me. Now, of course, we all listen and compare what we hear to something else: live music, some other system or component, etc. In my case, I am used to listening to my heavily Exemplar-modified Denon 3910 (with tube out-put stage).
Having said all that, I am still considering keeping the Oppo...and getting it modified. I say this because I keep reading many excited comments from others. Part of my dilemma, however, is that I am not tolerating the fan noise well at all. |
Jdub39, I do find it odd that my 83SE required little or no break-in (yes, I bought it new). What is it about the 95 that demands a ridiculous (to me) 500 hours? Did you compare the 83SE to the 95 in your system? |
Dopogue, I speak only to the merits of the 95, as I never owned an Oppo product prior to it. Not sure why it took the 95 so long to settle but this is what it took in my setup.I only posted to give some insight on what I found over the course 500 hrs and especially the out the box recessed sound which I experienced as well and was about to send it back!That my friend would have been the biggest opportunity missed by me in 25yrs of this hobby! if you get a chance to hear a settled one post back what you find!
Jeff |
Jfz, you captured what I was hearing, better than I did. Except for the "strident" part. What I heard was more polite. Maybe it gets more strident as it breaks in :-)
Seriously, I listened for only a couple of hours but I did have my 83SE for direct comparison, and however good the 95 might eventually get, I don't think it would be good enough to make me switch.
Jdub39, I think you might like the 83SE too. |
No chance!on the 83se and sorry Jfz the 95 is not doing it for you! although I find it a bit curious as my 95 replaced a stock Denon 5900 which had what I like to call That big full Denon sound" I found the 95 did not to give up anything in terms of image weight, in fact it bested the denon in terms of low end extension and definition! As for stridency I'm at a lost? If I may ask what Powercord and Ic's do you use? And how do you have your 95 setup? |
My 95 is on a Vibraplane, and I'm using Elrod Power System cables. Remember too: My Denon is very heavily modified. As for stridency: I think the lack of "meat" is what causes me to experience the sound that way. |
Hi Jfz, are you using balanced outs or rca?
Something else worth trying, is to set the Oppos trims to there default of "0" with the volume at 100 and use the gain in your preamp from there! |
I recently replace my Oppo BDP83SE with the Oppo BDP95. Its audio performance is better in a couple of important areas. The sound stage is much larger with more depth as well as width. Also, the sound of individual instruments are more fleshed out, particularly the way the overtones produced by the various instruments sound organically connected to them. The player is very detailed but it's presentation is very relaxed. I think because there is a complete lack of the usual digital artifacts.
By comparison, the Oppo BDP83SE sounds forward with a restricted sound stage and instruments not being fully fleshed out.
One finale note. Being a former tube guy and someone that listens to acoustic music almost exclusively, this is the first digital player that I've owned I felt didn't need tube electronics to make it listenable.
My current system:
Oppo BDP95
Musical Fidelity AC3r preamp
Musical Fidelity AC3r amp
Definitive Technology Mythos STS speakers
Wired with Kimber Hero and 8tc |
Hi Larry7
When you compared the BDP83SE with the Oppo BDP95 were you using the unbalanced connections on both during your listening sessions?
Thanks for posting your thoughts. |
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