Quote:
Originally Posted by guygamps /forum/post/15741990
OK, heres what I did.
I connected the DBMP35 to my Yamaha via a pair of very very high quality phono interconnects, analogue output of the Panny to CD input of the Yamaha and set the Yamaha to Pure Direct. Had a good listen and A/B'd against the HDMI input with the Yamaha doing the DA conversion.
Both sounded the same, quite edgy and brittle, like early CD players of the 1980s, and as I said, lacking bass extension.
So.. I went and got my Pioneer DV747A, currently on EBAY but not sold yet.
Plugged it up using same audio cables to the same input on the Yamaha and listened the same CDs.
MUCH better! the edginess of CD is nicely tamed, smoother/warmer sounding, and the bass feels like an extra octave has appeared.
So I don't need to by an Oppo 980HD, I just need to not sell my Pioneer DV747A
Also, remember my other gripes? boot up time, lack of numeric keypad entry? those are also addressed by using the Pioneer for CD/SACD.
Does mean running two players though which I didn't really want to do, which in turn means finding space for it in my otherwise pretty full AV rack.
Thanks,
Guy
So, resigned to having to keep my Pioneer DV747A plumbed up, I felt that I could make a cost saving by exchanging the BDMP35 for a Sony BDS350, the same shop had it for a fair bit less, and I couldn't see the point of spending the extra if it wasn't good enough to replace my old player for CD playing duties.
the dealer was a bit snotty, but I did it, told him I was not happy with the Panny due to CD disk replay performance and got refunded the difference (Quite a bit of cash) and came home with a Sony.
Much nicer menus on screen, better looking machine, nicer display on front panel, better build quality..... but... the picture quality on Blu Ray disks is not nearly as impressive, I noticed it immediately, the things that wowed me when i watched Blade Runner on the Panny, were just gone on the sony. In fact at times watching blade runner, I am not even sure I am watching HD! with the Panny I was never in doubt...
I also straight away noticed the audio quality is not as good. Again the Panny just blew me away with high frequency response that without being bright or tiring felt like it went up forever in to the HF spectrum, whilst the Sony (though good) again just lacks the Wow factor sound wise....
This is wierd, in both cases I can assure you the set up is identical, bitstream audio to my Yamaha RXv1800, Yamaha doing the decoding (displaying Dolby True HD on front panel) and picture set to 1080i output.
What amazes me is that the Sony has had awesomely good reviews, and if I hadn't got the Panny first I would not even know what I was missing, but I did have the Panny and I do know what I was missing....
ho hum...
Can't go back and change it again though, the shop manager was snotty enough first time around.
Still not that bothered... and here's why... since I have resigned myself to hanging on to the Pioneer for now, I have also decided that when the Oppo Blu Ray play does come out, I will buy one once any firmware oddities have settled down, then I can sell both the Pioneer (cos the Oppo will play SACDs, and from expectations should perform very well audio wise), and the Sony.
So the Sony is likely just a stop gap.
Still i can';t help but be a bit annoyed with myself..... and happy to admit it at least in the confines of this forum.
Guy