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My corner of heaven - Page 2

post #31 of 369
1/25/09 at 9:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mconley1015 View Post

The Carver/Sunfire amp....beautiful, Martin Logans....beautiful. This is one fabulous system in a beautiful room.

In July my Contract with D*Tv expires and i am thinking of moving to Dish Network or back to cable. Which brings my question:
Your equipment:


I am not sure how this all interacts, I guess you have 2 satellite providers. Are you moving HiDef content from the VIP 622 to the WD drive? If so how much can you get (HD content) on there and how does it work? If you look you will see that I have a Panny HDD recorder for SD only. (Another in the b'room keeps the girlfriend very happy btw) Part of my next move is to be able to record HD content without all of the constraints and expense of TiVo and other pay per monthly schemes, if that is possible. In other words is it possible for you to time shift HD content without paying a monthly fee to providers above the "rental" fee for the DVR? I do that easily now with the Panny but only in SD...uggggh. Again, beautiful system, thanks for posting!

I don't understand why you would be contemplating a return to cable tv after having Directv. I hated cable tv. The PQ and AQ were abysmal. I left Dish for Directv. I hated Dish Network. They were very rude to me any time I needed help. Directv CSR's have been very professional and courteous for the most part. I have to say that their service is second to none. I do get agravated with all the itemized charges and hidden costs. But, at the end of the day, I believe they offer the best value currently available. Good Service Good Picture Quality and good Sound Quality. I love their website also. It has many cool features and is very intuitive and easy to navigate.

My 02. worth.
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post #32 of 369
1/25/09 at 9:39am
Quote:


I don't understand why you would be contemplating a return to cable tv after having Directv. I hated cable tv. The PQ and AQ were abysmal. I left Dish for Directv. I hated Dish Network. They were very rude to me any time I needed help. Directv CSR's have been very professional and courteous for the most part. I have to say that their service is second to none. I do get agravated with all the itemized charges and hidden costs. But, at the end of the day, I believe they offer the best value currently available. Good Service Good Picture Quality and good Sound Quality. I love their website also. It has many cool features and is very intuitive and easy to navigate.

It is something to consider however I tend to agree with you. I have had some difficulty with their CS, especially the overseas ones with their canned answers. One of the funnier ones was when I terminated MLB package, the India woman asked me why and I got annoyed and said "because I don't like Rupert Murdoch" After a long pause she said Ohhhh, I perfectly understand sir. Yeah, sure you do.

Anyhow, off my rant. I have had some billing trouble and had to take my CC off of their recurring payment. You helped me remember why i went to D*Tv in the first place, thanks. The fact that you can use all of their outputs at once is a major, major plus. Does Dish allow that? I too love their web site and find their picture and sound superior. I stand, ah hem, corrected, albeit hesitantly. Thanks
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post #33 of 369
1/25/09 at 3:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ohyeah32 View Post

I am LOVING my Denon preamp! It's everything I was hoping it would be and then some. First off the sound quality is superb with both music and movie soundtracks. The AVP is neutral in character and is very faithful to the source being played. When I listen to music in Pure Direct mode, I hear details and subtleties in music I had never heard before on the Sunfire TGIII I used to use.

And it is also the most advanced preamp currently available. Denon really set the bar high with the AVP.

Re amps, that depends a lot on what kind of speakers you have, as not all speakers match up well with all amps. Krell makes some great amps, but so do a lot of other companies as well.

Yes the upcoming Denon A1UDCI is going to be an amazing machine. I can't wait to get one!


Seth

MY speakers are kind of an eclectic combination. My front left and right are vintage Gallo nucleus reference with bass balls ( the originals) I love these speakers for home theater. They will take anything I throw at them, effortlessly, at any volume!

Center channel is the current Gallo reference AV. dynamite center channel speaker. It integrates rather nicely with the Nucleus's or is that nuclei? Anyway, it works for me.

Rear surrounds are a nice pair of Totem Lynks. I really like these economical little dipoles. Believe it or not they work well with the Gallo's.

Subwoofer is a Sunfire True Signature. The one with the 2700 watt amplifier. This little sub really moves the air in the room quite well.

I might be adding antoher set of surrounds soon for a 7.1 configuration. I am considering going all Gallo reference AV for my surrounds. I want to keep the Nucleus for nostalgia sake, also, they are quite musical for two channel listening.

So, I haven't really decided what amp to use. The built in amps in the 5308 are actually quite good. I might buy another amp and then decide I didn't need an outboard one after all. We'll see. Ciao.
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post #34 of 369
1/25/09 at 11:44pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mconley1015 View Post

The Carver/Sunfire amp....beautiful, Martin Logans....beautiful. This is one fabulous system in a beautiful room.

In July my Contract with D*Tv expires and i am thinking of moving to Dish Network or back to cable. Which brings my question:
Your equipment:


I am not sure how this all interacts, I guess you have 2 satellite providers. Are you moving HiDef content from the VIP 622 to the WD drive? If so how much can you get (HD content) on there and how does it work? If you look you will see that I have a Panny HDD recorder for SD only. (Another in the b'room keeps the girlfriend very happy btw) Part of my next move is to be able to record HD content without all of the constraints and expense of TiVo and other pay per monthly schemes, if that is possible. In other words is it possible for you to time shift HD content without paying a monthly fee to providers above the "rental" fee for the DVR? I do that easily now with the Panny but only in SD...uggggh. Again, beautiful system, thanks for posting!

Thanks for the nice compliment on my setup. I apologize for the late reply

Actually I am only with one provider (Dish Network). I still have (use) the DirecTV HD DVR only for things I had archived on the units hard drive. It's not connected to anything but the TV and Denon preamp. I had been with DirecTV for ages since the company first launched back in '04. But started having some major issues with them (customer service) when I was wanting to upgrade from my older DVR to a newer one (long story) and finally just opted to switch to Dish.

Been happy ever since. Plenty of HD channels and a fairly decent HD DVR. I tell ya though, I sure miss Tivo as it's user friendliness is far superior to what what Dish or DirecTV have.

Yes I do transfer HD (and standard) content over to the external hard drive from my VIP 622. I was using a WD drive but just recently switched to a Seagate as I was having some lock ups with the WD. As to how much HD content can be stored on the external hard drive, I'm not too sure (yet) as I have yet to fill it up. As for how well it works, transferring programs is a snap, and watching things you have stored is easy as well.

But from time to time it gets a little fussy and freezes when trying to delete stuff. But is easily corrected by unplugging the USB and then plugging it back in. The functionality is not perfect but does work. I am currently looking into the new Seagate Showcase which is designed to be used specifically with HD DVR's.

As far as I know one cannot time shift HD content without paying a monthly fee to providers above the "rental" fee for the DVR. They all have one pretty much locked in.


Seth
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post #35 of 369
1/26/09 at 12:05am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by john barlow View Post

MY speakers are kind of an eclectic combination. My front left and right are vintage Gallo nucleus reference with bass balls ( the originals) I love these speakers for home theater. They will take anything I throw at them, effortlessly, at any volume!

Center channel is the current Gallo reference AV. dynamite center channel speaker. It integrates rather nicely with the Nucleus's or is that nuclei? Anyway, it works for me.

Rear surrounds are a nice pair of Totem Lynks. I really like these economical little dipoles. Believe it or not they work well with the Gallo's.

Subwoofer is a Sunfire True Signature. The one with the 2700 watt amplifier. This little sub really moves the air in the room quite well.

I might be adding antoher set of surrounds soon for a 7.1 configuration. I am considering going all Gallo reference AV for my surrounds. I want to keep the Nucleus for nostalgia sake, also, they are quite musical for two channel listening.

So, I haven't really decided what amp to use. The built in amps in the 5308 are actually quite good. I might buy another amp and then decide I didn't need an outboard one after all. We'll see. Ciao.

Those Gallo Nucleus Reference speakers are some way cool looking speakers. I've never had the pleasure of listening to them but I'm sure they sound amazing. Sounds like you have a very sweet setup!

If you do decide to go for the Denon AVP, you have a very wide range of amps that will make those Gallo's sing. For my Logans it was a bit tricky, as they sound their best teamed up with a warmer sounding amp. This is why I'm using Sunfire. If at some point I decide to change to another amp, I most likely will go with McIntosh.

Would love to see some pics of your setup sometime.


Seth
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post #36 of 369
1/26/09 at 2:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ohyeah32 View Post

Those Gallo Nucleus Reference speakers are some way cool looking speakers. I've never had the pleasure of listening to them but I'm sure they sound amazing. Sounds like you have a very sweet setup!

If you do decide to go for the Denon AVP, you have a very wide range of amps that will make those Gallo's sing. For my Logans it was a bit tricky, as they sound their best teamed up with a warmer sounding amp. This is why I'm using Sunfire. If at some point I decide to change to another amp, I most likely will go with McIntosh.

Would love to see some pics of your setup sometime.


Seth

Yeah I really love the Gallo system. It's way better than I expected it to be. When I have friends over to watch a film, they literally freak out about how good it sounds. Anything in True HD or DTS HD Master Audio is mind blowing. PM me with your email address and I will send you some pics of the setup. Thanks for the kind words.
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post #37 of 369
1/26/09 at 10:39pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by john barlow View Post

Yeah I really love the Gallo system. It's way better than I expected it to be. When I have friends over to watch a film, they literally freak out about how good it sounds. Anything in True HD or DTS HD Master Audio is mind blowing. PM me with your email address and I will send you some pics of the setup. Thanks for the kind words.

Isn't it so cool to see friends reactions after they experience a movie. That's part of the fun.

Besides marveling at how cool your speakers are, I can only imagine the impact it makes after they listen to it.

I'll send a PM with my e-mail address. Look forward to seeing those system pics.


Seth
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post #38 of 369
1/27/09 at 4:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ohyeah32 View Post

Isn't it so cool to see friends reactions after they experience a movie. That's part of the fun.

Besides marveling at how cool your speakers are, I can only imagine the impact it makes after they listen to it.

I'll send a PM with my e-mail address. Look forward to seeing those system pics.


Seth

Yes it is cool. I live in a great neighborhood and am friends with practically everyone on our street. We have get togethers and BBQ's all summer long. I have people over for cinema on a regular basis. I love sharing my home theater. My enthusiasm has won over a lot of folks to this hobby. I sent those pics, I hope you enjoy them.
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post #39 of 369
1/27/09 at 6:14am
Seth every time I see your system it just gets better and better - even when you think that it can't be improved upon, you do it lol !

Big respect mate - if Heaven exists, then I hope it looks like that hehe.
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post #40 of 369
1/27/09 at 1:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ohyeah32 View Post

Thank you all for the very nice compliments on my setup. I've been through quite a few pieces of gear, but now I'm at a point to where I am extremely happy with everything. The 6 foot tall Martin Logan reQuest's are a perfect match for the size of the room. And the addition of the second Martin Logan Descent which was added a couple of months ago, really compliments the other ML Descent. The bass from music and movies is much fuller now and seems to be coming from everywhere.

Now the only new addition I'm eagerly awaiting, is the arrival of the Denon DVD-A1UDCI Universal Blu-ray player.



I am really looking forward to utilizing the players fully balanced design for 2 channel music listening and using the proprietary Denon Link for SACD/DVD-A. In preparation for the upcoming player, I bought a pair of Audioquest Columbia XLR cables with DBS system. I am also am going to connect the new player up via it's Ethernet port for firmware updates, so ordered a 65 foot shielded CAT6 cable.







I guess I can never say I won't upgrade again anytime soon, as once we get that itch we just can't help ourselves. But I do know that all of the speakers (incl. subs), Denon Preamp, and upcoming BD player, are going to be part of my system for many years to come.


Seth

Hello Seth.

I have a question regarding your interest in the upcoming Denon DVD-A1UDCI Universal Blu-ray player. Now being that this player has the potential to be the "Be-all, End-all" player, what's going to happen to the Sony ES CD Player, the Denon 2500 Bluray player and the Yamaha universal?
Will these devices be removed from the set up, being that the new Denon has all of those capabilities, not to mention the convenience of the Denon-Link connectivity?!
You figure, with the balanced audio capability, that could possibly brick the the Sony. And as a bluray player with the Realta HQV chip and Denon Link, there goes the 2500, and lets not forget the Sony Bluray player! Then you have the SACD/DVD-A capability, that could eliminate the Yamaha universal player. As a matter of fact, it does!
I mean, we're talking the possibility of 3 to 4 devices becoming redundant bordering on obsolescence!!!

So Seth, whatcha gonna do?!!!!

Then again, you could hang on to the older devices for nostalgia!

Regards.
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post #41 of 369
1/27/09 at 10:49pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by john barlow View Post

Yes it is cool. I live in a great neighborhood and am friends with practically everyone on our street. We have get togethers and BBQ's all summer long. I have people over for cinema on a regular basis. I love sharing my home theater. My enthusiasm has won over a lot of folks to this hobby. I sent those pics, I hope you enjoy them.

Just checked my e-mail. I got em! Thanks!

Yes isn't it cool sharing ones setup, especially when the ones you share it with really appreciate it.


Seth
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post #42 of 369
1/27/09 at 11:01pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by THE_FORCE View Post

Seth every time I see your system it just gets better and better - even when you think that it can't be improved upon, you do it lol !

Big respect mate - if Heaven exists, then I hope it looks like that hehe.

Thank you very much for the very nice compliment on my system. That means a lot as your setup has to be one of the most striking I've yet seen. It's soooo clean, and everything is so perfectly arranged. You could use those pics in an AV magazine spread. I am extremely impressed with the quality of the photos as well. Were they taken by a professional photographer?

Last year I got my very first DSLR camera, but am still a super newbie at using it. At some point I would love to be able to take pics of the caliber of yours.

Love the modern contemporary look of your HT room.



Seth
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post #43 of 369
1/27/09 at 11:39pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ldgibson76 View Post

Hello Seth.

I have a question regarding your interest in the upcoming Denon DVD-A1UDCI Universal Blu-ray player. Now being that this player has the potential to be the "Be-all, End-all" player, what's going to happen to the Sony ES CD Player, the Denon 2500 Bluray player and the Yamaha universal?
Will these devices be removed from the set up, being that the new Denon has all of those capabilities, not to mention the convenience of the Denon-Link connectivity?!
You figure, with the balanced audio capability, that could possibly brick the the Sony. And as a bluray player with the Realta HQV chip and Denon Link, there goes the 2500, and lets not forget the Sony Bluray player! Then you have the SACD/DVD-A capability, that could eliminate the Yamaha universal player. As a matter of fact, it does!
I mean, we're talking the possibility of 3 to 4 devices becoming redundant bordering on obsolescence!!!

So Seth, whatcha gonna do?!!!!

Then again, you could hang on to the older devices for nostalgia!

Regards.

Gotta say you have some excellent questions.

Yes once the Denon DVD-A1UDCI is in place, it will be replacing the 2500BTCI, Sony S300, Yamaha S2300 Universal, and quite possibly even my reference Sony ES CD player. So like you said, that's four components that will no longer be needed.

This is exactly why I am getting the A1UDCI, it will give me the best of everything I need all in one machine. My Sony ES CD player has always been my reference CD player as it offers the best CD playback I have had in my setup. But with this new Denon player, this very well could change, as the A1UDCI shares a lot with it's stand alone CD/SACD counterpart (the top end Denon DCD-SX). And being that it is a fully balanced design, the resulting sound quality could very well blow my Sony XA20ES player out of the water.

The Denon 2500BTCI I am still keeping as a back up player. This way I will have a solid BD player in the unlikely event that my A1UDCI ever needs to go to Denon for service.

And while I am very happy with the Yamaha universal DVD player, I know that this new Denon Universal is going to stomp all over it! With the all digital connection of Denon Link for SACD/DVD-A, I'm expecting to be treated to the best multi-channel sound I've yet experienced.

And for Blu-ray playback, the on board Realta offers adjustments that not even the amazing Denon AVP preamp will do. Especially for 1080p material.

So I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of this new super machine.



Seth
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post #44 of 369
1/28/09 at 2:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ohyeah32 View Post

Gotta say you have some excellent questions.

Yes once the Denon DVD-A1UDCI is in place, it will be replacing the 2500BTCI, Sony S300, Yamaha S2300 Universal, and quite possibly even my reference Sony ES CD player. So like you said, that's four components that will no longer be needed.

This is exactly why I am getting the A1UDCI, it will give me the best of everything I need all in one machine. My Sony ES CD player has always been my reference CD player as it offers the best CD playback I have had in my setup. But with this new Denon player, this very well could change, as the A1UDCI shares a lot with it's stand alone CD/SACD counterpart (the top end Denon DCD-SX). And being that it is a fully balanced design, the resulting sound quality could very well blow my Sony XA20ES player out of the water.

The Denon 2500BTCI I am still keeping as a back up player. This way I will have a solid BD player in the unlikely event that my A1UDCI ever needs to go to Denon for service.

And while I am very happy with the Yamaha universal DVD player, I know that this new Denon Universal is going to stomp all over it! With the all digital connection of Denon Link for SACD/DVD-A, I'm expecting to be treated to the best multi-channel sound I've yet experienced.

And for Blu-ray playback, the on board Realta offers adjustments that not even the amazing Denon AVP preamp will do. Especially for 1080p material.

So I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of this new super machine.



Seth

Me too.
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post #45 of 369
1/28/09 at 2:11am
Hey Seth I have to say it again lovely setup mate!
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post #46 of 369
1/28/09 at 3:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ohyeah32 View Post

Gotta say you have some excellent questions.

Yes once the Denon DVD-A1UDCI is in place, it will be replacing the 2500BTCI, Sony S300, Yamaha S2300 Universal, and quite possibly even my reference Sony ES CD player. So like you said, that's four components that will no longer be needed.

This is exactly why I am getting the A1UDCI, it will give me the best of everything I need all in one machine. My Sony ES CD player has always been my reference CD player as it offers the best CD playback I have had in my setup. But with this new Denon player, this very well could change, as the A1UDCI shares a lot with it's stand alone CD/SACD counterpart (the top end Denon DCD-SX). And being that it is a fully balanced design, the resulting sound quality could very well blow my Sony XA20ES player out of the water.

The Denon 2500BTCI I am still keeping as a back up player. This way I will have a solid BD player in the unlikely event that my A1UDCI ever needs to go to Denon for service.

And while I am very happy with the Yamaha universal DVD player, I know that this new Denon Universal is going to stomp all over it! With the all digital connection of Denon Link for SACD/DVD-A, I'm expecting to be treated to the best multi-channel sound I've yet experienced.

And for Blu-ray playback, the on board Realta offers adjustments that not even the amazing Denon AVP preamp will do. Especially for 1080p material.

So I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of this new super machine.



Seth

looking forward in reading your review.
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post #47 of 369
1/29/09 at 1:44am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Franin View Post

Hey Seth I have to say it again lovely setup mate!

Thanks Frank.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Franin View Post

looking forward in reading your review.

The upcoming Denon is gonna' be an amazing player, and yes be looking for a complete review once I get this beauty.


Seth
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post #48 of 369
1/29/09 at 3:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ohyeah32 View Post

Gotta say you have some excellent questions.

Yes once the Denon DVD-A1UDCI is in place, it will be replacing the 2500BTCI, Sony S300, Yamaha S2300 Universal, and quite possibly even my reference Sony ES CD player. So like you said, that's four components that will no longer be needed.

This is exactly why I am getting the A1UDCI, it will give me the best of everything I need all in one machine. My Sony ES CD player has always been my reference CD player as it offers the best CD playback I have had in my setup. But with this new Denon player, this very well could change, as the A1UDCI shares a lot with it's stand alone CD/SACD counterpart (the top end Denon DCD-SX). And being that it is a fully balanced design, the resulting sound quality could very well blow my Sony XA20ES player out of the water.

The Denon 2500BTCI I am still keeping as a back up player. This way I will have a solid BD player in the unlikely event that my A1UDCI ever needs to go to Denon for service.

And while I am very happy with the Yamaha universal DVD player, I know that this new Denon Universal is going to stomp all over it! With the all digital connection of Denon Link for SACD/DVD-A, I'm expecting to be treated to the best multi-channel sound I've yet experienced.

And for Blu-ray playback, the on board Realta offers adjustments that not even the amazing Denon AVP preamp will do. Especially for 1080p material.

So I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of this new super machine.



Seth

Hello Seth.

By now I'm sure you are knowledgeable of the fact that Denon does not have the market cornered on Universal Bluray Players. Oppo is also introducing it's rendition of the "Be all, End all" player! The BDP-83.
You know the "Oppomaniacs" are shouting from the top of the highest mountain they can find about how great this offering from Oppo will be. And if you go to the dedicated thread, as I'm sure you have, some of the Oppo zealots have all but said, that those who chose the Denon universal BDP over the Oppo is basically wasting their money, claiming that the performance will be on par with the Denon. It is predicted that the BDP-83 will retail at around $499.00-599.00.

http://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-83/
http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/12/11...layer-details/

Now, what do you think and have you considered the Oppo product? Personally, I think it will completely clash (in terms of build quality) with your selection of components. but that's just the closet snob in me talking now.

Regards.

p.s.
For the Oppo fans, what you read above is in no way a criticism of the Oppo products. I will be the first to acknowledge that Oppo truly offers supreme value/performance for the dollar.

Regards.
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post #49 of 369
1/29/09 at 11:00pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ldgibson76 View Post

Hello Seth.

By now I'm sure you are knowledgeable of the fact that Denon does not have the market cornered on Universal Bluray Players. Oppo is also introducing it's rendition of the "Be all, End all" player! The BDP-83.
You know the "Oppomaniacs" are shouting from the top of the highest mountain they can find about how great this offering from Oppo will be. And if you go to the dedicated thread, as I'm sure you have, some of the Oppo zealots have all but said, that those who chose the Denon universal BDP over the Oppo is basically wasting their money, claiming that the performance will be on par with the Denon. It is predicted that the BDP-83 will retail at around $499.00-599.00.

http://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-83/
http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/12/11...layer-details/

Now, what do you think and have you considered the Oppo product? Personally, I think it will completely clash (in terms of build quality) with your selection of components. but that's just the closet snob in me talking now.

Regards.

p.s.
For the Oppo fans, what you read above is in no way a criticism of the Oppo products. I will be the first to acknowledge that Oppo truly offers supreme value/performance for the dollar.

Regards.

Yes Oppo is without a doubt going to have a very large fan base. A universal Blu-ray player that offers all it does at an amazing price point to boot. Not taking anything away from Oppo, it's a very well designed, and no doubt well performing player. But the Oppo is just not what I'm looking for, it's not my "dream machine" so to speak.

I mean sure it unquestionably plays Blu-ray, DVD, DVD-A, and SACD, but that is where the similarities end. The Denon is obviously a cost no object design, and as such they pulled out all the stops. The highest grade DAC's, fully balanced design, twin HDMI outs, an all Denon designed and built transport mechanism with all metal tray, HQV Realta video processing, Denon Link, completely isolated circuit board layout to minimize interference, and extensive vibration isolation. Also the Denon has a fit and finish, which like you mentioned, complements my Denon preamp perfectly.

For me I want all of the things the Denon offers. If I went with the Oppo I wouldn't be able to use balanced connections, Denon Link, Realta, etc. I know that the Denon is super expensive, but to get that caliber of circuitry and build quality in separate components, I would be spending a whole lot more than $4200. Denon has merged a high end CD player, high end SACD/DVD-A player, and high end Blu-ray player all in one chassis.

And I also know that weight isn't everything, but I kinda feel good having a 42 lb all metal player in my AV rack as opposed to an 11 lb one.



Seth
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post #50 of 369
1/30/09 at 3:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ohyeah32 View Post

Yes Oppo is without a doubt going to have a very large fan base. A universal Blu-ray player that offers all it does at an amazing price point to boot. Not taking anything away from Oppo, it's a very well designed, and no doubt well performing player. But the Oppo is just not what I'm looking for, it's not my "dream machine" so to speak.

I mean sure it unquestionably plays Blu-ray, DVD, DVD-A, and SACD, but that is where the similarities end. The Denon is obviously a cost no object design, and as such they pulled out all the stops. The highest grade DAC's, fully balanced design, twin HDMI outs, an all Denon designed and built transport mechanism with all metal tray, HQV Realta video processing, Denon Link, completely isolated circuit board layout to minimize interference, and extensive vibration isolation. Also the Denon has a fit and finish, which like you mentioned, complements my Denon preamp perfectly.

For me I want all of the things the Denon offers. If I went with the Oppo I wouldn't be able to use balanced connections, Denon Link, Realta, etc. I know that the Denon is super expensive, but to get that caliber of circuitry and build quality in separate components, I would be spending a whole lot more than $4200. Denon has merged a high end CD player, high end SACD/DVD-A player, and high end Blu-ray player all in one chassis.

And I also know that weight isn't everything, but I kinda feel good having a 42 lb all metal player in my AV rack as opposed to an 11 lb one.



Seth

You said it in a nutshell Seth. I plan on buying the Denon also. Obviously, it's not everyone's cup of tea. Yes, Oppo offers good players and value pricing. Denon will be offering State of the art technology with the new DVD-A!UDCI, and I can't wait to get my hands on one.
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post #51 of 369
1/31/09 at 5:10am
Quote:


For me I want all of the things the Denon offers. If I went with the Oppo I wouldn't be able to use balanced connections, Denon Link, Realta, etc. I know that the Denon is super expensive, but to get that caliber of circuitry and build quality in separate components, I would be spending a whole lot more than $4200. Denon has merged a high end CD player, high end SACD/DVD-A player, and high end Blu-ray player all in one chassis.

And I also know that weight isn't everything, but I kinda feel good having a 42 lb all metal player in my AV rack as opposed to an 11 lb one

I am a big fan of OPPO products and firmly believe that nothing in the $1,000 range can touch one of them. I look forward to their new universal BD player. OPPO markets their prods to directly compete with Denon. But the Denon talked about here is in a class all by itself. I do not think there is even a similar product out there at this price. I guess its a matter of bang for the buck. Is it worth the amount of money you need to spend for the Denon for the improvements in quality? The improvements in quality are extraordinarily significant. However with my budget for audio, which is decent, I cannot justify buying the Denon, but if I had that kind of disposable income you can bet I would! That is one great piece of equipment and worth every cent!
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post #52 of 369
1/31/09 at 9:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mconley1015 View Post

I am a big fan of OPPO products and firmly believe that nothing in the $1,000 range can touch one of them. I look forward to their new universal BD player. OPPO markets their prods to directly compete with Denon. But the Denon talked about here is in a class all by itself. I do not think there is even a similar product out there at this price. I guess its a matter of bang for the buck. Is it worth the amount of money you need to spend for the Denon for the improvements in quality? The improvements in quality are extraordinarily significant. However with my budget for audio, which is decent, I cannot justify buying the Denon, but if I had that kind of disposable income you can bet I would! That is one great piece of equipment and worth every cent!

Hello Mike.

Are you considering the Oppo BDP-83 Bluray Universal Player?
I know I am. My only reservation is the departure from my mantra, "Device exclusivity!" In other words, one device that does one function well. Meaning, the BDP-83 could possibly make 3 of my beloved, exclusive function, but aging devices obsolete.

It is a nice looking component and would probably be a nice addition to my system allowing a lot of versatility and some streamlining, a concept I have contemplated a time or two!

And to you Seth!
I can see I'm not alone in my closet snobbery! (only kidding)

Quote:


For me I want all of the things the Denon offers. If I went with the Oppo I wouldn't be able to use balanced connections, Denon Link, Realta, etc. I know that the Denon is super expensive, but to get that caliber of circuitry and build quality in separate components, I would be spending a whole lot more than $4200. Denon has merged a high end CD player, high end SACD/DVD-A player, and high end Blu-ray player all in one chassis.

And I also know that weight isn't everything, but I kinda feel good having a 42 lb all metal player in my AV rack as opposed to an 11 lb one

Seth, I'm with ya Man! Like mconley, if I had the disposable dinero, I too would snatch up the Denon! Just for the HQV/Realta chip alone, to see what it does for standard DVDs. If the Reon is any indication, the Realta must be off the charts!
But the Oppo does offer a lot of bank for the buck! And great upscaling to boot.
The justification for such reasoning.....
I did an inventory of my dvd collection,..... I'm up to 625 dvds. There's no way I'm replacing all of them with bluray versions. I couldn't anyway. Most will never be issued in bluray and if they are, the bluray versions would have to be $20.00 or below, and that's for the must haves, and for the ones I consider "take it or leave it", $10.00-15.00! That's it! With the 43 blurays I currently have, only one I paid $29.99 for (The Golden Compass). All the rest have been $25.00 or less. And believe me, I've paid 25 bucks for new releases only a few times. Where? Amazon.com and BestBuy.com. Ex. Ironman and Transformers: $16.99 each!

I didn't mean to rant.

Regards.
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post #53 of 369
1/31/09 at 7:17pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by john barlow View Post

you said it in a nutshell seth. I plan on buying the denon also. Obviously, it's not everyone's cup of tea. Yes, oppo offers good players and value pricing. Denon will be offering state of the art technology with the new dvd-a!udci, and i can't wait to get my hands on one.

+1
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post #54 of 369
1/31/09 at 7:31pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mconley1015 View Post

I am a big fan of OPPO products and firmly believe that nothing in the $1,000 range can touch one of them. I look forward to their new universal BD player. OPPO markets their prods to directly compete with Denon. But the Denon talked about here is in a class all by itself. I do not think there is even a similar product out there at this price. I guess its a matter of bang for the buck. Is it worth the amount of money you need to spend for the Denon for the improvements in quality? The improvements in quality are extraordinarily significant. However with my budget for audio, which is decent, I cannot justify buying the Denon, but if I had that kind of disposable income you can bet I would! That is one great piece of equipment and worth every cent!

You're right, the Oppo cannot be touched by anything else in the $1000 price range. Their Universal BD player is going to be an amazing piece at an amazing price point. And for anyone looking for a kick ass unit and doesn't want to break the bank, the Oppo is without a doubt the way to go.

In the over $1000 category, there is nothing out there that can compete with the A1UDCI. Any if the Pioneer Elite 09FD had included SACD/DVD-A, and a fully balanced design, only then would it have been able to compete with the mighty Denon A1UDCI. Right now the Denon is like you said, in a class all by itself.


Seth
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post #55 of 369
1/31/09 at 10:52pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ldgibson76 View Post

Hello Mike.

Are you considering the Oppo BDP-83 Bluray Universal Player?
I know I am. My only reservation is the departure from my mantra, "Device exclusivity!" In other words, one device that does one function well. Meaning, the BDP-83 could possibly make 3 of my beloved, exclusive function, but aging devices obsolete.

It is a nice looking component and would probably be a nice addition to my system allowing a lot of versatility and some streamlining, a concept I have contemplated a time or two!

And to you Seth!
I can see I'm not alone in my closet snobbery! (only kidding)



Seth, I'm with ya Man! Like mconley, if I had the disposable dinero, I too would snatch up the Denon! Just for the HQV/Realta chip alone, to see what it does for standard DVDs. If the Reon is any indication, the Realta must be off the charts!
But the Oppo does offer a lot of bank for the buck! And great upscaling to boot.
The justification for such reasoning.....
I did an inventory of my dvd collection,..... I'm up to 625 dvds. There's no way I'm replacing all of them with bluray versions. I couldn't anyway. Most will never be issued in bluray and if they are, the bluray versions would have to be $20.00 or below, and that's for the must haves, and for the ones I consider "take it or leave it", $10.00-15.00! That's it! With the 43 blurays I currently have, only one I paid $29.99 for (The Golden Compass). All the rest have been $25.00 or less. And believe me, I've paid 25 bucks for new releases only a few times. Where? Amazon.com and BestBuy.com. Ex. Ironman and Transformers: $16.99 each!

I didn't mean to rant.

Regards.

Yeah you're definitely not alone. lol.

Like you, I also have a pretty extensive DVD collection (1500+). I am looking forward to all the adjustment options the A1UDCI will offer. My Denon preamp offers some good adjustment options for Realta, but the A1UDCI will offer even more.

My Blu-ray and HD DVD collections are much more diminutive by comparison (120 Blu-ray, 115 HD DVD). And like you, I also look for the best deals I can find on high def movies. And while I have paid $30 for numerous Blu-ray's, I much rather prefer to spend $20-$25 when possible.

And since Blu-ray is definitely going to be with us for a while, I just want the absolute best player I can get. And for me the upcoming Denon is going to be my ultimate Blu-ray player. But I have to hand it to Oppo, they are bringing out a fantastic product that is within reach for most people out there who want a very high quality player that pretty much does it all.


Seth
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post #56 of 369
2/1/09 at 3:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ohyeah32 View Post

Yeah you're definitely not alone. lol.

Like you, I also have a pretty extensive DVD collection (1500+). I am looking forward to all the adjustment options the A1UDCI will offer. My Denon preamp offers some good adjustment options for Realta, but the A1UDCI will offer even more.

My Blu-ray and HD DVD collections are much more diminutive by comparison (120 Blu-ray, 115 HD DVD). And like you, I also look for the best deals I can find on high def movies. And while I have paid $30 for numerous Blu-ray's, I much rather prefer to spend $20-$25 when possible.

And since Blu-ray is definitely going to be with us for a while, I just want the absolute best player I can get. And for me the upcoming Denon is going to be my ultimate Blu-ray player. But I have to hand it to Oppo, they are bringing out a fantastic product that is within reach for most people out there who want a very high quality player that pretty much does it all.


Seth

Seth,

I want to apologize for bringing up the A1UDCI in this thread. The reason for the apology is because I went to the "bluray section" and came across the a thread totally dedicated to the upcoming Denon. You've had your eye on this device since July '08. You've been discussing and debating this topic for quite some time now and had already come to the conclusion that the Sony CDP, the Sony BDP-S300 and the Yamaha S2300 would be replaced by this machine. So again, I apologize for clogging up your thread with a redundant topic and thank you for being polite by discussing the topic with us "out of the know" type individuals!
Now, do you plan moving the soon to be obsolete devices to another room or are they Audiogon/eBay bound!?!

Regards.
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post #57 of 369
2/1/09 at 10:51pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ldgibson76 View Post

Seth,

I want to apologize for bringing up the A1UDCI in this thread. The reason for the apology is because I went to the "bluray section" and came across the a thread totally dedicated to the upcoming Denon. You've had your eye on this device since July '08. You've been discussing and debating this topic for quite some time now and had already come to the conclusion that the Sony CDP, the Sony BDP-S300 and the Yamaha S2300 would be replaced by this machine. So again, I apologize for clogging up your thread with a redundant topic and thank you for being polite by discussing the topic with us "out of the know" type individuals!
Now, do you plan moving the soon to be obsolete devices to another room or are they Audiogon/eBay bound!?!

Regards.

No need to apologize my friend. I don't mind at all talking about this upcoming player, as it is going to be part of my system very soon I hope. So anyone one please feel free to ask any questions about it, or about its inclusion in my system. So not to worry, as to me it's not at all redundant talk.

Re the AV gear getting replaced, well about the only one I plan on keeping in the system is the Denon 2500BTCI. While I haven't decided for sure, the other 2 (possibly 3) components will most likely be sold.


Seth
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post #58 of 369
2/7/09 at 10:14am
Good lord. Amazing setup and love the look of all the gear.

I gotta ask though, how often do you really turn on the tape deck, laserdisc, second blu ray player, second dvd player (most bdp play dvd's too.) etc etc?

Lots of kept nostalgia in that setup!
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post #59 of 369
2/7/09 at 10:27am
WOW dude! that's one nice looking setup,I bet your neighbors love you at night lol
I bet your pushing at lease 100 db to 115 db. can you post a video demo of a movie trailer?
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post #60 of 369
2/8/09 at 1:55am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by vizual View Post

Good lord. Amazing setup and love the look of all the gear.

I gotta ask though, how often do you really turn on the tape deck, laserdisc, second blu ray player, second dvd player (most bdp play dvd's too.) etc etc?

Lots of kept nostalgia in that setup!

Thanks.

About the only thing that I do not use is the cassette deck and Sony S300 BD player. Other than that everything else gets used, and while the LD player and SVHS deck don't get used very often, they do still get used from time to time.

The Yamaha S2300 DVD player is mainly used for playing SACD/DVD-A, and does get used quite often. The Sony S300 is there strictly as a back up BD player, and only gets used about once a month to keep it functional.

But hopefully soon once the Denon A1UDCI universal player is in place, I am taking the Sony S300, Yamaha S2300, and possibly my Sony CDP-XA20ES. At that point I may also just take out the Sony cassette deck.


Seth
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