Official OPPO BDP-95 Owner's Thread - Page 101

Originally Posted by USAFChief

DVD-A Owners
Spent a bit of time ripping about 40 or so DVD-A's/DTS discs this weekend to Hi-Rez flac files...took about 30 min each/approx 2-4 Gb each disc using max resolution, usually 92KB/24 bit/MC, a few 192/24 2 Ch, and some 48KB/24 bit MC. I used ”DVD Audio Extractor” available for a 30 day free trial. Extremely intuitive program and worked flawlessly. Loaded my WD 2TB MyBook connected by USB. Load time on Oppo about a minute but the sound...WOW! For whatever reason, the AQ just seems more lively/pure with amazing clarity, definition, and depth. It has become my favorite way to listen...gen up a playlist of different artists/songs and sit back and listen. No need to get up, find a disc, change disc, or re-file disc.

If you haven’t tried this, I’d encourage you to give it a go. I'd love to see some additional feedback as well from others regarding this function. I simply did not expect an AQ difference/improvement over the spinning disc, but are my ears deceiving me? …to me it just sounds better. Not night and day better, but a subtle improvement. I have no idea why…maybe removing all possible transport issues??? If only there was an easy way to get around the encryption deal with SACDs.

Originally Posted by USAFChief

DVD-A Owners
Spent a bit of time ripping about 40 or so DVD-A's/DTS discs this weekend to Hi-Rez flac files...took about 30 min each/approx 2-4 Gb each disc using max resolution, usually 92KB/24 bit/MC, a few 192/24 2 Ch, and some 48KB/24 bit MC. I used ”DVD Audio Extractor” available for a 30 day free trial. Extremely intuitive program and worked flawlessly. Loaded my WD 2TB MyBook connected by USB. Load time on Oppo about a minute but the sound...WOW! For whatever reason, the AQ just seems more lively/pure with amazing clarity, definition, and depth. It has become my favorite way to listen...gen up a playlist of different artists/songs and sit back and listen. No need to get up, find a disc, change disc, or re-file disc.

If you haven’t tried this, I’d encourage you to give it a go. I'd love to see some additional feedback as well from others regarding this function. I simply did not expect an AQ difference/improvement over the spinning disc, but are my ears deceiving me? …to me it just sounds better. Not night and day better, but a subtle improvement. I have no idea why…maybe removing all possible transport issues??? If only there was an easy way to get around the encryption deal with SACDs.

FYI...Spent majority of my critical listening with Fleetwood Mac Rumours, Beatles Love, Eagles Hotel California/Hell Freezes Over (DTS), Sting Brand New Day, Santana Supernatural, Neal Young Harvest, Elton John GBYBR, Alan Parsons Project (2 Ch) I Robot/Tale of a Friendly Card.

Originally Posted by Clevor

Yours is at least the third post on this thread mentioning this phenomenon, although you mention DVD-A specifically. This is the reason I don't plan to get a dedicated high end CD/SACD player, especially since I just bought a BDP-95. Not only by my own ears, but from posts on this thread, it ain't shabby in this area either, for a disk player.

Instead I will put my money into a Mac Air and Marantz NA7004/7005, e.g., a network player with a good DAC. Cost would be around $1700. My audiophile friend who has been there and done that with vinyl and tube amps, told me this setup sounds better than SACD players costing several times the price, and he has a pretty high end Marantz player himself. When you directly play files off your USB port on the BDP-95, you are simulating this setup.

The idea is to avoid spinning platters and servos, e.g. mechanical disk players and HDDs. Play everything off SSD or flash USB drives, plus it's easier to keep thousands of files organized if you use a network player.

I still need the BDP-95 for my DVD stuff, or BR if I get into that, so I'll keep it .

I alluded to Mac being better than Intel on a past post, and what I mean there is he said Intel has to be compatible with a wide variety of formats, and the Mac system keeps it simple, and is the choice of audiophiles for digital playback. Note the Mac Airs only have SSD drives, even for their own function.

This seems to be the wave of the future. Right now Mac Airs are overpriced and underpowered. I'm waiting for them to come with quad cores standard, and for SSD prices to come down so bigger drives are available. USB SSD drives are still pretty expensive too. Besides, Marantz already upgraded their NA 7004 to a 7005, I believe.

Originally Posted by rlh2173

I have been using the same extractor program recently to convert all my CDs albums to FLAC format. Yes, I agree it is a very nice program. The sound quality is just as good if not better than listening to the CD itself. My SACDs are the only CDs I now actually play on the Oppo now. Still, it is nice trying to compare.

I love my neat Drive Enclosure as well, which allows me to use the eSATA connection for transferring files from my PC, and then using the USB 2.0 connection for connecting to the Oppo. I use an upgraded USB cable for that (please no comments about the upgraded USB Cable, lol).

Originally Posted by USAFChief

I'll have to try that on some of my reference redbook discs.

Originally Posted by coyote2

I think there's no better choice for extraction from CD (in that [if configured to, which isn't simple] it's perfectly errorless) than Exact Audio Copy.

Originally Posted by USAFChief

DVD-A Owners
Spent a bit of time ripping about 40 or so DVD-A's/DTS discs this weekend to Hi-Rez flac files...took about 30 min each/approx 2-4 Gb each disc using max resolution, usually 96K/24 bit/MC, a few 192K/24 2 Ch, and some 48K/24 bit MC. I used DVD Audio Extractor available for a 30 day free trial. Extremely intuitive program and worked flawlessly. Loaded my WD 2TB MyBook connected by USB. Load time on Oppo about a minute but the sound...WOW! For whatever reason, the AQ just seems more lively/pure with amazing clarity, definition, and depth. It has become my favorite way to listen...gen up a playlist of different artists/songs and sit back and listen. No need to get up, find a disc, change disc, or re-file disc.

If you haven't tried this, I'd encourage you to give it a go. I'd love to see some additional feedback as well from others regarding this function. I simply did not expect an AQ difference/improvement over the spinning disc, but are my ears deceiving me? to me it just sounds better. Not night and day better, but a subtle improvement. I have no idea whymaybe removing all possible transport issues??? If only there was an easy way to get around the encryption deal with SACDs.

FYI...Spent majority of my critical listening with Fleetwood Mac Rumours, Beatles Love, Eagles Hotel California/Hell Freezes Over (DTS), Sting Brand New Day, Santana Supernatural, Neal Young Harvest, Elton John GBYBR, Alan Parsons Project (2 Ch) I Robot/Tale of a Friendly Card.

Originally Posted by USAFChief

Good to know...I didn't realize extractor program could be used for CDs as well...I'll have to try that on some of my reference redbook discs. I looked at the enclosure/eSATE drive and was curious about the fan...Do you just turn it off during playback?

Originally Posted by Desert Pilot

Hi Chief,

I've been using DVD Audio Extractor for quite some time now and love it. I rip to PCM WAV format (admitedly large files). 6 channel, 24 bit, mostly 96Khz. The downside to this format is that it strips all music information (ie, title, album, etc). I use dbpoweramp to add this information back in.

I am looking forward to getting my oppo 95 so I can utilize the DACs the way you have. While I think I have a great soundcard in my HTPC, it can't possibly match the OPPO 95. Creating playlists with hi-rez multi channel music is awesome. Playing them back with the capabilities of the oppo 95 sounds great.

Thanks for telling us your experience.

Marcus

Originally Posted by Desert Pilot

Hi Chief,

I've been using DVD Audio Extractor for quite some time now and love it. I rip to PCM WAV format (admitedly large files). 6 channel, 24 bit, mostly 96Khz. The downside to this format is that it strips all music information (ie, title, album, etc). I use dbpoweramp to add this information back in.

I am looking forward to getting my oppo 95 so I can utilize the DACs the way you have. While I think I have a great soundcard in my HTPC, it can't possibly match the OPPO 95. Creating playlists with hi-rez multi channel music is awesome. Playing them back with the capabilities of the oppo 95 sounds great.

Thanks for telling us your experience.

Marcus

Originally Posted by USAFChief

Clevor,

My $1,700 question...other than the drives/slicker interface, what's the advantage of the Mac or Marantz over the Oppo?...the ESS dac in the Oppo is top notch. If I'm not mistaken, Mac even utilizes same DAC in it's $10K MCD-1100 cd/sacd player (not sure about the Air).

Originally Posted by USAFChief

Clevor,

My $1,700 question...other than the drives/slicker interface, what's the advantage of the Mac or Marantz over the Oppo?...the ESS dac in the Oppo is top notch. If I'm not mistaken, Mac even utilizes same DAC in it's $10K MCD-1100 cd/sacd player (not sure about the Air).

Originally Posted by coyote2

I think there's no better choice for extraction from CD (in that [if configured to, which isn't simple] it's perfectly errorless) than Exact Audio Copy.

Originally Posted by coyote2

I think there's no better choice for extraction from CD (in that [if configured to, which isn't simple] it's perfectly errorless) than Exact Audio Copy.

Originally Posted by neutron77

agreed ... I have used EAC to rip many CD-DA and them compile 8 albums-at-a time to DVD-A with great navigation, menus and artwork. The thing about USB is that you need to be somewhat organized in how you rip/label etc..
DVD-A menuing really helps with this. The only problem is that the BDP-95 has a faulty DVD-A decoder (compared to BDP-93) as OPPO have verified for me. The BDP-95 DVD-A decoder works for many commercial titles, but spits, stutters and fails to advance the timer on some others (as verified by OPPO).

Originally Posted by neutron77

The only problem is that the BDP-95 has a faulty DVD-A decoder (compared to BDP-93) as OPPO have verified for me. The BDP-95 DVD-A decoder works for many commercial titles, but spits, stutters and fails to advance the timer on some others (as verified by OPPO).

Originally Posted by tomcrown1

If this is the case did oppo indicate that they will fix it through a software upgrade? Or will the oppo 95 be stuck with a poor dvd-a decoder.

Originally Posted by michdys

See my post:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showp...postcount=2891

Since nobody reacted on this forum, I contacted Oppo directly and here's the answer I got:



and



Also, concerning the alphabetical sorting of files, I got this reply:

Turn on the player. Access MOVIES. Let the player sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Now access a BDMV backup. Is the player still slow?

If you are using eSATA, then switch to using USB as we find the performance of USB to be higher than that of eSATA.

Originally Posted by tomcrown1

If this is the case did oppo indicate that they will fix it through a software upgrade? Or will the oppo 95 be stuck with a poor dvd-a decoder.

Originally Posted by rdgrimes

There's nothing wrong with the 95's decoder. There have been a couple reports of user-created DVD-A that have playback issues, but all commercial DVD-A that we know of are playing fine. The decoder hardware and firmware in the 93 and 95 is identical.

Originally Posted by neutron77

This is not correct, at least as far as DVD-A decoding is concerned. The DVD-A discs I refer to play back in ALL tested commercial DVD-A players except the BDP-95. OPPO have agreed that the "problem" is there and needs to be fixed.

problem is that the BDP-95 has a faulty DVD-A decoder (compared to BDP-93)

Originally Posted by rdgrimes

Of course it's correct, which you just confirmed. You stated that the -95 and -93 are different, they are not.

Your issues are with USER-CREATED DVD-A, which is what I said. The fact that the -83 plays them is significant, and indicates a fix may be possible. But to suggest that there's some defect in the -95's decoder because it doesn't play them is misleading. Commercial DVD-A are not causing any issues as far as I know.

Originally Posted by rdgrimes

Of course it's correct, which you just confirmed. You stated that the -95 and -93 are different, they are not.

Your issues are with USER-CREATED DVD-A, which is what I said. The fact that the -83 plays them is significant, and indicates a fix may be possible. But to suggest that there's some defect in the -95's decoder because it doesn't play them is misleading. Commercial DVD-A are not causing any issues as far as I know.

Originally Posted by pstrisik

Aside from generally enthusiastic comments, the 95 is frequently characterized as too analytical, thin, etc.

Originally Posted by pstrisik

Hi All,

I'm slogging my way through the owners' 93 and 95 threads, but there isn't much I'm finding to determine best choice among these for analog stereo audio. Video should be the same among these.

Aside from generally enthusiastic comments, the 95 is frequently characterized as too analytical, thin, etc. The 93NE (NuForce) is designed to emulate a tube sound - hence warmer sounding. And the stock 93 is unknown to me in terms of comparative sound.

I'm concerned about getting a player that will be too unforgiving, too analytical, and all that. On the other hand, I don't want the NuForce if it turns out to sound colored, artifical, muddy, or anything along those lines.

Anyone have any experience with two or more of these that could do some comparative description of the analog stereo SQ?

Thanks!.........

Originally Posted by Xer0dIn

I just ordered a 95. I have a 83 now and love it. The 83 is either going to go in the master bedroom, or I may give it to my dad. He has a sh!tty LG that constantly screws up, won't play the latest movies, even after update. After reading reviews most say (in a round-a-bout way) don't buy the 95 unless you are going to use the analog audio outs, as just HDMI doesn't really make a difference, get the 93 for HDMI only. I'll be hooking up with HDMI only for now, but I figured hey, why not get the 95 and down the road you can use the analog outputs, they are there if you want 'em. I'm sure it's hard to tell a difference in performance with just HDMI vs. the 93, I'm curious how many of you guys just use HDMI out to an AVR and not analog outputs to a AVR /pre-amp/amp? Am I the only one that is? Am I a fool for spending the extra $500 :

Just curious