DVD-A/SACD MC Players??

Oppo BDP-93

Done.

hi.. am a newbie so please bear with me. this is what my setup is

pioneer elite pro-151fd
7.1 channel...gallo stradas (front L, C, R) and gallo Ti (rest 4), gallo T3 sub
marantz SR 5006 receiver

am in the market for a universal player. have narrowed it down to oppo bdp-93 or bdp-95. for video, I think I will be happy with either one. audio is much more important and I understand 95 has reference DACs and a great rotel power transformer so I should go for it.

QUESTION is: are my stradas good enough for me to actually make out the difference? is there a minimum level of high-end speakers one must possess in order to hear the difference between a reference player and one non-ref player (or DACs)? specifically between 93 and 95??? if so, are the stradas at or above that level? (this is the link for the speakers: denied since its my first post. google search anthony gallo reference strada thanks)

any feedback is much appreciated!

PS: to be clear, I would be using the 7.1 mch outputs, not use the hdmi for audio

Why? It is not clear to me from the manual whether the Marantz digitizes the 7.1 input but they do not say that Audyssey is not applicable to that input. So, if Audyssey works with the 7.1 analog input, it means that the Marantz is redigitizing the input and there's no reason to buy a 95 or, indeed, to use the analog input at all. If the Marantz does not redigitize the 7.1 input, you lose all the setup and roomEQ capabilities of the Marantz SR 5006. Either way, I suggest sticking with the HDMI input and the 93.

thanks Kal. only to use that Sabre DAC I guess?

I flipped through the manual. seems like audyssey is applicable to that input and yes I would lose roomEQ and auto setup settings. my room def needs those. thanks for pointing this out.

I could go to manual setup and manually tweak the settings to replicate the original auto setup--is that advisable?

is it worth going through it given my setup?

It is not possible. The manual EQ is grossly inferior and limited compared to Audyssey.

ordered the 93, thanks Kal...

manav007,

How is the SR 5006? I am looking at buying one for myself, mainly using it for movies, PS3 gaming, tv. Would you recommend this model or different brand?

Thanks