2 channel sound in a blu ray player

I have a higher end Sony ES Blu-Ray player and a Rotel RCD-971 CDP. In my experience comparing the two for audio, the Sony sounds good but it would not make me the sell the Rotel. The dedicated CDP sounds better. No experience w/an Oppo though. I'd say keep the Arcam.

I used to own many high end cd transport/players. But for the simplicity of my system, I was end up swapping them all out for the Oppo 83se Nuforce edition. For the money, it is hard to beat this Oppo player. Although, I find some of my old cd players from CJ, AR and Classe sound better than the Oppo on red book cds but the Sacd and blu_ray audio of the Oppo are very much make up for it.

Get the Oppo 95! you got a 30 day trail period. this thing is the reference in all it does!

A Bit of background first

(i) I had the ARCAM FMJ CD23 myself (fine kit!) until November as part of an All Arcam FMJ bi-amped 2 channel kit, -- operating as a discreet 2 channel audio system -- separate and distinct from my independent 7.1 AV system.

(ii) I also have the CAMBRIDGE AZUR 650 BD Blu-ray player in that separate AV system. Go read the tech reviews and pop the hood on the Cambridge and you are looking at a unit that is near copy of the OPPO or vice versa.

(iii) I now have a REGA ISIS VALVE cdp/ REGA OSIRIS in my successor discreet 2 channel audio system.

THE POINT:

The Cambridge Blu-Ray player does many things well, including inter alia playing SACD recordings in a 7.1 arena (a manufactured sound) --- BUT ... and it is a BIG BUT .... it never measured up to the ARCAM CD23 redbook cdp nor the REGA ISIS redbook cdp player on ANY PLANE vis-a-vis playing 2 channel music. The compromises were very apparent, and that's why I have two discreet systems with separate audio and video players.

IMO the BR player as an audio player is a measurable compromise in 2 channel audio, which is okay as along as those trade-offs are considered in advance.

Good luck.

i've had a similar experience as kotta and akg--the oppo is fantastic for video, but for redbook cds my arcam cd73 and even an older rotel rc955 sounded better to my ears. i emphasize that this is purely my own, necessarily subjective opinion and that i haven't compared with other br players, which may sound better or worse