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Universal Players vs. Dedicated CD/SACD Players

Greetings all. I'm curious what other's experiences are listening to Universal Players vs. "dedicated" cd/sacd players. I have an Oppo BDP95 based on the reviews and convenience of the "one-box" solution. However, I've been wondering if I'm missing some audio performance this way. I'm more into sound than video BTW. I have an audiophile friend who says he doesn't like audio and video in the same box. I've entertained thoughts of purchasing a dedicated audio cd/sacd player. Your input is appreciated.

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tonykay
1,304 posts
 
I bought a McIntosh universal player (MVP-871) and it was nothing but problems, and it was eventually replaced by an Oppo 105D. What a difference! The Oppo was truly plug and play with any type of disc. It has balanced, RCA and HDMI outputs. No, it doesn't have the beautiful green-led faceplate like my other Mac components, all it does is sound great and put out ultra clear video. To me, it seems to be the biggest value in A/V.
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tonykay
1,304 posts
 
So, if you have only one system, including audio and video, you would be hard pressed to match the performance of the Oppo 105D at anywhere near its price. However, for headphone listening I'm using a transport and DAC combination. Things are changing so quickly that today's SOTA equipment can be tomorrow's boat anchor. But today, it's definitely Oppo!
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beernut OP
297 posts
 
Thank you tonykay. I had an all Macintosh system at one time and I felt their digital gear didn't keep up with their electronics. Unless you want the "all McIntosh" look (which I love) there are better options for digital playback IMHO.
theothergreg
222 posts
 
I have an Oppo 105D and sent it to ModWright for their complete upgrade. I auditioned an Audia Flight CD One M and it blew the modded Oppo completely out of the water when playing red book CDs.  Audia Flight comes next week and the Oppo gets relegated to server and streaming duty.
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dave_b
3,159 posts
 
Found something better than the Sony Modwright XA5400ES...The Kell Cipher!  It's da bomb Dadeo...like, far out man..yeah!!
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