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OPPO BDP-103 (NON Darby)

Hey all, (My mistake, I know it’s Darbee, not "Darby.")
I think I’m finally going to break down and buy a player that plays SACD disks. I know there are not all that many SACD titles available but I tried getting back into vinyl and was not all that happy with the $800.00 table I bought. Perhaps when I can afford a $3,00.00 PLUS turntable I will try again.
Anyway, I currently play DSD & FLAC files via thumb drive with my Marantz network player and CDR via a good Yamaha CD player. My amp & pre-amp are Emotiva and current speakers are B&W.
My thought is to buy an OPPO 103 - NON Darbee addition as I do not expect to use it for anything but 2 channel audio.
So, my qiestion is; how does the OPPO BDP-103 perform when playing Hi-Res audio and especially SACD? Does anyone have first hand experience with other players that may be a better choice for what I want in the same price range? I’ve read that the OPPOs tend to do better with Video play back than audio. Is this true?
I appreciate any & all replies!
wcc10
wcc10 OP
119 posts
 
I wrote this right before you posted your last entry, auxinput. Sorry I didn’t see your post first!

We may be getting too far into the tube realm and away from balanced (or at least XLR) connections. I mentioned the Audio Research LS-2 as it is considered a hybrid and maintains balanced connections. It has, as you know, been around for more than a few years but gets great reviews all around. Not sure how it would pair with my Gen 3 Emotiva power amp tough.
Yes, I was not all that impressed with the Rotel line I listened to at a local stereo store.  (RC-1590 / RB-1582 MKII) I thought they sounded too sterile & fatiguing. I’m sure someone else might have an opposite experience with Rotel. But fatigued is how I feel sometimes after listening to the Emotivas.
wcc10 OP
119 posts
 
Between the $1999.00 STP-ES preamp  and the highly recommended $1099.00 Krell KAV-280p at this point I think I would rather save the $900.00 and go with the Krell.
I did email the guy in Canada and he assured me that since the Krell is made in USA there would be no import duties/fees. I was able to confirm this via the Internet as well.
So, it will be interesting to see how serious the seller is interested in negotiating. I'll let you know!
auxinput
2,920 posts
 

Heh, just read your posts. I did some additional research on the STP-SE. It’s amazing that people will have many opinions on "what is the best preamp". Most people don’t understand that system synergy is critical and a particular preamp may shine in one system and sound poor in another.

Repeated comments on the STP-SE say that it is very transparent and act much like a passive pre. However, it also has the beefy power supply and gain circuit that is able to "push" difficult bass/midbass waveforms into the amp. This means you have a highly transparent and fast/dynamic preamp. The key word here is "transparent". The Krell, on the other hand, has 2 Class A circuits (input and output) that the audio signal will travel through. The Class A circuit will definitely color the sound somewhat, but the Krell implementation is still very fast and dynamic.

Your Marantz is going to have a warm/rich sound. The Emotiva Gen 3 uses the XPR amp board which is on the smooth/refined side of sonic signature (though I don’t know how it will sound with the Gen 3 switching power supply). But it’s nowhere near the smooth/slow/lush of a tube amp. (still definitely strong solid state).

The STP-SE will probably reveal the full resolution of your Marantz. On the other hand, the Krell will have a little color to the sound (could be translated into fully midrange body and bass/midbass). Since the Marantz warmth may be similar to a Class A circuit, it may be pushing too many Class A steps in the audio path for my own personal preference. However, I believe the Krell is going to be significantly better than the Emotiva in resolution, dynamics, excitement and clarity anyways.

I guess it depends on what you want, and it may be impossible to know without trying. Based on what I have read, I would say that the STP-SE definitely has an edge over the Krell on speed and transparency. But like you said, it is $900 more. Wyred 4 Sound does have a 14-day trial program. The end-cost is shipping plus 5% ($100 in the STP-SE) if you return it without purchasing.

auxinput
2,920 posts
 
I just read that you sometimes feel fatigued after listening to your Emotivas.  I don't want to derail this topic (which is on dac/pre), but in my experience, I have found that an improvement in power cords, interconnects, speaker wire, and definitely fuses will help reduce listening fatigue.  Depending on what you get, they all work towards removing the glare and mid/high-frequency harshness.  These items can also help improve the resolution from your system(as some interconnects are not good enough to reveal the true resolution of the source).
auxinput
2,920 posts
 
Sorry, one more topic.  My cousin DOES NOT have any extra 280p remotes.  The HTS remotes will not work.  The Ebay seller is saying that the Krell RC codes are available for programmable remotes.  I would ask him -specifically- where to find these.  If the battery replacement does not work, you could be out of a remote for a long time if the RC codes are not actually available.  I searched and could not really find anything.
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