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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
2channel8
758 posts
 
Leotis: " For the price you will never find a better rig than the 103 IMHO. But the rest of the links in the chain are crucial."

Do you think the 103 sounds better than the 95 and 85SE; or is it just the value? Is there any difference in DSD to PCA for 2 channel analog?
2channel8
758 posts
 
wcc10, I'm surprised the discussion seems to focus on the sources and pre. Maybe the B&Ws are nor a good match for the rest of your components and/or room. Do you have a good set of headphones? If they solve your problem it is not the source components; maybe not the pre-amp either.
wcc10 OP
119 posts
 
wcc10, I'm surprised the discussion seems to focus on the sources and pre. Maybe the B&Ws are nor a good match for the rest of your components and/or room. Do you have a good set of headphones? If they solve your problem it is not the source components; maybe not the pre-amp either.
Good point 2channel. Although the CM 5S2s put out a lot of sound for their size (I did have CM 6S2s for a while) I'm beginning to realize that this must be my next move. They sound good and more than one person has said they are OK for the size of the room. I did try another preamp that was a step up recently but didn't see enough improvement to warrant an immediate change. So I'm thinking some floor standers. See where that takes me.
No, I do not have any headphones. But that is a good idea to try! Thanks.
2channel8
758 posts
 
"No, I do not have any headphones. But that is a good idea to try! Thanks."  
For $250 the NAD Viso HP50 are pretty damn good. I think they are essentially the same as the PSB M4U 1, but more comfortable. Both designed by Paul Barton. Once you try them, they may change your listening habits. If you don't want to spend that much the Sony MDS series is a good bet. If you really want to retire your speakers, look at the Oppos.

I must say that I only listen with headphones when I am forced to or doing some testing since I got my Canton Ergo floor standers. Ther is a similar pair on E bay now: http://www.ebay.com/itm/152151378738?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

But you will find no end of recommendations from the faithful here. I also liked the SVS Prime tower when I was shopping. $1,000/pr at the time.
2channel8
758 posts
 
Update: The SVS Primes are on sale now fro SVS Outlet as low as $700/pr.

http://www.svsound.com/collections/outlet-specials/outlet-speaker?page=2
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