Oppo Vs Esoteric

Audio comparisons with a few days in between, and without levels matched, are misleading.

Sometimes, I think, we succumb to the hype of a product. You may have committed to the Oppo before this post was written and want it to compete with a much more refined system and player ....but still wanted it. I guess, in all fairness, I am not suprised you hear a big difference. Two different players, at separate price points and with different engineering. I really don’t see Esoteric as a middle of the road CD player. Never spotted one at a Best Buy and I doubt many are sold on Amazon. Some here have had both the Oppo and the Esoteric brand. They are not the same kind of audio players.

I find it strange - I find this player a bit too smooth, even from day one.

@milpai 

First off, congratulations on obtaining your new Oppo.

I'm not exactly sure what "a bit too smooth" means to you, however, I did mention previously in this thread that regardless of how much "better" (or different) the Esoteric is, I must assume you purchased the Oppo for video as well. And if that is the case, you made the right choice.

And, while I'm sure you know this, you probably haven't time yet to "investigate" the DAC filter options. And they can and do tweak the sound. So presumably you can find one that sounds best to your ears.

And, if all else fails and you are dissatisfied, assuming you purchased the unit direct from Oppo, you can return it within 30 days.

Best of luck with it!

stan5468-
which player did you purchase?
Happy Listening!

@milpai

With all due respect what speakers are you getting? I think Esoteric is waisted on anything other than SOTA top of the line speakers (between 5 and 10 times the cost of the source).

I am trying to tackle your "is it worth it?" question....and I am suggesting the answer is that it really depends on the quality of your speakers (the highest distorting and lowest fidelity part of any digital setup).