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Experiences with Blu-ray players

I'm starting to build a home theater and am investigating BD players. I could use some stories of experiences others have had.

I'd like to keep good 2-channel capability, but I do have a few multi-channel SACDs so I'd like to be able to play them as well. My 2-channel gear consists of Theta source, Cary preamp, Threshold amplification and Avalon speakers. Given that, I'm thinking that a BD player with analog audio outs and a multi-channel preamp might be best for my particular priorities. My wife would kill me if I brought home the Ayre, so I'm in the sub-$2k realm. The reading I've been doing brings the following manufacturers to mind as having products I could afford and might like:

Oppo: Seems to be the default player for the past couple of years. I like the 7.1 analog audio output and the universality of the transport. The high, generally positive traffic on the various forums seems a good sign, too. I am concerned about it's 2-channel audio performance, though.

Cambridge: Ditto with the 7.1 analog output. A bit more talk about the sound, but less about the video.

Marantz: The 7007 has only two-channel analog out, but 7006 has 7.1 analog audio out.

Arcam: Reliability problems? I haven't experienced any with my Arcam DVD, but I don't own any other Arcam gear, so my experience is limited.
128x128macdonj
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,495 posts
 
kr4 How does one find the right ones?? I pick my music for the music...I used to try to get it in SACD, but all too often I was disappointed.
dougmc
105 posts
 
Gammajo said

I am concluding that the only way to hear SACD, even two channel SACD is with a Player that plays SACD, connect via HDMI to a precessor that accepts HDMI, not a preamp

Kr4 can correct me, but you can play stereo SACD from an SACD player through the analog, not the digital, output connected to a pre-amp. If you want 5.1 SACD, that is a different story - it is available only through digital HDMI output to a digital processor.
doggiehowser
672 posts
 
@DougC

Not quite. Multichannel SACDs can be played using a Playback MPS5 and a cascade of MPD-5 DACs via the Playlink chain.

Using 1 MPS5+1 MPD5 gives you a 4.0 channel playback from a 5.1 source. Using 1MPS5+2MPD5 gives you 5.1 channel playback.
dougmc
105 posts
 
Doggiehowser,

In the "cascade" you refer to, how are the MPS5 and the MPD-5 DAC(s) hooked up?

Whatever the answer, it sounds like an expensive proposition.
nick_sr
263 posts
 
This seemed at first to be a very straight forward topic, but it turns out to be more complex than I thought.

My player, Cambridge 751bd, when playing a SACD, sends a PCM signal to my tv via the HDMI, unless I select the multi channel track. However, what I hear is the DSD signal decoded by the player's internal DAC and fed to my pre-amp via the dedicated stereo analog outputs.

So I support Dougmc's statement regarding stereo, however (I am not sure about this) but I believe that my player will decode the multi channel SACD track and send the signal to multi channel analog outputs. The unit has 5 Wolfsen DACs in it.
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