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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.
macdonj
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.
doggiehowser
672 posts
 
MPS 5 has a fibre Playlink output.

This goes to the Playlink input on the first MPD5

The first MPD5 has a Playlink output that goes to the second MPD5 :) if you can afford the 3rd unit.

The Playback Designs MPS5 and MPD5 list for US17k and 15k respectively. You can choose the layers to be played on the MPS5 (SACD stereo, SACD multichannel, CD)
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