Electrocompanient EMP-2 vs. Oppo BDP-103

Audiojan..There is no difference at all with the power board regarding parts in the EMP-2 and the BDP-103. The parts are identical since they are twin boards from the same manufacturer. All you have to do is look at the interior shots on Bing and Google images. It is the same power board with identical parts with no changes whatsoever. Ii appears the Engineer's at Cambridge Audio have just surpassed Oppo toppling the BDP-105. Those busy bee's have just come out and upgraded the Azur 751BD with their newest model, the Azur 752BD using a switching mode power supply. Recent listening tests in London put it head to head against the Oppo BDP-105 finding the Audio playback
superior to the Oppo. The interior board work is stunning as is the Oppo and around the same price at $1200.00 Wouldn't surprise me if the new Cambridge equals the Electrocompanient EMP-2. As far as sub $1000 player's, the Oppo BDP-103 has no rivals.

typo.."It appears"..not Ii...need more caffeine.

I`d listen to the components before drawing any conclusions based on visual inspection alone. If the two players differ in their power supplies or analog circuit quality this would result in significant differences of levels of performance.

I read somewhere that part of the issue is that smaller manufacturers like Electrocompaniet cannot afford the high Blu-Ray license fees for small production volumes.

So they turn to larger manufacturers and source the base parts and in effect buy the license for a much cheaper price.

I have not listened to the units in a side-by-side comparison, but EC does add a balanced output stage and upsamples both PCM and SACD. I think the Ayre DX-5, also based on Oppo, does the same thing.

For some, Electrocompaniet's improvements, its quality reputation, and its house sound are well worth the price over the Oppo. For others, not so much.