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Oppo 105 Analog vs HDMI?

I listen entirely to classical music, and when I listen via the the Oppo 105's multi-channel analog outs (I use the main stereo LT/RT for the front channels), the sound is rather boxy/congested and has little depth. Via HDMI, the sound just blooms! The imaging is far wider, deeper, and the sound is simply more open sounding. I find this to be very puzzling since the analog section of the 105 is so highly touted. I do prefer the m-ch outs for solo instruments since there is less of a sense of depth in the first place. Any suggestions?

(Here is my system):

DALI Epicon 2 front speakers
Martin Logan Motif center speaker
Definitive Technology ProMonitor 1000 surrounds
Martin-Logan Abyss subwoofer
Sony 5400ES SACD
Oppo BDP 105 SACD/Blu-ray player
Marantz 8801 pre/pro
Parasound Halo A51 5-ch amp
128x128bachtoven
bachtoven's avatar
bachtoven OP
23 posts
 
It doesn't sound any better that way. It does sound marginally better if I run the Marantz in the Direct mode, but it still sounds better overall with the Audyssey room correction.
bachtoven's avatar
bachtoven OP
23 posts
 
I did select the stereo L/R option, not the downmixed one. I'll just stick with HDMI--I actually prefer my Sony 5400 via HDMI.
dopogue
1,773 posts
 
I read the manual citation on p.74. Apparently it's talking about playing Dolby Digital or DTS discs rather than SACDs. Since I'm familiar only with the way SACDs work, my comments may not apply. Sorry about that.
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
If you bypass the preamp and go strictly with amps, the Oppo is probably as good or better than the Marantz. The Oppos would be the volume controller. The problem is overkill on preamps I think. They are causing a lot of compression. If you had just amps, you could try this.

Since it sounds a lot better with HDMI to the Marantz, can you drive the Marantz with digital coax instead? This might be even better. This is what I use for movies and it beats HDMI. I use a superb coax cable that I make for $250.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
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dbphd
1,631 posts
 
Are you sure the Marantz is passing through the analog from the Oppo without further processing? I took analog from the 105 through Cary 11a inputs set to by-pass and obtained a clean and open sound. Now stereo from the 105 goes through a Parasound JC-2 analog preamp, surround directly to the amps, and SW to a LF ARC, and the sound is superb. A 5400ES and JC-3 phono stage share the JC-2, and that's the reason analog stereo from the 105 doesn't go directly to the amps.

db
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