[Crimson]

Now that I've got the displays on order, looking for info on a good BD player. I already have a PS3 for one display and am looking at reco's for a stand-alone single disc player that will be hooked up to the Kuro. A little internet research found good reviews for the Panasonic DMP-BD60K and the Pioneer BDP-320. Anything else I should look at?

Thanks.

[Atlplasma]

You really should consider the Oppo BDP-83. (I don't own it, but it's own my wish list. I do have an Oppo 980.) In addition to doing Blu-Ray, it's also a universal music player. In any case, you might want to check out these reviews (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/blu-ray-players.html).

[Crimson]

You really should consider the Oppo BDP-83. (I don't own it, but it's own my wish list. I do have an Oppo 980.) In addition to doing Blu-Ray, it's also a universal music player. In any case, you might want to check out these reviews (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/blu-ray-players.html).

Wow! That's one heck of a machine. I had no idea. Seems it's not discounted anywhere. My wife will kill me.

[Phil A]

You really should consider the Oppo BDP-83. (I don't own it, but it's own my wish list. I do have an Oppo 980.) In addition to doing Blu-Ray, it's also a universal music player. In any case, you might want to check out these reviews (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/blu-ray-players.html).

Wow! That's one heck of a machine. I had no idea. Seems it's not discounted anywhere. My wife will kill me.

It is sold either direct by the company or through limited retail mail order partners.  So you have to understand that if this were sold through the traditional retail chain it would be a lot more than $500.  The 980 universal player would also be a lot more than $170 (I have one in the bedroom).  I am waiting for my BDP-83 to come back from Modwright (it is on the way and I should have it back this week) for mods. 

[ted_b]

Yes, the Oppo BDP-83 is an incredible machine; so good that it is the choice for modification gurus like Dan Wright (Modwright).  Also, it is being made into an audiophile machine with newer DAC chips, etc. (dubbed the SE) by Oppo/NuForce....and companies like Cambridge and Ayre are using it as their platform for $5K+ universal players.

I got one in here last week, via Amazon (since their 30 day return is so customer friendly) and not only is it's BluRay audio/video better than my Panny 35k or Sammy 1400, but the stock unmodified SACD 2 channel audio is 90% of many top-level universals I've had in here (both stock and modded players).  As a cd player, it's stock sound is average IMO (but that's not why you'd choose it).

[Phil A]

By the way I did a look at your main rig.  I used to have an XA-777ES.  I had it modded by Modwright ($2.6k absolute truth mod) and sold it over four years ago.  I had a separate DVD-A machine and a Sony TA-P9000ES preamp going into my multi-channel input of my Bryston SP1.7 to switch between DVD-A and SACD.  With mainstream label support gone for SACD and due the fact I had an outboard DAC I could use for CD, I sold the Sony XA-777ES and went with a Marantz DV9600 universal.  I also have a friend who has an XA-9000ES and I have it over my system and done all kinds of comparisons.  The bass in the XA-9000ES is a bit better than the XA-777ES but otherwise they are pretty close.  The same is true about the XA-9000ES vs. the DV9600 on SACD.  The SACD performance is not quite as good on the stock Oppo BDP-83 as on the DV9600.  So I would suspect that the XA-777ES would be a bit better on SACD and CD than the Oppo but not a night and day difference.  So if you opted to sell the XA-777ES you would give up a little something on CD and SACD but have Blu-Ray and DVD-A.  Oppo is going to have a special edition BDP-83 at CES but I'm not sure of the cost or details.

[zybar]

+1 on the Oppo.

You have to spend a lot more to just equal it, let alone surpass it!

All the reviews (industry and users) have been extremely positive.

You might be able to get a very small discount (5-10%) from some Oppo dealers.

George

[ted_b]

Phil,
Wow, we live in the same universal circles.    I've had all those machines (most of them modded by Dan), and still have the TAP-9000ES!  I would agree that the stock Oppo SACD 2 channel analog outs sound not quite as good....but at 90% of the sound for $500 it's jaw droppingly hi-value. 

BTW, one of the best stock universals I've heard is your Marantz DV9600.  I owned it for too short of a time, cuz one of Dan's dealers made me a sweet deal a few years ago on the max'd out modded Denon 3910 (Signature mod, etc.), and since I don't use it for redbook (Modwright TP, Weiss DAC, etc.) I am having real mixed emotions about how good the Oppo is.  That last 10% is quite valuable....but.   

[Phil A]

Ted, I hear you.  I have a Bryston BCD-1 for redbook.  When Bryston gets the  SP3 out, I'll be using balanced outs in the main system and the bedroom system is on the other side of the wall and I already have analog RCAs, HDMI and digital coax going back and forth to interconnect them (the bedroom system feeds 4 other places via a speaker switcher and has an Oppo 980, a Samsung 2500 and a Marantz SR6300 rec'r).  Dan sent me an E-Mail that my (BDP-83) unit was shipped out on Nov. 3 so hopefully this week I'll have it.  The DV9600 will likely end up in the basement where I also have an old Micromega DuoPro DAC for CD and I'll likely sell my Sony 2000ES CD/SACD changer (I also have a PS3 down there and at some point I'll make use of the hard drive.  I'll wait and see how the BDP-83 sounds.  I've toyed with the idea of a DAC in the main system too.  It's taking me forever but I have a USB hard drive on the back-up basement PC I've been filling with WMA lossless audio (I compress for the Zune for the car) and digital copies of movies that come with Blu-Rays and I have the Western Digital Media Player for almost a year and have not used it yet (hopefully I'll finish stuff over the winter with no outside stuff to do).  So an outboard DAC is a possibility down the road.

I do like a universal machine.  I have about 270 SACDs and about 70 DVD-As (and a dozen or so DADs).  I have a LD player and an old DVD recorder in the main system too (don't use it much - probably once a year to dub a vacation mini-DV tape).  I have a LD player and an old Pioneer Elite CD recorder (currently hooked into the DAC's record loop) in the basement (only use it a couple of times a year).  So having more stuff in one machine is nice.  I agree it will get you that 90% for SACD (and probably a hair less than that for redbook vs. an XA-777ES).  When you have a certain level of audio playback quality, it is really hard to give up that last 10%.  It was hard when I sold the Modwright XA-777ES.  I didn't have a horrible issue with redbook or DVD-A between the Micromega DAC (in the main system at the time), and not that it is terrible, but it has been tough to live with the DV9600 for SACD after that.  I'm hoping the modded BDP-83 is at least a bit better on SACD than the DV9600 and I'll be happy.

[ted_b]

Phil, with your "universal" experience as broad as mine, I will eagerly await your review of the Oppo mod!   

(P.S.  I still have the Pio Elite LD-S2 LD player too).

[Phil A]

I have a couple of friends who have the stock BDP-83 so at some point, I'll have one of them bring their unit over.  One is anxious to hear the modded BDP-83 before he decides on an SACD source (he has the DV9600 too and an outboard DAC and was looking at the current $3.5k Marantz SA11).  LD, since I don't have tons of discs (maybe 130), helped teach me to not go overly nuts on digital or video components as the technology changes more rapidly than others.  I only have a Elite CLD-79 in the main system (with a Lexicon demodulator) and a Pioneer 704 (with a Yamaha demodulator) in the basement.  They are essentially the same machine and I have extra parts like a spindle motor and Kurtis Bahr about 45 minutes away for repair issues so I'll probably have them for a bit.  I find it hard with source components to not look at the amount of media I have and not think about the price per disc I am paying for the privilege to play one.  I didn't at one point and have had more expensive digital and video components and I've calmed down a bit

[Crimson]

Nice. This is great feedback and I appreciate it. I'm not ready to move the XA777ES because it's a mainstay in my 2-channel system for my SACD collection (400+ and slowly counting). I figure the Oppo would be great for this new HT system and look forward to feedback on it's modded audio-only performance. Seems to be a truly universal machine and would do well in a more movie-oriented system. I'll move the Sony 9000 stack (TA-E, N, and P) here and introduce the Oppo as a single player solution. Also thinking of recycling the Gallo 3.1s to this system and winging it with the remainder of the surround transducers.

Adding video is a whole new hobby. 

[JP78]

We retail Oppo here at the shop...we've sold over 200 of the units. Drop me a line if you have any questions at all.

JP

[mshan]

Guy at the bottom of this thread (ahnchundoan) appears to have at least 1 Pioneer BDP-51FD for sale:  http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1188658#post1188658