Blu-Ray Player that supports SACD & DVD-Audio that doesn't cost $500 (ie. Oppo) (1 Viewer)

[Matt Fisher]

Greetings All-
I'm about to move into a new home and would like to upgrade my home theater at the same time. Are there any solid Blu-Ray players out there that will play both SACD and DVD-Audio not made by Oppo? I just don't see myself having $500 in my budget considering I need a new receiver and speakers as well.

 

[Phil A]

I believe many (if not all) of the Sony players do SACD but don't do DVD-A (you can of course access the DVD-V compatible content of the disc). So you can play DVD-A discs but just hear the dolby digital or whatever compatible content they have. I have a Sony player I got at Costco last year in the office system for under $100 (I think they have a current coupon on a newer Sony model) that passes DSD to a Pioneer receiver and it sounds good for the money.

 

[gene c]

Pioneer Elite BDP-52 http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/Blu-ray-Disc-and-DVD/Elite-Blu-ray-Disc-Players/BDP-52FD MSRP $399
Pioneer Elite BDP-53 http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/Blu-ray-Disc-and-DVD/Elite-Blu-ray-Disc-Players/BDP-53FD MSRP $499
Yamaha BD-A1010 http://www.crutchfield.com/p_022BDA1010/Yamaha-BD-A1010.html?tp=171 MSRP $399
Denon has the 1611UD for about $435. http://www.amazon.com/Denon-DBP-1611UD-Universal-Blu-Ray-Player/dp/B003V8B0VG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325970996&sr=8-1
Integra has the DPS-6.9 but it's probably over $500. http://www.integrahometheater.com/model.cfm?m=DPS-6.9&class=DVD&p=i
OPPO had the BDP-80 for $299 but it was disconntnued with the BDP-83. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a used OPPO off Audiogon/Videogon from a good owner, but they tend to sell quickly. The two 83's on Vidiogon have been sold (about $325) and Audiogon's site is down for re-construction ( this worries me).
Many of the super-rediculously priced high-end models like Ayer and Lexicon are based on the OPPO's.
I use an Elite Bdp-05 and DV58av combo in one room ($350 total) and a BDP23/DV48av ($200) in the other, all bought used off Audiogon/ebay.

 

[gene c]

I completely forgot about the Marantz UD5005! It retails for $599 but ac4l has refurbs with a two year warranty for $399 with free shipping.
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/MARUD5005A/Marantz-UD5005-Internet-ready-universal-Blu-ray-player-3D-ready/1.html
They also have the Denon 1611UD for $299 + sh. http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/DENDBP1611UD/DENON-DBP-1611UD-Universal-Blu-Ray/DVD/CD-Player/1.html

 

[Phil A]

Integra has the DPS-6.9 but it's probably over $500. http://www.integrahometheater.com/model.cfm?m=DPS-6.9&class=DVD&p=i

The Integra is a DVD universal that is no longer made. No Blu-Ray. At last year's Capital Audiofest in July, I talked to the Integra rep who indicated at that time they had around 100 units in the warehouse left to close-out. Next to the Integra room was Everything Audio Network which is an online publication run by John Gatski (and does some neat reviews). John, like myself, uses an HDMI audio de-embedder which one uses to take SACD converted to PCM in a player such as an Oppo and converts it from HDMI to a digital output (e.g. coax) to use with a DAC. The Oppo players (and I have a modded on in the main system and a couple in the the secondary basement system at present - I swap stuff between the main, bedroom and basement systems) will output 24 bit 88.2kHz PCM from SACD and I actually prefer that in the main system thru my Bryston DAC (via the de-embedder) vs. the modded player's analog outs.
To make a long story short, I read the Integra manual which indicates it will do 176kHz PCM was SACD. I went to my local Integra deal (last August) and picked one up for the close-out price of $299. My DAC indicates sampling frequency but not bit depth. I finally managed to get over to John Gatski's (everythingaudio.net/) place since he has an ATI analog to digital converter/sample rate converter (model ADAC 2) which shows bit depth (I'd love to have one but they cost about $1.5k and it's a business expense to John). Like many other players John has tested in his thorough reviews, it truncates the bit depth to 16 bits when converting to PCM (as do the Sony players).
My other suggestion to the original post is to ask what is being used as a receiver. Some receivers will do DSD. The old Oppo DV980H I have in the basement (a DVD universal) does not sound great over the analog outs but via HDMI doing DSD to a receiver like a Marantz or Onkyo (I've used it with both that have DSD decoding) it sounds pretty good. It has not be made in years and listed for $170 and still sells for about the same amount. With a 4 digit code on the remote you can also turn it into a region free DVD player.
The list that Gene did was excellent. The Denon at $299 + shipping might be the best way to go at this point.

 

[gene c]

I listed the Integra DPS-6.9 because it's still listed on Integra's website as a current product. The little I know about it is that with sound quality it's every bit as good as the OPPO 83 but I doubt the video quality is since it seems to use a lessor video DAC. But video quality isn't my area of expertise so maybe it is. It's interesting that the Integra 50.3 BR player has multi-ch analog outputs but doesn't support DVD-A/SACD.
I guess it does depend on what receiver the OP has since the Pioneer Elite 52/53 don't have mc analog outputs. These seem to be disappearing from players and receivers.
I have to admit I'm quite happy with my Pioneer players and receivers for hi-res audio. The DV48av is kind of entry level but through hdmi (either DSD or PCM) it's more than adequate. But I'm always on the lookout for another DV58 to replace it if I can find one at a great price (I'm sorta cheap ).
My rooms are lsomewhat less than quiet and my speakers are nice but not that nice so I don't think I can really take advantage of a really good setup , but the best sounding hi-res system I've had so far is an OPPO 83se, Audiocontrol Rialto EQ and H/K AVR 7200, with mc analogs of course (and Swan Diva speakers). But a Pioneer Elite 59txi and DV59avi via iLink came in a very close second. I think iLink is an excellent way to transfer audio.
BTW, I'm listening to Carol King's Tapestry SACD (in DSD-Stereo) on the Elite vsx-23/DV48 as I write this .

 

[Phil A]

Gene - have not tried the video or the analog outs on the Integra DPS 6.9. From the HDMI out for either DSD or conversion to PCM it is definitely about as good as the the BDP-83. The BDP-83 is a bit better on PCM since it does not truncate word length to 16 bits. I'm kind of holding back on what to do with hi-rez going forward. I do have a new PC and may digitize more stuff (I've been using older WMA lossless files from an old Zune player with a Squeezebox Touch into a DAC along with a few purchased hi-rez PCM downloads). Mytek (a company that mainly does studio equipment) has a new DSD DAC that is supposed to be good and it is not silly expensive (in audiophile terms - sometimes cheap is good) - I have an HDMI audio de-embedder with an Emotiva DAC in the secondary basement system. I just moved (swapped equipment with the bedroom system) the BDP-93 to the basement (maybe I'll do 3D) and have been using the Oppo DV980H with the de-embedder into the Emotiva DAC and it sounds good.

 

[Matt Fisher]

Thank you all for the very helpful info. I'm not a 'pro' user at all and definitely get lost a bit reading Gene and Phil's conversation. To keep a long story short, I don't have any real HT equipment right now, I sold it about 5 years ago when I graduated college to move up to NYC (a tiny apartment where I wouldn't have had room for it anyways) but kept all of my hi-res discs. Now that I'm finally moving into a permanent living situation and have a living room for the first time in years, I'd like to build a new system. I do not yet have a receiver, but the Denon DBT-1611UD looks great to me and is in the price range I was hoping to spend. If you have any receiver recommendations to pair with this that aren't going to break the bank please let me know. I've been out of the HT game for a while so would love to get help from anyone who's still on the up and up.

 

[gene c]

The 1611UD would be an excellent choice. Also look at the Denon 1712 for $269 with free shipping. http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/DENAVR1712/DENON-AVR-1712-7.1-A/V-Surround-Receiver/1.html#!more
Phil lost me a couple of times too!

 

[Phil A]

The 1611UD would be an excellent choice. Also look at the Denon 1712 for $269 with free shipping. http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/DENAVR1712/DENON-AVR-1712-7.1-A/V-Surround-Receiver/1.html#!more
Phil lost me a couple of times too!

Yes - I've been told that before. I was trying to help. Can't help being a crazy audiophile. It is incurable. Not immediately, but I am also looking at hi-rez sound and improvements. Mytek Digital not that long ago came out with a DSD ('Direct Stream Digital' - the underlying technology behind SACD) DAC and I'm also looking at other things converting SACD to hi-rez PCM. System really does sound good through now.

 

[gene c]

I wish I could explore "other things" but my walls are thin and my neighbors too close. A noisey environment and hi-res audio don't mix . But I'm very happy with what I've got. Maybe that comes from not exploring other possibilities too much. I am thinking of going backwards a bit though and connecting a turntable. I received a 180 gram Doors album for X-Mas!

 

[Phil A]

I wish I could explore "other things" but my walls are thin and my neighbors too close. A noisey environment and hi-res audio don't mix . But I'm very happy with what I've got. Maybe that comes from not exploring other possibilities too much. I am thinking of going backwards a bit though and connecting a turntable. I received a 180 gram Doors album for X-Mas!

I went the route of a single family home when my moved into my current location in 1997 and I have a very small lot (0.20 acres) and not a blade of grass (long driveway towards the back of a cul-de-sac with no front lawn - just landscaping in front and I landscaped the one big side). Lived with thin walls before and can't deal with it. I can play it as loud as I want at any hour and if you get about 8 feet from the front door you might hear a drop but not any neighbors. I do have common ground after the back down a big slope that does back up to a road so there is some noise but it is tolerable. Got rid of my turntable ages ago. Harder to take care of records and they take up more room. Although SACDs are not cheap. I'm about to buy this - http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=UIGY-9520

 

[Matt Fisher]

Hey guys, so I'm moving in 2 weeks and am going to go with the Denon Blu-Ray and receiver. I posted on the Speakers forum but got no replies. Turns out for my system I'm just going to have a 2-channel set up for at least a while, the room where I'm setting up just isn't conducive to 5.1 and I'm pretty sure my building's board wouldn't be happy if I had a subwoofer. Any suggestions for a solid pair of speakers to accompany the player and receiver?

 

[gene c]

I gave you a bunch of options (too many probably) in the Speaker Forum. Have fun browsing .

 

[Mike Frezon]

Hey everybody!

I'm mulling over the same idea as the OP of this thread of a year-and-a-half ago.

I'd love to retire another player out of my set-up. I am currently using a Panasonic BD-55 as my main Blu-ray/DVD source deck. But I also have a Pioneer DV-563-A (DVD player) hooked up for SACD & DVD-A listening. The Pioneer is connected to my Denon AVR-790 via analog connections and requires various remote control gymnastics when switching to the Denon's external analog inputs.

Getting a single Blu player that could play all my sources: Blu/DVD/DVD-A/SACD would do a number of things for me. it would mean one less player in the rack, a lot less cabling throughout my rack and tremendous ease of operation by being able to insert all discs into the same player and not have to switch between the various inputs on my receiver to access the analog audio.

This would be extremely cool and convenient.

But I'm not sure it's worth $499 of Oppo convenience (although I'm also seeing refurbished models for $415).

Are the models listed by Gene up in Post #3 still the best current non-Oppo models to consider?

Any ideas/thoughts would be appreciated.

If it matters, my TV is a 55" Panasonic ST50.

 

[Dave Corder]

The newer Pioneer Elite BDP-62FD can play DVD-A and SACD as well; I recently picked one up on sale at Best Buy/Magnolia for $199 (see http://slickdeals.net/f/5953570-Pioneer-Elite-BDP-62FD-Blu-ray-Player-for-only-199-98-At-Magnolia-Best-Buy-B-M - looks like sale price might be $250 now per http://www.avsforum.com/t/1467142/pioneer-elite-bdp-62fd-blu-ray-player-for-only-199-98-at-magnolia-best-buy).

I'm not sure I'm qualified to give it a serious review (it's my first SACD/DVD-A player), but so far it works very well for me connected via HDMI to my Onkyo HT-RC260 receiver. The streaming options are a bit limited, but I have plenty of other devices for that.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Wow, Dave! Great tip!

I might be too late, though. A check on bb.com tells me NONE of the stores in my greater area (only one is really close) have any of these units in store. I will go and physically check at my nearby store, though.

Sounds like you got a great deal. Thanks for sharing. It seems like I always end up "just" missing out on deals like this when I start to research a purchase.

 

[gene c]

Yes, that would have been the one to get. Sometimes BB will offer great deals in person if you ask for open-box or customer returns. You still get the original warranty.

A good, used OPPO BDP-80 is another option. There's one for $150 on Audiogon right now with free shipping. But I understand if buying used isn't for you..

 

[schan1269]

$150 for a BDP-80?

Fighting the urge to visit Audiogon...

1. Need it like I need a hole in my head...
2. More than I am willing to pay for a BD player...
3. Won't really gain anything except removing a Sony BDP-S350, LG DN191 and an Onkyo DV-SP504...

Edit:
According to Oppo...

"Not recommended for large screens"...???

Is their own ""System-on-Chip" with Custom Firmware" not the greatest? (that is what is listed under Video Processor)

 

[gene c]

That's the main difference between the 80 and the 83. The 80 uses a Genesis video processor (and doesn't have dedicated stereo outputs. I have an 80 and have used it with a 65" DLP rear projection. Looked fine to me.