Video Asylum

Posted by Alex F. (A) on December 25, 2009 at 13:45:24

In Reply to: RE: Denon vs Oppo posted by Jack Williams on December 24, 2009 at 13:00:03

I, too, found the Oppo BDP-83's audio to sound "hard, cold and bright," on both CDs and SACDs. Used in a system with Quad's 909 power amp and 99 preamp, and warmish Polk LSi25 loudspeakers, the Oppo's analog output began to hurt my ears after about 10 minutes. This was after a lengthy break-in period.

The Oppo's sonics were not as good overall as our five-year-old, $160, Sony DVD/SACD/CD changer--the cheap Sony avoids the Oppo's aggressiveness and hardness in the upper mids and lower treble. Finally, our Sony 999ES DVD/SACD/CD player proved far, far smoother and more musical, though it should at twice the retail price.

The Oppo's Blu-ray video performance, on the other hand, was not a disappointment--it is excellent.