Audio, hi-fi and car audio - Blu-ray players

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Are they cheap enough yet?
Is there a Pioneer universal player with SACD and DVD-A?
What does the forum recommend?

--
Eiron.

In article , Eiron
wrote:
Are they cheap enough yet?

For what?

Is there a Pioneer universal player with SACD and DVD-A?

No idea.

What does the forum recommend?

Try Cambridge Audio? Their new player has had good reviews and
IIUC is a 'universal' one. Not tried it myself, but am pleased
with other CA equipment I use.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

On 13/05/2010 16:52, Jim Lesurf wrote:
In ,
wrote:
Are they cheap enough yet?

For what?

Is there a Pioneer universal player with SACD and DVD-A?

No idea.

What does the forum recommend?

Try Cambridge Audio? Their new player has had good reviews and
IIUC is a 'universal' one. Not tried it myself, but am pleased
with other CA equipment I use.

I was thinking of getting one to treble up as a DVD/CD/BR player - BR is
pretty good but I'm unlikely to buy many disks.

The Cambridge one is about £400 - I can't see what it offers over a
cheapie, except 'punchy' and ''expansive' etc - none of the things that
might be nice to have like networked and clever links to the telly.

rob

Eiron writes:

Are they cheap enough yet?
Is there a Pioneer universal player with SACD and DVD-A?
What does the forum recommend?

I found this list the other day:
http://www.carlssonplanet.com/hardware.php?lang=en&
The Swedish version is more verbose and lists some Blu-ray
players. The LG BD-370 is said to be very good and not
expensive.

I have no idea how well tested the things in their list are
but they say they try to do double-blind testing whenever
possible.

If my repair-CD-player project does not work to my satisfaction
I am in the market for a replacement player...

/Martin

In article , Rob
wrote:
On 13/05/2010 16:52, Jim Lesurf wrote:
In ,

What does the forum recommend?

Try Cambridge Audio? Their new player has had good reviews and IIUC is
a 'universal' one. Not tried it myself, but am pleased with other CA
equipment I use.

I was thinking of getting one to treble up as a DVD/CD/BR player - BR is
pretty good but I'm unlikely to buy many disks.

The Cambridge one is about £400 - I can't see what it offers over a
cheapie, except 'punchy' and ''expansive' etc - none of the things that
might be nice to have like networked and clever links to the telly.

I have no experience of the Cambridge 650BD. But I've been impressed by how
well their cheaper 'Sonata' DVD player plays a range of discs - including
DVD-Rs that some other players can't play reliably. From the reviews the
650BD does provide the ability to play all sorts of discs, and has USB
sockets, can play WAV, WMA, MP3, etc. Also said to load discs and get to a
useful menu more quickly than other BD players.

I'm personally only put off by the facts that:

A) I have no real interest in blu-ray at present

B) My AV system uses a RGB SCART input CRT, and the 650BD doesn't have a
SCART output.

C) The players I have work nicely for DVDs, etc.

Above said, no doubt there may well be other players that might be
preferred. Just that I have no knowledge of them.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

"Eiron" wrote in message

Are they cheap enough yet?

They are under $100 in the US.

Is there a Pioneer universal player with SACD and DVD-A?

Why would you not do your own research?

I understand that Oppo has offerings of this kind.

What does the forum recommend?

What is your application.

On 14/05/2010 12:51, Arny Krueger wrote:
wrote in message

Are they cheap enough yet?

They are under $100 in the US.

Is there a Pioneer universal player with SACD and DVD-A?

Why would you not do your own research?

I understand that Oppo has offerings of this kind.

What does the forum recommend?

What is your application.

Why not get the benefit of others' experiences?
I wouldn't have thought of Cambridge Audio but for £400 it does
everything I want.

The immediate requirement is for a DVD player with HDMI output (from £45)
for a projector without a SCART input but it's a small step up to £117
for a Blu-ray player, and then I might as well go all the way and have
a single box in the lounge to play everything, and use the current
Pioneer universal player for the projector.

And whatever you may think of formats such as SACD, I'm convinced that
Dark Side Of The Moon in 5.1 surround sound played a significant part
in achieving my present state of married bliss....

--
Eiron.

On 14/05/2010 21:18, Eiron wrote:
On 14/05/2010 12:51, Arny Krueger wrote:
snip

What is your application.

Why not get the benefit of others' experiences?
I wouldn't have thought of Cambridge Audio but for £400 it does
everything I want.

I've just bought an LG 390. I found it all baffling so I took the
recommendation of the bloke at Richer Sounds - gacve me £10 of ticket,
at £220.

Seems to work very well. I went the extra to get networking, and all
that works well (even) with a Mac - but there's a bit of story with
that. Quick to load. Takes a USB HD (but socket on the front).

'Serves' just about every kind of video and audio I've tried *but* no
SACD - at least it's not mentioned. I think from very limited knowledge
that Oppo are one of the few that do . . .

The immediate requirement is for a DVD player with HDMI output (from £45)
for a projector without a SCART input but it's a small step up to £117
for a Blu-ray player, and then I might as well go all the way and have
a single box in the lounge to play everything, and use the current
Pioneer universal player for the projector.

And whatever you may think of formats such as SACD, I'm convinced that
Dark Side Of The Moon in 5.1 surround sound played a significant part
in achieving my present state of married bliss....

Should have tried that perhaps ;-)

The video of BR is undoubtedly very good indeed, and I certainly enjoyed
my third format of 2001. Doubt I'll buy many more disks though.

Rob

On 15/05/2010 09:10, Rob wrote:
On 14/05/2010 21:18, Eiron wrote:
On 14/05/2010 12:51, Arny Krueger wrote:
snip

What is your application.

Why not get the benefit of others' experiences?
I wouldn't have thought of Cambridge Audio but for £400 it does
everything I want.

I've just bought an LG 390. I found it all baffling so I took the
recommendation of the bloke at Richer Sounds - gacve me £10 of ticket,
at £220.

Seems to work very well. I went the extra to get networking, and all
that works well (even) with a Mac - but there's a bit of story with
that. Quick to load. Takes a USB HD (but socket on the front).

'Serves' just about every kind of video and audio I've tried *but* no
SACD - at least it's not mentioned. I think from very limited knowledge
that Oppo are one of the few that do . . .

Just looked - the Cambridge does.

"Eiron" wrote in message
...
Are they cheap enough yet?
Is there a Pioneer universal player with SACD and DVD-A?
What does the forum recommend?

--
Eiron.

I thought I'd throw my ha'penny's worth into the fray before
I abandon these groups again.
It's an audio group and you want a universal player and mention
SACD and DVD-A.
HDMI is sinful for digital audio - see Paul Millers testing, he being
the only one who can test properly and reveal whats going on.

What goes on under the bonnet of a budget universal player?
Again, if you know where to look you'd learn you're unlikely to
get decoding that delivers the wideband capability of SACD etc.

Hi-Def is frequently disappointing in whatever method delivered.
Flat panel displays of any ilk are crap with SD. (Upscaling of SD
is dismal). And even "proper" Hi-Def meterial is not that impressive
when compared to a DVD component feed into a 100hz CRT.

A couple of brand names have been mentioned in this thread,
I have no experiance of the Oppo, I just know it sold quite well
in the states. The other Brand, well it's not Stan Curtis anymore
though I do own one clever upsampling/multi filter option dac,
but my nonos'd saa7350 dac is better*

My quota for timewasting in these groups is being exceeded, I was
only here looking for a link to an Arny recording!

You want universal playback? But BD/HD/Flat Panel displays/HDMI
need to evolve a long way before it all can be termed good.
Keep your budget low. On ebay/gumtree/cash converters you
can grab a bargain from suckers who "upgraded" too quick,
I just had a look and a Sony DVP-NS900, a Technics A-10, and a
samsung BD are up for grabs for a total of £180. You'd get SACD
and DVD-A playback from "proper" and attractive hardware which
will still have a resale value for years, and you can play expensive
and disappointing BD discs via the Samsung into your flat panel thingy
and all for a bargain price. Then sit back and wait until the hardware
OEM's to get it right with HD and BD. (It will be a long wait...)

*Before anyone leaps in about NOS'ing with a 7350, you're doing
it wrong, you fail to run pin 5 to ground - simple!
Ebay and a tenner for a faulty Pioneer CDR. Chosen because back
in the golden days of proper and attractive hardware, PMi tested
and found a true 75ohm imput and a receiver board that added
to producing "bit-for-bit" copies, but any mainstream CDR from
the golden days using a receiver board with yammy or CS chips,
then a Marantz for 12 quid from Croydon cash converters, in
my instance a 72 with a mobo with 7350 and a PSU with
all the required tappings and detachable figure-of-eight for inverting
polarity. Maplins and a fiver for required capacitors, less then 30 quid
and dancing!

Reclocking - Discuss.
(Note to Eiron and UnsteadyKen, I'm going to abandon these groups
again for a while, be back near xmas so I leave you two to get this
subject up and running. Be aware the reclocking brigade can get quite
emotional, sometimes intimidating, frequently wrong.
Just point out to them Stan Vincent got PMi to test back in the 90's
it didn't work then, and it's still a mistake now. Challenge a reclocking
advocate what clock? I kid you not but some are selling it for the pitch
integrity clock! If the master clock - I won't be specific now, but ask
them - with certain successful bitstream cd players that sold by the
truckload, the slow timed roll off in the gentle filtering, wasn't that
dictated by the master clock? Wouldn't reclocking be disasterous with
such cd players?)

Thats 60 minutes and my time is up.
Don't buy a budget universal player.
And if it exists, for Gods sake someone post the link to an Arny recording!

Cheers
John.

On May 15, 7:13*am, "Fed Up Lurker" wrote:

And if it exists, for Gods sake someone post the link to an Arny recording!

Just ask Jenn to record a few licks on her trombone,
"at least" it will be real.

Rob writes:

I've just bought an LG 390. I found it all baffling so I took the
recommendation of the bloke at Richer Sounds - gacve me Â£10 of ticket,
at Â£220.

snip

'Serves' just about every kind of video and audio I've tried *but* no
SACD - at least it's not mentioned. I think from very limited
knowledge that Oppo are one of the few that do . . .

What does "no SACD" mean? No sound at all or just standard CD from
SACDs?

/Martin (My CD repair is not going well, new laser was DOA.)

On 15/05/2010 18:57, Martin SchÃ¶Ã¶n wrote:
writes:

I've just bought an LG 390. I found it all baffling so I took the
recommendation of the bloke at Richer Sounds - gacve me Â£10 of ticket,
at Â£220.

snip

'Serves' just about every kind of video and audio I've tried *but* no
SACD - at least it's not mentioned. I think from very limited
knowledge that Oppo are one of the few that do . . .

What does "no SACD" mean? No sound at all or just standard CD from
SACDs?

Just standard CD from SACD disks.

Rob

/Martin (My CD repair is not going well, new laser was DOA.)

That's a bit rubbish.

Rob

Rob writes:

That's a bit rubbish.

?

/Martin

On 16/05/2010 08:53, Martin Schöön wrote:
writes:

That's a bit rubbish.

?

/Martin

You typed: /Martin (My CD repair is not going well, new laser was DOA.

I replied: That's a bit rubbish

Meaning: I think it's unfortunate that you have ordered and received a
new part and it was DOA. (Rubbish: very bad)

Rob

Rob writes:

Meaning: I think it's unfortunate that you have ordered and received a
new part and it was DOA. (Rubbish: very bad)

Aha, I guess I have had too much sunshine the past two days...

Anyways, the vendor has asked me to send the laser back. I will do
on Monday. If they send a new part I hope they use better packaging.

/Martin

A budget universal player will play CDs reasonably well and get you
started on SACDs and DVD-A discs. The next step is an outboard DAC. It
is foolish to spend a lot on a CD player as they are life limited.
Even the "forever players" like the DN951FA Denon and its Harris
Audiometrics counterpart are now unsupported.

On 17/05/2010 00:59, Bret L wrote:
A budget universal player will play CDs reasonably well and get you
started on SACDs and DVD-A discs. The next step is an outboard DAC.

The next step to what? Russ Andrews, madness and death?

--
Eiron.

On 14/05/2010 21:18, Eiron wrote:

The immediate requirement is for a DVD player with HDMI output (from £45)
for a projector without a SCART input

It turns out that Tesco sells a DVD player with HDMI for £22
(Technika DP4SS09) and it claims to play HDCD.
So I'll leave Blu-ray for another year.
If I only knew which of my HDCDs have headroom extension.

--
Eiron.