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Oppo vs Panasonic Blu-Ray plyr vs HDMI DAC?


Maximus89

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I have a legacy AVR i don't want to upgrade because tech seems to advance too fast leaving your fairly new thousands of dollars investment-a dinosaur. 

Likewise, Blu-Ray players seem to be on the way out in favor of streaming. So investing in a high end blu-ray player seems scary as well.

First of all, i know i need multi-channel analog out to have my AVR play current surround processing such as True HD and Master and Atmos etc. 

Here are my considerations:

 

Oppo 203:
PROS: 
-Has been updated with Dolby Vision, so everything up to date.  
-Audiophile quality/Gold 7.1 analog out/SACD/DVD-A playback
-Top tier built DACs
-HUGE PLUS? HDMI IN- If streaming is the future, you can always add your streaming box or game console-BUT does it add upconversion and the oppos built in processing to make the streaming higher quality than just directly into your TV HDMI?

CONS:
-Pricey.
-How long will Oppo support last?

Panasonic UB9000:
PROS:
-All the same pros as Oppo 203 except probably $400-600 cheaper-NEW. 
CONS:
-NO HDMI IN
-NO SACD/DVD-A playback

Essence HDACC II-4K:
Essence-HDACC-II-4K-front-580x348.jpg
Essence HDACC II 4K UHD rear
At $600, As you can see, this HDMI DAC has lots of inputs sort of like an add on for your legacy non HDMI or older HDMI AVR's.
Does this serve me at all though? If i plug in a blu-ray player via HDMI, and R/L analog out to DVD IN on the AVR-will i get current/up to date surround processing pass through the AVR?

Evolve II-4K HDMI v2.0 / Multi-Channel DAC:
Essence-Evolve-II-4K-Hi-Res-580x64.jpg
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
At $300, this gives 1 HDMI IN and 1 HDMI OUT, but i get the multichannel analog outs. Same price point as the mid tier Panasonic Blu Ray player with analog outs. I'd continue using my Samsung 4k blu ray player.  No more HDMI IN's for streaming box to get highest qualtiy audio. 

Help me choose!

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Essence HDACC II 4K UHD rear

If i plug in a blu-ray player via HDMI, and R/L analog out to DVD IN on the AVR-will i get current/up to date surround processing pass through the AVR?

 

 

 

N O ! ... thru the HDMI + Optical Out, will you get multiple channels.

           (And, possibly the COAX OUT)...check your processor manual.

 

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I spoke with th guy who runs essence and from my understanding, i'd only get uncompressed 2ch pass through. So the front L/R would get True HD and Master and what not, so even if you could use optical to send compressed audio to the center and surrounds, whats the point of my L/R being uncompressed when it's just mostly ambience.   The Center would be the most important to get uncompressed audio for voice, but obviously best to have all speakers uncompressed. 

Basically I think it's coming down to Evolve II($299) plus an HDMI 4k HDR switcher($19.99 https://www.amazon.com/Koopman-Switcher-Selector-Wireless-Supports/dp/B07PFHWHQT).  So i'd get 7.1 analog out from the Evolve, plus 4 HDMI INputs with the switcher for my Blu-Ray player, Streaming Device, and PC, Game Console.  Only i'm not sure how the switcher would connect to the Evolve.  I'll have to email him and ask if these 2 devices would work together.  

This would all be solved if mid tier AVR's had pre outs for all the speakers, but they usually only come with 2ch pre out these days.  My AVR can use all 8+2 Zone  amps as stand alone power amps to send to another processer. Definitely don't think i'm going the Oppo route as I want to save up for a good Tube Pre Amp for 2ch with home theater pass thru.

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Grr. Just realized the Evolve II-4k is HDMI2.0 and only passes regular 4k.  Back to square 1.  Might just have to shell out the big bucks for an oppo or just give up and use basic optical audio connections for all my devices

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13 hours ago, Maximus89 said:

Grr. Just realized the Evolve II-4k is HDMI2.0 and only passes regular 4k.  Back to square 1.  Might just have to shell out the big bucks for an oppo or just give up and use basic optical audio connections for all my devices

MY MISTAKE.  The Evolve II-4K DOES pass HDR and Dolby Vision.   Using it plus a 4k hdr switcher with the 8 analog outs of the Evolve II-4k will keep your legacy AVR up to date! 

My only issue left will be that i can't bypass the McIntosh MHT100s processing for 2ch via my Tube Dac unless there's something i'm missing as i'll need to free up the analog in for the analog out from the Evolve II-4k, so a tube pre amp will be in my near future, which Evolve+Switcher(Roughly $320 investment) helps save my money so i don't have to spend $1400 or more on an Oppo for that HDMI In.  Lower cost 4k Blu-Ray players image looks just as good according to reviews. 

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On 5/29/2020 at 11:01 AM, Maximus89 said:

... helps save my money so i don't have to spend $1400 or more on an Oppo for that HDMI In.  Lower cost 4k Blu-Ray players image looks just as good according to reviews. 

You heard the Pioneer ELITE  UDP-LX500 , with standard cd's at the 'Black Ice F-360' DEMO.  

 

 

  I was considering buying the an OPPO, but realized this was the only way to go...for me. 

 

Scope out its versatility.

https://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/Blu-ray-Disc/Elite-Blu-ray-Disc-Players/UDP-LX500

 

 I can get it much cheaper, than the posted price.

 

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You heard the Pioneer ELITE  UDP-LX500 , with standard cd's at the 'Black Ice F-360' DEMO.  
 
 
  I was considering buying the an OPPO, but realized this was the only way to go...for me. 
 
Scope out its versatility.
https://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/Blu-ray-Disc/Elite-Blu-ray-Disc-Players/UDP-LX500
 
 I can get it much cheaper, than the posted price.
 
It doesnt have the 8ch analog out or hdmi in. I was trying to make my big mac AVR up to date with the addition of those addons

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

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  • 1 year later...
On 5/27/2020 at 10:05 AM, Maximus89 said:

I have a legacy AVR i don't want to upgrade because tech seems to advance too fast leaving your fairly new thousands of dollars investment-a dinosaur. 

I looked at your profile and if you are running 4 LSs in a Home Theater I would consider upgrading to a HDMI AVR. Fwiw, I've had my Denon AVR-4311ci for 10 years and let the Sony 4K player decode the higher res material (no Atmos though). {Edit Note: Isn't the Marantz SR7007 a HDMI AVR?}

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[mention=62903]Maximus89[/mention], how did the Essence Evolve + HDMI switch work... thinking of doing the same.
Works great. Still using it today. The switcher has only 1 problem with a long hdmi run in where it goes black for a sec and comes back.
I also have problems with the ps5 blu ray player playing back in surround and the ps5 hbomax app. Could be a ps5 issue. I don't know. I have a separate blu ray player and all surround works on thst including Netflix, prime and vudu or plex, but it doesn't have hbomax or disney+ etc.

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I looked at your profile and if you are running 4 LSs in a Home Theater I would consider upgrading to a HDMI AVR. Fwiw, I've had my Denon AVR-4311ci for 10 years and let the Sony 4K player decode the higher res material (no Atmos though). {Edit Note: Isn't the Marantz SR7007 a HDMI AVR?}
I dont have the la scalas anymore. If I did, I would have invested in 3 used decware zbox tube buffers in between the evolve analog outs and the preamp.
The sr7007 is not currently working but it has alwyas had a bad hdmi board. The hdmi out and thr front hdmi worked. So technically I could have used the hdmi out to a switcher then switcher out to my TV. Preouts and analog outs and built in power amps of the unit stopped working. Never got around to repairing it. Since then I've had multiple mcintosh multichannel analog pres and currently use one from Accuphase. I had been looking for a Conrad Johnson MET1 multichannel tube pre but never came up. They all do good enough job with surround, but not being able to run a room correction does become a pain at times. The center kv4 always too low volume next to the cf4s. Surround takes a back seat to 2ch music so I guess I'm in the very small market those early 2000s era high end multichannel analog units were being built for.

I had a pathos cinema x in here which was awesome for 2ch in auto bridge and surround with its tube preamp was great, but all of these analog multichannel systems have very basic manual channel trim levels.

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