Macallan Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 I am looking to upgrade my CD player and have a few questions. I am using a Peach II/B&K 200.2 RF-7 combo with a $250 Sony Sacd/DVD Changer. The Sony is the DVP685 and is about 5 years old. I was researching the Rega Apollo and have read great reviews but what caught my eye was the equally good reviews for the $170 Oppo 980. Is the Oppo to good to be true or does this simply demonstrate that CD players sound pretty much the same? Would I notice an appreciable difference from my Sony? Should I save up for the Rega? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hifi jim Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 I owned the DVP999ES Sony which was SACD/DVD for a couple of years and I thought it the worst CD player I've heard. My ancient Pioneer cheapo player from '89 smoked it in a side by side. The Rega Planet 2000 that I owned, and regrettably sold is still missed on a daily basis. Nothing else sounded like that Rega, not even an overpriced Meridian. The Oppo I tried was good, but not great. Certainly better than the Sony, but far from the Rega. I think standalone CD players sound best for the same reasons two channel gear sounds better than mutlichannel gear. Simple is better. Your money is also going to two channel performance and not multi format compatibility. Let alone the designs constraints and compromises of multi format compatibility. I'd save for the Rega, it would make a great match with your system IMHO. Even a used Planet 2000 would be a great choice. The Apollo is better, but also more money, has a long load time, and a snap-in chuck like a portable CD player which would drive me nuts! The Planet is fast loading, has the spinning puck instead of the snap-in and can be found for almost half the money. The Apollo is more transparent and supposedly improved in every way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Get a transport and a pro dac if you have to listen to cd's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 The OPPO is too good to be true...but it is. See other forum opinion in the thread "OPPOulence." Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshnich Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Dave is right. The OPPO is to good to be true but it is. I own an Apollo and a few Oppo's. Yes I think that the Apollo is a fantastic CDP and in my opinion tops the Oppo. But the difference is certainly not worth the additional cost of the Apollo. IMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormin Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 The Oppo is a heck of a buy for 170 bucks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macallan Posted September 6, 2008 Author Share Posted September 6, 2008 So, would everyone think that the Oppo would best my current Sony? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Go for it, chief. In the worst case you'll have a universal player you at least like that does HT to boot... This is no decision to agonize over. There is no way you will regret this purchase. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 If you are concerned about budget, the Oppo is a no brainer from the strong reviews here. I have not heard it but I had an AH! tubed CD layer with every option and rare Amperex tubes. I then bought a Musical Fidelity A308CR CD player that is definately better than the AH! I would guess that the Rega is better than the Oppo but it will cost quite a bit more. It is hard to go by reviews because you don't know what was being compared or what equipment was used. I would jump on this one immediately: http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?dgtlplay&1225748418&/Musical-Fidelity-A-3-CD-Excell I am pretty sure that this uses the same DAC as the A3.24 which was rates Stereophile Class A a few years back. I have teh 3.24 DAC and it is a great unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Maybe my memory is bad but I remember folks here saying the oppo is a great dvd player but only so-so for music? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Maybe my memory is bad but I remember folks here saying the oppo is a great dvd player but only so-so for music? Memory is bad indeed. Review "OPPOulence." The overall verdict was that the majority of owners found it equal to or better than anything remotely near its price point and largely equal to anything in the stratosphere. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macallan Posted September 6, 2008 Author Share Posted September 6, 2008 I have also thought about the Squeezebox option, anyone compare the Oppo with the Squeezebox? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Maybe my memory is bad but I remember folks here saying the oppo is a great dvd player but only so-so for music? Memory is bad indeed. Review "OPPOulence." The overall verdict was that the majority of owners found it equal to or better than anything remotely near its price point and largely equal to anything in the stratosphere. Dave Thanks Dave. Maybe post a link for everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 If you are thinking about a server, gte a DAC and run your CD player and computer into it. I had a Benchmark DAC1 (outstanding unit) and replaced it with one of these (even better and stereophile class A FWIW): Musical Fidelity A3.24 dac: http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?dgtlconv&1225325771&/Musical-Fidelity-A3-24-upsampl They show up all of the time on Audiogon. You have 2 inputs one optial and one rca. The DAC will recognize whatever feeds it a signal first. It upsamples to 192. I am listening to one right now playing Pandora Radio on some very high resolution equipment and it sounds great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Maybe my memory is bad but I remember folks here saying the oppo is a great dvd player but only so-so for music? Memory is bad indeed. Review "OPPOulence." The overall verdict was that the majority of owners found it equal to or better than anything remotely near its price point and largely equal to anything in the stratosphere. Dave Thanks Dave. Maybe post a link for everyone. http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/thread/996214.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormin Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Maybe my memory is bad but I remember folks here saying the oppo is a great dvd player but only so-so for music? I don't believe I've ever seen that statement anywhere on the web. And if it was out there you would have to dig through literally thousands of positive reviews. Come on people it's 170 bucks. It's an absolute no brainer even if you put it in the kids playroom. They will thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Yeah it must have been about something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macallan Posted September 6, 2008 Author Share Posted September 6, 2008 I don't doubt that it is good for $170 but is it better than the Sony i already have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 I don't doubt that it is good for $170 but is it better than the Sony i already have? How can anyone know that? "Better" is a judgement only you can make. We are simply trying to offer our own experiences to provide a bit of guidance in the fog. If the Sony you have delivers the source material with no signs of itself added then I don't know why you are looking to spend money. Nor can I say that the Oppo will sound as good to you as it does to many of us. I can only tell you that on my own location recordings that the Oppo delivers exactly what I heard on location. Nothing more, nothing less. What I used on location cost around 30 times the Oppos price. As the immortal Pogo the Possum always said "You pays your dollar and takes your choice." Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hifi jim Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 I don't doubt that it is good for $170 but is it better than the Sony i already have? Yes. As I said earlier, having owned both I prefer the Oppo. No doubt, hands down. I prefer the Rega to both but at what cost? The Oppo is a good deal, and a good place to start. It's audio and video will exceed the Sony. You can always sell it, or keep it for another system. Better yet, you may find it's what you're looking for like the above posts support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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