harvoj carlinah jeremia
Wynellewe Gr
I always enjoyed approaching home theater from a PC perspective, discovering the unparalleled flexibility of a DIY build and tweaking it to deliver the quality and performance of high-end dedicated components. Indeed for over a decade my main PVR, Blu Ray player, Netflix streamer and general media source has been a gradually updated PC, with a high-end USB DAC connected to it to satisfy my audio desires.
What I really wanted was a higher resolution and better-connected upgrade for the Meridian which supported HD audio (24 bit / 96 or 192Khz), could stream it over ethernet from my NAS unit, and which supported the latest surround formats like DTS-HD Master. I realized if I had to buy two boxes, the one connected to my power amps and projector had to be a high-end audio processor, through which I could then connect a separate video source for apps if necessary.
When Oppo finally released the specs for the UDP-205, it certainly ticked almost all the boxes. It took the 4k video support of the UDP-203, but significantly upgraded the audio section with internal decoding of HD audio (including 192KHz / 24 bit FLAC and DSD64/128) via USB or Ethernet, internal decoding of Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio, 7.1 analogue outputs driven by not one but two top-end ESS Sabre Pro DACs, the choice of RCA or XLR for the main stereo outputs, and even a proper headphone amplifier. Now, anyone can employ top-end DACs, but the UDP-205 went the extra mile with separate power supplies for the digital and analogue circuitry, a dedicated HDMI audio clock to reduce jitter and a circuit design and component selection closer to esoteric high-end hifi components than consumer electronics.
The only thing the UDP-205 lacked was apps, so while it could stream AV content from a NAS over a local network or directly from a USB source, there was no means to connect to and stream from the likes of Netflix, Amazon, Spotify or Tidal. It did however offer an HDMI pass-through which supported 4k and HDR, allowing you to connect a simple media streamer like a Roku, Amazon Fire TV or Chrome Cast.
That said, the sheer number of things it did offer, along with its claims of audiophile credentials had me hooked, especially the intriguing possibility of bypassing a pre-amplifier and AVR, and instead connecting its analogue outputs directly to my power amplifiers. So once it became available, I contacted Oppo to borrow one for evaluation.
My original 5.1 system consists of a home-made media PC and Meridian 500 CD transport as a source, a Meridian 568 as a surround processor and preamplifier, a Meridian 557 power amplifier driving the front left and right, a Proceed AMP 3 power amplifier driving the centre and rear, a pair of B&W Nautilus 802 speakers and Nautilus HTM on the front, a pair of B&W CWM 7.4 in-wall speakers on the rear, and a B&W AWS 850 subwoofer. I also have a Benchmark DAC1 PRE connected to my PC over USB for headphone listening and decoding of HD Audio.
I then swapped the Meridian CD 500 for the Oppo UDP-205, using the same electrical SPDIF connection, and the same Meridian 568 for the processing; I should note the Oppo was a review sample, already burned-in by previous testers, and in all my audio tests I selected the Pure Audio mode which disables the video processing and turns off the front display to eliminate any possible interference.
I was surprised how different it sounded, considering the processing was unchanged in this configuration, but I generally preferred what I was hearing from the Oppo and was also reassured to find albums streamed as lossless FLACs from my NAS over Ethernet sounded identical to those played directly from CD discs.
But while this report is mostly about music, I was of course curious to hear how the Oppo 205 performed with movie soundtracks, particularly as my Meridian 568 was capable of nothing better than vanilla Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1. Now with the Oppo 205 doing the processing, I was able to access higher resolution formats including DTS-HD Master.
I asked a lot from the Oppo UDP-205 and it delivered the goods across the board. It sounded better than my Meridian 568 processor for stereo and multi-channel music, and especially for Blu Ray movies with Dolby True HD or DTS-HD Master soundtracks. It worked well as an audio streamer, accessing a variety of content, including HD audio, on my NAS over my local network, while the mobile app allowed me to easily browse my collection. It also performed surprisingly well as a pre-amplifier, with basic speaker management (size and distance), and connecting directly to my power amplifiers, allowing me to bypass a traditional AVR / pre-amplifier. The headphone amplifier was even good enough for me to retire my Benchmark DAC1 PRE.
So the only question mark over my particular configuration regards using the UDP-205 as a pre-amplifier, connected directly to power amplifiers. It certainly works, but the levels mean I have to turn the 205 down to between 20 and 30 for music and no more than 40 for movies. While the volume control still has plenty of dynamic range even at these low settings, they remain well below the optimal output levels.
Blu-ray players in the same way as DVD players before them is becoming something you may almost buy at the store around the corner. This in heavy contrast to those early generations, where the bplayes hung high. And were sour...
Sony is one of the producers who are heavily involved in this market, but perhaps not necessarily in the heavy end of the market. In last year's collection of Blu-ray players, all count in below a kilogram, and the review sample being the smallest in the collection weighs 0.8 kg. We are, in other words in the light end. But is it any good?
The new series is obviously different from previous generations by having a much cleaner design. Outgoing models have received some pepper because of some of its slightly quirky design, with a little gratuitous almost flat pyramidal top. Maybe okay, but not very pleasing in my eyes. The new series is far more pure in design - not something that stands out, but it's really a brilliant design concept. In all its ease and simplicity there is something a bit chic with the Cubist and clean design.
And while we're at with weight - fair enough that 0.8 kg is not a lot of steel. But when it is combined with a compact design that these new players hold, it is not really saying wrong anyway. For a body that is half the width of a regular full-size HiFi component, it becomes a sensible relationship between size and weight. It has a pretty decent bulk density, and therefore feels straightforward to touch.
Physical noise from the drive is a very relevant parameter for both Blu-ray and DVD players. And BDP-S1500 is not complete silent during the entire process. But the good news is that the noise is very limited, and also has a pleasant character. It is also largely limited to startup and manouvering of Blu-ray playback. I am in possession of a Blu-ray player from Denon at 10 times the price of the BDP-S1500, which has much larger powerful noise problems. From Sony BDP-S1500 noise never is apearant others thatn when the sound is muted, and even then it is only faintly audible at a distance of two meters. Not flawless in other words, but very good for the price. Only wormwood is that it is a tad weaker in this exercise than an even more affordable player from Samsung, which I also have in my collection.
Sony was always top of the class in the exercise quickness in Blu-ray players' childhood and youth. And even though the terrain has largely been leveled eventually, Sony is still among the leaders in terms of speed.
The review sample of BDP-S1500 uses 20 to 25 seconds from standby to load the menu of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , one of the very few movies in the Norwegian market currently available with Dolby Atmos. This is certainly more than approved.
The remote control is an important part of AV components, especially Blu-ray players. BDP-S1500's remote control is odefinitively in the compact class, but it scores well on many parameters. One of the most important one is that it is a logical and easy to navigate. Equally important is that it has good transmission power of the control signals, and the player has good sensitivity for the orders given from the listening position. Here the remote for BDP-S1500 scores very good. Even commands given from a position behind a sofa cushion is promptly executed.
A direct button for Netflix means that you don`t have to scroll through menus to activate this streaming service for movies. Netflix has in quite a short time conquered the market, and is actually starting to get a very dominant position in relation to "linear TV." The fact that the remote has received a direct button for activating the streaming service is to my knowledge unique. And I like it - a HiFi and AV enthusiast is using too much time and frustration deep inside silly menus.
Sony BDP-S1500 is thus a smart player that offers services like Netflix via the player. It depends on wired network connection, or at least a solution with receiver for wireless bridge if you don`t have access to wired network near the player. This is a limitation that it is possible to grumble over, if you have talent for that excersise. But to me it makes sense as an intelligent solution for the most affordable player in a series, to politely refer to the more expensive models if you need WiFi. It is more than equally relevant to be impressed that the player has wired network and Netflix available.
And if for some inexplicable reason vote that surfing the internet is a mandatory exercise for a Blu-ray player, you also need to put some more money into the pot. Here we talk BDP-S4500 and upwards ...
On the audio side, the player holds only digital outputs, in terms of HDMI and Coax. A very common development, and also a choice that makes sense for a player in this price category. This limits costs, as DACs are totally absent. The only parameter for sound quality in the player remains to be jitter characteristics. Since the test has been performed in a budget setup with an AV receiver costing 6.000, - (NOK) I have not had the ambition to dvelve into the sound properties via the digital outputs. I just note that it works pretty much the same with other players in the same general price segment. And BDP-S1500 is on par as a sound transmitter in the digital domain.
90f70e40cf