Showdown.. Oppo vs Naim! [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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elapsed
08-17-2008, 11:39 AM
So I picked up my very first DVD player last week, the Oppo 983. This also happens to be my first DVD-Audio and SACD Player. So this afternoon I was going through my CD collection as some of my CD's come with a music/concert DVD, and lo and behold I found that my Beatles Love CD includes a DVD-Audio disc! I've never heard DVD-Audio before, so time for the showdown!

Test 1: Oppo DV-983H, Chord Crimson RCA to DIN-5 interconnect, DVD-Audio Playback ($499 for player and interconnect)

Test 2: Naim CD5x with FlatCap-2x power supply, Naim DIN-5 interconnect, Redbook CD Playback ($4,500 for player and power supply)

My system is 100% analogue, with no outboard DAC.. Needless to say, I could only handle a few minutes with the Oppo, it sounded thin and weak, very tinny, lacked musicality, no presense or soul... I hear absolutely no added detail with DVD-Audio (or maybe its that my mind prefers to listen to the MUSIC as opposed to the DETAIL lol)

I know this is hardly a fair comparison as the Naim CD Player costs over 10x the Oppo... But no question in my mind that a quality CD player can hold its own against a mass-market DVD-Audio player, and beat it handily via analogue.

Btw, the Oppo 983 is absolutely astounding for DVD-Video playback, best video performance I've ever seen for Standard Definition DVD. I'm still thrilled with this purchase. And I'm certain it would have been a solid DVD-Audio player if my system had a Benchmark or Behringer DAC. I do plan on purchasing Dark Side of the Moon on SACD for one more showdown though.

Cheers,
elapsed

PS - My review of the Oppo for video playback here: http://forums.audioreview.com/showthread.php?p=252193