Cambridge Audio 752BD Universal Player review or, "how Universal players should be done"

I think we are in agreement on that I refer to that in an earlier post.

It's all relative. I would say imho the Oppo 105 is exceptional value for money and it will hold up in a reasonably high end system but you can beat it but it will cost to do so. A more interesting debate is whether a similarly priced CD player can beat the Oppo.

 

Have you heard the Oppo in your own system? Or the Esoteric for that matter?

 

I think if you pay attention to the serious players those who strive for excellence you will see a lot of detail on what they think is important, it often leads to different opinions and the end product may be at the mercy of the listener's tastes. Find a product at the top end and you will invariably be able to find an interview or site blurb that indicates how the design was decided upon.

I think as well as you work through components you can see build quality etc, it's not everything I have had amps and CD players that were compromised in some way (not always cheap components either) but still delivered top quality audio at their price point. I'm at a stage where Esoteric is my chosen preferred equipment, the build quality is superb and they are the best components I've heard at home.

 

So what would you do, if all things weren't equal - a high end source, a high quality amp, fine attention paid to the power supplies, etc and then do a blind test with a bunch of gear that costs less than the speaker cable?

Well...this is a few years old now, but worth repeating here as it highlights some of the issues that have been mentioned - just how important is the power stage, the manufacturer and the reputation? I mean, hell, Bob Carver built an amp that performed as well as a top end one (and his was about $700). So what would you do if you took a bunch of Spanish audio fans and.... http://matrixhifi.com/ENG_contenedor_ppec.htm

 

I'll wager a "No" up to this point.

 

I have though. I have both. In my opinion the Oppo can live in a high end system and indeed I saw a system on Audiogon one time that was absolutely world class (serious serious money) and the owner said the Oppo surprised him by how well it stood up. The problem you have with any component though is if you beat it and your system produces music to another level then it's difficult to go back the way. That's what I've found.

 

I'd also like to know if you've heard the Oppo 105. Well have you? A simple yes or no answer would suffice. I'm assuming you haven't which makes one wonder how you can pass judgment on a component you've never even heard.

Bill

 

BSC,

Thank you for your thoughts . I appreciate them especially since you own both players and can give an actual hands on (or ears on ) opinion.

Bill

 

I would completely dismiss that type of testing, it's not realistic and it is imho a waste of time.

It is very very easy to confuse yourself even within your own environment. You need time to assess music reproduction and you need time to live with and if you are smart you will reassess it. I found that over the last year or so with a total system overhaul and the search for the right amp.

Trust your own ears, in your own home over time because issues with the sound will become apparent and repeated over time. It can and does take time and effort and you'll get days when you tie yourself in knots.

 

Blind testing not valid?!?

Get the nurse...

 

Yes, totally agree.

 

I really don't see the point of it. On so many levels.

Maybe the way to buy hi-fi is to go into your local dealer and let him blind test you equipment.

In my opinion price isn't everything and there are respected hi-fi brands that are rated that I've never liked and others that are emerging that I am deeply suspicious of. However you do get to a point where in the main the money you spend matters, you do get what you pay for with the right equipment. Is it value for money or can you justify it? That's a different question.

I've already stated on this thread I think you can put together a very very capable system for about £1000-£2000 and second hand buying of quality components I see as the smart way to go.

Alternatively you can sit in a room bound and gagged listening to some female Jazz vocalist guessing if it's a £5 0r £500000 system.

 

I think there is an argument against relying on blind or A/B testing, but I don't think this is it. Wouldn't you agree that it would be a problem if one couldn't tell an immediate difference between those two systems?

 

Hearing a component is only one way of gauging quality in digital audio. Your ears can play tricks on you, but relying on purely objective data like how famous the brand is, how new it is, or how expensive it is is really the gold standard.

 

If you were to test say a £500 system versus a £5K system I would agree I think if you've build a system from really cheap components as I have then you know there are aspects of music reproduction that only occur at certain levels.

I do think however if you are sitting in a situation however controlled where components are getting swapped about you can and will probably get confused.

 

It clearly has a place (and it's not likely to be the dealer's, though it can be with switching boxes as Hi Fi Corner's now defunct branch in Rose Street in Edinburgh used to have), but so does extended use.

People have different reasons for buying better quality gear though and your comments have only confirmed what I've said on this forum and others for ages now. That consumers make a series of choices based on what they want - more expensive gear gets you a whole bunch of stuff, better build, better components (though with economies of scale and relevant inexpense of - say - DAC chips, that can be moot to some extent).

My AVI Lab Series dates from 2003. It's a very minimalist design, redbook only, rock solid build with all metal casework and very rigid. Quite an industrial look, but very nice sounding. AVI sold it for £1500 and with the matching 250wpc Lab Series amp (which I still lust over), you got £3000 worth of top class gear. Ten years on, the amp still goes for about £800.

But for some things, especially at significant cost, a blind test gives you something extended listening doesn't - immediacy. But yes, we make buying decisions on more than just immediacy, and if I had the cash, I'd buy some McIntosh gear at the drop of a hat yet I don't think my current system is leaving me short changed in any way.

 

My money's on a Logitech Transporter, then an upgrade to a Cary. Where the train stopped inbetween is anyone's guess. I'm thinking a limited stop express service...

 

There are classics that are cheap as chips that imho I would buy long before some emerging expensive equipment. Digital is a tad trickier I would say in comparison to amps and speakers though.

I might be wrong about hi-fi but I do think buying equipment is unusual in that it's a very personal experience-it's not like buying clothes, a watch, a car or even a house-people can see that. My current components are uglier than say the Ayre equipment I owned at one time. My amp has a lovely finish but is ugly in shape and dimensions
Of course a psychologist might query why you buy hi-fi but I'm almost certain the driving factor is to get better sound quality. Of course that brings the never ending quest aspect and of course system balance-what started out for me as a pair of speakers ended up with me replacing everything.

 

Yes. Have had this experience a couple of times and it was some embarrassingly expensive gear. Some years ago now, but some big Wilson speakers and some Scarlatti gear did not work at all. Can't recall the amplification, but this was all well north of £80,000. Then again, a lovely setup more recently with some big Audio Physic speakers, a Perreaux 250 and files off an iPad were terrific. At a quarter of the cost.

 

A short post and back on original topic. The Cambridge player arrived a couple of days ago. Set up was very quick and painless for a trial run using HDMI for video and 2 channel stereo via a Melody SP9R amp for sound.
I had been planning to get a cheap monitor to navigate around various discs like DVD-A but went a little over board and got a new bigger smart TV for the house and scored the old TV for my music room so I have a 32" HD set for video duties which suits me just fine.
Spent a few minutes yesterday and set up the audio preferences then went and sent the rest of the day watching movies instead. Very impressed with the visuals.
Only did a quick test run with one SACD, G Dead MoFi American Beauty. Sounded more than acceptable but will delve a bit deeper in the coming weeks.
So far very happy with the purchase.

 

Ah yes, Audio Physic makes very nice speakers. I have a set myself (though only the "entry level"). Do you remember which ones you listened to?

 

Can't recall exactly; they were white, tall and came in at around £11,000 pair. Just slightly off my buying radar...!!

 

Yes, the higher models are quite pricey, especially outside of Germany. I listened to a few of them in the HiFi store where I bought most of my gear and wish I had that kind of money.

 

Hi, I have questions for 752 owners.

1). I understand everything is upsampled before being sent to the internal Wolfson DAC chips, but are digital signals sent to an external DAC via the digital outputs automatically upsampled, not upsampled, or can the user choose one or the other?

2) Are upsampling/not upsampling options different depending on whether the signal comes from the spinner or from an external source? (assuming both will be sent to a DAC via digital out.)

3) For DSD, what PCM sample rate/resolution is the sent via HDMI if conversion to PCM is chosen? (I know 752 automatically converts DSD to PCM for the internal Wolfson DAC playback, but there apparently is an option to convert or not convert before sending digital signal out via hdmi.)

Thanks, all.

 

You might find some of your answers in the Cambridge Audio Technical Spec paper for the 752BD on its website (here: https://techsupport.cambridgeaudio....289862/Azur_752BD_Technical_Specification.pdf).

The more detailed info you want (as per Q1) I think you might have to get from one of the team there. The player treats upsampling the same to the signal it receives, regardless of whether it's off the disc, or off a hard drive, or another source it supports. Unfortunately, I now can't find the link to that page!