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

Good plan, I've not heard the SA8005 myself however it is well liked here as is the 105BD.
I think you will have your answer immediately once you hear the 752BD as to which player is the way to go. Good luck.

 

I'm (sob) away from the machine right now so I haven't been able to try this myself, but a friend found this entry in the FAQ . I'll quote the passage to save a click:

"How Do I Enable Gapless Playback On The CXU And 752BD?

Gapless playback is supported via USB on the CXU/752BD. To enable gapless playback of your music files, highlight a song and press the Option key on the remote control. You can then select Gapless Playback from the options menu.

*Please note: the gapless playback feature on the CXU/752BD is not supported over UPnP."


While the vast majority of my playing will be the various physical formats but to be able to have hi-res downloads of live music without gaps would be a nice bonus (and this was more crucial for my friend who says he now has gapless playback).

And oh yeah, blu-rays and dvds just look (and duh, sound) ridiculously great. This was embarrassingly an afterthought as I had a working inexpensive Sony blu-ray player but needed to replace a dead hi-res player. The lil' Sony is now just going to be a streamer of Amazon Prime (though a tip of the cap for its service).

 

Hey now, that did it. Playing Rush - A Show Of Hands from USB stick. At first the option for Gapless did not show, but as you scroll across it does and so far so good. Did not work for the Beatles stick but I imagine if you made your own from a disc there would not be an issue. Thanks a lot for passing this along. Cheers

 

Can someone tell me whether a kit is available for North American customers to convert this player into a region free blu-ray player? Do you have it, did you self-install it, and your overall evaluation? Link please if it is so. Thanks.

 

I'd like to know about this, too.
I agree with you regarding the sound quality the Cambridge Audio 752BD puts out. I had a similar experience -- I wasn't concentrating on the audio quality, rather, it just kinda jumped out at me. Nice.

 

I sure think so. Best sounding machine I've owned.

 

Yes, mine has been made truly region-free and will take firmware updates without disturbing the region-free settings, which is essential for me. I believe there was some hardware installed in addition to some reprogramming performed prior to shipping. I was sent a sheet of instructions with the unit, just in case. PM me for the vendor's info. I'm not sure he's going to work on a unit he hasn't sold, though.

 

And ch-ching, we have a winner!

 

Ordered a 'refurbished' Cambridge Audio 752 yesterday. £357 with 12 month warranty included. Was considering the Oppo 105 but someone suggested the CA 752 to me.

Reading internet reviews and forum comments i think i've got myself a bargain (well £700 cheaper than the Oppo and ticks all the boxes for my needs) - hope that turns out to be the case.

 

Welcome and enjoy it. The CA 752 is an excellent player. I've had mine for two years now and the sound it offers is still magic to me.

 

Will be connecting it to Roksan M2 integrated amp via analogue output for audio which in turn feeds a pair of B+W CM10 S2 speakers.

 

To expand on the above, it has been bought to replace existing cd player and bluray player - so one less box, plus the additional functionality (i used to have an SACD player but sold a while ago). Will mainly be used for audio, though is also connected to tv for bluray playback with 2 channels audio - my 5.1 setup is in another room.

 

Hi all, new 752 owner here, bought it Tuesday from Richer Sounds.
Have it connected to Azur 651r via HDMI and 5.1 analogue. Read and re read this thread prior to purchase and extremely pleased so far but I have a few questions and hope someone with a better understanding than me can help.

1. Would there be any benefit in running my sky hd box through the 752 as opposed to the av?

2. Does the analog connection convert digital sound from Blu Rays and CDs to analogue and give better sound?

3. If the answer to 2 is yes what settings do I need on the 752 and av

Really sorry if these questions are a bit basic to some of you but would appreciate any help.

 

Bump

Ps sorry to bump but any answers might help me convince my dearly beloved that her £500 was money well spent!

 

Hi Rob,


IME it's best to hook up at HDMI level for ALL your M/C needs as AVR's tend to offer better bass management and Room EQ.

Conversely.......for STEREO IMHO you are better off hooking up at ANALOG level and ensuring the cleanest possible signal from your 752's superior DAC.

Eg........If the AVR has something like "analog pure direct"..........use it.

As far as settings go it's ALWAYS a good idea to read the manual to ensure you get the MOST out of your gear!!!

You are currently hooked up BOTH ways for M/C so have a listen to each and see which YOU prefer.

Don't be afraid to experiment either..........nothing is written in stone and you may even find that ALL CHANNEL STEREO is heaven!!


Cheers

 

Hi Linger

Thanks for taking the time to reply. Greetings from rainy and windswept Wales to sunny Australia.

Appreciate what you say about reading the manuals and believe me I have, probably to the point where my eyes are close to bleeding!!!!

I have experimented with the settings as well but it just seems every time I adjust settings I lose all sound and then spend ages trying to remember what I changed so I can unchange it!

Ah well I guess this is the pleasure of searching for that perfect sound - who knows, one day I might find it

Rob

 

For anyone interested there is a used CA 752BD for sale in Australia for just AUD$630!!!!!!!!

http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/index.php/topic/93293-fs-cambridge-audio-azur-752bd-blu-ray-player/

I reckon they would post O/S if you asked nicely and I believe the CA has worldwide voltage.

Only issue may be shipping cost but asking price IS only........US$460.00.........GBP 305.00!!!!!


Cheers

 

For some reason my HDCD on/off is stuck at On and not giving me the ability to turn it off. It used to be able to be toggled on and off so not sure why I can't anymore. Any thoughts?

EDIT- Figured it out....that can't be done on the fly. The CD has to be stopped....not playing or paused to switch it.

 

Yes, you'd need to go into the setup menu to switch the function off.