Pioneer Elite BDP-62FD as a DVD-Audio Player

[bobpaule]

My Oppo DV-980H was plagued by a 96kHz/48kHz MLP to 48kHz/44.1kHz LPCM bug, all tricks failed, and the pile of DVD-Audios not playable in the analog out DV-A1UDCI kept growing larger. Somehow the DV-980H/PR-SC5509 combo missed out on a lot of detail, as auditioned comparatively against the A1-analog-PRSC5509 and especially 2 channel balanced to the CP-700 preamplifier.

So time came to start looking for a DVD-Audio player capable of passing native frequency, a sure sign of minimal D/D conversions, hopefully single step MLP/LPCM only, via HDMI of course. Surprisingly few machines do this, and the Oppos even as low down as the BDP-80 still go for a pretty penny.

Machine looks solid, beautiful with front brushed aluminum plate.

Drive is flimsy and made noises on loading but not while playing, missing 7-10-2-5 o'clock cutouts for ease of disc removal, but at 3mm tray thickness that is not possible.

Very fast load times.

No Next/Previous track buttons on front panel, letdown.

Set HDMI to Separate, video resolution to 1080i to allow passage of MLP's native rates (known bug with 1080p on AVSforums), PCM set to 192kHz. HDMI1 goes to the secondary monitor next to seating position, HDMI2 to the PR-SC5509 which shows native rates, 96kHZ.

Compared to my Oppo DV-980H the soundstage is wider, and effects a lot more detailed. I listened a lot to Workingman's Dead, Roy Orbison, Beatles Love before I put the Oppo away, so my memory is very fresh.

So I guess not all transports are created equal, the downrezzing of 96KHz to 48kHz has a detrimental effect on SQ, i guess due to a number of D/D conversions involved in the process.

Interestingly auditioning Beatles Love back and forth via the A1UDCI analog single ended multichannel (x3 32 bit AKM DACs pulling 2 channels each) against the BDP-62FD processed in the PR-SC5509 I could still hear more detail from the A1UDCI, but the difference was subtle.

There is another advantage to the BDP-62FD, it has the same Marvell video chip as the Oppos
103/105, and media capabilities short of VUDU (if they bring VUDU DD+ bitstreamed I am selling the PS3).

Needless to say I am extremely pleased with the player and I already got a second one for backup,
at these prices I could not resist, the 2 together were $180 less than the Oppo 103 new.

 

[proufo]

Interestingly auditioning Beatles Love back and forth via the A1UDCI analog single ended multichannel (x3 32 bit AKM DACs pulling 2 channels each) against the BDP-62FD processed in the PR-SC5509 I could still hear more detail from the A1UDCI, but the difference was subtle.

Hello BP.

Why don't you use the A1UDCI for DVD-A?

 

[bobpaule]

Hello BP.

Why don't you use the A1UDCI for DVD-A?

It freezes with many dvd-audios, esp older ones, same with BD- Video. It will not recognize the discs, make white noise picture and sound, or freeze displaying "Play". However if a disc plays once it will always play. Go figure!

It never has a problem with SACD or BD- Audio. Still a great audio player IMHO,
on par with Esoteric and others costing much more. It is the only player integrating one 32 bit DAC per 2 channels of audio in MCH, with the UD9004 and MVP881/891 knockoffs from the good old days when D&M Holdings had all 3 brands under one umbrella.

Sucks that I will have to redo all those "Oppo" corner stickers to "Pio" now