San Diego CDP Shootout Results

dpowell

The San Diego CDP gathering was a small but worthwhile event. Erik Tracey joined me for a few hours of CDP comparison and good tunes.

Here are my initial thoughts on the results.

My honest opinion is that with three players all connected with the same IC's and same power cords, there were negligible differences between the three. Players used were:

Oppo BDP 83
Oppo BDP 83 SE
Marantz Black Pearl

Other gear: Pass Labs X1 Pre, Sunfire Signature Cinema Grande 400, Modded 2.3TL's, Audioquest Jaguar IC's

There were subtle differences and each step up in price point did provide some additional benefit. The 83 SE had a slight edge in detail over the 83. The Marantz had a slight edge in sound stage over the Oppo SE. That said, you really had to be paying attention to specific details within the music to notice the differences. If you were walking through the room listening second-hand, you would not know whether it was the Marantz or either of the Oppos in use. Vocals provided the easiest means to discern the differences. I came away from the day not feeling as though either higher end player offered a remarkable enough of a difference to justify the additional retail cost.

I honestly would like to know what in the chain of gear might render swapping sources so irrelevant.

Cables DID make a difference. I can tell you that M0N$T3R cables are terrible and completely ruin any good source. The Jaguar IC's had an edge in smoothness and lower noise floor over the Signal Cable Analog II IC's.

I'll let Erik weigh in on his thoughts.

Erik Tracy

Cutting right to the chase - Doug pretty much nailed my thoughts as well....really close call between these players.

I was eager to lay ears on the 83SE and was expecting an easy call on how all 3 players panned out sonically.

We did pretty much all we could to level the playing field to just focus on differences between the players: same ICs, same power cords, same settings on the players, same audio levels, identical CDs and SACDs, perfectly synched during playback.

This was no make a change, look at each other and nod in agreement about some big noticable difference.

This was hard. It required going into an eyes closed zen like state of mushin, of nothingness to hear any differences.

In the comparison of the 83 vs 83SE, the 83SE had a bit more palpable focus to vocals and clarity to treble.

With the 83 'bested', we swapped in the Marantz Pearl and started over again with settings, levels, synching players on discs. And again, no instant expressions of 'well, there you are' as to differences.

More purposed breathing, slowing the heart rate, emptying the mind only to reveal a most subtle difference in soundstaging with the Pearl throwing just a bit bigger soundstage.

If you weren't paying attention or only engaged in casual listening - you wouldn't notice a change.

The biggest noticable differences were when one set of ICs were swapped out to put in Doug's Monster cables: brighter and smearing of detail.

The next biggest difference was when we put in the Mobile Fidelity SACD of Stevie Ray Vaughan's "In Step" vs the CD.

The CD was a bit louder and definitely eq'd to be brighter. Great for low level listening, but fatiguing at room filling volumes. The SACD was better balanced and crankable.

Now, I've put my ears on a number of rigs, been to demos, and know everything matters, so what we heard that day may be flipped on its head if this comparison was done with different components, speakers, or even a different room.

With the comparison over, we just put discs in and spun some great music.

Good day.

dpowell

Dskip out of curiosity, what IC's would you swap in for both players to create a situation where the expected greater musicality of the Marantz would be more noticeable?

nooshinjohn

You guys are all welcome here to put your players up against the Triangle. Maybe we can play for titles?

dpowell

nooshinjohn wrote: »

You guys are all welcome here to put your players up against the Triangle. Maybe we can play for titles?

John, your system is in a whole other league. The CDPs would just wither into a quivering blob of goo in the presence of your Triangle. Plus, I would hear things that I could not afford to hear in my system. Ignorance of what I'm missing in an audio track is financial bliss.

In all seriousness, I would love to hear the Triangle some day.

tonyb

I might agree with Skips assertions about bottlenecks. I can see the slight differences in the OPPO's, only being one model apart, but the Marantz warrants better surrounding cables to bring out what it can do.

Better gear deserves better playmates in other words. You wouldn't hear much difference either if you had an Adcom pre and amp on Polk RT55's and swapped in a Boulder amp either. Extreme example I know, but you catch the point.

Maybe Skip, it's time to do a Wireworld demo round like we did with MIT. Let some folks get their ears on some stuff they normally couldn't.

dpowell

If I had 2 or 3 sets of the same high end ICs, I would hold another gathering to test the theory that ICs are the bottleneck.

Erik Tracy

I'd be down for that.

Eazy/peezy to drag out the Pearl for another showdown.

...I just googled Wireworld Equinox 7 ICs and it popped up as being sold by Sears?????

dpowell

Sears is a high end audio boutique!

muncybob

Man, I would love some "high end" cable demos. Would be cool to have enough pairs to do a total connect(cdp-pre-amp).

[Deleted User]

Good review. Thanks for posting your findings.
As suggested, maybe MIT and/or Transparent (Super or above)
cables would be good to mix in. Of course, this complicates
things.

Erik Tracy

rednedtugent wrote: »

Good review. Thanks for posting your findings.
As suggested, maybe MIT and/or Transparent (Super or above)
cables would be good to mix in. Of course, this complicates
things.

Well, if Doug is up for it a re-match is definitely doable.

I have a set of MIT Shotgun S3s ICs that I have relegated for use between my AVR preouts to my Musical Fidelity A5 int amp.

In my own 'in house' comparison, the Audioquest Jaguars bested the MITs - esp in midbass presentation (tight and controlled for the AQs, sloppy and loose for the MITs).

But, things could be different in Doug's rig.

If Doug keeps his 83 for awhile, I could even bring over my own stock 83 and do a better IC vs IC comparison.

Then swap them into the 83SE and Pearl players to see if any veil is lifted.

dpowell

I had shotgun S3s in my system. Source to pre and pre to amp but it didn't care much for them. Would love to try some other ICs though.

halo

Interesting idea with the ICs.

tonyb

Try some Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's, or Harmonic tech Magic 2 or 3....no sloppy anything with either. Obviously many others too. Wireworld Eclipse also. Keep in mind....hunt these up used, you don't want to pay retail for higher end cables.

Just comes down to finding that right synergy is all. Sometimes ya have to kiss a few frogs before you find your Prince/Princess.....or maybe a little of both in todays world.

mikeyb128

This is an interesting read. Last Friday I drug my oppo 105 down to the 2 channel system in my basement, to be compared with my modded shanling. Let's just say I was very surprised the shanling crushed the oppo in every aspect. And was definitely not a small difference In sound. I was thinking of writing up a mini review about it.

halo

tonyb wrote: »

Try some Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's, or Harmonic tech Magic 2 or 3....no sloppy anything with either. Obviously many others too. Wireworld Eclipse also. Keep in mind....hunt these up used, you don't want to pay retail for higher end cables.

Just comes down to finding that right synergy is all. Sometimes ya have to kiss a few frogs before you find your Prince/Princess.....or maybe a little of both in todays world.

Yes, it's about what works in your set up.