Oppo v Cambridge

afterburnt

Weaknesses, strong points? discuss...

Universal players etc?

sgmsmg

I have owned the following Oppo 105D, Oppo 103, and a Cambridge Audio 752BD.

The 752BD was definitely better than the 103 as it's price would reflect. I did not have a chance to compare the 752 and the 105 side by side but I did think the sound from the 752 was better. That may just be it produced a sound that I enjoyed or that its synergy was better with my setup.

Support wise it appears Oppo is better overall. Knock on wood I never had issues with any of the above components.

The 105 also has XLR ouputs where the Cambridge only has RCA if that factors in to your setup.

The CA CXU has Darbee processing if that matters. The Oppo 105D/103D are usually a little more with this feature.

The Oppos tend to hold their value more if you are concerned with resale options. That being said the Cambridge CXU and 752 can be had for slightly cheaper so they may present more value.

Right now I own just an Oppo 105D and I have considered picking up another 752 or CXU and selling the Oppo if make something back.

If the media Apps are anyting you plan to use you might also compare those as well. I did not use them much but I think the Cambridge has an advantage there.

Not sure of this is anything you didn't already know but I had some experience and figured I would share.

Good Luck.

afterburnt

sgmsmg, thank you for your thoughts. When I do get another unit I think it will be the Cambridge, I am looking for a Swiss Army knife player that leans toward SQ more so than the other functions.

sgmsmg

afterburnt wrote: »

sgmsmg, thank you for your thoughts. When I do get another unit I think it will be the Cambridge, I am looking for a Swiss Army knife player that leans toward SQ more so than the other functions.

No problem. I think you will be happy with the Cambridge.

AsSiMiLaTeD

The two have similar capabilities although not identical. I think the choice in sounds really comes down to your preference and other gear instead of one being better than the other. I'm oversimplifying here because the DAC chip itself only plays a role in sound quality, it is not the sole determining factor.

That being said I generally find the Wolfson DAC to be a bit warmer sounding (I could throw out some buzz words like musical, analog and musical if that helps) where the Sabre DAC tends to be a bit more detailed and more forward sounding...and I find these two players to exhibit those characteristics accordingly. So think about your other gear and desired sound signature and go from there.

It's no secret that I've long praised the Oppo 105, but these days I tend to lean the other direction and if I were starting over (which I am) I would try something other than the Oppo.

afterburnt

AsSiMiLaTeD why do you write with and English accent?

Nightfall

afterburnt wrote: »

AsSiMiLaTeD why do you write with and English accent?