you are considering an Oppo BDP-95. However, could you tell us what AVR do you have?

ssimon wrote:

... The conclusion I have reached is that spending money on a highly capable source component is pointless if the only way the amplifier can receive the signal is via HDMI. The reason is that the HDMI can move only the unprocessed digital PCM or DSD signal from the player to the receiver. Hence conversion to analogue is carried out by the DACs in the receiver, which are inferior to the DACs in the player. ...

These things are not absolutes, and not static truths.

The DAC in the Oppo might be better than your receiver today, but might not be better after you get your next receiver. So the question is, are your buying with the future in mind, at least somewhat?

The only reason the Oppo has multichannel analog outputs is for legacy high end pre-pros that have multichannel analog inputs, which are becoming less common.

DACs are getting better all the time, which makes incorporating good ones into receivers an increasing possibility.

And for 2-channel audio, you might decide to bypass both the Oppo and receiver's DAC anyway.

What the Oppo promises is 1) flexibility and 2) high overall video and audio performance, the latter of which will vary depending on how you connect it. In other words it remains a viable choice no matter how you hook it up. (Although at least for video, you WILL be using HDMI.)

Also, if you are going to use the digital outputs, why not get an Oppo BDP-93? Aside from the lesser analog outputs and lower price, it is identical to the 95.

Kal