Most of the High-end manufacturers haven't jumped into Blu-ray yet. I'd check into Marantz players their DVD players have always had great picture and much, much better sound than other mass market offerings. Either that or buy a good/great CD player and a mass market Blu-ray or wait on the video side until the options increase.

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I am currently looking for a relatively inexpensive DVD (preferrably Bluray)player that has high quality/audiophile sound. I am currently running B&W 802ds/HTM1/804s through McIntosh 402 and 207 amps into MX136. My $79 dvd player isnt cutting it anymore! Any suggestions?

Since the MX136 will not decode any of the high resolution audio codecs on BRDs and its HDMI inputs are video only, you need to use the multichannel analog output of the player into the single multichannel analog input on the preamp. This means that you need to purchase a BRD player that will decode dts HD and TrueHD internally.

Now, if you don't need BR, then there are many possible 'universal' players out there that will give you good audio (and video) quality beginning with the high value Oppo 980H on up.

You gotta decide what you want and what you want to spend.

Kal

I'll second mrlowry's Marantz rec. My DV-7001 universal player gives good results on DVD and multi-channel music and they've released 2 new Blu-Ray players that will play all the new 7.1 hi-def formats.

edited error on model number. The SR-7001 is my receiver.

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I'll second mrlowry's Marantz rec. My SR-7001 universal player gives good results on DVD and multi-channel music and they've released 2 new Blu-Ray players that will play all the new 7.1 hi-def formats.

I know next to nothing about BLueray players but one thing I'm sure of and that is the quality and value of Marantz gear appears to have taken a leap for the better in the last few years. I haven't come across a recent Marantz effort of late that wasn't excellent. In fact if Rotel don't watch their rear Marantz could take a big slice out of that end of the market as well.

With the system that you have using the Oppo would be like putting bargain-basement tires on a Ferrari. Will it work? Yes. Will it allow all of the horsepower and handling ability that the car has to offer to meet the pavement? Not at all. The Oppo is a toy to "play with" to see if you like a format, or as an entry level source for someone with a system several steps below what you have. It's not a product that could take it's place among serious gear as a long term, serious source.

now Mr. Lowery,

we have no idea as to how much he will like the OPPO, and I personally feel it is a mistake to make authoritative claims about audio gear ..this hobby is driven by tastes, and the best one could hope is to find the system that best suits *them*. when we consider others, our *facts* go out the window.

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With the system that you have using the Oppo would be like putting bargain-basement tires on a Ferrari. Will it work? Yes. Will it allow all of the horsepower and handling ability that the car has to offer to meet the pavement? Not at all. The Oppo is a toy to "play with" to see if you like a format, or as an entry level source for someone with a system several steps below what you have. It's not a product that could take it's place among serious gear as a long term, serious source.

Making authoritative statements about audio is a little risky. But a Ferrari is better than a Ford Escort, that's the kind of disparity we are talking about here IMHO.

This question comes up an amazingly opportune time!

Except for the Blu Ray part.

If you are so inclined...

Music Direct has two great smoking hot fabulous tremendous bargains right now in the CD/SACD multi-format disc category.

The Marantz VC 6001, usually 699 dineros, is on sale for 249.

Marantz VC 6001

Slightly upriver from that, the Marantz DV 7001 is on sale for 399 dollars, regularly 799.

Marantz DV 7001

I just ordered one of each to do some comparisons! At risk of ticking off anyone who opposes an iconoclastic recommendation - these babies are "can't miss" for those prices!

To get into the realm of Blu Ray with universal disc capability, it will take mas money, and even then, many Blu Ray players ignore SACD.

If you aren't into video, I don't think you could go wrong with the Marantz players, and they would be just fine as "wheels" on your Ferrari!

sound is a whole different thing, Mr. Lowery. as such, I dont think normal types of comparisons can be drawn.

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Making authoritative statements about audio is a little risky. But a Ferrari is better than a Ford Escort, that's the kind of disparity we are talking about here IMHO.

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Buddha -

What are your thoughts on your new Marantz players?

I just got them yesterday and have listened for an hour or two to the DV7001. In fact, I'm still trying to figure out whether to use their "Mixed 2 Channel" vs "Front L/R" analog outputs to get everything to work.

First song played, it had that sort of 'relaxed' feel that I like from a component. I know that's an obtuse word, but when I run into something I like, there is often a sense of that component not having to work hard at what it's doing, while sounding good at the same time.

I've only listened to the standard CD setting, as I can't yet figure out how to use the upsampling without a TV being hooked up to read the menu. It's not in the owner's manual, so I emailed Marantz. For me, it will be a deal killer if a TV is required to utilize the full menu.

The straight CD sound is "right" sounding, and I listened to Willie Nelson's "Across the Borderline" and felt thet there was terrific delineation between singing voices, allowing me to choose to follow one or the other vocal line, or both, with great ease!

Low level instruments are amazingly present, and there are a few songs with a slow fade and the player keeps the feeling of room ambience as a song ends quite well.

It's kind of surprising on some songs that allow a guitar note to fade to black that the feeling of room ambience is so well preserved. So, it does 'quite' very well.

The rest of my listening was to Bruce Cockburn's Christmas album, which isn't the greatest recording, and that natural decay kept catching my ear.

I also tried only one SACD, the First dead Can Dance disc, which I ordered accidentally, and it sounded so bad, I can't tell if it's the player or the recording.

That SACD is what made me wonder if perhaps I was using the wrong output. Man, it was terrible, but, like I said, the performance seemed to suck, too.

I'll try switching outputs and report back.

Tentative conclusion: 350 bucks for the quality of redbook CD I heard is fine if that's all it does. I expect more from the SACD performance and suspect it was my own fault.

It also does a buttload and a half of video stuff that I have no idea what those things are, but neat.

Oh! And! It has a feature that disables all the display electronics during playback and it makes an audible difference being able to switch of those parts of the player. Very interesting!

I'll add more once I get things all hooked up correctly.