Oppos Enhanced: NuForce BDP-93 NE & NXE Blu-ray/ Universal Players (TPV 106)
Making A Good Player Better
August 16th, 2011 -- by Steven StoneSource: The Perfect Vision
Occasionally a component comes along that resets the bar for what consumers can expect at a particular price. In the eight months since it’s release the $499 Oppo BDP-93 has become the de-facto standard for universal players. If it’s not cheaper with the same performance, or similarly priced with better performance, any new universal player is begging to be a non-starter.
For those who do want audio performance above and beyond the BDP-93, Oppo has the BDP-95 (click here to read The Perfect Vision review). In the conclusion to his TPV review, Editor Chris Martens notes, “The BDP-95 is by far the finest Blu-ray/universal disc player Oppo has yet produced. If you can afford one, then put the Oppo right at the top of your short list. If you can afford something more expensive, strongly consider buying the Oppo anyway. It’s that good.”
Given these two very attractive options, why would anyone bother to consider a third-party modification of an Oppo BDP-93? That question elbowed its way to the top of my mind as I began looking at the two modified Oppo BDP-93 players available from NuForce. Both NuForce versions replace the BDP-93’s stock analog board with a new one created by NuForce. Both upgrade boards claim to offer superior performance to the stock BDP-93. But how do they stack up against the Oppo BDP-95? Does NuForce really offer anything that isn’t already available on the Oppo BDP-95?
FEATURES
Overview: NuForce offers the BDP-93NE and BDP-93NEX either as fully finished players or as upgrade circuit boards that do-it-yourselfers can install in existing Oppo BDP-93 players.
Audio highlights: The $400 BDP-93NE board delivers eight channels of analog audio with advanced analog filters to reduce phase shift, onboard linear processing for regulated and filtered DC power for all the analog stages on the new board and elimination of the stock muting circuitry.
The $900 BDP-93 NXE board adds a sophisticated clocking scheme to reduce jitter and a Silicon Labs VCXO to generate an asynchronous clocking signal that claims a PCM jitter spec of < 3ps RMS.
Both boards were designed by Alex Dondysh and, according to NuForce’s Jason Lim, “The standard board's sonic goal was for 12AX7-type triode characteristics without tubes. Both boards take the BDP-93’s Cirrus Logic CS4382 DAC and alter it to run in single-ended mode, which changes the stock unit’s default cancellation of even-order harmonics.” But for the NXE Dondysh wanted a “more modern sound” with greater frequency extension, which he accomplished by using LME47960 op-amps instead of the OPA 2134 op-amps he used on the NE board.
VIDEO PERFORMANCE
Video highlights: The video features set of the NuForce BDP-93 NE and NXE are exactly the same as that of the BDP-93. Key features (shared, in this case, by both players) are as noted below.
• Up-to-the-minute, high-tech video processor: At the time of their release to the market, Oppo’s players have traditionally made a point of offering the very latest and most powerful onboard video processing devices, and the BDP-93 is no exception. It incorporates the second-generation Marvell Qdeo Kyoto G2 video processor, which provides:
o Video noise reduction.
o Compression artifact reduction.
o Intelligent color, contrast, detail, and edge enhancement.
o DVD (or other video format) upconversion to 1080p.
• Source Direct mode: As in the Audio discussion above, Oppo recognizes that some owners will want the BDP-93 to serve as a “digital transport” for use with external video processers. Accordingly, Oppo provides a “Source Direct” mode where the player outputs A/V data as read, with “no processing or alteration.”
• True 24p Video: The BDP-93 supports playback of video content captured at 24 fps, “the same frame rate as the original movie’s theatrical release.”
• Multiple Zoom Modes: According to Oppo, the BDP-93 supports “multiple levels of aspect ratio control and image zooming, including a vertical stretch mode for customers with a 2.35:1 CIH (Constant Image Height) display system.”
• Dual HDMI outputs: As mentioned under “Audio highlights,” above, the BDP-93 provides dual HDMI outputs, with separately configurable video settings for each (in fact, the HDMI 1 output can be configured to output video data only).
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Comments
In your review you conclude that "... on multi-channel sources, such as music Blu-Rays and movies, the BDP-93 NXE multi-channel outputs had superior fidelity to the BDP-95’s standard 5.1 outputs."
I'm curious if you compared 5.1 downmix to analog stereo output between the three players; and, if so, what your impressions were.
I used discrete 7.1, 5.1, and 2-channel sources for all my listening. I did not compare downmixes.
Steven Stone
Contributor to The Absolute Sound, EnjoytheMusic.com, Vintage Guitar Magazine, and other fine publications
I only mentioned it because there are a number of people who principally use the OPPO's, including the BDP-95 as an audio D2A transport to source their stereo equipment.
I did listen to quite a bit of material that came from USB sticks, including even DSD files. Again without using internal down-mixing...Using USB sources does not require down-mixing multi-channel sources to two-channel...
Steven Stone
Contributor to The Absolute Sound, EnjoytheMusic.com, Vintage Guitar Magazine, and other fine publications
I'm curious how you were able to play DSD files from an attached hard drive. What was the format?
My own DSD recordings were converted to PCM. SACD discs played like other discs. I know that some folks are transferring SACD to DSD and then playing the DSD files on discs, but I did not do this.
Steven Stone
Contributor to The Absolute Sound, EnjoytheMusic.com, Vintage Guitar Magazine, and other fine publications
Oppos Enhanced: NuForce BDP-93 NE & NXE Blu-ray/ Universal Players (TPV 106) Review By by Steven Stone on August 16th, 2011
Your review was interesting and informative right up until you selected your Blu-ray source material. You cannot review the audio performance of this product with substandard source material. Hey, I am a big fan of Firefly. However, as a reviewer, I would think that you may want to carefully select your source material based on the audio quality and not your personal attraction to it. As a reviewer you may want to check out some reviews of Blu-ray discs from people that actually review Blu-ray. Maybe you have never heard of http://www.blu-ray.com/ who are very reputable at reviewing Blu-ray source material.
Here is what they have to say about the audio content of “Firefly” (http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Firefly-The-Complete-Series-Blu-ray/815/#R...):
“The audio side of the "Firefly" question is a little more complicated. While the disc's 5.1 DTS HD-Master Audio soundtrack delivers impressive fidelity, the show's original sound design hampers the overall enjoyment of the track. Of course, this isn't surprising given the show's low budget television roots There is a minimal amount of surround activity present throughout the series. Panning effects are rarely used, although when they do occur the do so to great effect. There is a slight amount of low frequency data encoded on the disc, so don't expect your subwoofer to do much during the course of an episode. Dialogue is well recorded and presented, however. It's the one bright spot in this otherwise unremarkable track. I'm sure that "Firefly" could be much more dynamic and exciting if the show's soundtrack were given a thorough remixing. As it stands now, "Firefly" is a little lifeless”.
The disc you should have selected if you like “Firefly” is the movie “Serenity”.
Here is the audio review for “Serenity” (http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Serenity-Blu-ray/2637/#Review):
“Serenity is as aurally pleasing as it is visually. Universal has provided the film's action packed and explosive soundtrack in full 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio lossless glory. To say this is an exciting and dynamic track would be an understatement. Surround activity is massive with loads of effective panning effects. Explosions, gunshots and rockets blast from each channel with an intense and immersive sense of ambience and separation. The film's score, by David Newman, builds on themes from the "Firefly" television show and helps to deliver the emotion behind the action. Dialogue is also handled exceptionally well while low frequency information will engage your subwoofer in a thunderous cacophony of deep, rumbling bass. Serenity will tick off your neighbors, impress your friends and scare the living hell out of the cat. Highly recommended”!
As a reviewer you should know better than to select substandard source material for an audio review of a product. First of all, you are misrepresenting two groups of people. NuForce deserves a better and more complete review of their product. After all this is how they make their income. Secondly, the consumer is also being misrepresented with this review. This is how they spend their income and they deserve better.
Here is a list of Blu-ray discs and review links that would have been far superior in both Video and Audio than what you selected (by the way, you might want to read them):
Blade Runner (5-Disc Complete Collector's Edition)
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Blade-Runner-Blu-ray/545/#Review
Band of Brothers
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Band-of-Brothers-Blu-ray/1151/#Review
Jeff Beck: Performing This Week... Live at Ronnie Scott's (Outstanding Audio)
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Jeff-Beck-Performing-This-Week-Live-at-Ron...
Pearl Harbor
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Pearl-Harbor-Blu-ray/190/#Review
Quantum of Solace
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Quantum-of-Solace-Blu-ray/3709/#Review
Transformers
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Transformers-Blu-ray/741/#Review
If you need people to evaluate and review product, I am available. I will definitely do my research when I review a product. I may not be as articulate as most of your reviewers. But, I will get my message across.
I bet my Audio/Video system is better than most of your reviewers for product such as the NuForce.
Congratulations - this is probably the most condescending, ridiculous, pompous post I've read in the last few days of scouring reviews and forums for information about the Oppo BDP-95, but on a positive note it is very funny.
As a reviewer of two channel audio myself I can suggest to you that using 'audiophile' recordings to evaluate equipment is like taking an automobile onto a perfectly level racetrack in ideal weather to test it's road-holding; ideal conditions for someone who only ever drives in such conditions but useless for those of us who drive in the real world.
Basically 90% of half decent two channel systems will sound superb with audiophile recordings. It takes the best systems to wring an involving experience from 90% of recordings.
The reviewer who's judgement you question is probably far too dignified to respond to your criticism or doesn't take it seriously, possibly both, or perhaps he senses that in a battle of wits it's unfair to take on an unarmed opponent.
I have a Oppo 93 and have been thinking getting of the NuForce NE upgrade, budget limits kind
of rule out the NXE version. Do you think the $400.00 upgrade cost to the NE version will be a
"subjective" inprovement for two channel analog audio? In general I listen to classical music (CD)
the most and have been attempting to "warm" things up a bit. Your comments would be appreciated.
Since you are using the NE's analog outputs, which is where NuForce has made the most changes, you should hear a difference from the stock unit. Whether this will "warm" things as you desire, only listening will determine.
Steven Stone
Contributor to The Absolute Sound, EnjoytheMusic.com, Vintage Guitar Magazine, and other fine publications
Thanks Steve for your quick response...sounds like by itself the Oppo 93 is more than just a decent CD anaolg (two channel) player.
I should know that but maybe I'm trying to tweak to much from possible upgrades (firmware or complete devices). There seems to be
differences but none that I find objectionable (I have tried a Emotiva ERC-2 (close to the Oppo 93) and a Onkyo C-S5VL. Perhaps those models I have listed may tell you something about my hearing perception (I'm 66).
In the end I'm trying to optimize my CD player hardware on what I can afford and hear the audible difference in a postive way. I think it may
be time "not" well spent to audition the NuForce NE board or another CD player in the $400.00 range and expect to be impressed enough to
keep it.
As before, comments appreciated..
Jim Dellinger
Colorado
Jim, I would also suggest that you might want to try some different cables between the player and your preamp. The "right" cable might give you the warming you're looking for. Which cable would that be and how much might it cost? I have no idea...but you might find something in your own cable stash that would do the trick...I'm not suggesting a $1000 a meter cable here - perhaps even something like Kimber's entry level cable might be enough to change the overall sonic presentation...
Steven Stone
Contributor to The Absolute Sound, EnjoytheMusic.com, Vintage Guitar Magazine, and other fine publications