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
When I compared the signal coming from the NuForce analog board with that coming from its S/PDIF digital outs to my Anthem AVM-20 processor, I preferred the Nuforce feed, due to its much lower noise floor and superior dimensionality. Also the Oppo/Nuforce was able to handle all the newer multi-channel formats that aren’t supported by the AVM-20.
MUSICAL EXAMPLES
I have a small collection of CD doubles, which allows me to play the same selections on two players simultaneously. For this review I used these two recordings in particularly heavy rotation: William De Rosa’s Cellist’s Holiday (Audiofon CD 72046) recorded by Peter McGrath, and Begona Olavide’s Saltero (MA MO 25A) made by Todd Garfinkle. Both employ acoustic instruments and were made in natural acoustic environments. They also exhibit wide dynamic ranges, accurate dimensional recreations, and are among a small handful of recordings that are both highly revealing and musically involving.
From early on in my listening sessions it was obvious that the two NuForce boards do not sound identical. The NXE delivers a more logical soundstage. Through the NXE I could locate each player’s exact location in space with much greater confidence than through the NE. Acoustic details, such as how the sound of William De Rosa’s cello reflects off the side of Noreen Cassidy Polera’s piano, were more obvious, as were the dimensions of the instruments themselves.
The NE board also failed to deliver as much low-level detail as the NXE. Room sounds on both recordings were more obvious and more easily separated from the instruments through the NXE. In the lower midrange I could hear more information and additional detail from Saltero. This subtle yet pervasive difference added to the NXE’s believability.
The NXE board also generates greater dynamic contrast than the NE version. Percussion instruments’ dynamic peaks on Saltero seemed louder and also measured louder even though the levels between the two players had been carefully matched using steady-state test tones. The piano’s forte passages on Cellist’s Holiday also displayed greater contrast through the NXE.
Part of the NXE’s “more modern sound” involves superior low bass extension. And by low bass I mean signals below 60 Hz. The four subwoofers in my system displayed far more subsonic movement when reproducing the sound of the recording venue’s ventilation systems when fed from the NXE board. On music this added low bass extension translated into a more solid and firmly rooted overall presentation.
Despite the NE’s supposedly more triode-like sound and less extended treble presentation, I found the NE had a bright zone that made the lower treble region sound tinnier through the NE than the NXE. Bells, cymbals, and other high-pitched percussion instruments on Saltero had a slight edge that wasn’t quite as natural or relaxed. On Cellist’s Holiday when De Rosa’s plays upper harmonics on his cello they sound substantially harsher and thinner through the NE. Some listeners might find the NXE sounds “too dark” when compared to the NE, but I felt the NXE smoothness across the full frequency range gave it a less artificial character.
The NE’s bright zone also emphasized a slight amount of grain in the overall texture of the music. On Cellist’s Holiday De Rosa’s cello had a rosiny edge through the NE that gave it a more nasal harmonic balance. Through the NXE this grain was gone, as well as the slightly nasal character in the cello’s upper registers.
When I compared the two units using the Ole Bull Violin Concertos (2L, SACD) I heard all the same differences as with standard definition discs. Once more I was struck by how “logical” the soundstage was through the NXE and how easy it was to locate instruments in the mix and to sense their actual physical dimensions.
How did the NuForce NXE board fare against the Oppo BDP-95? For two-channel material I used the BDP-95’s dedicated balanced two-channel output, but I also listened to the single-ended RCAs. After many hours using CDs, SACDs, and Blu-Ray music discs, I declared a tie. The “best” sounding unit depended on the source. For two-channel-only material the BDP-95 delivered the best sonics. It combined slightly better low-level detail with superior low-frequency weight and definition. But 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.
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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