SACD's are specifically marked (and don't play in CD players unless they're hybrid), so I'm really sure you don't have any either. I'd definitely agree that the 981HD should provide you a really good stop gap.

Gonk,

after all I've read and given the situation, I'm leaning towards the 981.

thanks for your help!

John

I am an audiophile. May I ask you look at Denon and not Oppo. Albeit Oppo costs so litte yet the performance in the new 30 series Denon DVD players (2390Ci and 3930ci) are a big difference due to their design. The Oppo uses cheap Op amps in the output stages.

For vide, both of these two Denons use the Silicon Optix Realtex HQV processor. The 3930ci uses teh best one and these players upconvert DVD to 1080p over HDMI better than Oppo can .

I'm not sure that's appropriate in this case. Since Dr_JB doesn't have any SACD's and likely no DVD-Audio discs either, he'll be using the digital output only. At that point, the extra cost for a more robust analog section is not going to be used at all - not to mention that a 2930 or 3920 will cost more than the HD-DVD player he had also be contemplating. The Realta chip is a more powerful chip than the Faroudja that the 981HD has, but the differences are going to be minor at the video performance level that both players offer (OPPO has tweaked the software for the Faroudja chip about as far as it can be taken). If he's only going to be feeding a digital bitstream to his 990, he's probably best going with the 981HD now and waiting for the format war to clear up before investing more.

I agree with Gonk. Not having enough money to be Lizard King's kind of audiophile, I have to turn my back on the best there is and just look for the best I can afford. I guess that, plus eagerness, is why I have a $150 Pioneer universal player feeding the 990's DACs. Alas, I'd never heard of Oppo when I bought it.
BTW has anyone had any experience with Mapleshade interconnects? They're unusual in having very small-caliber bare wires insulated by loose-fitting plastic film sleeves; they look fragile and weird but of course the maker claims they're the greatest thing since bottled beer. There's a digital coax cable which at $42 for a meter is about at the top of my affordable range.

I'm in the same situation as psyprof1; although I thank everyone for their input, especially gonk. I know the Denons are a favourite of the audiophiles, but at this time, perhaps it is better to wait, even if the Denons can be afforded (which, as Gonk explained, are more money than the High def players).

I think in my case, for now, the most practical choice is the Oppo 981, as gonk suggests.

Again, thank you all.

John

Gonk and psyprof1,

my Totem Hawks are now mostly broken in and so I've been playing with my system a little more.

I have a Panasonic S29 DVD/CD player and while the video quality is really quite good, for 480p, the sound is just terrible, even from my very best cd's. While I only have stereo speakers (waiting for my DQ10's rebuild), when watching movies, conversation is overshadowed by sound effects; it makes it difficult to enjoy or even experience a movie (I've been using an old pair of Sony digital head phones, instead).

I guess the reason I'm writing is because I'm a bit concerned about sound quality, after experiencing how bad it is with my S29. Will the Oppo 981 be a major upgrade, in the audio department?

In your sage opinions, how long will it be before a decent HD DVD player is available, with the highest audio capabilities, for somewhat reasonable money?

Thanks,

John

Having used my dad's Panasonic S35 some, I suspect that the 981HD would be a nice video upgrade to boot - Panasonic's DVD players at that time were not up to the standard that Panasonic set with players like the RP91 and RP82.

How do you have the S29 connected to your Model 990? If you are using analog cables, that's going to be a significant factor in your problems. If you are already using a digital audio cable (either coax or optical), we may want to take a look at how you have the 990 configured - there may be an issue with speakers being turned on that shouldn't be or some surround mode problems.

In considering an HD DVD player, are you thinking specifically about the HD-DVD format, the Blu-ray format, or a combo player supporting both formats? HD-DVD players can be had for under $500 today that will support Dolby Digital Plus and TrueHD (especially if you are willing to settle with the lower boot and load times of a first-gen player, since HD-A1's are being cleared out under $400 from what I've heard). If you want a combo player (which is what I'd prefer to hold out for), it'll probably be at least a year before a good-performing player at a decent price is possible.

Gonk,

yes, I'm using a digital coax cable.

How would the audio section of the HD-A1 compare to the Oppo981?

thanks,

John

Gonk,

I opened the manual (always a good idea) and started reading; wow, this pre/pro is a powerful and versatile unit (I had no idea). There are so many setup options that it makes my head spin. The advantages are obvious, but the complexity is a little overwhelming, at least at this point.

I will play with the settings to see what affect the choices have, on all my listening experiences, DVD, CD, Tuner and Sat box. Wow!

I have one problem, though, with speaker setup. I know I chose to set my main speakers to large (Totem, floor standing, Hawks) and while I have all the other settings at “none,” it won't allow me to turn Surr L/R to the “none” position, despite the fact that I don't have these speakers. It will allow me to change this setting between small and large, but not to “none.” And, now, for some reason, it won't let me change the main speakers back to small; it stays at large. Do you have any idea why this is happening?

thanks,

John