I posted this on AVS Forum as well, but looking for all help available;

I have had my BDP-95 for a week now, and while it is a very fine machine, for $1000 so far I am not that impressed. Maybe I am missing something so I am looking for some guidance.

My set up is as follows; Onkyo PR SC-886 pre-amp, Outlaw 7700 (200 WPC x 7 channels), Klipsch RF-7 mains (with the crossovers modded by Dean G), RC-7 Center (Dean G modded crosover), RS7 surrounds, CDT-5800 rear surrounds, and an Outlaw LFM-EX Subwoofer.

I have a 400 Sony CD Jukebox and a Denon DCD-1500 single disc CD player that I paid $600 for back in 1986.

I had run Audessy on the Onkyo, then turned it off and fine tuned it with a tape measure for distance and a Radio Shack SPL meter for volume for both the Onkyo and the Oppo.

I watched the new Blu Ray Pirates movie today, which has a DTS MA 7.1 soundtrack and it looked and sounded great on my Panasonic TC-P65S1 plasma (which is ISF calibrated). Bythe way, it is hooked up via HDMI.

I also have the 95 hooked up to the Onkyo with RCA cables for the Left and Right analogue setup using the "A.ux 1" input on the Onkyo.

Listening to "Mudcrutch" (Tom Petty) it sounded very good, but not "oh my god this $1,000 DVD/CD player sounds out of this world I cant believe it" good. The same with Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms.

Before I return the 95 and order a 93 ( I still want a very nice Blu Ray/Cd player for my system to supplement my PS3), I cant see spending $1000 on the 95 when I can get a 93 for $500 less.

Am I missing something somewhere? Its not like I have a $300 receiver with $300 speakers.

FLSHBACK to 1986; I bought a NAD pre-amp, Klipsch KG4 speakers and the Denon CD player and I could not believe my ears how good that system rocked and the detail in the sound. Added shortly after this was a Bang and Olufson turntable which I still have. To this day, I can throw "Thriller" on the B & O and folks cant believe how good it sounds.

PLEASE HELP with advice please!

The BDP93 is an excellent disc player. The 95 would probably beat it out in a blind test, but if your unhappy with the 95, you won't loose much steping down to the 93. It's one of those deals where squeezing out the last 1% of performance cost as much as the 99%
I use a BDP83SE and find the extra cost worth the price.

Remember that the BDP-95 is an upgrade to the already excellent 93 and 83 series. I would not expect a huge difference even at $1000

I had neither Oppo before. I have a Denon DCD-1500 and a Sony 400 CD Jukebox.

Make sure you have the bdp95 doing all the decoding so you get the max performance. The Onkyo isn't in the same league.

XenonMan, other than knowing that the Audessey is off, I am not sure how to accomplish your suggestion. Also, I cannot figure out how to set the test tones in motion on the 95. I have the distances set but not the trim levels for w=each speaker like i can on the Onkyo. Yes, I have the test tones set to "on", but I cant get it to start.

To all the Oppo lovers out there; Im not saying this machine is no good, Im just not seeing the $1000 value of it (yet)

I don't have much time this morning, but I do have one question. Is the BDP-95's 7.1 analog output being used? In that mode, it doesn't matter what the Onkyo's Audyssey settings are and the BDP-95 is guaranteed to be handling the decoding. More importantly, the BDP-95 is handling the analog audio duties (which is why you paid extra for the BDP-95).

For Blu Rays I have the 95 hooked up via HDMI to HDMI input #3.

For CD playback I also have it hooked up via RCA cables using the L and R (not the LF and RF from the 7.1 RCA connectors) going to the "Aux 1" RCA inputs on the back of the 886.

I am also unable to get the test tones to sound in the speaker set up to calibrate it using my SPL meter.


I have run Audessey in the past, but I think I have cleared that and now going manual (distance and SPL manually entered).

The HDMI that you use for Blu Rays will be processed by the Onkyo so the Oppo is only acting as a transport. The RCA hookup the Aux 1 will be processed by the Oppo, but it may be processed again by the Onkyo unless your playing in 2 channel with some sort of bypass mode.

Put the Onkyo in direct or pure mode, if you were not already. Otherwise it is redigitizing the analog signal.