home entertainment 2007

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just start the feature. Because the DV- 970HD is marketed as a universal player, it seems petty to complain that it requires a monitor for its OSD menu trees, but it’s a pain in the keister for ardent audiophiles who don’t want a screen in the listening room. This is one area where the Ayre just shines; its interface lets you navigate discs without an external monitor. Yowzah! Using the Transporter to convert the Oppo’s 96kHz digital output made me understand what all the fuss is about. Forget “good for the money”—now we’re talking worldclass. What’s that you say? Using a $2000 DAC makes no sense with a $150 front end? Au contraire, mon ami, which is French for in a pig’s eye. Many audiophiles, prosumers, and folks with music servers already have hi-rez DACs in our systems—the DV-970HD gives us an affordable means of feeding them high-octane digital. Bloated bass and congested highs— all gone. The soundstage became bigger, and Pizzarelli swung even harder—if such a thing is possible. The combo of Oppo and Slim Devices now offered the K-5xe far more serious competition. In fact, the DV- 970HD with Transporter had more incisive focus, which I somewhat preferred to the airier, er, Ayre. That is to say, sometimes I did, taking it to be greater detail; at other times I thought the Ayre’s slightly more atmospheric sound was less hyped, and therefore more relaxing, than the Oppo–Slim Devices. They were close, though; close enough that the differences fell pretty far into personal-preference territory. The specificity and verismo of the DV-970HD–Transporter duo definitely impressed me with the Ida Haendel disc, where I was reminded of the difference between video and film. Video always looks realer, whereas film always looks better. Haendel’s Bach is so strong and aggressive that the Oppo–Slim Devices’ slightly greater OPPO DIGITAL DV-970HD acerbity seemed better suited to it than the Ayre’s softer, more film-like focus. Again, your mileage may vary; that was my take. All great work is preparing yourself for the accident to happen So how good can a $149 player be? The Oppo DV-970HD is very good. Using its internal D/A converters, the Oppo produces listenable, detailed, extremely satisfying sound from pretty much THE OPPO DV-970HD’S PERFORMANCE AS A STANDALONE PLAYER WASN’T WHERE I FELT ITS TRUE POTENTIAL LIES, BUT WHEN CONNECTED TO A GOOD DAC IT PUNCHED WAY OUTSIDE ITS CLASS. every optical-disc format currently available. However, as a standalone universal player, it won’t cause Krell’s Dan D’Agostino or Ayre’s Charlie Hansen any sleepless nights. On the other hand, the DV- 970HD is aimed at A/V enthusiasts, who generally use their players’ digital outputs and perform the D/A conversion offboard. If you have a hi-rez DAC that can utilize 96kHz signals, you can benefit from that increased bandwidth, as I did. If you have HDMI-compatible gear, you can benefit from 24-bit word length as well, although I did not audition the DV- 970HD that way, since none of my A/V gear supports that standard (I’m hi-fi proud, but HT poor). I was impressed by the Oppo DV- 970HD. It looks good, it feels solid and reassuringly well-built, and I was impressed by the company’s service ethic. I see why it has become a favorite among consumers. Its performance as a standalone player wasn’t where I felt its true potential lies, but when connected to a good DAC it punched way outside its class. Here’s the part that may truly mark me as an ass: After I’d done everything I’ve written about here, I finally installed the DV-970HD in my <strong>home</strong> theater, where I discovered that it’s also an extremely impressive DVD player. If you like that sort of thing. ■■ Music Systems & Home Theatre in the Nation’s Capital Building lasting relationships for over 21 years. McIntosh Reference www.jsaudio.com Accuphase • Analysis Plus • Cardas Jeff Rowland • Kimber Kable Linn • Monster Cable • Niles Stewart Filmscreens • VPI One year 100% trade up policy Select pre-owned products available Equipment trade-ins accepted 4919 Saint Elmo Avenue Bethesda, Maryland 20814 301.656.7020 fax: 301.656.7741 e-mail: jsaudio@jsaudio.com Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover www.Stereophile.com, May <strong>2007</strong> 111
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"After intensive listening sessions
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MAY 2007 VOL.30 NO.5 48 61 FEATURES
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The RAINMAKER will exceed any expec
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Wes Phillips DESCRIPTION Single-box
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