The time of physical media players, at least as we understand them, irrevocably comes to an end. Where instead of a CD disc there is a choice of an audio file, the customer will choose the latter’s convenience, both in terms of product purchase, storage and playback. What is still a problem is that large media companies remain distrustful of this form of selling “content”, due to its association with copyright theft and Internet piracy via torrent and other P2P websites. It seems that the first company to boldly go where no one has gone before and offer its customers a convenient, secure way to handle this, will become the winner.
When the dust settles and the battle between manufacturers of media files player, streamers, or whatever we call them and between stores offering music and movies (rental outlets?) is over, there will remain companies still relying on CDs, SACDs and vinyl. LPs – well, it’s not just great sound but also a certain philosophy of product, of life; a whole culture of playing music. It is a format that will likely last many, many years. It’s not easily frightened by new codecs, sampling frequencies, copy protection schemes. It is absolutely ANALOG through and through, in every sense of the word.
Likewise, manufacturers of CD (SACD) players, at least some of them, will continue trying to win over the owners of billions of CDs collected in household collections. It seems, however, that it will mostly concern the expensive and very expensive equipment. The mass market will be the first to go.
The second decade of the 21st century seems to be a transition period. Such time is best suited for hybrid devices that combine the old with the new. Do you still remember combo VCR/DVD players? Many people bought them (and a large part still use them) because of a dual character of their video collections and a resistance to change. And, closer home, how about multi-format DVD-A/SACD players? Or even closer – HD-DVD and Blu-ray? The files may follow suit even faster although another scenario is also possible with files and players haunted with various problems. Discs are a known and well worked out affair. Files, on the other hand… Well, let’s say diplomatically that playing files is not without certain difficulties.

Multi-format audio players have been with us for quite some time. They are now offered by virtually all manufacturers. The audio market, however, primarily approves of manufacturers of audiophile, high-end devices, such as Cambridge Audio, Arcam, Yamaha, Marantz or Denon. The manufacturer that sells most such devices, however, does not come from this circle. The company is registered in the United States and is called Oppo Digital Inc. Its products are often heavily modified by other, specialized audio companies, such as ModWright (see HERE), but Oppo is also well known for the fact that the components for its devices are developed in parallel with those for other manufacturers which slightly (if at all) modify the firmware, change power supply or audio outputs, leaving the main modules untouched. As an example we may quote Lexicon with the infamous BD-30 (see HERE) or Cambridge Audio with – this time respectable – the Azur 751BD (see HERE). As I wrote once before, the company that offers the whole platform is called Winbase Electronics Corp. Ltd.
Oppo has an advantage, however, that other specialized manufacturers seem to lack – it reacts incredibly quickly to changing market trends and is often the first to adapt technological innovations. An example of such a step is the latest top player from the company, the BDP-105EU.

It has numerous advantages and the full specification takes a few printed pages. It doesn’t make much sense to list all the data so I’ll mention only the most important points that make it something more than just another Blu-ray player to watch movies. The reviewed device can in fact be regarded as a high-end player of both optical discs and audio and video files. It offers the following:

- Video up-scaling to 4k that is 3840 x 2160 (particularly useful with 3D films, using half of the full available resolution)
- 2D to 3D video conversion
- Dual HDMI inputs for external sources (can play the role of a digital center of an audio/video system)
- 24/192 asynchronous USB input (at the time of the review there was no driver for Windows 8 so I was limited to 24/96 files)
- 24/192 coaxial and optical digital inputs that make the Oppo a D/A converter
- Playback of CD, HDCD (including decoding), SACD (dual- and multi-channel), DVD-A (the same), 2D and 3D Blu-ray, as well as video and audio files
- Audio playback up to 24/192, WAV and FLAC
- Built-in headphone amplifier
- Rigid, intricate chassis
- High-end video components, such as the Qdeo/Marvell Kyoto-G2H video decoding chip
- “Source direct” mode for video signal
- “Pure audio” mode for audio signal
- Separate PCBs for audio circuits with multi-channel and stereo outputs
- RCA and XLR audio outputs
- Separate power supply for the stereo audio section with a toroid transformer and two secondary windings (for the digital and analog sections)
- and finally the highlight – two excellent SABRE32 Reference ES9018 D/A converters from ESS Technology, separately for stereo and multichannel outputs, commonly used in the most advanced DACs and SACD and CD players in the world.

There is a whole lot of it and I only just scratched the surface – it really is an incredibly complex device. To wrap my head around it, I decided to use it mainly as an audio player, only occasionally checking how well it fares with video discs and files.

SOUND

A selection of recordings used during test (a selection)

• Audio Accesory - T-TOC Records High Quality Data Master Comparison, TDVD-0002, DVD-R (2011), ripy 16/44,1, 24/96, 24/192 FLAC.
• Random Trip, Nowe Nagrania, 005, CD (2012).
• SATRI Reference Recordings Vol. 1, Bakoon Products, FLAC 24/96.
• SATRI Reference Recordings Vol. 2, Bakoon Products, FLAC 24/192.
• T-TOC Data Collection Vol. 1, T-TOC Records, DATA-0001, 24/96+24/192, WAV, ripy z DVD-R.
• Al Di Meola, Flesh on Flesh, Telarc, 24/96, źródło: HDTracks, FLAC.
• Allan Taylor, Live in Belgium, Stockfisch, SFR 357.7062.2, Blu-ray + DVD (2009).
• Ashra, Belle Aliance Plus, MG
• ART/Belle, 121914-5, 2 x SHM-CD (1979/2012).
• Bajm, Płomień z nieba, Pomaton/EMI, 4942032, CD (1993/1998).
• Charlie Haden & Antonio Forcione, Heartplay, Naim Label, 24/96 FLAC.
• David Sylvian, Sleepwalkers, P-Vine Records, PVCP-8790, CD (2011).
• Dick Hyman, From the Age of Swing, Reference Recordings, HR-59, HRx (176,4/24), DVD-R (1994/2001).
• Ellen Sejersted Bødtker, SONaR, 2L, 2L51SABD, Blu-ray + SACD/CD (2008).
• Frank Sinatra & Count Basie, Might As Well Be Swing, Universal Music Japan, UICY-94601, "Sinatra Society of Japan, No. 17", SHM-CD (1964/2010).
• Johann Sebastian Bach, Weihnachtsoratorium, Karl-Friedrich Beringer, Winter&Winter, 910 189-2, 2 x CD (1991/2011).
• Kombi, Nowy rozdział, Polskie Nagrania Muza/Polskie Nagrania, PNCD 985, CD (1993/2005).
• Lars Danielsson & Leszek Możdżer, Pasodoble, ACT Music, ACT 9458-2, CD; reviewed HERE; rip FLAC.
• Metallica, Metallica , Warner Brothers Records, źródło: HDTracks, FLAC 24/96.
• Miles Davis, Tutu, Warner Brothers Records, źródło: HDTracks, FLAC 24/96.
• Portishead. Dummy, Go! Disc Limited/Universal Music [Japan], UICY-20164, SHM-CD (1994/2011).
• Radiohead, The King Of Limbs, Ticker Tape Ltd, TICK001CDJ, Blu-spec CD.
• Schubert, Lieder, wyk. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, dyr. Gerald Moore, "Signature Collection", EMI, 55962 2, 4 x SACD/CD.
• Sonny Rollins, Tenor Madness, źródło: HDTracks, WAV 24/96.
• Sonny Rollins, Way Out Wes, Contemporary Records/JVC, VICJ-60088, XRCD (1957/1997).
• This Mortal Coil, HD-CD Box SET: It’ll End In Tears, Filigree & Shadow, Blood, Dust & Guitars, 4AD [Japan], TMCBOX1, 4 x HDCD, (2011).
• TrondheimSolistene, Divertimenti, 2L, 2L50SABD, Blu-ray + SACD/CD (2008).
• Vangelis, Spiral, RCA/BMG Japan, 176 63561, K2, SHM-CD (1977/2008).

Japanese editions available from

I remember very well our disgust at listening to first DVD players. “Our” meaning us, music lovers, audiophiles. The sound they offered was dynamically and emotionally flat, devoid of any color, gray. There was no talk of extended bass or saturated midrange. Treble was metallic and bright. A true nightmare! Although manufacturers tried hard to convince us that we’re wrong and that the fantastic new technology must be better than the inherently limited Compact Disc format, one listening session was usually enough to make everything clear.
The situation with high resolution 24/96 records, unfortunately, was no better. Although the DVD format was focused from the beginning on picture and was backed by huge money that could only be recovered by selling entire movie catalogs on the new medium, its potential was particularly interesting for us (again, the plural “we” – I apologize but I identify with a group of people who are addicted to listening to music and who want it to sound the way it was intended by the recording artist, not the manufacturer of audio equipment).
The WG-4 Forum standing behind the Digital Versatile Disc format didn’t care much for the audio side of things. There wasn’t any money in there – or so it seemed. Perhaps by way of reaction, recognizing the beauty lying in the ability to play high-resolution recordings, there emerged an organization called ARA: Acoustic Renaissance for Audio, founded by Professor Hirokazu Negishi. The technical committee consisted of people like Tony Griffiths (Technical Director of Decca Recording Company, Chairman of Technical Subcommittee National Sound Archive, member of IEE, Fellow of the Royal Television Society), Professor Malcolm Hawksford (University of Essex, on the board of the Audio Engineering Society, on the board of Institute of Acoustics and on the board of IEE), David Meares (R&D Manager, Audio & Acoustics, BBC Research & Development Department, member of IEE) and Bob Stuart (chairman and CTO of Meridian Audio Ltd., associate member of Essex University, member of the Audio Engineering Society, member of the Acoustical Society of America, head of Acoustic Renaissance for Audio, member of XtraBits, member of the Technical Subcommittee National Sound Archive, and member of IEE and IEEE).
The insistence of the new organization focused on using the DVD format for audio was such that the WG-4 included in the final format specification the ability to play DVDs with two channel 24-bit, 96 kHz audio, without the need of an external TV screen. The discs were operated just like ordinary CDs. Such albums under the name of DAD: Digital Audio Disc were issued by Chesky Records. And that’s where the hard part began.
It quickly became clear that the competition, Sony and Philips, was not asleep but working on their own hi-res audio format, SACD, able to fit high-resolution stereo and multi-channel 5.1 on a single disc. With the help of Bob Stuart an amendment was added to the DVD under the commercial name DVD-Audio. In addition to multi-channel 5.1 24/96 audio it could also contain 24/192 stereo sound and video signal.
Digital revolution in video formats was already under way, taking a momentum. DVD players were unable to play DVD-A and no one was going to replace the newly purchased, expensive equipment for a newer one. Moreover, to play DVD-A discs one had to turn on the TV to navigate the menu. Something unacceptable for the audiophile. The crucial, however, was the lack of support by large recording companies. Thus began the instantaneous fall of the young, after all, format.
SACDs fared slightly better, although after the withdrawal of its creator, Sony (unofficially, of course), there only remained small, specialized companies, mainly offering classical music and jazz. The situation did not change even when EMI started issuing SACDs.
For a moment it seemed that Blu-ray is another opportunity for high-resolution audio. The disc can store 24/96 7.1 multi-channel and 24/192 stereo signal. Bob Stuart was involved again and his MLP codec, known from DVD-A, is an optional part of the new format.
The latest Internet revolution, however, turned everything upside down. As I wrote in my editorial to the 48th issue of HF in April 2008, four and a half years ago, transferring files on the Internet would reconcile everything and all. And it probably has…

From the very beginning DVD players, and Blu-ray is to a large extent their development, have fought an uphill battle. Their drives have been optimized to read DVDs, as have been their clocks, without much care given to the sound from CDs. Dreadful, cheap switching power supplies only worsened the matter. First tests with DAD discs and later, with DVD-A players, with 24/192 recordings showed that the “dense” format indeed had its advantages. But a comparison with even an inexpensive but solid CD player showed the new machines their place, no matter if they played 24/96 or 24/192 material. Their place was under the TV.

CD discs

Top models are inherently a manufacturer’s showcase, its technical and technological banner, where "hanging out" what is best in it. Accordingly, the BDP-105EU has a very solid, really great enclosure, an advanced power supply and the audio signal path has been given the same attention, put in the same “basket”, as the video.
That can be heard, indeed. The sound is very well balanced, with nice dynamic and surprisingly well-handled treble. Annoying, rustling, empty, shrill top end is standard in video equipment. Here treble is saturated and slightly warmed. It may, therefore, seem to be hidden under what is going on in midrange department. In fact, it is upper midrange that is withdrawn, eliminating virtually any problem with sound brightening. A slight rounding of treble, however, makes it perceived to be more “in the rear”. Well, it is not.
The player delivers big sound, with a flourish. It shows real muscle which is a refreshing change from “audiophile” CD players often sounding muffled. The Oppo not only builds large phantom images but backs them with appropriately intense room response and its delay – everything that the sound engineer decided to add to the basic sound.
The sound is well organized for a digital source for that kind of money. Phase relationships are maintained, which could be very well heard on recordings by such Polish groups as Kombi on the mini LP edition of Nowy Rozdział (“New Chapter”) or Bajm on Płomień z nieba (“Flame from Heaven”) from 1998. Although their sound is nothing spectacular, one can listen to them with pleasure because, among other things, their sound producers managed to show plenty of space. The Oppo nicely showed the details in counter phase, extending the soundstage past the speakers, as well as the sounds behind the listener’s head. It was not quite as overwhelming experience as playing the same CDs on the Mark Levinson No.512 SACD player standing next to it but there was no doubt about what’s what and which direction it’s going.

A general refinement of sound is the first thing worth noting and one that allows to treat the device seriously – I mean it in the context of audio. Only a few BD players, such as the Cambridge Audio Azur BD751 or the Arcam BDP300 – among those I know – allowed something like that.

The Oppo, however, stands out in terms of its scale of sound. Its midbass is clearly emphasized, which extends to some degree onto lower midrange resulting in male voices being weighted down and stronger and the bass guitar getting a gentle “push”, coming out from the shadow. This is a deviation from neutrality, let’s not have any illusions. It is, however, intended and well thought out; that is precisely why the sound is big and expansive.

The resolution is pretty good, as is selectivity. They do not go beyond the capabilities of a CD player for some 3,000 – 4,000 PLN, such as the Music Hall cd35.2, but neither are they substandard. In fact, it would be difficult to decide between these two players (or the Cambridge Audio Azur 651C, since we’re at it). Dedicated CD players are a bit more restrained in their presentation of bass and can better control it. They also show a slightly deeper soundstage. They can’t, however, offer such spectacular dynamic, something that can be termed as “drama”. Nor will they ever be able to do what the Oppo is actually designed for – to play audio and video files from your hard drive or USB flash drive, or play Blu-ray discs (not to mention SACDs).

High resolution recordings (Blu-ray, SACD, HRx, audio files)

I torture (as do other audio journalists) multi-format players with CDs because every self-respecting music lover, music fan, usually owns several thousands of such discs and does not want them to just be gathering dust. I have already hinted that the Oppo is doing surprisingly well with them. There is no way of going beyond the level of a CD player for more than 5,000 PLN but no one would really expect it, either. Yet even in such a comparison the Oppo would not embarrass itself; there is no quality gap. In this case, what starts to take over is small details that only taken together generate a new quality. All in all – a surprisingly high level.
I think that after listening to how the player handles audio files, both high-resolution and CD quality, one may revise one’s views on what is "kosher" in audio and what is not.
The sound from an external hard drive was in fact even better organized and even more internally consistent than from optical discs. It seemed calmer, apparently because it was smoother and more vivid. BDs sounded surprisingly well, both audio, e.g. SONaR by Ellen Sejersted Bødtker of 2L, as well as video/audio BDs such as Allan Taylor’s Live in Belgium issued by Stockfisch. Both presentations were extremely natural with performers present here and now. It was helped by the very nature of these recordings featuring either soloists or small ensembles, but the overall impression was very positive.
Larger ensembles were shown a little further on Blu-ray discs than on CDs. It is natural as the production of the latter requires quite substantial audio compression, resulting in increased average volume and subjectively closer sources. But here it was something different than that. Higher resolution allowed the tracks to develop, somewhat like a movie plot – there was breath, sequence, expectation and suspension. And it was not only on the spectacularly shown 24/192 recordings from the Alan Parsons Project’s album but also with small ensembles on reference albums from Bakoon Project (24/96 and 24/192), and even ultra-minimalist music on the already mentioned album by Ellen Sejersted Bødtker. Everything was deeper tonally, including deeper soundstage that was rather shallow on CD recordings, with a closely set foreground.
SACDs also sounded very interesting. Their warmer color and smoother texture showed the recordings somewhere between the open breath of high resolution PCM and the literalism of CDs. Treble was closer to that of the CD, slightly warm and well integrated with the rest of the sonic range. There seemed to be more of it on BDs. The impression was even stronger due to something that was clearly heard and that I mentioned right at the beginning – a withdrawal of upper midrange.

Increasing the bit depth from 16 to 24 bits (or, in case of SACD, its equivalent) and – to a lesser extent – increasing the sampling frequency on the Oppo player brings a clear sonic change for the better. In every single aspect. Which actually reflects well on the resolution of audio path. The majority of DVD and BD players show no change with transition from CDs to 24-bit audio files. Here one can immediately hear a better background; darker, quieter. Even with recordings seemingly resistant to such treatment, recordings considered to be low-fi, such as the new Mikołaj Bugajak’s album Random Trip on New Recordings label.
As I tried to demonstrate on his first album (reviewed HERE), if a musician has an idea of what he’s doing, if a music producer (in this case it's the same person) can hear the results of his work, each kind of music is worthy of our highest attention. Making the recordings available in 24-bit resolution can only help that. The owner of New Recordings, an artist also known as Noon, seems to get it as both albums have been released in such a way that one can play them on a CD player but also rip high definition files to one’s hard drive. All for the price of a single CD. Let’s support such people! All the more so as the music is cool, recorded with much attention.
In any case, the “dense” version of the album had much more to “say” on the Oppo. Dynamics was significantly higher, resulting in a more unrestrained presentation. What did not change was bass – it lacked low extension and was not as well controlled as it should have been.

Conclusion

Classifying audio recordings according to signal resolution is misleading. This debate has been going on for a long time and the issue seems to be well recognized. For some guidance on this topic, take a look HERE. The argument is about the fact that the commonly used division into “standard definition” signal, in the context of audiophilism associated with the Compact Disc, and “high definition” signal, i.e. SACD and DVD-A discs and 24-bit audio files, is misleading! In my experience, a well-recorded material, carefully released, preferably as XRCD, K2HD, SHM-CD, Blu-spec or HQCD, often sounds much better than the same material released in the form of 24/96 or even 24/192 audio files.
Why is that? I am convinced that the problem lies on both sides: mastering and playback. Recording and mastering studios have clearly not yet mastered the art of preparing such files and it does not matter whether the source is analog tape or digital. The companies had thirty years to learn to properly handle the 16/44.1 signal and it’s finally starting to sound good. And audio files? Not counting the DVD-A failure, also in sonic terms, they entered the game about 3-4 years ago.
Likewise, comparing the “dense” layer of the SACD with the CD layer on the same hybrid disc is a mistake. The CD layer reflects laser light significantly worse than that on the “regular” Compact Disc, making it more vulnerable to distortion. A meaningful comparison can only be made if we take up an SACD and a normal CD. Still, even if we give it enough care and attention, in most cases such a comparison will not be conclusive. A louder sound of 16-bit recordings usually masks their weaknesses. On the other hand, SACD players are usually not really designed for a proper processing of that signal, converting it to PCM somewhere along the path (usually in the DAC). What it all means is that talking about “high resolution” files only makes sense with reference to signal parameters, not the sound as such.
The Oppo can, however, show how these two worlds differ from each other. Not conclusively since the changes are not revolutionary and one can put forward an argument that CD-quality files will continue to bring us so much joy that the fight for hi-res, at any price, makes not much sense. Still, if we decide to pay more, for example for a 24/96 file, it will be a home run.

It really is a successful device. Its primary value is good sound with each format and an incredible functionality. In addition to CD, SACD, DVD, DVD-A and BD it will also play DVDs and DVD-Rs with audio files! I had no problem listening to such DVD-Rs from Japanese T-TOC and HRx Reference Recordings. Finally, I could easily play the recordings accompanying the Japanese "Net Audio" magazine, except for DSD files that the player unfortunately did not “see”. HDCDs – you bet… Video? Better quality than from the Cambridge Audio Azur 751BD and the Popcorn Hour A300. Cleaner, better saturated picture.
And what about the sound? Well, you need to be prepared for some compromises. It will not be as good as from a CD player for 6,000 or even 5,000 PLN. It is, however, very close to the latter; closer than any other multi-format player I know. And then there are the files which are its strongest side.
Oppo is known for its inexpensive, well-designed devices, eagerly modified by specialized companies. The BDP-105EU, however, is not cheap. Will it became a success? I don’t know… What I do know is that as a flagship model, one “in the spotlight”, it is a good example of what can be done within the framework of a large company, not particularly audiophile-oriented, as long as the people standing behind it know what they’re doing.

TESTING METHODOLOGY

The adopted testing methodology was based directly on my initial assumption to review the OPPO BDP-105EU the same was as any other AUDIO player. The testing had a character of an A-B comparison with known A and B, and 2 minutes long music samples. The reference point was the Ancient Audio Lektor Air V-edition (for CDs), the Mark Levinson No.512, the Cambridge Audio Azur 751BD (SACDs and video discs) and the HDI Dune HD MAX (audio and video files). Another reference point for audio files was a system consisting of the Ayon Audio NW-T + CD-3s CD player and DAC.
The device sat on the Acoustic Revive RAF-48H anti-vibration platform and additionally on the Acoustic Revive RIQ-5010 quartz spacers. It was powered via the Acrolink Mexcel 7N-PC9300 power cord.

DESIGN

The OPPO BDP-105EU is an extremely advanced device in terms of functionality. Nevertheless, the designer managed to keep a very clean and coherent front panel. That is mostly a result of moving the main user interface onto the remote control and the external TV screen. While CDs and SACDs can be played without connecting the TV, all others, including audio and video files, require an external screen. Fortunately, one can also use a dedicated application for smartphones and tablets and thus remain in an “audiophile” circle. At the time of the review applications were available for Android but not yet for Apple iOS.

The reviewed model has been designed from the beginning to be an “audiophile player”, as indicated by the introductory line on the manufacturer’s website: “The OPPO BDP-105EU is designed from the ground up with components optimized for enhanced analogue audio performance.” It’s visible on the outside – the front panel is a stiff, thick aluminum plate; the rest of enclosure is made of thick steel plates. The top panel is damped from the inside with special damping material. There is no cooling fan inside – cooling is wholly passive! The nice, clean front panel has been designed with a particular customer in mind. A blackened, semi-transparent acrylic plate with a disc tray in its center is glued on a metal frame. On the left side there is a small, really small display – it’s obvious that detailed information is transferred onto larger external displays. The buttons are so well integrated that, at first glance, only the eject button is visible. ‘Standby’ is masked by the manufacturer’s logo; others are touch buttons that light up only when you turn the device.
The rear panel reveals rather unequivocal evidence of what kind of device we’re dealing with. The video section is surprisingly small, given extensive player’s capabilities. There are two HDMI outputs and a single HDMI input for an external audio-video player. Three USB inputs can also be counted in; they are used to connect three hard or flash drives (one in the front and two in the rear).
Audio inputs and outputs section is much more extensive. Outputs are separate for stereo and multi-channel. The former are in two pairs – RCAs and balanced XLRs (pin 2 = hot). 7.1 multichannel outputs are grouped together horizontally. The device, however, can also be used as a DAC and hence the three digital audio inputs – optical TOSLINK, electrical RCA and asynchronous USB. All accept signal up to 24/192. Unfortunately, at the time of the review there was no driver for Windows 8 which is the version I use. Internet connection is via an Ethernet cable.

The grouping of different outputs on the rear panel reflects the positioning of PCBs inside. There are lots of them because each module is housed on a separate PCB. They are mounted in a rather complex way, onto metal screens and braces stiffening the whole chassis. Fortunately, audio PCBs that interests us the most are mounted at the top. They feature surprisingly good passive components. Actually, the audio circuit is built on two really nice looking PCBs – accordingly for the stereo and multi-channel sections. Their design is surprisingly similar and differ in two main details – a much more extended power supply for the stereo section and a different way of using the eight channels of the ESS Sabre32 “Super DAC”. In the stereo section they are divided into two groups of four, for the unbalanced and balanced outputs accordingly; the 7.1 section assigns each channel to a single output.
As I said before, in the input there are excellent D/A converters (let me remind you, separately for each section). Next in the audio circuit path we have two National Semiconductor LM4562 per channel, and then another one. This section is divided into separate paths for RCA and XLR outputs. The circuits feature high quality Wima polypropylene capacitors and electrolytic Elna Silmic II at the output. The stereo section is powered by a separate power supply, with a large toroid transformer in a screen. The rest is assembled on PCBs with the DACs – two separate power supplies for the analog and digital sections. First there are two large Elna Tonerex filter capacitors followed by IC voltage regulators. Wima capacitors can also be found here. The 7.1 audio PCB is powered by a simpler power supply but it also looks very nice. Digital inputs received good treatment as well. RCA (S/PDIF) is coupled to an input impedance matching transformer and USB is coupled to a large DSP XMOS.
A multi-format drive is placed in the center, reinforced from the top with a metal plate and bolted to a rigid base. It is powered by a separate section of a sizeable, screened switching power supply. The other PSU sections power the video systems.

It is a unique device in which the audio section received a very serious treatment, better than in many expensive CD players. The video section is in a class by itself, due to employment of the latest audio and video processors. One problem is a very crowded remote control; you should seriously think of using a smartphone or tablet for that – it really helps!