Moving towards SSP 800

[alebonau]

Update:

Looks like I am going to pick up the SSP 600 for the following reasons.

1.) I have a promise that the price I pay for the SSP 600 I will get as full trade in value when I decide to trade in my SSP 600 towards the SSP 800.

2.) My gaming, TV watching, Apple TV (all my SD DVDS) and most importantly my music via Mac Mini will greatly benefit from the SSP 600 over the 1069

3.) For BD, SACD and DVDA i plan on buying the Oppo BDP 83 which has base management and allows you to set speaker distance, trim (for each channel +- 10db) and cross over set at 80. Reports are the analog outputs perfrom very well.

4.) The SSP 600 will look great in my system and fill a hole which screams for it.

5.) I like changing things up and pulling my current 1069 out of my cabinet leaves and open spot for my PS3 which currently sits next to it and doesnt look great.

6.) Video will not be affected as I will use my DVDO HDMI switcher.

7.) Rebelman told me to go for it :T

8.) Better speakers are coming regardless of my choice, and I am looking more forward to hear the difference changing the ones I have when having a full classe setup. Strange, but true.

congrats !

good thing your dealer is guaranteeing trade up's as sale price on a second hand ssp600 is pretty low these days forget about even as trade in !

I see your choice of oppo bdp83 as source and youd no doubt have to hook up via mch analog to run with it and the ssp600 to experience hdaudio. One thing to be wary of is that the oppo if anything like the oppo 983 that I've owned would be absolutely woefull over mch. And let you down considerably on the audio side as the dacs, analog stage power supplies etc are all pretty much after throughts given the price bracket. If like the 983 it really would be better used over digital.

for the ssp600 Youd really want to be considering one of hte players very good over analog such as the pio 09fd/lx91, sony 5000es denon 3800/ marantz 8002 in my opinion if wanting to do jsutice to the ssp600

[btf1980]

congrats !

good thing your dealer is guaranteeing trade up's as sale price on a second hand ssp600 is pretty low these days forget about even as trade in !

I see your choice of oppo bdp83 as source and youd no doubt have to hook up via mch analog to run with it and the ssp600 to experience hdaudio. One thing to be wary of is that the oppo if anything like the oppo 983 that I've owned would be absolutely woefull over mch. And let you down considerably on the audio side as the dacs, analog stage power supplies etc are all pretty much after throughts given the price bracket. If like the 983 it really would be better used over digital.

for the ssp600 Youd really want to be considering one of hte players very good over analog such as the pio 09fd/lx91, sony 5000es denon 3800/ marantz 8002 in my opinion if wanting to do jsutice to the ssp600

You bring up a good point. As someone who has used Oppo players in the past, the analog outs leave much to be desired. Straight HDMI is definitely the preferred way to go about it with Oppo.

[Nolan B]

congrats !

good thing your dealer is guaranteeing trade up's as sale price on a second hand ssp600 is pretty low these days forget about even as trade in !

I see your choice of oppo bdp83 as source and youd no doubt have to hook up via mch analog to run with it and the ssp600 to experience hdaudio. One thing to be wary of is that the oppo if anything like the oppo 983 that I've owned would be absolutely woefull over mch. And let you down considerably on the audio side as the dacs, analog stage power supplies etc are all pretty much after throughts given the price bracket. If like the 983 it really would be better used over digital.



for the ssp600 Youd really want to be considering one of hte players very good over analog such as the pio 09fd/lx91, sony 5000es denon 3800/ marantz 8002 in my opinion if wanting to do jsutice to the ssp600

You are right and there is no question I have given this a lot of thought. It appears that the analog section in the upcoming oppo is not an afterthought from the research I have done *links below. I wouldn't consider this move if the oppo couldnt perform via the analog outputs. I would need a universal player which is why i am not considering the other players. Plus at 2.5k for the pioneer 09 and more for the denon I dont see the value and the value would be lost when moving to the SSP 800 and using it as a transport only.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=16050201&postcount=1598

I am betting on the fact the oppo will be a winner and not sound worse running analog through the classe preamp vs PCM through the rotel. There is a good chance the oppo will be out in very soon and I plan to do this test.


I also look forward to a review on an aftermarket player from these guys.

http://www.custom-ht.com/oppo.html

[alebonau]

You are right and there is no question I have given this a lot of thought. It appears that the analog section in the upcoming oppo is not an afterthought from the research I have done *links below. I wouldn't consider this move if the oppo couldnt perform via the analog outputs. I would need a universal player which is why i am not considering the other players. Plus at 2.5k for the pioneer 09 and more for the denon I dont see the value and the value would be lost when moving to the SSP 800 and using it as a transport only.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=16050201&postcount=1598

I am betting on the fact the oppo will be a winner and not sound worse running analog through the classe preamp vs PCM through the rotel. There is a good chance the oppo will be out in very soon and I plan to do this test.


I also look forward to a review on an aftermarket player from these guys.

http://www.custom-ht.com/oppo.html

no suprises in the links posted, as highlighted in svphiles concerns what oppo has done is no doubt cost constrained by the price bracket the player is being sold at.

the analog board is pretty paltry really, when you compare with what is implemented in the sony 5000es, the denon 3800/marantz 8002 and the almighty pio 09fd/lx91 which has implemented in it a board that a lot of "audiophile" players would long to have.

As far as the DACs it does appear oppo has gone for a good quality stereo dac for L&R discrete out. However for it 7.1 analog outs which is what you would use for your ssp800 it has gone for a single 7.1 dac chip which is a far cry from the discrete dac arrangements the likes of sony, denon/marantz and pio have gone for and again the oppo more typical of your usual player with a focus of performance over digital.

As far as power supplies the oppo has gone for a switching power supply a typical of a $500 player vs the likes of pio, denon/marantz which have torroidals and the sony with its audiophile R-core power supply selected purely for sound quality benefits. Htcustom's torroidal power supply upgrade would certainly help here for the oppo if something you are considering.

In the end depends I guess just how important analog side is to you. if jsut a stop gap till you move to a hdmi new gen avp and happy to live wiht the compromise in the mean time then thats another thing. But in my opinion if wanting a quality result over analog with the ssp600 it might be a good idea to also evaluate some of the players that excel over analog

[Nolan B]

no suprises in the links posted, as highlighted in svphiles concerns what oppo has done is no doubt cost constrained by the price bracket the player is being sold at.

the analog board is pretty paltry really, when you compare with what is implemented in the sony 5000es, the denon 3800/marantz 8002 and the almighty pio 09fd/lx91 which has implemented in it a board that a lot of "audiophile" players would long to have.

As far as the DACs it does appear oppo has gone for a good quality stereo dac for L&R discrete out. However for it 7.1 analog outs which is what you would use for your ssp800 it has gone for a 7.1 dac which is a far cry from the discrete dac arrangements the likes of sony, denon/marantz and pio have gone for and again more typical of your usual player with a focus of performance over digital.

As far as power supplies the oppo has gone for a switching power supply a typical of a $500 player vs the likes of pio, denon/marantz which have torroidals and the sony with its audiophile R-core power supply selected purely for sound quality benefits.

In the end depends I guess just how important analog side is to you. if jsut a stop gap till you move to a hdmi new gen avp and happy to live wiht the compromise in the mean time then thats another thing. But in my opinion if wanting a quality result over analog with the ssp600 it might be a good idea to also evaluate some of the players that excel over analog

what do you think of the aftermarket option? Some of the things like "anti vibration leveling feet" wont do much for SQ im sure, but what are your thoughts on the rest?

-Upgraded power supply with Toroidal Isolation Transformer
-High-end extremely low jitter clock upgrade
-Dedicated 2nd power supply for analog audio section with 2nd Toroidal Isolation Transformer
-Updated capacitor section of all 10 audio channels for ultimate sound quality
-Complete copper shielding of upper case for shielding of interference
-Choice of 120v or 240v input
-Anti vibration leveling feet

[alebonau]

what do you think of the aftermarket option? Some of the things like "anti vibration leveling feet" wont do much for SQ im sure, but what are your thoughts on the rest?

-Upgraded power supply with Toroidal Isolation Transformer
-High-end extremely low jitter clock upgrade
-Dedicated 2nd power supply for analog audio section with 2nd Toroidal Isolation Transformer
-Updated capacitor section of all 10 audio channels for ultimate sound quality
-Complete copper shielding of upper case for shielding of interference
-Choice of 120v or 240v input
-Anti vibration leveling feet

definitely think worth considering.

the upgraded power supply to a torroidal would certainly help. switching power supplies are very noisey and torroidals and the R-core are typically used where sound quality over analog a requirement.

things like the jitter clock upgrade and power supply for 2ch really of benefit if wanting to use for 2ch. wouldnt help 7.1 analog in anyway. and youd be better off feeding off the oppo via coax/optical to decode in the ssp 600 I would have thought for 2ch.

updated caps can be hit and miss but probably a step up from the usual ones used, but unlikely to make up for the choice of over all design and configuration and the dacs. Dont really see the rest listed items helping things analog wise, unless particualrly after them for other reasons.

the other issue is cost, I see the price suddenly heading upto $1500 or so. At that sort of pricing I would be sure you could pick up the sony denon/marantz discounted or even cheaper secondhand.

is there any other companies providing modding services for the oppo purely for analog performance over mch ? rather than having to pay for all sorts of other mods that not really of importance to you ?

[sikoniko]

what do you think of the aftermarket option? Some of the things like "anti vibration leveling feet" wont do much for SQ im sure, but what are your thoughts on the rest?

-Upgraded power supply with Toroidal Isolation Transformer
-High-end extremely low jitter clock upgrade
-Dedicated 2nd power supply for analog audio section with 2nd Toroidal Isolation Transformer
-Updated capacitor section of all 10 audio channels for ultimate sound quality
-Complete copper shielding of upper case for shielding of interference
-Choice of 120v or 240v input
-Anti vibration leveling feet

you could also get a benchmark DAC. It won't help you with 7.1 audio, but it would with 2 channel.

[Nolan B]

you could also get a benchmark DAC. It won't help you with 7.1 audio, but it would with 2 channel.

I dont use CDs anymore. All my music is on a music server and im confident I will be happy with the performance of the SSP 600 for 2 channel.

[Nolan B]

definitely think worth considering.

the upgraded power supply to a torroidal would certainly help. switching power supplies are very noisey and torroidals and the R-core are typically used where sound quality over analog a requirement.

things like the jitter clock upgrade and power supply for 2ch really of benefit if wanting to use for 2ch. wouldnt help 7.1 analog in anyway. and youd be better off feeding off the oppo via coax/optical to decode in the ssp 600 I would have thought for 2ch.

updated caps can be hit and miss but probably a step up from the usual ones used, but unlikely to make up for the choice of over all design and configuration and the dacs. Dont really see the rest listed items helping things analog wise, unless particualrly after them for other reasons.

the other issue is cost, I see the price suddenly heading upto $1500 or so. At that sort of pricing I would be sure you could pick up the sony denon/marantz discounted or even cheaper secondhand.

is there any other companies providing modding services for the oppo purely for analog performance over mch ? rather than having to pay for all sorts of other mods that not really of importance to you ?

I think its possible to do a custom job with CHT which may effect price.

The other players you mention dont do SACD and DVD A which is why I am only considering the Oppo.

You are right aou the 2 channel comment. I will likely only use the 2 Channel portion of the player for 2 Channel SACDs. The rest of my music will be played from my music server.

[Nolan B]

Hey guys.

If you went to this link and got interested in purchasing hold off until I get back to this thread. I read something of concern in his AVS profile. I am digging into it before I order, and will report details soon.

http://www.custom-ht.com/oppo.html

***ok all looks OK. i contacted a customer of his to confirm if it was legit and ask about his concerns. Nothing to be alarmed about.

[garak]

Hey guys.

If you went to this link and got interested in purchasing hold off until I get back to this thread. I read something of concern in his AVS profile. I am digging into it before I order, and will report details soon.

http://www.custom-ht.com/oppo.html

***ok all looks OK. i contacted a customer of his to confirm if it was legit and ask about his concerns. Nothing to be alarmed about.

BTW, those of you that are interested in the Oppo BDP-83, if you signed up for their OPPO Blu-ray Interest List, you should be receiving an email that invites you to purchase one before it goes on sale to the general public.

I received the email a couple of hours ago, and just placed an order for one. It said the expected ship date is May 4. Otherwise (based on what I've read on other forums), it's supposed to go on sale May 18.

[Nolan B]

You could use the multiple configurations to work around it though. Boost the bass on your subs volume and setup a config for the BD player, then when you calibrate the system for your other inputs, it will correct it.

Sikoniko,

Can you give me a little more information on this? I have a couple of questions.

1.) According to the SSP 600 manual it reads:
"In the SSP-600, these signals are passed through to the speakers with no further
processing, in order to preserve the purity of the signal. When this input is
selected, the SSP-600 provides only volume control (including the volume offsets
used to balance all your loudspeakers to one another)."

I assume this refers to being able to boost or trim each speaker channel including the sub, correct?

Does this work globally or are you able to do difference volume offsets for each input, or audio types (i.e. My rotel lets me boost or trim the sub different for Dolby Digital, multichannel, Dolby PL11 et.

2.) Lets assume the Oppo does base management with is actually -15bB, not -10 dB because as I understand it the LFE is -10db but the redirect bass causes the SW channel to actually be set to -15db. no?

Since you can't "boost" an analog signal from the player, why couldn't i just trim all channels -10 (or -15) but he SW? I will only use the player for DB, DVD A and SACD.

Any direction would be greatly appreciated.

[sikoniko]

What you would have to do is boost the gain on your sub 10db. use one configuration where it is flat with others, and then use another config where you take the subs level and raise it 10db. then assign configurations appropriately.

I did this, and was not necessarily happy with the results as I felt the bass was somewhat distorted. I hope Al's more recent experience is true and that the situations have matured.

[Nolan B]

What you would have to do is boost the gain on your sub 10db. use one configuration where it is flat with others, and then use another config where you take the subs level and raise it 10db. then assign configurations appropriately.

I did this, and was not necessarily happy with the results as I felt the bass was somewhat distorted. I hope Al's more recent experience is true and that the situations have matured.

So you are saying its possible to boos the SW level, but that it just happens globally including the analog inputs? I should do that under one configuration and one where all subs are flat under another?


I really hope I can do it in the player...we ill see I guess. I am going to start by triming every channel in the player by -10dB but the SW.



What if I boost the sub volume on the actual sub, then just dial back the SW in the SSP? Would that not make it so the bypass signal would hit the sub at a high level and all other audio output will be -10dB less?

[Nolan B]

All doubts (and rotel) are gone.

Today I hooked my SSP 600 and removed my RSP 1069. After shortly listening to music before tuning into the Canucks vs Hawks game all I can say is that moving toward a SSP 800 by getting a SSP 600 during the interm was not a mistake. In fact I am a little pissed no one told me what a difference it would make :M

Even with my lowly FPMs the 600 has made a huge difference....huge. Ill post some pics tomorrow, looks as great as it sounds!

Just curios...what is 24/96 stereo? I figured it was upconverting the stereo signal, but I cant initiate the mode with a 2 channel PCM signal.

I am confident I will never steer away from Classe.

[garak]

Congrats Nolan! Glad to hear that you really like the 600.

As another guy who moved from Rotel to Classe, I was also blown away by the difference. I instantly become a convert, and it sounds like you have too.

24/96 stereo is 24 bit, 96Khz sampling rate.

[Nolan B]

Congrats Nolan! Glad to hear that you really like the 600.

As another guy who moved from Rotel to Classe, I was also blown away by the difference. I instantly become a convert, and it sounds like you have too.

24/96 stereo is 24 bit, 96Khz sampling rate.

Thanks!


RE the 24/96..why cant I apply it to digital 2 channel signals?

[wettou]

Classé SSP-800 with the Oppo BD-83?

Has any one tried the SSP-800 with the Oppo BD-83?

[Oddiophile]

Has any one tried the SSP-800 with the Oppo BD-83?

I should have my Oppo BD-83 next week. I don't (yet? LOL) have an SSP-800 but I will be going to Edmonton to audition one as soon as they get one in. I will report on my findings for both the Oppo and the SSP-800 at that time.

[garak]

Has any one tried the SSP-800 with the Oppo BD-83?

Yes, I have the Oppo blu-ray player. They work great together. The Oppo sounds great with SACDs sending PCM over HDMI. The Oppo also decodes TrueHD and DTS-HD, so you hear the best audio on blu-ray also.

[Gump]

Yes, I have the Oppo blu-ray player. They work great together. The Oppo sounds great with SACDs sending PCM over HDMI. The Oppo also decodes TrueHD and DTS-HD, so you hear the best audio on blu-ray also.

Ordered mine on Friday, should ship next week 8) .

[wer4ccsn]

Yes, I have the Oppo blu-ray player. They work great together. The Oppo sounds great with SACDs sending PCM over HDMI. The Oppo also decodes TrueHD and DTS-HD, so you hear the best audio on blu-ray also.

Hello Garak -
How do you have connected the Oppo with the ssp-800? Do you have it with HDMI cable only or also you connected with XLR cables for analog? I have been thinking buying the oppo too. :roll: Please advise and thank you.
Carlos

[garak]

Ordered mine on Friday, should ship next week 8) .

Nice, you won't be disappointed. :T

Hello Garak -
How do you have connected the Oppo with the ssp-800? Do you have it with HDMI cable only or also you connected with XLR cables for analog? I have been thinking buying the oppo too. :roll: Please advise and thank you.
Carlos

I have the Oppo connected to the SSP-800 with an HDMI cable only. IMO, that's the way it should be used with the SSP-800, as a digital transport only. The SSP-800 is a tremendous processor, and should be used as such.

BTW, the Oppo doesn't have XLR outputs, I think you may be thinking of the Denon blu-ray player.

[wer4ccsn]

Nice, you won't be disappointed. :T

I have the Oppo connected to the SSP-800 with an HDMI cable only. IMO, that's the way it should be used with the SSP-800, as a digital transport only. The SSP-800 is a tremendous processor, and should be used as such.

BTW, the Oppo doesn't have XLR outputs, I think you may be thinking of the Denon blu-ray player.

Garak thanks for your reply, my bad. I meant to say rca not xlr ops: . Thanks for your input.
Carlos

[RebelMan]

Today I hooked my SSP 600 and removed my RSP 1069... In fact I am a little pissed no one told me what a difference it would make :M

Hey... I seem to remember saying something about this a while ago. :W

[Nolan B]

Just curious if anyone knows why when pressing "night" on the remote there is no indication on the screen of the SSP that its in night mode. I assume it only works with Dolby Digital, but when ever I try it with a dolby digital signal it does not seem to engage. Doesn't every DD signal have the ability to go into night mode?

Follow up to my own post.

Pressing "night" does in fact engage night mode for any DD track, but it is not displayed on the screen as such. I find that strange/annoying.

[Gump]

Nice, you won't be disappointed. :T

You were right, garak!

Hooked up the Oppo tonight and after only a few hours I am very happy with it's performance.

The PS3 served me well, but it's time to move it to the kid's playroom where it belongs. :T

[Nolan B]

I guess bad is a poor choice of words. Perhaps it took extra effor to get it working...

Overall, I felt that it sounded fantastic, but the bass was missing using the analog outputs of the HDDVD player. To get around it, I boosted the volume on the sub by 10db. This supposedly fixed the HDDVD issue, but then I had way too much bass for everything else. So I had to setup a second configuration for everything else. The system automatically calibrated the sub appropriately, but IMO, it still wasn't as seemless as it is now, or it was watching the movie with an optical connection.

In the end, I went back to watching my HDDVDs with an optical connection.

The SSP-600 is a very good pre/pro and you might find that you like it better with just DD and DTS, than your Rotel with PCM and whatever else it does.

While the Rotel might support the new codec's, I just don't feel that it is built as well as the Classe. I find it overly harsh and metallic sounding.

Hey Sikoniko,
Finally the Oppo is available for order in Canada and I should be receiving it shortly which brings up the question of using it with analog outputs and my SSP 600. I have been listening to my BD using full spec DTS/DD and im happier with the sound then my Rotel processing a lossless PCM.

When it comes to DVD A and SACD I am going to use the analog connection which leaves me with two questions.

1.) How did you raise the volume of your sub by 10dB? My PV1 just has a knob on it and does not let me know the level increase. I do have a sound meter so I suppose I could send a white noise signal to it and just raise until it reaches 10 more. Will that work? Any suggestions?

2.) A question to anyone: If a full spec DTS/DD sounds better through the SSP 600 vs lossless audio VIA the analog section of the Oppo (im guess this will be the case) would it not also be possible that a DVD A would sound better as DD to the SSP 600 vs the hi rez analog output? Seems that is not very likely and certainly wasnt when I did the comparison with my Rotel. Doesnt seem possible, but its certainly a test I will do.


Any other suggestions of things I should consider when hooking up my Oppo to the 600 would be greatly appreciated.

I plan on doing on doing many in depth comparisons of the BDP 83 and posting a mini review. In addition I am still considering a third part mod/upgrade to the audio section and will report on that as well.

Should be fun, cant wait.

[sikoniko]

Hey Sikoniko,
Finally the Oppo is available for order in Canada and I should be receiving it shortly which brings up the question of using it with analog outputs and my SSP 600. I have been listening to my BD using full spec DTS/DD and im happier with the sound then my Rotel processing a lossless PCM.

When it comes to DVD A and SACD I am going to use the analog connection which leaves me with two questions.

1.) How did you raise the volume of your sub by 10dB? My PV1 just has a knob on it and does not let me know the level increase. I do have a sound meter so I suppose I could send a white noise signal to it and just raise until it reaches 10 more. Will that work? Any suggestions?

What I did was setup two configurations.

It may be good to experiment with an SPL meter and your sub volume to see how far 10db is to start.

7.1 Bypass Config:
Option1 -> do not calibrate your system prior to turning on your BDP. Use source test tones to calibrate all channels, set BDP to 0 and modify the levels on your SSP-600. When it comes to calibrating sub, keep level on SSP reasonable and then use volume knob on the sub itself to get the rest of the signal calibrated.

Option2-> Calibrate your SSP as normal, then turn on BDP and calibrate signals on BDP. Use volume on sub to calibrate appropriately.

I am not familiar with the Oppo, so I do not know if it will compensate for the -10db, or if you will have to use your previous experimentations to manually boos the volume to get it right.

I hope that makes sense. It has been a while since I did this and YMMV.

STD Config: Calibrate: Once the volume on the sub is boosted to compensate for analog bypass, you then calibrate the system as normal and your sub level will be -10 what it may normally be (give or take). Be sure and leave yourself enough headroom when doing the 7.1 levels so you can bring the sub down far enough for this configuration.

2.) A question to anyone: If a full spec DTS/DD sounds better through the SSP 600 vs lossless audio VIA the analog section of the Oppo (im guess this will be the case) would it not also be possible that a DVD A would sound better as DD to the SSP 600 vs the hi rez analog output? Seems that is not very likely and certainly wasnt when I did the comparison with my Rotel. Doesnt seem possible, but its certainly a test I will do.

I did my experimentations on my HDDVD XA1 where optical converted everything to 1.5 DTS. I found this to be acceptable and more convenient than doing the multiple config stuff because I always felt bass just didn't feel right when on a STD config input. YMMV.

I do not know how the Oppo sends hi-res signals over optical (1.5MB DTS, or 640kDolby). That would be important to know.

[Nolan B]

What I did was setup two configurations.

It may be good to experiment with an SPL meter and your sub volume to see how far 10db is to start.

7.1 Bypass Config:
Option1 -> do not calibrate your system prior to turning on your BDP. Use source test tones to calibrate all channels, set BDP to 0 and modify the levels on your SSP-600. When it comes to calibrating sub, keep level on SSP reasonable and then use volume knob on the sub itself to get the rest of the signal calibrated.

Option2-> Calibrate your SSP as normal, then turn on BDP and calibrate signals on BDP. Use volume on sub to calibrate appropriately.

I am not familiar with the Oppo, so I do not know if it will compensate for the -10db, or if you will have to use your previous experimentations to manually boos the volume to get it right.

I hope that makes sense. It has been a while since I did this and YMMV.

STD Config: Calibrate: Once the volume on the sub is boosted to compensate for analog bypass, you then calibrate the system as normal and your sub level will be -10 what it may normally be (give or take). Be sure and leave yourself enough headroom when doing the 7.1 levels so you can bring the sub down far enough for this configuration.



I did my experimentations on my HDDVD XA1 where optical converted everything to 1.5 DTS. I found this to be acceptable and more convenient than doing the multiple config stuff because I always felt bass just didn't feel right when on a STD config input. YMMV.

I do not know how the Oppo sends hi-res signals over optical (1.5MB DTS, or 640kDolby). That would be important to know.

thank you...
I found plaing around with my Oppo 980 that if I did one config on the the SSP 600 doing a regular calibration for regular listening, then cloned those speaker settings into another config then just boost the SW setting in the SSP trim levels the sub channel was boosted when using that config for analog bypass.

I supposed the 600 isnt a pure bypass in that it still applies the trim settings set in the config you are using.

Did you ever try it that way?

[Nolan B]

Without a doubt I can confirm that the 7.1 analog inputs are not a pure passthrough in that the settings in the configuration effect the volume of each channel including the sub. What is a little harder to determine is if the distance settings are also put into effect.

Was this common knowladge?



Who still has the SSP 600 still anways. Sometimes I post here and feel like an outside because i get the feeling everyone has moved on to the 800.

[sikoniko]

thank you...
I found plaing around with my Oppo 980 that if I did one config on the the SSP 600 doing a regular calibration for regular listening, then cloned those speaker settings into another config then just boost the SW setting in the SSP trim levels the sub channel was boosted when using that config for analog bypass.

I supposed the 600 isnt a pure bypass in that it still applies the trim settings set in the config you are using.

Did you ever try it that way?

I think thats the same as what I was trying to express. Like I said, it will take some trial and error.

[alebonau]

Without a doubt I can confirm that the 7.1 analog inputs are not a pure passthrough in that the settings in the configuration effect the volume of each channel including the sub. What is a little harder to determine is if the distance settings are also put into effect.

Was this common knowladge?



Who still has the SSP 600 still anways. Sometimes I post here and feel like an outside because i get the feeling everyone has moved on to the 800.

good luck, having owned a oppo 983 before, personally I think your wasting your time with the oppo and mch analog. its a digital machine and hdmi is the way it is best.

anyone you come across having some sucess with decent pre-pros and mch you will find using players much better over analog in the marantz 8002/denon 3800/pio 09fd/lx91 and sony 5000es or in unversals the likes of the denon 2930/3930/marantz 9500/9600 and above.

there are compromises in setting up over analog as well both in the pre and the player even if it is the best out there. My cousin doesnt bother with mch analog he uses coax/optical into the 600 and hooks up that way. he does run out of his dcs dac into the 600's 2ch inputs but that is 2ch only no bass processing setting levels/ delays nothing in the 600.

[Nolan B]

good luck, having owned a oppo 983 before, personally I think your wasting your time with the oppo and mch analog. its a digital machine and hdmi is the way it is best.

anyone you come across having some sucess with decent pre-pros and mch you will find using players much better over analog in the marantz 8002/denon 3800/pio 09fd/lx91 and sony 5000es or in unversals the likes of the denon 2930/3930/marantz 9500/9600 and above.

there are compromises in setting up over analog as well both in the pre and the player even if it is the best out there. My cousin doesnt bother with mch analog he uses coax/optical into the 600 and hooks up that way. he does run out of his dcs dac into the 600's 2ch inputs but that is 2ch only no bass processing setting levels/ delays nothing in the 600.

Ill go Optical for BDs likely...just using the analog outputs for SACD and DVD A. I will never regret buying the Oppo because eventually it will be used at a pure digital transport.

[alebonau]

Ill go Optical for BDs likely...just using the analog outputs for SACD and DVD A. I will never regret buying the Oppo because eventually it will be used at a pure digital transport.

depends how important audio is to you I guess, but you wont experience the very best BD has to offer audio wise over optical. Best you will get over optical is 1.5mbps vs the 24.5mbps capable with blu-ray audio.

Inregards SACD or DVDA. right now if you can pick up a second hand denon 2930/3930 or marantz 9500/9600 you would do better over mch analog for both those formats. if have a few more dollars to spare the likes of a denon 5910 or an arcam, merdian or ayre mch player likely more in the league of the classe 600 with excellent analog performance

[Nolan B]

depends how important audio is to you I guess, but you wont experience the very best BD has to offer audio wise over optical. Best you will get over optical is 1.5mbps vs the 24.5mbps capable with blu-ray audio.

Inregards SACD or DVDA. right now if you can pick up a second hand denon 2930/3930 or marantz 9500/9600 you would do better over mch analog for both those formats. if have a few more dollars to spare the likes of a denon 5910 or an arcam, merdian or ayre mch player likely more in the league of the classe 600 with excellent analog performance

I realize I wont be getting lossless. I have been living with Lossless audio since the A1 in 2006. When I bought my Rotel 1069 and had my PS3 connected I got to experience what Rotel could do with lossless. All was bested with the with Classe SSP 600 receiving full spec lossy. One day Ill save enough for the 800, but for now I am happy knowing my SSP 600 produces better SQ with full spec lossy then most if not all mid to mid-hi level processors accepting lossless.


I dont expect the Oppo to perform top end in the analog section, i m just looking for good enough to tie me over until i get a 800. I think if I really dont like it I will get a mod done to the 83 by MWI.

[alebonau]

I realize I wont be getting lossless. I have been living with Lossless audio since the A1 in 2006. When I bought my Rotel 1069 and had my PS3 connected I got to experience what Rotel could do with lossless. All was bested with the with Classe SSP 600 receiving full spec lossy. One day Ill save enough for the 800, but for now I am happy knowing my SSP 600 produces better SQ with full spec lossy then most if not all mid to mid-hi level processors accepting lossless.


I dont expect the Oppo to perform top end in the analog section, i m just looking for good enough to tie me over until i get a 800. I think if I really dont like it I will get a mod done to the 83 by MWI.

the thing is right now with what you have, how much better would it be fed full strength 24.5 mbps blu-ray audio ? rather than just limiting yourself to 1.5mbps with optical ? thats the question I would be asking myself if in your shoes.

the oppo mods were quite expensive if I remember upto $1,499 ! and still not really going the whole hog analog wise. Not sure the sense in that when you can get a denon 3800 for $1100 from amazon !, there are choices like it or sony 5000es which I know people are using with top class pre-pros over mch analog and getting a great result for BD audio. Something that would give you a great result for BD audio now but also be there for you when you do upgrade to something wiht hdmi capablity.

[Nolan B]

the thing is right now with what you have, how much better would it be fed full strength 24.5 mbps blu-ray audio ? rather than just limiting yourself to 1.5mbps with optical ? thats the question I would be asking myself if in your shoes.

Actually I am happy to look at it like I upgraded all my audio (including BD) from the 1069 for a very inexpensive price. I took advantage of people dumping their high end equipment over minor to no difference with marketing over codecs. I considered and found a trueth many over look, or dont want to believe. Full spec lossy <1% different from lossless when measuring with professional equipment :T

If the marketing of new codec has driven down the price of high end processors 50+% then I was in the right place at the right time.

Sure there is something to be said for HDMI as an all in one connection, and I believe when it comes to SACD/DVD A the SSP 800 is likely a SSP 600 killer. I am also sure lossy and lossless sounds better with the 800 then the 600, so for those reasons I will look to save and invest in the Classe 800.

I do believe that in my case only processors worth 2-4 times what I spent on the SSP 600 will best mine in AQ. I moved form the 1069 to the 600 in hopes to best AQ from my music server, gaming and TV viewing. I was happy if the AQ with BD stayed the same. I was lucky to find out it got better

the oppo mods were quite expensive if I remember upto $1,499 ! and still not really going the whole hog analog wise. Not sure the sense in that when you can get a denon 3800 for $1100 from amazon !, there are choices like it or sony 5000es which I know people are using with top class pre-pros over mch analog and getting a great result for BD audio. Something that would give you a great result for BD audio now but also be there for you when you do upgrade to something wiht hdmi capablity.

Looks like the mod from ModWright will be $995. You can get a tube mode for $1,400. Ill bet either will kill the Denon. If I do the mod it will be done knowing full well within a year or two I will no longer need the analog section.

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=68675.0

I should also say I am more interested in reducing the number of source players and would rather work with the Oppo then have to add another player for DVD A and SACD.

[alebonau]

Actually I am happy to look at it like I upgraded all my audio (including BD) from the 1069 for a very inexpensive price. I took advantage of people dumping their high end equipment over minor to no difference with marketing over codecs. I considered and found a trueth many over look, or dont want to believe. Full spec lossy <1% different from lossless when measuring with professional equipment :T

If the marketing of new codec has driven down the price of high end processors 50+% then I was in the right place at the right time.

Sure there is something to be said for HDMI as an all in one connection, and I believe when it comes to SACD/DVD A the SSP 800 is likely a SSP 600 killer. I am also sure lossy and lossless sounds better with the 800 then the 600, so for those reasons I will look to save and invest in the Classe 800.

I do believe that in my case only processors worth 2-4 times what I spent on the SSP 600 will best mine in AQ. I moved form the 1069 to the 600 in hopes to best AQ from my music server, gaming and TV viewing. I was happy if the AQ with BD stayed the same. I was lucky to find out it got better





Looks like the mod from ModWright will be $995. You can get a tube mode for $1,400. Ill bet either will kill the Denon. If I do the mod it will be done knowing full well within a year or two I will no longer need the analog section.

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=68675.0

I should also say I am more interested in reducing the number of source players and would rather work with the Oppo then have to add another player for DVD A and SACD.

I think you miss the point of my post, I wasnt asking you to justify your ssp purchase. Thats a choice you have made and have to live with and try to get the very best out of.

I'm just suggesting to you what others are using currently to get the best out of BD audio over mch analog. in players like the denon 3800 which is selling on the likes of amazon for $1,127 !

http://www.amazon.com/Denon-DVD-3800BDCI-Blu-ray-Disc-Player/dp/B001375Q8U

they have a couple of second hand ones for $961 if you looked around I'm sure youd find more and a lot cheaper second hand again.

If you want to go the mod route that is your choice. Personally I see them of dubious value, especially when they start talking about $1995 tube mods :E

[Nolan B]

I think you miss the point of my post, I wasnt asking you to justify your ssp purchase. Thats a choice you have made and have to live with and try to get the very best out of.

I'm just suggesting to you what others are using currently to get the best out of BD audio over mch analog. in players like the denon 3800 which is selling on the likes of amazon for $1,127 !

http://www.amazon.com/Denon-DVD-3800BDCI-Blu-ray-Disc-Player/dp/B001375Q8U

they have a couple of second hand ones for $961 if you looked around I'm sure youd find more and a lot cheaper second hand again.

If you want to go the mod route that is your choice. Personally I see them of dubious value, especially when they start talking about $1995 tube mods :E

I think you missed my point. I wasnt justifying, but rather pointing out things the vast majority overlook when it comes to what produces the best AQ.

There is no indication the tube mod offered by MWI will sound better then SS. Tubes are not universally better then SS. Form what I have read money spent on mods go a lot further then what you can buy retail, even second had. Even if the tube was vastly better at $1995 id still pay that over the price of a Denon because I would have an all in one player (including BD).

There is still the value in having one player do all rather than a separate player do BD and another DVD A and SACD. There is a lot of value in that IMO.

Regardless you represent a very valid side in this debate. I have already ordered the 83 and will do various comparisons. I may go the extra mile and do the mods.

The bottom line is full spec lossly with a high quality pro sounds better then any non high quality processor with a lossless signal. Thats something I have learned against my personal judgement.

I am in a perfect situation right now and if I did a mod it would be out of fun, and not value. Ultimately I can wait until my savings account reaches the level needed for a 800. My wife and I have an agreement nothing in our HT gets bought on credit ops:

Its amazing the deals that are available today on high quality "last gen" pros. If you can work with no HDMI for connection purposes you can get one at a steel.


I am looking at a classe SSP 300 @ $1, 500 for my bedroom! Sh!t a that price I should get one for my bathroom and kitchen