Here are some first impressions of the new gear. Overall, I'm happy with the purchases.
Oppo DV-980H
The external build quality is quite good. I was very impressed when I unpacked it, as noted earlier. The quality of the disc tray is average (IMO) but perfectly adequate - nothing special either good or bad.
The 1080p output on standard DVDs is very comparable to that of my newer DMP-BD60. I honestly couldn't say if one is any better than the other. My TV takes a while to switch HDMI inputs, so I can't do quick comparisons. Also, the pause settings on the players might be affecting the details of the paused images that I was comparing. In any case, they are very close to one another in performace as far as I can tell. What this means to me is that I can play DVDs in either machine and be happy, so I can have a DVD in the Oppo while also having a blu-ray in the Panny. Plus, the Oppo is a bit quicker in operation.
The ability to play SACDs is totally new to me, and I quite enjoy how the
Brothers in Arms disc sounds. Honestly, even the CD layer on that disc sounds better than my CD copy (when I play the original CD on the Panny or on the Oppo).
The remote is nothing fancy, and I was happy to see that I can program my new Pioneer remote to run the Oppo.
Some minor cons for me:
- The red standby light. I'd rather that it was completely dark when off like my other players.
- The menu system and OSD are pretty weak in terms of graphics, but they do the job.
- Certain menu options aren't available if a certain type of disc is in the machine. For example, the DVD-Audio preference can't be switched from DVD-A to DVD-V if a DVD-A disc is in the machine (whereas I could toggle that on my Panasonic with the disc in). Also, SACD track preference can't be changed with an SACD disc in the machine (at least, I haven't found a way to, yet).
VSX-23
It has been pretty easy to hook up and get working. Three HDMI cables, two optical cables, two 12V trigger cables, and six RCA cables on the pre-outs made for an uncluttered hook up.
I'm still working through some of the manual. In particular, I haven't run any of the multi-position auto set-up. I ran the Auto MCACC system, but it appears that I can use two other positions to feed into the standing wave calculations. It's no Audyssey MultEQ (at least my understanding of that system) like I was half-expecting, but it did a good job for the one position that I've used so far.
The remote hasn't impressed me, but I expected that before I bought it. The remote for my Pioneer 1015 is better, IMO. The one for the 1015 is more ergonomic and can learn. Plus, this new remote requires me to hit the "Receiver" button to change surround sound modes, which makes me hit a source button (like "BD") in order to get the remote to control that source - my old remote didn't require that. Yeah, I know - change happens. I just don't like it when newer, more expensive stuff takes a step backwards.
The sound is good, although my ears seem to hurt just a little at times. I haven't run through the speaker levels with my SPL meter, yet, but I'll do that sometime today. I think that the sub might be running a bit hot.
I gotta say, I'm itching for a DTS-HD MA soundtrack now! I had at least one in the past month from Netflix, but I don't remember which movie. I'll have to find another one that has it. I own five blu-rays, but they don't have it.
