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Primare BD 32

198.54.202.226
Posted on March 26, 2012 at 23:07:24
jazz1
Audiophile

Posts: 2891
Joined: October 30, 2000
 I noticed that the new Primare BD 32 Universal player is getting great reviews all over and the pricing won't break your bank account.
That should be one big step up from the Oppo and as all Primare products they are beautifully made.
It must be the best Universal player around.

 

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RE: Primare BD 32, posted on March 27, 2012 at 01:13:43
Disbeliever
 Used with HDMI it would appear to be very poor value compared to the Oppo 93.

 

RE: Primare BD 32, posted on March 27, 2012 at 01:23:50
jazz1
Audiophile

Posts: 2891
Joined: October 30, 2000
 One should not judge a product on price only, a proper side by side comparison is required, all I can tell you is that Primare products
are beautifully made, the engineering is superb, typical of Sweedish
workmanship. Based on these criteria's the Oppo looks really cheap.
And it is encouraging that we as consumers have more choices.

 

RE: Primare BD 32, posted on March 27, 2012 at 01:31:34
Disbeliever
 Speculation have you compared the two side by side ? As the Primare uses the Oppo 's archtecture ,if using HDMI the Primare IMO is a waste of money that could be better spent on more discs.

 

RE: Primare BD 32, posted on March 27, 2012 at 01:43:19
stvnharr
Audiophile

Posts: 659
Joined: November 6, 2003
 So, according to you, choice is irrelevant. The only thing that really matters is having the cheapest.

 

RE: Primare BD 32, posted on March 27, 2012 at 01:54:57
Disbeliever
 People are entitled to waste their own money ,I am only pointing out that the Primare's parent is the Oppo 93 and if used with HDMI into a AV receiver or pre-pro there is no point in spending a very much larger sum. However it would be more interesting to know how the Primare sounds compared to the Oppo 95 using analogue outs for Stereo only users and if the much larger outlay is justified.

 

RE: Primare BD 32, posted on March 27, 2012 at 05:20:29
layman
Audiophile

Posts: 559
Location: Washington, D.C.
Joined: August 8, 2007
 This model seems to address some of the problems that audiophiles (myself included) have had with the base model (Oppo BDP-93).

Primare has gotten rid of the annoying cooling fan.

Upgraded the power supply.

Replaced the transport with something nicer.

Upgraded the analog outputs.

That's progress.

I would like to know now how it compares subjectively to the base player.

 

apparently we bank @ different locations..., posted on March 27, 2012 at 06:16:59
Ron D
Audiophile

Posts: 504
Location: Alberta
Joined: June 3, 2000
 as it would have to be a stellar performer to take on the Oppo 95 which will run one fifth of the cost of the BD32. No doubt it's build quality will be substantial but worth another $4K????

 

RE: Primare BD 32, posted on March 27, 2012 at 06:52:29
srl1
Audiophile

Posts: 1339
Location: Florida Panhandle
Joined: September 2, 2003
 It is interesting that all of the reviews I can read from the web site (the ones in English), compare this unit to the Oppo 93 not the 95. Since the 95 is itself a reengineered 93, one might think the 95 more favorably compares to the 32....

For those with lots of money, paying over four times the price for the same functionality, and maybe some better performance, it might be worth a try. While the BDP-95 is not built like my old Sony 779ES CD player (some tanks are less solid), it is a well-built, substantial piece of equipment that continues to amaze me with its performance with every disc I put into it.

 

RE: Primare BD 32, posted on March 27, 2012 at 07:01:32
Dave Billinge
Audiophile

Posts: 1008
Location: Hampshire
Joined: June 7, 2005
 A review in the UK HiFi News (May Edition) of the 95 is ecstatic, but does admit that the Primare is a bit better. Given the price difference this still says much for the Oppo. If and when my Denon DVDA1UD gives up the ghost an Oppo model seems a no brainer to take over - even though the Primare is obviously more beautiful on the shelf.


Dave

 

Hifi News & RR May 2012: Oppo BDP-95 vs Primare BD 32, posted on March 27, 2012 at 07:12:55
Mikko Mattila
Audiophile

Posts: 243
Joined: May 29, 2001
 Not sure if it is that "big step-up", based on recent review in the Hifi News & Record Review, May 2012:

http://www.oppo-bluray.co.uk/UserFiles/Docs/PDF/HiFi_News_May_2012.pdf

"Playing ‘Skinny Love’ from the Birdy CD, the Primare exuded the passion in the song like no other universal player I have listened to, yet lost out to the Oppo’s midband clarity and top-end micro detailing."

"Switching back to the Oppo was like taking in a breath of cold air. It stripped away any malaise or congestion in the sound, revealing each instrument in stark detail and delivering vocals with breath-taking
clarity."

Agree with srl1, that OPPO continues to amaze me with its performance with every disc I put into it.

 

RE: Hifi News & RR May 2012: Oppo BDP-95 vs Primare BD 32, posted on March 27, 2012 at 09:12:06
srl1
Audiophile

Posts: 1339
Location: Florida Panhandle
Joined: September 2, 2003
 Wow! Thanks for the link pointing to the BDP-95 review. Puts the expensive stuff into perspective. For some reason, my Oppo always sounds better after I read a favorable review. :)

 

RE: Hifi News & RR May 2012: Oppo BDP-95 vs Primare BD 32, posted on March 27, 2012 at 10:20:31
oldmkvi
Audiophile

Posts: 10583
Joined: April 12, 2002
 The phrases Cold air, and Stark detail do Not sound like praise to me. What is the point of comparing a $5000 player with a $1000 player? I was interested in the 95, but found some very negative comments here, about recessed sound, and uninvolving presentation.
I've got CD and SACD covered with my 5400/VSE, and don't want to spend $1000 on a Blu Ray Player, especially considering how much Netflix Streaming we do.
I want hirez sound on my Stereo, not that interested in hirez video. Everything looks fine to me on my Panasonic Plasma.

 

RE: Hifi News & RR May 2012: Oppo BDP-95 vs Primare BD 32, posted on March 27, 2012 at 10:45:47
srl1
Audiophile

Posts: 1339
Location: Florida Panhandle
Joined: September 2, 2003
 It's interesting how different folks zoom in on different portions of a review. I see your comments, but here is what I read in the same section:

Switching back to the Oppo ... stripped away any malaise or
congestion in the sound, revealing each instrument in stark detail and
delivering vocals with breath-taking clarity. ...the sound will certainly appeal to those wishing to sample the high end of high fidelity at a remarkably affordable price.

Also, this statement is quite positive to me:

The Oppo’s stance is one of detail and accuracy, with a firm yet dry bass line and exemplary clarity from mid to top. There were acres of space
between instruments, creatinga wide and three-dimensional soundstage that impressed from the first notes. The upper-midband and treble region was ruthlessly revealing, eking out every nuance of the recording and exposing any weakness in the mastering.

YIMV (Your Interpretation May Vary)

 

RE: Hifi News & RR May 2012: Oppo BDP-95 vs Primare BD 32, posted on March 27, 2012 at 13:03:53
layman
Audiophile

Posts: 559
Location: Washington, D.C.
Joined: August 8, 2007
 Reviewers use double speak. These comments both praise and censure at the same time.

"Reviewer speak" terms like "dry," and "ruthlessly revealing" usually indicate sound on the analytic and unmusical side.

 

Good point..., posted on March 27, 2012 at 14:35:49
Chris Garrett
Bored Member

Posts: 16675
Location: Miami, Florida
Joined: October 9, 1999
Contributor
  Since: June 19, 2000
 I tend to think the reviewer was praising the Oppo, but as you say, his/her choice of words, is telling.

One of those 'I love you with all of my heart, but...' moments, just before you get dumped for the other guy.

Chris



 

Common problem with universal SACD players, posted on March 27, 2012 at 20:11:21
avsBuddy
Audiophile

Posts: 696
Joined: March 8, 2010
 No full text display. Why design music centric universal player and not include full text SACD display?!!!!!

 

RE: Hifi News & RR May 2012: Oppo BDP-95 vs Primare BD 32, posted on March 27, 2012 at 22:11:28
Mikko Mattila
Audiophile

Posts: 243
Joined: May 29, 2001
 If a system sounds "musical" there must be something fundamentally wrong. The system itself should just reproduce what's coming in.

Analytic and ruthlessly revealing is definitely a positive sign to me.

 

RE: Primare BD 32, posted on March 28, 2012 at 04:23:55
jazz1
Audiophile

Posts: 2891
Joined: October 30, 2000
 I think that their is more to it than just performance.
The Primare is made to last the Oppo?????
So maybe in the long run it is worth paying more and I have to admit that I am a sucker for built quality and good looking equipment.

 

RE: Hifi News & RR May 2012: Oppo BDP-95 vs Primare BD 32, posted on March 28, 2012 at 06:41:51
Voice of reason


 
Actually if you read it properly, this quote: "Switching back to the Oppo ... stripped away any malaise or congestion in the sound, revealing each instrument in stark detail and delivering vocals with breath-taking clarity" refers to the 93 vs the 95 not the Primare, which received 87% for sound quality in Feb's issue, as opposed to 85% for the Oppo.

 

There is no cooling fan in the Oppo BDP-93...., posted on March 28, 2012 at 08:08:51
Mudshark
Audiophile

Posts: 533
Joined: May 1, 2000
 ... Maybe you meant the BDP-95?

 

RE: Primare BD 32, posted on March 28, 2012 at 10:08:04
nairb


 
Nice clean looking facade but cheesy plastic transport inside like Sony, Oppo's that's not quiet enough in SACD spin mode. My kingdom for an Esoteric transport.

 

RE: Hifi News & RR May 2012: Oppo BDP-95 vs Primare BD 32, posted on March 28, 2012 at 10:11:31
patrickU
Audiophile

Posts: 43825
Joined: March 4, 2001
 HI MIKKO!

 

RE: Accuphase transport assembly, posted on March 28, 2012 at 10:18:25
JohanV
Audiophile

Posts: 399
Location: Netherlands
Joined: March 5, 2010
 Comparatively to the cheesy plastic transport inside like Sony, the engineers at Accuphase have put into making a transport assembly for the DP-700 SACD player: it alone has a weight of 8.2 kg (18 lbs). Mind you, just the CD drive, not the entire device!

 

And Accuphase costs how much? My 2nd 5400 was $800. Let's be realistic here for a change!!!~ nt, posted on March 28, 2012 at 10:45:10
oldmkvi
Audiophile

Posts: 10583
Joined: April 12, 2002
 /

 

RE: And Accuphase costs how much? My 2nd 5400 was $800. Let's be realistic here for a change!!!~ nt, posted on March 28, 2012 at 10:57:16
JohanV
Audiophile

Posts: 399
Location: Netherlands
Joined: March 5, 2010
 Accuphase consumer prices 1-jan-2012 in EURO and 19% sales tax in the Netherlands.

DP-400* CD Player 5.500,00
DP-510* CD Player 7.825,00
DP-600* Super Audio CD Player 14.800,00
DP-700* Super Audio CD Player 20.200,00
DP-900* Super Audio CD Transport 20.900,00
DC-901* Super Audio Converter 20.900,00

* = includes remote commander

 

RE: Hifi News & RR May 2012: Oppo BDP-95 vs Primare BD 32, posted on March 28, 2012 at 11:05:34
Mikko Mattila
Audiophile

Posts: 243
Joined: May 29, 2001
 Hi Pat - So good to hear from you! Will you send me your mail address through the member mail. I have lost it...

 

RE: Accuphase transport assembly, posted on March 28, 2012 at 12:30:29
mrjdub33@aol.com
Audiophile

Posts: 381
Joined: June 8, 2008
 I for one have come to love the unassuming look of the 95's sleek and stealthiness.Looks great on the top shelf of my rack and fit and finish are solid! The sound glorious and still remains the Universal player to beat. I'm glad to see that the 95 put the highend on notice and will give us more choices (almost like deregulation!)and better prices. I do find it a bit curious in the reviews, except the one mentioned in the earlier post on the comparison and mention of the 93 and not the 95! big boys still in "Shock and Awe" at the rock solid performance of the 95! Ahh! Ess Sabre dac's x2 still a deadly combo!

 

Whoa.. I never knew that Accuphase, posted on March 28, 2012 at 13:03:15
Sordidman
Audiophile

Posts: 13665
Location: San Francisco
Joined: May 14, 2001
 was into that high of high end..........

Now that transport, is, or is not, the licensed VRDS Neo?

If it's not, it better at least be close to as beefy. I mean the VRDS transport is the best that I've seen so far.



"Asylums with doors open wide,
Where people had paid to see inside,
For entertainment they watch his body twist
Behind his eyes he says, 'I still exist.'"

 

RE: Whoa.. I never knew that Accuphase, posted on March 28, 2012 at 13:48:21
JohanV
Audiophile

Posts: 399
Location: Netherlands
Joined: March 5, 2010
 The Accuphase transport assembly is their own development and it took the engineers three years to develop the CD drive.

 

RE: Primare BD 32, posted on March 28, 2012 at 16:41:14
DPM
Audiophile

Posts: 228
Location: Nevada USA
Joined: October 2, 2002
 Actually, the BDP 95 is NOT a reengineered version of the BDP 93. It is a completely different player that was designed from the ground up. This is not the same situation as the BDP 83/BDP 83SE players from a few years ago.

 

RE: Primare BD 32, posted on March 28, 2012 at 23:10:31
Disbeliever
 DB MM How did you manage to get the May edition of HFN & RR so early ? it is not yet in WH Smith

 

RE: Accuphase transport assembly, posted on March 29, 2012 at 02:45:28
jazz1
Audiophile

Posts: 2891
Joined: October 30, 2000
 I only heard the 95 on a demo for about 1/2 hour using my software and was not that impressed, it sounded to dry to me. But then it was in a system that I was not that familiar with.
I also heard a PB design again in an unfamiliar system and also sounded
dry, but very transparent, in an ideal world one has to listen at home.
I also wonder when the reviewers listen to the equipment if these have
had the time to settle or are just out of the box.
To me 100 hours is a must.

 

What many people still don't know..., posted on March 29, 2012 at 02:49:07
Audio Pharaoh
Audiophile

Posts: 4502
Joined: January 24, 2001
 The transport is still a SONY ! but a highly modified one.

AP

 

RE: Whoa.. I never knew that Accuphase, posted on March 29, 2012 at 03:43:41
JohanV
Audiophile

Posts: 399
Location: Netherlands
Joined: March 5, 2010
 It took Accuphase about three years to develop a proprietary CD/SACD transport for the DP-800 in order to substitute the hitherto used CD drives from Sony. See website Accuphase.

 

RE: Primare BD 32, posted on March 29, 2012 at 05:14:20
Dave Billinge
Audiophile

Posts: 1008
Location: Hampshire
Joined: June 7, 2005
 Subscription :-)

Dave

 

RE: Primare BD 32, posted on March 29, 2012 at 05:34:37
Disbeliever
 Thanks

 

Ruthless, Dry, Musical..., posted on April 18, 2012 at 04:53:43
jfz
Audiophile

Posts: 551
Joined: July 21, 2004
 I've never come away from great, live, acoustic music saying it was ruthless or dry, etc. I don't understand why anyone would not want their music to sound "musical". ????

And of course I want it to sound like "what's coming in". So sure, if the recording was somehow "ruthless" (although I don't know what that would mean in a recording) or "dry", that's what I would hope to hear. But as *general* adjectives to describe a component? I sure don't want that in my system.

 

RE: Ruthless, Dry, Musical..., posted on April 18, 2012 at 08:40:11
Mikko Mattila
Audiophile

Posts: 243
Joined: May 29, 2001
 We are surely different...
I want my music as accurate as possible to the original master whether dry ruthless, transparent or liquid.

Someone has said "Music is art, Audio is engineering".

 

RE: Ruthless, Dry, Musical..., posted on April 18, 2012 at 11:02:29
nairb


 
"I want my music as accurate as possible to the original master whether dry ruthless, transparent or liquid."

So no tubes in your system, huh?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

RE: Primare BD 32, posted on April 18, 2015 at 16:08:23
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15524
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Just re-vitalizing this thread;
has anyone heard this player? Did anyone of you guys buy this player?

 

RE: Primare BD 32, posted on April 19, 2015 at 00:14:03
Disbeliever
Audiophile

Posts: 1877
Joined: June 1, 2012
 Seems no one was foolish enough to buy the expensive Primare Furthermore believe nothing you read re reviews in any magazine untill you have tried it for yourself. A electronics engineer I know says he is not all impressed with Primare amplifiers that he has repaired. in the current Home Cinema Choice they give a rave review to an expensive Pioneer universal BD player especially its stereo performance, yet What Hi-Fi ? says its not very good and can not give it a 5 Star rating, so who do you believe ?

 

RE: Primare BD 32, posted on April 19, 2015 at 05:34:43
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15524
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Agreed-

foolish to buy anything at full retail pricing. This spinner has been out long enough to warrant used/demo pieces.

 

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