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In Reply to: RE: What IS build quality? posted by pictureguy on November 28, 2014 at 19:40:23
I feel that besides sound quality the build quality on my Esoteric SACD player is superb.
I also can comment on Supratek. They may not be the best built component but the Chenin I owned was a delight and I would put it up against almost any preamp on the planet on a sound for the dollar type of comparison.
Follow Ups:
Esoteric is indeed build quality and they could write a book on the subject. With the entire chassis built around and anchored at the transport, the 1/4" thick steel base plate, the 1/4" thick aluminum top plate, its beauty, etc. No doubt there is a pride of ownership with most any Esoteric model.All the way up until earlier this year when I purchased an OPPO 105D to replace my UX-3SE because the OPPO was easily a superior performer.
Since the Esoteric is indeed built like a tank and at 60 lbs. to boot and since build construction and heft mean everything to me from a vibration controlling perspective, so I was rather surprised by the OPPO's performance.
Everything about the OPPO, including the video section, is superior performance-wise to the Esoteric and with my iPad I'm using it as a music server. The OPPO truly is a Swiss army knife with its many capabilities and does most/all of them exceedingly well. In fact, the only thing missing is the bling, bling. But at retail price of $1300 vs the Esoteric's $9000 price, who cares?
So in the end, build quality, e.g. structural integrity, heft, superior transports, etc. still mean much, but in and of themselves doesn't necessarily translate to superior performance.
Edits: 11/29/14
I have heard Oppo more than once as a friend has one. Not sure of the number. I am very happy with my Esoteric and have no plans to replace it. Glad your happy with your Oppo. Your Happy, I'm Happy. Happy Holidays
It's all about happy...
Sorry, I wasn't trying to rag on your Esoteric. I really like much about Esoteric products and the company itself. Moreover, components can generate different levels of performance in different system configs and I do some pretty unconventional things in my system that I'm sure had extra influence on the OPPO.
My previous post was more out of bewilderment. I mean Esoteric wreaks of build quality and they make arguably the best transport in the biz. In another post further down in this same thread I mentioned what I look for in build quality and I was thinking of the Esoteric when I wrote that. However, my point being that it just goes to show that build quality alone does not guarantee top notch performance.
At the time I was researching, even the reviews of the OPPO were probably just better than mediocre and as usual I had to read between the lines of the reviews.
No offense taken. Mean that sincerely. I get that the price of the Esoterics sure make them targets. I bought used and then held my breath as I had never heard one until it arrived. I had a Sony 777 and enjoyed it and only sold as I kept having to send it in to get fixed every couple of years. Read the "sterile" comments and being a tube lover was worried about a thin sounding digital player that was built well. Well I consider the Esoteric to be anything but thin. It is joy to own to use and I enjoy the hell out of it.
I get that smaller increases in sound quality costs coin. The biggest difference in digital I ever heard was going from a Nakamichi cd2 to a Sony 333. The Nak sounded like a cracker jack plastic whistle compared to the Sony (and I am a long time confirmed Nak lover). The 777 was a better player than the 333 and the Esoteric bests them all in my house.
I could still live with the 333 easily if I had to as I spin vinyl most of the time anyways BUT I am very HAPPY that I own the Esoteric.
Yeah, I know what you mean aboug the Sony's. Years ago I owned the Sony SCD-1 which performance-wise was a joke.
Replaced the SCD-1 with a custom APL unit which was significantly more musical. Then came the Esoteric UX-3SE which was even far more musical than the custom APL CDP.
I don't get it with Sony's SCD-1. Sony was pushing SACD big time and their flagship model SCD-1 weighing 62 lbs. barely sounded any better than their DVP-9000es retailing for $1200. And I mean barely.
Boy, I was glad to get rid of that one.
Performance wise the Oppo is very inferior to a far cheaper Sony BDP player both sound & video via HDMI
Although components can deliver different performance levels based on different system configs, if Sony's history is any influence, I seriously doubt the validity of your statement.
I have made the comparison at Home Sony v Oppo have you ? the Oppo 103 via HDMI gives a hard bright picture on my Samsung Smart TV the BD sound especially HF is very poor compared to the pristine sound from the Sony BDP1000ES.which has a far more natural easier to view picture As for reliability my Sony AVR STR-DA5400ES/XA5400ES player combo has performed flawlessly for the past 5 years but I doubt if it will last 25 years like my Marantz CD94.
Edits: 11/30/14
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