AshKOPPO HAS ANNOUNCED the release of a new universal Blu-ray Disc player, the BDP-105D (Darbee and DSD Edition). This new model brings Darbee Visual Presence video enhancement and DSD to the flagship OPPO family, and is based on the award-winning BDP-105.
Darbee Visual Presence adds enhanced depth and realism to the visual experience, while DSD takes care of enhancing the audio experience. According to International Dynamics (the NZ agents) Commercial Manager Sam Encel: “Over the past year, high resolution audio downloads have become increasingly popular, with sites such as HDTracks, AIX Records, and Acoustic Sounds’ Super HiRez offering downloads in high resolution DSD and PCM formats. When it comes to high resolution audio, there are two main formats: DSD and PCM. The good news is that the OPPO BDP-105D player supports both. DSD stands for Direct Stream Digital. It was originally developed for the purpose of archiving analogue master tapes. It generally has a bit-depth of 1-bit, and a sampling rate 64 times that of CD audio, and as such is often referred to as DSD64. DSD64 is the most common variant of the format, but there are also DSD128 and DSD256 variants available, in which the sample rate is either doubled or quadrupled, respectively. All variants are supported by the new BDP-105D”.
The BDP-105D features the SABRE32 Reference ES9018 from ESS Technology, which is claimed by OPPO to be the world’s best performing 32-bit audio DAC solution, targeted at high-end consumer applications and professional studio equipment. With the ESS patented 32-bit Hyperstream DAC architecture and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator, the SABRE32 Reference DAC delivers an unprecedented DNR (Dynamic Range) of up to 135dB and THD+N (Total Harmonic Distortion plus Noise) of -120dB, the industry’s highest performance level.
The BDP-105D uses two ES9018 DAC chips – one for the 7.1-channel output, and another for the dedicated stereo output. The BDP-105D features a dedicated 2-channel analogue output with a specially optimised ES9018 DAC and output driving stages. The stereo output offers both XLR-balanced and RCA single-ended connectors. The balanced output features a true differential signal path all the way from the DAC to the 3-pin XLR connector. By transmitting a pair of differential signals, the balanced output provides better common-mode noise rejection and improves signal quality.
By bypassing the low fidelity, poor quality DAC of traditional computer soundcards, the BDP-105D turns any computer into a high-performing multi-media source by converting digital audio to analogue through the ESS Sabre32 Reference DAC. The BDP-105D supports DSD audio in standard rate (DSD64) or double rate (DSD128 or DSD 2x) via its new USB DAC input. If your computer can play it, the BDP-105D can convert it to analogue.
A toroidal power transformer offers superior power efficiency and much lower exterior magnetic fields over traditional laminated steel core transformers. The BDP-105D’s toroidal linear power supply provides a very clean and robust power source to the critical audio components.
For a more intimate listening experience, a pair of headphones can be connected directly to the BDP-105D’s built-in headphone amplifier. The headphone amplifier is connected directly to the ESS Sabre32 Reference DAC and offers a unique performance advantage over standalone headphone amplifiers.
In video terms, Darbee’s Visual Presence technology establishes a fundamental breakthrough for image realism. By embedding stereoscopic depth information generated from a patented humanvision-based model into 2D or 3D video, it provides greater clarity and increases the perception of depth, resulting in a more dynamic, life-like experience. The amount of processing is adjustable, allowing users to customise the visual enhancement to their particular taste.
The BDP-105D also ships with a variety of media options. In addition to New Zealand streaming service Quickflix, the BDP-105D provides access to popular entertainment network services from YouTube, Picasa, Film Fresh and Pandora. Additional disc and file formats, such as DVD, audio CD, HDCD, Kodak Picture CD, AVCHD, MP4, AVI, MKV and other audio/video/picture files on recorded discs or USB drives can be played back on the BDP-105D. The BDP-105D fully supports high-resolution lossless WAV and FLAC audio formats.
The OPPO MediaControl app turns any mobile device into a remote that provides complete control over the Blu-ray player. The app is able to browse media libraries, control playback of media files, and even turn the player on and off.
The OPPO BDP-105D Darbee and DSD Edition will be available from early February through selected audio-visual specialist retailers at a RRP of $2099.
