New CD player any got any suggestions?

Better buy two then?

Okay so had a bit of a session last night. Bruce you are right.

Started out listening to Erikah Badu 'Mama's Gun', just had it on in the background. Was reading some nonsense on the internet but about three songs in I noticed I was having trouble concentrating on what I was reading as the sound was demanding my attention. So gave up on the nonsense and started having a proper listen. It's a great record but I don't play it that much so I'm not 'intimate' with it. Some of the sparser tracks were very well presented.

The Oppo is not as sweet-sounding as the Sony XB970QS. I liked the sweet sound of that player but on occasion I'd be laughing to myself as it was just too sweet to be real. None of that here with the Oppo but it was not a 'hard' sound either.

Then put on that old test favourite 'Brothers In Arms.' Bought this on vinyl the week it came out, so 35 years and a lot of plays, although I've since graduated to the re-mastered CD. But I know it well. This was bit of a revelation. In truth I wasn't expecting there to be much, if any difference to how this sounds on the Pioneer DVD565A. Wrong!

The first tune. 'So Far Away' was ruthlessly stripped back to its component parts. The vocal was astonishingly clear, not heard this before with any of my dozens of cd players. I'd describe the sound characteristics of this player as dry and architectural. There's no rosy glow or syrup added to the sound at all. I was playing just at the level where there's a bit of 'bite' to the sound - every system has that point - but no louder. There was no harshness or grain at all, backgrounds were black. Blacker than the Pioneer could manage. Now the Sony can do that lack of noise too but as I said, it is sweeter. The Oppo is closer to unadulterated studio playback.

'Brothers' is an early digital recording and it has that 'sheen' to it. Not unpleasant but it is in the character of the recording. The Krell is pretty warm sounding and ameliorates this a bit. Coupled with a warm player and you don't get it at all. I don't like that, I like to hear the individual character of recordings. I don't want the same sauce poured over everything. The Oppo was able to cut through the Krell's warmth a bit and present the 'sheen', although not entirely truthfully. But that's the Krell's colouration, not the cd player.

Was getting late but thought I would manage one more album and no session is complete without some Dan, so put on 'The Royal Scam'. A good analogue recording from 1976. Another one I know very well having been a fanatical Dan fan since an old hippy speed-freak introduced me to them back in 1990.

Was not prepared for this. This album has never particularly impressed me either as a recording or musically compared to Aja and Gaucho. Until last night. The vocal was so present and so real it was actually eerie on occasion. Amazing dynamics. Cavernous soundstage. Really not heard this album like this ever before. The final tune, the title track, which I've never cared for had me gripped on every note.

The differences between this '76 analogue recording and the 1985 digital 'Brothers In Arms were quite pronounced. Even though both are great recordings, I like to hear that difference. It shows you're on the right track to neutrality.

By the time that finished it was 2300 so had to - very reluctantly -pack it in for the night.

So yes, I was wrong, there is quite a big difference between what this Oppo can do compared to the humble Pioneer. I was hoping for a small improvement at best but this is quite a big improvement. It's dry, it's architectural, it's exactly how I like it. I've no doubt that if I could swap the Krell 100 for it's smaller, more neutral-sounding cousin the 50S I'd be almost as close to as neutral a playback as it's possible to get (the 50s is a bit warm in the bass). But as it is I can live with this for the moment. I'm surprised and quite pleased. What a great upgrade for just £230!

had another long listen last night, got through quite a few albums.

Boston
Dire Straits eponymous debut
ZZ Top - Eliminator
Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
Donald Fagen - The Nightfly

I notice that on the Dire Straits, first tune 'Down To The Waterline' those cymbal shimmers in the intro sounded metallic rather than 'shushy' as they were before. This is really the big difference, the sound with the Oppo is crisper across the board and offsets the slight softness of the Krell. So it's a much more balanced sound even though it is still too smooth to be entirely neutral.

With ZZ Top I noticed the bass is a little bit soft - but I know what is causing this and I can fix it*. Likewise with Daft Punk although the system did give a good rendition of the bass on that one, sounded like the bass in a fancy club system, which is how it's supposed to be.

'The Nightfly' was monumental. Hard to get a system together that make this album sound bad (although I have managed it a couple of times), can't fault it with this set up though.

I'm appreciating more what the Krell can do now. It is 'velvety' in character but now I have that crispness back what was a problem turns into a positive. It's ideal for a long, relaxing session of listening to music, it never gets too much but all the detail is there. Maybe the top-end is still a little recessed but I think now this is a frequency response issue rather than one of quality. My room is over-damped, I knew that already. So I think a little EQ will sort that out. Going to have another look at getting that RME DAC.

*before the Oppo arrived I'd swapped the Spotfire interconnects for the Klotz MC500 in the hope of opening up the top end a little (it didn't) and I forgot to change back to the Spotifres. The Spotfires are noticeably better in the bass.

I'm confused?

You swapped the Spotfires to Klotz to open up the top end? That is never going to work!

The Klotz are rather veiled and certainly dont have the Transparency that youd need to really bring the detail out in the bass either.

The smooth velvet sound of thebKrell will never be overcome either, as that's its sound. You may be able to help it by taking those AN caps out and putting some Panasonic caps in, as I have done that too. Just went opposite to you as that's how it sounded with the original caps. Just not as good.

I write this as a long time user of both cables, and someone who has owned your preamp and amplifier, not the maker of the cables.

Well like I said it didn't work but I thought it was worth a try! Experimentation is the key to success and all that. I didn't get where I am today by not experimenting! I just forgot I had done the swap that's all. I will put the proper interconnects back in, promise.

Actually it is interesting with the Krell 100. I think in your system its velvety character offset the rather raucous nature of those vintage Pioneers so you got balance. In my system, especially with the very smooth-sounding Sony SACD player, it was all just too much. Plus I was fresh from the KSA50S which is not at all velvety and where the smooth sound of the player balanced things the other way. 

I can't find any measurements for the Oppo.