Esoteric DV-50S

[TMC]

Originally Posted by MyPal

It's an important machine & should be a keeper. Collectible.

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Completely agree. I was looking at a DV-60 at the same time, but went with the 50S.

[LordoftheRingsEE]

Originally Posted by MyPal

There's no point to such a comparison. Even a $200 Best buy will do what you ask. A Bluebook subscription will give you an estimated market value. You will find the estimated resell price of a DV-50S to be higher than a new Oppo BDP-105.

-----True, but the Oppo BDP-95 (the 105's predecessor) was a Class A+ rating in Stereophile (not a $200 Mickey Mouse Blu-ray player from Panasonic or Sony or Samsung). ...And for only $999 ($$$); extremely good value. ...A high-end SACD player, DVD-Audio player, and all the jazz rest.
The BDP-105 ($1,199 MSRP) is even more! ...A high-end digital preamp too! ...And a first hand analog product as well.

* Cool picture by the way.

[kev313]

Oppos are decent. Many audio companies use them as the starting point for their own products.

[LordoftheRingsEE]

Originally Posted by kev313

Oppos are decent. Many audio companies use them as the starting point for their own products.

------- Lexicon?

[kev313]

Well...Lexicon was a scam. They added a fancy case. I was thinking Ayre. If your point was that the Oppo is good enough for Lexicon, swell...enjoy your Oppo. It is a fine line.

[AudioNut]

Originally Posted by LordoftheRingsEE

---Does it play Blu-rays, and WAV, FLAC files? ...3D? ...4K? ...Pre-amp capability?

NO

Originally Posted by LordoftheRingsEE

---What's the retail price on that DV-50S?

The DV50s is an excellent universal machine originally selling for $5,500, made by Esoteric and introduced in about 2005. It replaced Esoteric's DV-50. The upgrade and improvement in the newer machine was better video performance. The DV-50s played DVD's very, very well, but it excelled in playing SACD's - and, for 2005, it was one of the best and is still an excellent player. I owned one when they first came out and loved it.

Eventually, I replaced my DV-50s with an Esoteric X-03 which is a CD/SACD only machine and a little step-up. I still have that machine and use it every day - and it sounds significantly better than MY Oppo BDP-95 on audio discs.

Originally Posted by LordoftheRingsEE

And would an Oppo BDP-105 makes more sense for people who are now into Blu-rays instead of DVDs?
...You know, high def picture and high res audio (lossless DTS-HD MA 7.1 & Dolby TrueHD 7.1), instead of plain jane DD and DTS 5.1 or 6.1 EX or ES heavily compressed audio.

Perhaps, but the DV50s is a more heavy duty, much more solid machine with a superb drive mechanism and is built to last into the next century.

Originally Posted by LordoftheRingsEE

------- Lexicon?

Lexicon actually put an Oppo machine into their casework, with no, or very minimal modifications and charged about 4X $ for the pretty silver finish and the Lexicon name. Ayre, on the other hand, used an OPPO as the basis for their machine, but did extensive modifications and did, in effect, make it their own.

[jfrech]

Originally Posted by LordoftheRingsEE

---What's the retail price on that DV-50S?

And would an Oppo BDP-105 makes more sense for people who are now into Blu-rays instead of DVDs?
...You know, high def picture and high res audio (lossless DTS-HD MA 7.1 & Dolby TrueHD 7.1), instead of plain jane DD and DTS 5.1 or 6.1 EX or ES heavily compressed audio.

I used to own that esoteric...I regret selling my dv50s. This thing is built like a tank...close to 50 lbs. The sound and picture quality are awesome. Near blu ray ability (and i had a sony blu ray to compare it to) In fact I thought the esoteric rendered colors better and a more film like presentation...suffered some on the detail a blu ray can do. Over all, I liked the esoteric picture.

On sound...I had to step up a dCS stack to really better it. Soundwise...the esoterics are killer good

[cstmar01]

I have the DV50 and love it. Was my first high end CDP and SACD machine and haven't heard anything better (besides other Esoterics) that I would replace this one with.

I have been getting into computer audio with DAC's and still haven't found a DAC with the same sound quality that I get out of the Esoteric. Right now been using a modded Music Hall with upgraded op amps and its good, but still not the Esoteric nor would I expect it to be.

The thing is a beast and will provide a workout getting it into a rack!

[LordoftheRingsEE]

---I agree with all of you guys. ...I've read some since the DV-50 was first released.

* Julian, when you say "audio discs", you mean CDs and SACDs right? ...DVD-Audios too?

And just for SACDs, from the analog outs of the Oppo BDP-95, the Esoteric DV-50s, is still 'significantly' better sounding? ...CDs?


I'm curious too; you guys are strictly into two channels Stereo, or are you also into Hybrid Multichannel audio from SACDs & high res multichannel audio from DVD-Audios?

Last, DVD in my book is dead and buried real good. So on that aspect of the DV-50, it is totally irrelevant. ...A $100 Blu-ray player is all you need for a 1080p high def picture.

Furthermore, me too I appreciate a CD/SACD player that weights 50-60 pounds, but it ain't the last draw about true quality of Sound.
As for longetivity, who cares when tomorrow's technology becomes so much advanced as compared to today.

Another thing; money. ...Each one of us we put the value according to our own personal bank account; but is a $5,000 Universal DVD player of yesteryears truly five times better than today's $1,000 Universal Blu-ray player? ...Overall; not just about weight, or just CD playback, or just SACD playback, or just DVD picture, or this or that, but ALL THE WAY.

Because, if you want weight, just buy the most heavy one of them all and call it a day.
Same for just DVD playback.
Same for just CD playback.
Same for just SACD playback; both Stereo and Multichannel audio.
Same for anything else...

I just brought the Oppo BDP-95 Universal Blu-ray player into the equation for comparison on all aspects, even time and newer technologies (audio, and video).

And I'm not proud at all of what Lexicon did before with the 83.
Ayre is fine though.

You guys had first hand experience on the DV-50s because you are or were owners,
but did you all compared it with the Oppo 95 just like Julian did?
...And from its HDMI digital output (the DV-50s, does it have an HDMI out?), digital Coaxial out, and stereo and multichannel analog outputs?

Gimme some' solid here, not just words of wisdom and ownership. ...
Julian came up with the closest to what I'm looking for.

Cheers gentlemen,
Bob

[rw@cn]

I've had the DV50s since it was first released. The list price was $6000 but I bought it for $5500 or so. The DVD PQ is great, better than an Oppo 93. Of course, it doesn't do BluRay but I have an Oppo 93 for that. It sounds better (IMO) than the Oppo which is seven years younger. I was really surprised about that, since I wanted to simplify my rig by selling the DV50s.

Right now it is off the shelf because I have been putting my Invicta DAC to the test. The Invicta sounds much better for PCM of all types. Since I have about 200 SACDs (most of which I love), I think I'll put it back on the shelf until I find a relatively easy way to rip them. If I do that, I'll send it to one of the repair centers for a tune up.