Oppo BDP-105 vs. Van Alstine vs. Azur 840C?

I purchased the Cambridge 752BD for its video capability choosing it over the Oppo based on reviews that praised its sound quality. I was wondering as I made the purchase if I would still need my circa 2000 Classe CD player. It is not even close - the Classe blows it away. I was not sure exactly what to expect in a head to head, but I was not expecting this much of a difference. The 752 is fine for video but I am a bit disappointed in its CD sound quality. I have not had an Oppo in my system to compare it to.

Thanks for all the input on this. It's interesting to get everyone's viewpoints. I'm not certain what I'll decide just yet. Perhaps once my SoundScape 8's arrive, I'll do further testing and see what's more music to my ears.

If you liked the 840C, you would probably have liked the new AZUR 752BD (I own both) over the Oppo machine.

Widescreen Review issue 175 where both the Oppo BDP-105 and Cambridge Audio Azur 752 BD were compared by Doug Blackburn:

Quote:

'' The 752BD has the best analog sound quality I've heard from a Blu-ray Disc player so far... there, I said it. The high-end Blu-ray Disc player getting the most attention these days is OPPO's recently introduced BDP-105. But the 752BD sounds better. The main difference is that the BDP-105's sound is more forward and has less depth. The BDP-105's stereo sound appears to emanate from a plane slightly forward of the loudspeakers. The 752BD places the main plain of the sound just behind the loudspeakers, and there's a greater sense of depth going back behind the loudspeakers and more sense of width to the sides. The other difference I heard was that the 752BD's sound puts just a bit more silence between the notes. This is a difficult thing to describe in words, but it essentially makes each note more distinct without really sounding particularly different from other high-end disc player''

check home theater magazine they just reviewed the oppo!

I can't see any reason to use the Azur if you have the Oppo. The Oppo can play all the same discs and more. You may want to compare the Oppo's 2 channel output to that of the AVA DAC, but I don't see the Azur having a role in your system.