Oppo BDP-95 Audiophile Blu-ray Player Up for Preorder

Oppo's eagerly awaited new flagship Blu-ray player, model BDP-95 has gone up for preorder at the Oppo digital website, with an estimated availability date of March. As previously reported (see Blu-ray.com, December 20, 2010), it shares the same playback platform as the BDP-93, but it is designed from the ground up with a different chassis and several audiophile improvements. It carries a price of $999.

New features and improvements include:

• SABRE32 Reference Audio DAC: the SABRE32 Reference ES9018 from ESS Technology is the world's best performing 32-bit audio DAC solution targeted for 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 that will satisfy even the most demanding audio enthusiast. The BDP-95 uses two ES9018 DAC chips - one for the 7.1-channel output, and another for the dedicated stereo output.
• Toroidal Power Supply - Custom designed and built by Rotel, the toroidal power transformer offers superior inrush current and much lower exterior magnetic field over traditional laminated steel core transformers. The BDP-95's toroidal linear power supply provides a very clean and robust power source to the critical audio components.
• Dedicated Stereo Output - The BDP-95 features a dedicated 2-channel analog output with specially optimized ES9018 DAC and output driving stages. Each output is driven by 4 DAC channels stacking together to achieve even greater audio performance.
• XLR Balanced Stereo Output - 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.

Front and back panel of the Oppo BDP-95

It is not possible to upgrade a BDP-93 to gain the BDP-95's enhanced audio performance by replacing parts.