Extracting high-quality audio from Blu-ray players is problematic. The HDMI signal interleaves video and audio data which, upon decoding, produces an inherent jitter as high as 7nanoseconds (For comparison, a good CD player’s jitter is in the picosecond range). In practical terms, it is difficult to properly decode HDMI audio without employing extensive reclocking circuits, thus pushing up the cost of a good HDMI audio pre-processor.

The simplest way to improve analog audio performance is at the source. The Oppo BDP-83SE player incorporates ESS Technology’s state-of-the-art Sabre DAC, widely acknowledged as one of the industry’s best. The 7.1 multi-channel unit employs a single 8-channel Sabre DAC. The stereo channels’ dedicated Sabre DAC is achieved by stacking four DACs per left and right channel for utmost transparency and dynamic range.