Cambridge Audio Azur 752BD 3D Blu-ray Player (Home Theater magazine review)

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Cambridge Audio Azur 752BD 3D Blu-ray Player (Home Theater magazine review)

The Cambridge Audio Azur 752BD 3-D Blu-ray player for $1,299 has an excellent build quality. The Cambridge Audio Azur 752BD 3-D Blu-ray player costs $100 more when compared to the OPPO BDP-105. The Cambridge Audio Azur 752BD 3-D Blu-ray player has excellent analog audio sound quality when playing SACD’s and DVD-audio discs. However, one of the negatives of this Cambridge Blu-ray player is that it cannot pass native DSD bitstream from any SACD’s regardless of what digital output is being used. At least the OPPO BDP-103/105 can pass native DSD bitstream from HDMI output 2. Also according to the Home Theater magazine review the $1,199 OPPO BDP-105 for some music had better sound quality from the analog audio outputs when compared to the Cambridge Audio Azur 752BD 3-D Blu-ray player for $1,299.

The following are select word for word quotes from the Home Theater magazine review

"With the Azur 752BD, Cambridge Audio utilizes only the core video components and transport, which adds its own analog audio section and execution. So while my review unit did look suspiciously like a hybrid of Oppo’s latest BDP-103 and BDP-105, it only shares Oppo’s video section and connection features."

“The 752BD is a true universal player with support for high-resolution audio formats including DVD-Audio and SACD. Because of the Azur’s internal upconversion to 192 kilohertz for all audio signals, SACD is available in PCM form only, with no option for direct DSD playback regardless of which output you use.”

“I thought spatial cues were slightly better with the Oppo, but the Cambridge had a very detailed sound that at times seemed to bring out a tad more inner detail in the music. Moving over to the Oppo’s balanced outputs seemed to help the Oppo resolve the bottom end a bit better, but the difference was very slight.”

“The comparison took a different turn when I connected both players directly to the amps, bypassing any external preamp and using their own internal volume controls. Here I thought the Oppo sounded a touch more detailed on both the upper and lower end. The Cambridge still sounded fantastic, though, with the same exquisite soundstage and detail. The Oppo just delivered a bit more of the air in the soundstage, providing a little more of a sense of being in the recording studio. Bass definition was also a bit tighter with the Oppo.”

** Click here to read the complete review at the Home Theater magazine website **