back to article Cambridge Audio Azur 650BD

Blu-ray players are becoming increasingly cheap, but many of them still lack features found in modestly priced DVD players. If, like me, you invested in ‘high definition’ audio formats, such as HDCD, Super Audio CD (SACD) or DVD Audio, then it’s frustrating to find that, unless you spend several thousand pounds, you’ll still …

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  1. Bad Beaver
    Thumb Up

    me like

    Nice stuff! I assume it plays SACD via HDMI? For some reason it seems to be €850 around here...

  2. mfraz
    Thumb Up

    Bought one already

    Bought one a couple of months ago to replace a Sony blu-ray player and SACD player. Yes it does play SACD via HDMI and you can choose either DSD or PCM.

    Shame the analogue outputs aren't enabled when the HDMI is as my amp seems to convert DSD to PCM and therefore would've preferred an analogue connection.

  3. Jason Pugh
    Thumb Up

    Looks like a cracking deal :-D

    GBP400.00 from Richer Sounds:

    http://www.richersounds.com/product/blu-ray/cambridge-audio/650bd/camb-650bd-blk

    What's not to like?

  4. Cliff

    Richer Sounds Own Brand

    Well technically it's an exclusive distribution deal for Cambridge Audio, a brand owned by Audio Partnership, which is majority owned by Julian Richer, so as near as dammit an own-brand machine. Just for info...

  5. Nigel Whitfield.

    Yes....

    You can get the 5.1 audio from SACD via HDMI, or via the multichannel analogue outputs (which is how I have it hooked up)

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Is region free too

    (got this as an offer for "region free BD player" when asked my local hifi shop, one of the few devices that can be made region free for BD too)

    The ~450EUR I could pay but 850EUR (the offer I got, though if making it region free requires any effort then said effort is included...) is way too much, especially since I don't plan on bying that much blu-ray in the short-term anyway (DVDs I have hundreds and maybe 30% of them in exotic region codes so regio-free dvd playback is a must)

  7. Arctic fox
    Thumb Up

    Dedicated stereo?

    Since one would almost certainly wish to connect this to a receiver via an HDMI cable and most receivers with high-res decoders will output it as "straight through stereo" if you want them to I do not see this as a major negative. Otherwise a very nice piece of kit. Happy with my Philips at the moment, but if I was in the market......

    1. Nigel Whitfield.

      It's not major ...

      ... but some of us don't have a receiver with HDMI; I have a rather older Yamaha DSP E-800, which can handle the six channel audio input for SACD, and then pass that on to my amp, or decode the optical data. And since I use a Harmony remote, it's not much of an inconvenience to have the BD player connected directly to the TV via HDMI.

      The reason I think I - and some others - might like the stereo output is for when you are listening to stereo material (like CD), and want to cut one extra bit out of the chain, sending stereo direct to the pre-amp, rather than passing in through the six channel inputs of the AV processor. Admittedly that's a small thing, but since they've gone to the trouble of having the 'audio mode' that shuts down a lot of the video circuitry, it seems a shame not to go the whole hog and have a separate stereo output.

      The DVD player I normally use for CD and SACD, a Samsung DVD-HD950, does manage both the six channel and stereo outputs. Perhaps if I'd never had them, I wouldn't miss them.

      I'm fairly sure that, while the type of setup I have may not be that common, there will be a fair few other people who have a system that's primarily designed for stereo high, with something like the Yamaha on the front; sadly I don't think there's a modern equivalent, but it provides amplification for the rear and centre speakers, together with decoding.

      Sure, a modern AV receiver with HDMI all the way would be good, but I suspect I'd have to spend an awful lot of money for something as good as my Naim stereo amp, and stereo is what I'm listening to most of the time.

  8. Scott Mckenzie

    For those struggling to get it...

    ....it is basically a rebranded Oppo so you may be able to source one of those more easily.

  9. JCF2009
    Badgers

    Resembles Oppo BDP-80

    Although the front panel is different, the specifications, rear-panel, and OSD configuration displays look the same as the Oppo BDP-80. Coincidence or same OEM internals?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      yes

      Same OEM internals - it takes the same 'multi region chip' - see http://www.bluraychip.dk/

      Nothing wrong with that - the case looks nicer than the OPPO but then you're paying c£70 for it.

  10. Sarah Davis
    Coat

    skeptical

    Cambridge Audio used to be a top brand among Audiophiles as it's quality was second to none. Then Richer Sounds bought it and it's never been the same. Ever since, it's been Cambridge Audio in name only, the sound quality is noticably poorer as is the build quality.

    One thing is for sure, there is no original Cambridge Audio gear in this device, and i don't think Richer Sounds actually manufacter the internals.

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