Alvin Gold has posted a review of the Theta Compli-Blu universal Blu-ray player ($2999) at Hi-Fi Choice. His conclusions:
On the minus side, the loading mechanism isn't the smoothest ever and the player is mechanically rather noisy during play though you'll be unlucky to hear jt in your listening room in practice.
As a plain Red Book CD player, the Compli Blu is a true heavyweight. It is smooth and articulate, with a delicately refined sense of detail and a layered stereo image, as well as certain degree of spaciousness, which works well with some of our usual acoustic, rich-flavoured musical fare. And yet it is suitably raunchy and outgoing with more rock-flavoured material…As a CD player this level of refinement and musical ability is just what is expected of a brand like Theta.
When used as an HDMI source, the final level of performance is partially dependent on what's available at the far end of the HDMI cable and the concept of audiophile-quality amplification which uses this interface is in its infancy (though it is only fair to say that it is on everyone's radar). In many ways the prospect of high-resolution audio (stereo and multichannel alike) is more exciting than HD video, but for this test we were limited to the AV amplifiers we had on tap - from Sony, Onkyo and Denon, none of which are from the top level of their type. Nevertheless, they worked well.
The Theta is a refined and capable video player with excellent screen contrast and good colour, making for very subtle images. The audio is handled particularly well and the Theta has enough of what counts under the bonnet to show the potential of DTS Master Audio and Dolby True HD lossless codecs, the senior citizens of the audio world which are designed to bring HD audio into the world of HD video.
You can read the full review here.
