Un-Leash Me:
I have not seen the 7001, but for your sake I did a quick comparison of the two players. Here are the main differences:
1. VIDEO: The Marantz uses DCDi by Faroudja for de-interlacing and upscaling. Though this is an excellent option, with the 983, Oppo has gone one step ahead and uses seperate circuitry for de-interlacing and for upscaling. With the DV-983H, OPPO has incorporated Anchor Bay's latest VRS (Video Reference Series) technology. An ABT102 chipset provides AutoCUE-C, Progressive Cadence Detection, and Precision De-interlacing. An ABT1018 chip handles Precision Video Scaling, frame rate conversion, aspect ratio control and video zooming. These technologies combine to generate a clearer, smoother, and true-to-life picture free of artifacts.
In this, simply because of the technology used, the Oppo will be able to provide better video. And this has also been tested to be true. The 983 has been the only DVD player to get 100% in all video tests of Secrets of Home Theater. (
Oppo Digital DV-983H DVD Player - Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity)
2. CD AUDIO: The Marantz uses Cirrus Logic chipset providing 192MHz/12 bit DAC for audio circuitry. The Oppo uses a Burr Brown providing the same capabilities. Which is better? Difficult to say - CD Players and Amplifiers from companies such as NAD use Burr Brown and are highly respected. Sony, Harmon Kardon, Kenwood, Nokia, Pace and Panasonic amongst others use Cirrus Logic. Marantz's own CD Players use Cirrus Logic and have an undeniable huge fan following. I have myself heard the famous OSD series from Marantz and have lusted after it. I have also heard the Cambridge Audio 640C that uses WM8740 24-bit/192kHz DAC from highly respected manufacturer Wolfson. That also sounds wonderful.
The conclusion? For universal players such as the Oppo 983 and the Marantz 7001 - comparing the audio circuitry (in my opinion) is not too productive. To get really good music, I would stick to a excellent CD Player with a matching two channel amplification. I would play all CDs through that combination.
3. SCAD/HDCD/DVD-A: Here the Marantz uses a 216MHz/12-Bit DAC while the Oppo uses a 108MHz 12-bit DAC. I am not sure what this means as as I have yet to hear any of these CD Types. But spec wise, Marantz may have an advantage.
4. DECODING: The Marantz decodes for 5.1 analogue output, while the Oppo decodes for 7.1 channels. Obviously you get one additional channel (surround back) and will be able to enjoy discs that have Dolby Digital Surround EX encoding.
5. DIGITAL AUDIO. The Marantz boasts a frequency response of 4Hz - 44kHz (DVD fs: 96kHz). The Oppo boasts a frequency response of 20Hz - 20kHz (±1dB). Both have nearly identical THD of >0.0008%. As I have said elsewhere, anything below 20Hz is just specification. The human ears caanot hear it at all.
In conclusion the Marantz may be slightly better for two channel or multi channel audio. But the Oppo is certainly better for video output. As I have mentioned elsewhere I would use a stereo CD Player / Amplifier combination for two channel music, and the specs of the AV Amp for multi channel music.
Am I biased towards the Oppo? I must say I am not. For me the Oppo was the obvious choice for the specs and capabilities it provided for the PRICE.