68 replies to this topic

[yardley]

are the oppo players the best blueray players? they seem to tick all the boxes. what are peoples opinion....

[jamesg11]

CA650BD has same media chipset as standard Oppo - very similar all round.

[DoggieHowser]

Not for the DAC though. I thought CA uses Wolfson (their house DAC) for their new 3D player. The older CA one used the same DAC as the Oppo83 (also used in 93) while the 95 uses Sabre32 an upgraded variant from the one in 83SE

[yardley]

tried to order one with amazon but it said that they wont ship to my address here. anyone bought one from the states and did they have issues with shipping?

[nfi42]

You can buy directly from Oppo without problems, but you'll need to put in a region free chip (if you want region free) if you buy OS.

[Quark]

I've got an 83 and a 95. The 83 is a great blu-ray player with better analog outputs than comparably priced mainstream BRPs. The 95 is an outstandingly good universal player for the price, especially its analog output of red book and SACD.

[yardley]

quark did you buy your players from the states?

[Quark]

The 83 I bought direct from Oppo and installed the region free kit myself - no harder than changing a computer's optical drive.

The 95 I bought from Merlin Audio as the installation of the region free kit in these is not straight forward - you need to remove two boards (one of which is large and looks easy to damage) a couple of dozen screws, as well as deal with some small ribbon connectors that look difficult to access. For me, too easy to damage by DYI. I should add that Ken from Merlin provides excellent service and was mighty responsive when I had some issues this week (the "pro" region kit was problematic after I installed the latest beta firmware from Oppo - Ken sourced a firmware patch for the kit that fixed the issue - all sorted in just over 24 hours).

The 93 is a lot simpler to install the region free kit into, but has the latest small ribbon connectors that need some careful handling.

[Decky]

I would not advise DIY mod option for 95. The analogue output board has to be removed and there is very little room inside the box to manoeuvre .

[holliswhy]

I saw an oppo 93 on ebay with warranty left. you may be interested.

It's been modded.

My folks back in Hong Kong use one. They are impressed with the build quality, speed of reading disc, and lots of options. The analog 2 channel out was recommended by stereophiles - good quality DAC.

http://cgi.ebay.com....e=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Edited by holliswhy, 10 July 2011 - 09:05 AM.

[yardley]

thanks for that holliswhy i will keep a eye on the listing

[OakenShield]

I have the older 83SE and I find it does everything pretty bloody well in my setup The newer ones can only be a step up!

[mr-happy-pants]

I have an Oppo 83

If I was to buy another blu player it would be another Oppo period, probably a 95 from Merlin Aus or direct from Oppo US with region free chip fitted

No brainer really!

[Cyber_Murphy]

I have an 83-SE which I bought new 'region chipped' form Whatmough Audio.

I think the picture quality is outstanding.. The dedictated stereo analog outputs sound fantastic, and I'd luv to try them with "lightspeed attenuators" directly into my power amps,, I reckon that would further improve SQ!

As for streaming (DLNA) (and USB playback), I didn't like the end result once audio was sent over Ethernet and 're-constructed', and it doesn't support playback of hi res files.. I believe both of these issues are fixed with the 95.

Cheers,
CM

[RockandorRoll]

I love my 83se for streaming music. Was a bit of a struggle to get the upnp server thing going through Foobar so i could listen to FLAC but all worked in the end.

Picture quality is a bit hard to judge, the panel is pretty old and not that fantastic

[Milesey74]

I have had the BDP 83, the BDP 93 and now I have the BDP 95. They are honestly the most amazing disc player I have come across in all my years of disc spinners. I should add, that I have done a direct A to B comparison between a very high end Meridian CD player (~10k worth) and the Oppo. The Oppo simply sounded more revealing and honestly it takes on and in some cases embarrasses some very respectable players. Does it better all of them? I don't know, I have not listened or direct A to B'd the Oppo with all high end players. But with the experiments I have done, the Oppo has always been a clear winner and this is without taking anything else into consideration other than CD playback. As far as Blurays, DVD/A, SACD and picture quality playback goes, I challenge anyone to find a better performer for all of these sources. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Edited by Milesey74, 12 July 2011 - 11:47 PM.

[yardley]

milesey i have heard comments like yours that the audio is second to none. is the 95 so much better than the 93?

[DoggieHowser]

Yes. The 95 is IMHO a significant improvement over the 93.

[Benje]

yardley

if you are going to use a digitial or hdmi connection, stick to the 93.

if you are going for analogue audio, then (and only then) look into the 95.

benje

[Art Vandelay]

I have had the BDP 83, the BDP 93 and now I have the BDP 95. They are honestly the most amazing disc player I have come across in all my years of disc spinners. I should add, that I have done a direct A to B comparison between a very high end Meridian CD player (~10k worth) and the Oppo. The Oppo simply sounded more revealing and honestly it takes on and in some cases embarrasses some very respectable players. Does it better all of them? I don't know, I have not listened or direct A to B'd the Oppo with all high end players. But with the experiments I have done, the Oppo has always been a clear winner and this is without taking anything else into consideration other than CD playback. As far as Blurays, DVD/A, SACD and picture quality playback goes, I challenge anyone to find a better performer for all of these sources. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

I can only agree. I've had my 95 since April and I'm still in awe. It doesn't embarrass my Marantz SA-11 but it does reveal more and it sounds so damn fine. If you haven't yet tried it as a music server then you're also in for a nice surprise. Although the user interface and navigation is simplistic the SQ is unbelievable. I leave a e-sata hdd plugged in specifically for high res audio and it's far superior to my pc based server.

I also use a W4S dac2, which shares the same ESS dac. The Oppo does not give up anything on the W4S - save for a minute amount of specificity in the sound stage and a slightly more solid bass. I could live with either - or both.

[OakenShield]

interesting, should I consider upgrading my 83SE to the 95? I can't do this straight away, but down the track?

[DoggieHowser]

I'd say the 95 IMHO is a slightly upwards move soundwise. Similar qualities as the 83SE except maybe it's quieter from background noise.

I got it only cos of the balanced and 2nd HDMI for 3D.

[Catostylus]

I'd say the 95 IMHO is a slightly upwards move soundwise. Similar qualities as the 83SE except maybe it's quieter from background noise.

Some say it'sa bit warmer. Can't say myself, I've not compared them. I only know I'm very happy with my 95.

[yardley]

i think whichever one i get i will be happy

[cafe67]

I have a 83SE just under a year old which i got from Merlin Audio , which i have replaced with a 95, so the 83se will be up for sale - cost me $1650 in august 2010, cheers.

Besides that , I have been quite happy with my 83SE which i bought after listening to a friends 83. The 83SE was an upgrade from a Denon dvd3910 which was an upgrade from a DVD2900.

Aside from the bluray ability, the 83se was bought for its universal player and its probably seen (heard?) more cds and sacd than dvds or blurays.

I have enjoyed the sound from the 83se firstly through a Denon PMA2000AE amp and more recently the LSA integrated playing MA GS20 speakers and again more recently Usher 718dmd speakers. One thing I noticed straight away was how much clearer or deeper the bass seemed to be compared to the 3910. The mis to me have always seemed fine to me, likewise to me the treble. tho a younger friend of mine thouht the 83se/pma200ae/gs20 system seemed a little bright but since going to the lsa amp and the ushers i'm pretty sure that isnt the case anymore.

From a operational pov, the 83se has been faultless never failing to play an disc and fairly quick loading times (tho to be honest here i dont have much to compare load times with especially blurays), the remote is good, well labelled and easy to use (better than the denons). Build wise its good without being spectacular.

The 95 seems to be all that plus more, the build quality is much better and straight away plugged in, you jut get that instant ''hmmm that sounds good'' feeling -hard to describe except as perhaps ''righteous''.

I haven't had the 95 plugged in that long , but certainly with cd's so far and 1 x dvd an 1 x bluray play - I'm pretty happy.

Edited by cafe67, 20 July 2011 - 09:24 PM.

[Art Vandelay]

Some say it'sa bit warmer. Can't say myself, I've not compared them. I only know I'm very happy with my 95.

That you can play high res flac and wav from an external drive + streaming and network, makes the 95 a no brainer. The linear power supply and the pure music mode also take it further into audiophile territory.

[yardley]

received my oppo93 the otherday from amazon. what a great blue-ray player it is. just used the kettle cord and away it played. have to say its the best blue-ray/dvd player that i have owned. i can see why people who have a oppo are happy with them.

[cafe67]

I'm very impressed with my oppo 95 which replaced my oppo 83se - sound was immediately better

[yardley]

yes i agree that the sound is a big improvement and even the picture looks sharper on my panasonic 65inch plasma

[tb123]

Anyone tried or seen reviews on the Nuforce modded Oppo's?
http://www.nuforce.c...395ne/index.php

[KenTripp]

I would that thought that it would be easier, better and cheaper to just get the stock 95.

http://www.hometheat...erformance.html

[JohnL]

Hi All,

After reading through this thread I thought I would let you all know about my experiences with various Oppo's.

All based SOLELY on ANALOG 2 CHANNEL performance ONLY


BDP-83 SE


In my friends system it came across as highly detailed but also a bit BRIGHT with a hard edge to the top end.

Have not yet heard it in my own system.


BDP-93


I own one of these and it is quite decent FOR THE PRICE


BDP-95


Heard one in my system and thought it was better than the 93 BUT.........

not by as much as I expected considering price points!!!


BDP-83 JLTI MODDED (Custom Analogue Audio....Joe Rassmussen)


I also own this and it has been listened to in all the systems which had all the other Oppo's


CLEARLY SUPERIOR TO ALL OTHER OPPO MODELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Remember these results are based PURELY on ANALOG STEREO OUTPUT QUALITY ONLY


Obviously $ come into the equation as the AWESOME modded '83 is also the MOST expensive.

I decided I wanted the best of both worlds after a LOT of testing and being hopeful that the '95 would be my ONE BOX SOLUTION as the modded '83 had been..................

which it wasn't!!!


Now I am VERY HAPPY to run my modded '83 as an ANALOG 2 CHANNEL AUDIO ONLY player.

Also VERY HAPPY to run my '93 as a DIGITAL VIDEO AND MULTI CHANNEL AUDIO ONLY player as it outperforms the '83 in that regard.


If you want more info check out Custom Analogue as I posted a review there.

Cheers,

John Lindeman

P.S. NO affiliation....... just my honest opinions I wish to share!!!!!!!!

[firefly0071]

I thought the Oppo was purchased by many as a one box solution or to minimise boxes etc.

Why have two Oppos?

[mr-happy-pants]

Firefly; I thought he answered that...?

Or, did I read more into it?

[firefly0071]

He has an 83 and 93.

[Art Vandelay]

BDP-83 JLTI MODDED (Custom Analogue Audio....Joe Rassmussen)
I also own this and it has been listened to in all the systems which had all the other Oppo's
CLEARLY SUPERIOR TO ALL OTHER OPPO MODELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Remember these results are based PURELY on ANALOG STEREO OUTPUT QUALITY ONLY

The Nuforce Oppo is also better sounding but the measured performance is inferior to the stock 95.
Do you know if Joe has performed any testing with his modifications?

The problem I have with many of the modded players is that they're harmonically tuned with tube or discrete SS output stages. Sure they sound good but you can just as easily add a tube buffer to a stock 95 and get the same result - if you wish.

[JohnL]

The Nuforce Oppo is also better sounding but the measured performance is inferior to the stock 95.
Do you know if Joe has performed any testing with his modifications?

The problem I have with many of the modded players is that they're harmonically tuned with tube or discrete SS output stages. Sure they sound good but you can just as easily add a tube buffer to a stock 95 and get the same result - if you wish.

Hi Geor....er ..Art,


I couldn't tell you what testing Joe has done, if any.

His website goes into a fair bit of detail and I guess you could ask him any technical questions.

I know that in my '83 he put in a new clock, output transformers, improved the power supply and redid how the DAC operates plus more.

Definitely no tubes and apparently now outputs a balanced signal.

As I am pretty much a layman I can only recommend checking out his site.

Whilst lacking the tech knowledge I am still fairly confident of recognising quality audio.

Hope this helps.


Cheers,

John

[Milesey74]

Having owned 3 Oppo Bluray players, all of different models. I can safely say that the BDP-95 is the pinnacle Oppo model of audio and picture playback. The analogue audio out of the 95 leaves the HDMI behind. There is much more separation and it is quite surreal, it is like the surrounds are louder but the sounds are further away as in it truly gives a great sense of space and provides what I think is the most realistic movie watching experience. I am talking multichannel analogue out. The picture is of the same or clearer than the 93. Okay, this seems ridiculous given that the picture processing is identical. So the only thing I can think of is that the Rotel power supply and high grade caps and filters is delivering a cleaner signal for the Qdeo chip to operate from. To be honest you can not go wrong with either the 93 or the 95. Both models are a significant upgrade from the 83 and the 95 is in a league of its own. The Sabre32 DACS in the 95 are on par or better than the famous Wolfson DACs. The 2 channel out on the 95 can be used instead of the L and R out of the multichannel out bank meaning that your left and right channels get additional DACs for the L and R channel processing. It is superb. The only down side of all this is all the additional RCA leads you require to take advantage of the 95. For those contemplating the route and don't want to go over the top like I did, then consider bluejeanscables.com. I have some speaker cable for bass drivers from these guys and they are superb. My good mate, Alex bought their RCA interconnects for his 95 and is impressed.

[Art Vandelay]

I spent some time recently A-B'ing the differences between my Oppo bdp-95 and my Marantz SA-11S1 on SACD playback.
My conclusion is that the Oppo is extremely close to being as good. It fails to match the Marantz in terms of absolute resolution but only just, but it has a warmer midband and a sweeter treble - lacking the slightly glassy quality of the Marantz. Actually, it's an easier player to listen too on recordings that are 'average'.

[JohnL]

Having owned 3 Oppo Bluray players, all of different models. I can safely say that the BDP-95 is the pinnacle Oppo model of audio and picture playback. The analogue audio out of the 95 leaves the HDMI behind. There is much more separation and it is quite surreal, it is like the surrounds are louder but the sounds are further away as in it truly gives a great sense of space and provides what I think is the most realistic movie watching experience. I am talking multichannel analogue out. The picture is of the same or clearer than the 93. Okay, this seems ridiculous given that the picture processing is identical. So the only thing I can think of is that the Rotel power supply and high grade caps and filters is delivering a cleaner signal for the Qdeo chip to operate from. To be honest you can not go wrong with either the 93 or the 95. Both models are a significant upgrade from the 83 and the 95 is in a league of its own. The Sabre32 DACS in the 95 are on par or better than the famous Wolfson DACs. The 2 channel out on the 95 can be used instead of the L and R out of the multichannel out bank meaning that your left and right channels get additional DACs for the L and R channel processing. It is superb. The only down side of all this is all the additional RCA leads you require to take advantage of the 95. For those contemplating the route and don't want to go over the top like I did, then consider bluejeanscables.com. I have some speaker cable for bass drivers from these guys and they are superb. My good mate, Alex bought their RCA interconnects for his 95 and is impressed.

Hi Milesy74,


Thanks for sharing your results with us.

I was unable to detect a visible difference in VQ when comparing the '93 and '95 on my Pioneer KRP 500M.

I also felt that ANALOG MULTI CHANNEL out was inferior to HDMI OUT.

I used an INTEGRA DHC 80.1 PRE/PRO for testing.


It has been my experience that connecting at HDMI level to a QUALITY PRE/PRO gives a higher level of performance due to the benefit of (in my case) AUDYSSEY Room Correction, Dynamic EQ , better bass management etc......with regards to MULTI CHANNEL

I also found out how much improvement can be gained from using an A/V Receiver to using a DEDICATED PRE/PRO

I guess outcomes will always vary as we are all using different gear hooked up different ways interacting with different rooms!!!!!!!!

I do think the '95 is a truly great all round machine and have no hesitation in recommending it but for me personally, after a LOT of testing with several friends,
in ANALOG STEREO mode my (even more expensive!!!!!) modded '83 destroyed it.

Just my 2c worth mate.


Cheers,

John

[JohnL]

I spent some time recently A-B'ing the differences between my Oppo bdp-95 and my Marantz SA-11S1 on SACD playback.
My conclusion is that the Oppo is extremely close to being as good. It fails to match the Marantz in terms of absolute resolution but only just, but it has a warmer midband and a sweeter treble - lacking the slightly glassy quality of the Marantz. Actually, it's an easier player to listen too on recordings that are 'average'.

Art,

That's pretty awesome isn't it!!

And then there's still the DVD upscaling quality

The HDCD decoding ability

The DVD-A playback

The handy USB ports and Internet thing'a'me's


Oh Yeah ....it plays a great Blu Ray too



You just gotta LOVE OPPO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Cheers,

John

Edited by JohnL, 23 August 2011 - 03:26 AM.

[Milesey74]

Hi Milesy74,


Thanks for sharing your results with us.

I was unable to detect a visible difference in VQ when comparing the '93 and '95 on my Pioneer KRP 500M.

I also felt that ANALOG MULTI CHANNEL out was inferior to HDMI OUT.

I used an INTEGRA DHC 80.1 PRE/PRO for testing.


It has been my experience that connecting at HDMI level to a QUALITY PRE/PRO gives a higher level of performance due to the benefit of (in my case) AUDYSSEY Room Correction, Dynamic EQ , better bass management etc......with regards to MULTI CHANNEL

I also found out how much improvement can be gained from using an A/V Receiver to using a DEDICATED PRE/PRO

I guess outcomes will always vary as we are all using different gear hooked up different ways interacting with different rooms!!!!!!!!

I do think the '95 is a truly great all round machine and have no hesitation in recommending it but for me personally, after a LOT of testing with several friends,
in ANALOG STEREO mode my (even more expensive!!!!!) modded '83 destroyed it.

Just my 2c worth mate.


Cheers,

John

Hi John, very interesting observations. As you indicated, it probably has a lot to do with the gear and of course the room. In my opinion Audyssey is superb at attempting to rectify difficult rooms, although it is not a perfect solution and if the room is difficult then using room correction (be that Audyssey or Anthem's ARC or dedicated room eq software) is a must. I used to be a pre/pro guy until I bought the Arcam AVR600. Right now I use the AVR600 to power my mids and highs and a NAD M25 to drive the bass drivers. It is the beauty of this wonderful hobby that we all come up with varying results that suits our individual tastes. I have a friend that moved on his 10k Meridian power amp and 10k tubes preamp to make way for a receiver, the AVR600. I switch between the HDMI and Multichannel for movies as an AB test as both are hooked up. And the separation that I get from the multichannel out is superb. I am fortunate that the Arcam in multichannel still does the bass management (sub) and maintains the speaker trims. However, everything else such as speaker distances have to be set manually in the Oppo.

John, thanks for your experiences. Can you please elaborate on what mods your 83 has? ie. DACs, power supply, cap upgrade? I assume when listening to analogue stereo that you are bypassing all of your Audyssey settings on your Integra?

[JohnL]

Hi John, very interesting observations. As you indicated, it probably has a lot to do with the gear and of course the room. In my opinion Audyssey is superb at attempting to rectify difficult rooms, although it is not a perfect solution and if the room is difficult then using room correction (be that Audyssey or Anthem's ARC or dedicated room eq software) is a must. I used to be a pre/pro guy until I bought the Arcam AVR600. Right now I use the AVR600 to power my mids and highs and a NAD M25 to drive the bass drivers. It is the beauty of this wonderful hobby that we all come up with varying results that suits our individual tastes. I have a friend that moved on his 10k Meridian power amp and 10k tubes preamp to make way for a receiver, the AVR600. I switch between the HDMI and Multichannel for movies as an AB test as both are hooked up. And the separation that I get from the multichannel out is superb. I am fortunate that the Arcam in multichannel still does the bass management (sub) and maintains the speaker trims. However, everything else such as speaker distances have to be set manually in the Oppo.

John, thanks for your experiences. Can you please elaborate on what mods your 83 has? ie. DACs, power supply, cap upgrade? I assume when listening to analogue stereo that you are bypassing all of your Audyssey settings on your Integra?

Hi Milesey,


Yeah I have heard a LOT of very good things about the Arcam unit.

Are you tri-amping??

How does that work with the Arcam?? Preouts for bass only???

The NAD Masters Series stuff looks gorgeous doesn't it!!!!!!!


In regards to my Oppo '83's mods the link below describes it much better than I would.


http://www.customana...multiplayer.htm


Just scroll down a bit. I have the Super Level 2 mods.


Regarding analogue stereo I use a dedicated stereo pre. The ME 24.


Looking forward to your answers and apologies to all for getting a little bit OT!!


Cheers,

John

[68premier]

Noticed a new firmware version is available today (BDP-95). I thought before I become a pioneer, I would ask if anyone has applied the new firmware and if there are any issues. I'll probably do it later tonight or tomorrow anyway lol. Just thought I'd see if there were any major dramas as I believe the firmware can't be rolled back on the Oppo.

[68premier]

Firmware release notes copied from Oppo site.

• Per request from the studios, the ISO file playback function has been removed in this firmware version. The previous firmware had the ability to play ISO files, but it was an undocumented function and was never officially announced or supported. Future firmware revisions will no longer support ISO playback.
  
• Resolved the loading failure observed on several recently released titles, samples like "Hugo (BD, 2012)" and "Rio (BD, 2011)". The failure only happens with the 2D version Blu-ray disc, where the TV shows only a black screen and the player's front panel display would remain at 00:00:00. This firmware can properly load and play these titles.
  
• Improved video up-conversion quality over the HDMI 1 output for 720p source material. This improvement provides a better picture quality for Netflix streaming as well as 720p-encoded Blu-ray discs.
  
• Resolved the loading failure issue observed on several recently-released Blu-ray movies, mainly Universal Europe (EU) releases. Their US releases have no known issues. Sample titles include "Jurassic Park Trilogy (BD Box Set, 2011)", "Kong Fu Panda 2 (BD, 2011)", "Fast Five (BD, 2011)", and "National Lampoon's Animal House (BD, 1978 version)" etc. With the previous firmware, disc playback will automatically stop once you go to the Main Menu and select PLAY. This firmware properly loads and plays all of the above Blu-ray titles.
  
• Resolved the audio channel loss issue where DTS-HD MA 6.1 audio is decoded as 5.1 for both the analog audio outputs and the HDMI LPCM output. Sample titles include "Star Wars: The Complete Saga (BD, 2011)" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (BD, 2011)". The reason is the Center Surround (CS) channel is folded into Surround channels (SR/SL) instead of Surround Back channels (SBR/SBL). This firmware decodes this 6.1 audio as 7.1 by distributing the CS channel to the SBR/SBL channels, and send out through HDMI and analog audio outputs.
  
• Resolved the freezing issue observed when accessing some BD-Live features. Samples include the "Extras" in "Puss in Boots (BD, 2011)", the "Disney Virtual Vault" in "The Lion King (BD, 2011)".
  
• Provided smaller volume control adjustment steps through the Analog audio outputs. Previously the Volume Control adjusts at 5 per step in the index and 2 dB per step in the level. This firmware allows volume control at 1 per step in the index (100, 99, 98, 97, ...), 0.5 dB per step in the level for BDP-95, 1 dB per two consecutive steps in the level for BDP-93 (e.g.,indexes 100 and 99 share the same volume level).
  
• Improved general disc compatibility based on recent and upcoming Blu-ray releases as well as user-submitted disc samples including "Mr. Poppers Penguins (BD, 2012)", "Dragons Gift of the Night Fury (BD, 2012)", "Human Planet (BD, BBC Documentary)" and "Nine Inch Nails, Live - Beside You In Time (BD)".

So, what's the deal with losing the ISO file playback function? Not sure I use it at the moment, but not sure I want to lose it either lol. Anyone enlighten me?