Oppo BDP-103 & BDP-105 Universal Blu-ray Players :: Reviews & Opinions.

rbbert

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Dec 12, 2010
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Panasonic ST50-55", so I'll try switching from "Auto" to 4:4:4

Thanks!
 

rbbert

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It's surprising (and gratifying) how much difference that one setting change (Color Space "Auto" to "4:4:4") made!
 

welwynnick

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Mar 13, 2011
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I own an Oppo 83 which was modd'd by The Upgrade Company several yrs ago. I am no techie. I do not know what they do. I bought it on a recommendation without A/B'ing a standard Oppo 83...and i liked it. As for Oppo 95, all i know is comparing the TUC 83 and the Oppo 95 is like comparing my a low-end Esoteric or ARC transport to my old DVD player. In fact, the gulf between the VRDS5 transport in the $40K Audio Aero La Source to the TUC Oppo 83 is far smaller than the gulf between the TUC Oppo 83 and the regular Oppo 95.
Or 1. all these 'pro' reviewers were wrong, or 2. you are right. ;)
It's possible that the new 95 was defective. There is no reason that the 83 should outperform it at the level you report.
Nothing I have read about The Upgrade Co's mods (I haven't heard any myself) suggests that they are dramatically better than Modwright or other reputable modifiers (if even as good)
I too have heard great things about Modwright and equally seen the controversy surrounding TUC. What i can say is that some of the controversy probably is at least as much about the cost for a TUC as anything else. The basics espoused by TUC, shielding, damping, improving connections, all seem like fine concepts. And the 83 digital out is superior to my ears than the stock 95 and not by a close margin.
I'm not surprised at all that the TUC Oppo 83 sounded better on SPDIF than the stock 95. I've owned lots of modified equipment, players and processors, where the mods have improved the digital outputs. This includes:

TUC modified Denon 3800
TUC Pioneer BDP-09
TUC Oppo NuForce 83
TUC Oppo 95
Oppo 93 with Jae Hong Lee linear PSU
Meridian C61R processor with Power One linear PSU
Meridian G68 processor with Condor linear PSU
Meridian 861 processor with R3 linear PSU
Sony DA9100ES all-digital amp with my EMC mods

The last one is particularly interesting because all I did was fix RF-absorbant material to the insides of the box. That improved the sound quality significantly, and I can only attribute that to the reduction in jitter that is caused by electromagnetic fields INSIDE the unit.

TUC's clear focus on shielding and damping is obviously effective, and what struck me with my very first modded player was just how much better it sounded from the digital outputs - even the HDMI output, which I would never have believed before.

There's a lot going on in modern players and processors - perhaps TOO much - and all seems to have a detrimental effect on the sound quality of even the digital audio side of the equipment. That's the foundation of a lot of audio, and the analogue side is never going to sound right if the digital audio isn't right first.

Nick
 

MarinJim

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My first mod was years ago, replacing/upgrading all the caps in my Conrad Johnson Premier DAC 9. What an improvement!
 

NorthStar

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...

There's a lot going on in modern players and processors - perhaps TOO much - and all seems to have a detrimental effect on the sound quality of even the digital audio side of the equipment. That's the foundation of a lot of audio, and the analogue side is never going to sound right if the digital audio isn't right first.

Nick

---- Esoteric, you remember their Universal DVD Video/Audio players?

Why do you think that they are strictly into Audio now, no Video section/processors (BD & DVD).

And why not, because today you can buy a state-of-the-art picture quality in a less than $99 BD player.

Lexicon, Classe, Arcam, Linn, Meridian, Simaudio, etc., etc., etc. ...
 

NorthStar

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It's surprising (and gratifying) how much difference that one setting change (Color Space "Auto" to "4:4:4") made!

---- Thanks Rob for telling it like you saw it. :b ...And just like you I am extremely happy with the picture quality viewed on my own display (Samy plasma) with Color Space set at 4:4:4 from my 103 (the 105 is exactly the same for Video).
 

MarinJim

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From the legendary John Curl: john curl is offline john curl United States
diyAudio Member

Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: berkeley ca

This last week, I met with the designers of the OPPO 105 analogue stage. They are competent, and well intentioned. However, the need for keeping cost within reasonable bounds, and adding features, limits what they CAN do themselves. I personally have used the 105: Stock, with STAX Lambda electrostatic headphones, and I will say it is the best player (of its type) that I have heard, including SACD.
 

NorthStar

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Feb 8, 2011
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Pro Review of the Oppo BDP-103 Universal Blu-ray 3D/4K Player/Preamp/Video Processor:

---- Click here!

-> This player is so many things that it is simply amazing! ...And for only $499! :b

__________________

* My own review is comin' soon; after the holidays. :b
...I do have one glitch; regarding Blu-rays' menus not being centered on the screen (white bar on the left side, and sometimes on both sides of the screen). This is an anomaly that has to do strictly with the 103 player.
...Trying to fix it with a firmware update is tricky, because it can easily create other issues ....
So far I'm living with this imperfection, in balance with knowledge and science.

Oppo is good, real good, but not perfect. :b

_______________

*** And Sony, they should get their act together! ...Before they release their newest Blu-ray movies they should check first that they play without any QC issues!
=> Eg.; 'Total Recall (2012)' :: Glitches (audio dropouts) from the 5.1 Dolby TrueHD audio soundtrack. ...This BD title should be recalled!

But Columbia/Sony studios aren't the only one guilty of QC; Universal studios, FOX studios, Paramount studios, Warner Bros studios, ...all are also guilty of QC from their products, and with irritating anomalies that they embed in their products!

Even Disney has some major issues.

My favorite: Criterion. :b

_________

When you pay up to fifty bucks for a BD movie, you want no problem.
And yes, I even pay much more than that for some Special Editions.

Multiply that by thousands (per person, like me), and you can easily see the total cost to me, and the immense profit that the Hollywood studios are making in the world!

And that goes with not only Blu-rays but also with DVDs and the older VHS tapes, and the Laserdiscs. Some (several) flicks I got over ten times in various formats and editions!
 
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MarinJim

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Peace on to all.
 

MarinJim

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Hi Jim,

Have you received your modded 105 yet? Any more details/reviews?

Thx.

-Hedwig
Yes, thanks for asking. In my system, it is the best digital source I have ever heard, and I am back to the fun of tube rolling.
 

NorthStar

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Feb 8, 2011
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Alright, I said before that I would give my own review of my Oppo BDP-103 ($499).

I'm ready, finally! :D

* It works great in all aspects of its picture and sound quality and great features and build quality and ergonomics in relation to its price (value).
Simply put it is my favorite Blu-ray player yet, and I have many of them, from all the brands out there.

For 99.99% of all the people, the Oppo BDP-103 Universal BD player for $499 is all the players they want, and more.

And that, is it! ...That was my review. :b
 

detroit1

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Mar 8, 2013
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I just saw this forum. For those who have compared the sound of the 103 vs 105, How much % difference improvement do you get with the 105? is it subtle or is there a big difference that you can hear on each track?

also, I see you can hook up hard drives via usb. Can these players play files like .TS, M2TS, MP4, etc?
 

welwynnick

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Mar 13, 2011
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I just saw this forum. For those who have compared the sound of the 103 vs 105, How much % difference improvement do you get with the 105? is it subtle or is there a big difference that you can hear on each track?
I own a 93 & 95, and most folks say the 103 & 105 have similar respective sounds. I spent a lot of time comparing them before I modded my 93,and became very familiar with them. IMO the 95 is hugely better than the 93 - better at everything. I do prefer using the 93 as a digital source, but not as an analogue source - that's why they created the 95. I'd expect the 103 & 105 to rank the same.

Nick
 

Kal Rubinson

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May 4, 2010
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I just saw this forum. For those who have compared the sound of the 103 vs 105, How much % difference improvement do you get with the 105? is it subtle or is there a big difference that you can hear on each track?
Impossible to quantify but, if you are using the analog outs, it is significant. Via digital outs, not.
 

detroit1

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Mar 8, 2013
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Ok fair enough. anyone with any experience on Modified Oppo 103, 105 ?

I wonder if a modded 103 can beat the 105
 

NorthStar

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Feb 8, 2011
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435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
Are you familiar with the DIY forums? ...That's where they do extensive modifications in order to experiment with the sound quality of the music mediums.

There you'll find the guru mods of the world. ...DIY Forum.

Some big electronic audio designers are there with their own website's links.
...The real top guns of audio engineering.

* As for the 103 vs the 105 in a modded way; only by listening yourself you can determine that. ...But it does seem that most pro mods are more inclined towards the 105, for its more advanced technological guts. ...DACs and all.
 

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