Oppo BDP-83: The Official QQ Thread [BLU-RAY/SACD/DVD-A/HDCD]

[R8der]

I'm about ready to pull the trigger on this player....just as soon as it's confirmed that they've fixed the audio drop-out issue. That would drive me INSANE! I want my music as perfect as possible, which is why I started collecting DVD-A's in the first place. Hell, I get pissed when somebody tries talking to me while listening to DVD-A's.

I really appreciate the write-up on the SE version. Is there really a legion of buyers out there with their primary focus being a Blu-Ray player with better stereo playback? Isn't that niche filled by dozens of others already?

Maybe I should wait a year until they release the next version with the higher end DAC's on all channels?

Would this really be a night and day upgrade from my Panasonic RP91?

 

[Bob Romano]

How annoying is this problem? I mean of course you want it fixed but can you still listen to your discs with some degree of satisfaction?

The only time the beginning of the track is clipped is - if you start the disc from the beginning, the first track will be clipped. If you let the disc play through, all other tracks are fine. If you skip to a track - that track will have a clipped beginning. Sad really because otherwise, for my money and my system, it is a beautiful player.

 

[wavelength]

Thanks for the info. I'm going to see if I can hold off till they fix this thing.

 

[ted_b]

Do this if you haven't: turn off auto play! It's a well-known issue with auto play that it clips a second or so off once inserted...and a well-known fix..turn it off.

I have several review snippets of the 83 vs SE on AVS forum. I've lived with both for several weeks, and made sure both were broken in for at least 100-150 hours. For DSD (SACD native) mch playback the SE runs rings around the 83, which isn't too shabby itself. For mch PCM it's better too...still worth it; DSD makes it a no-brainer. This is the 10th universal I have owned over the past 10-12 yrs or so, and it's the best (certainly for 5.1 mch), and yet signficantly less expensive than even the cheapest of those 10 at the time. In DSD mode for 2 channel the differences aren't that big, but 2 channel PCM source stuff certainly is. The soundstage width, depth, transient speed, leading edge attack (piano sounds wonderful), dynamics, microdetail are all exemplary. noise floor on the SE is quite a bit less than the 83, but this was not borne out until a full 150+ hours of break in. Donald Fagen's Kamakiriad (PCM of course) was the best we'd heard ever it when listening this past week. I've owned that DVD-A since the day it was released, and felt like I heard it for the first time. The energy was frighteningly real. The new Jimmy Cobb Live at Blue Note SACD is surreal, as is the nice sampler from Cookie's BlueCoast Records. Jane Selkye's Slow Day is sublime.

My summary is that the 9016 Sabre32 chips do a good job of DSD but a much btter job via PCM; the 9006 chips (used for multichannel) have a sweetspot for DSD that is quite quite good, and overall PCM sound is better than its standard counterpart too, making it a clean sweep The only real downside to eithe rplayer is it's speaker config/BM functionality. In the SE, especially, since Oppo is trageting analog users, the BM is fixed 80hz and the distance (delay) settings require the mains to be your furthest setting!. For me it was fine, I have identical drivers, somewhat equidistant, and trims ettings on my ana,log mch pre. For most, it's an obstacle that Oppo likely can't fix with firmware.

My 5.1 system (as opposed to my 2 channel or dedicated 7.1 channel setup) is now all-analog after dusting off my trusty Sony TA-P9000Es for mch analog fun. The SE shines in that setup. I drive my front SP Tech Revelations with Spectron Musican III Mark 2 monoblocks, and I drive my center and surround SP Tech Continuum AD's with McCormcick DNA-250's. I only mention my system cuz it;s very revealing and lets the SE shine. Net/net, my findings, in my heavily treated (25 Realtraps in my room...that's me in the Nov Stereophile Realtraps ad) room is diametrically opposed to Chucks. Go figure. YMMV.

 

[dwight]

I've been listening for more than 25 hrs, and the BDP-83se's sound quality is, IMO, more than a subtle improvement over the stock 83. I am hearing 20 year old cd's as if for the 1st time. One of my all time favorite recordings of Vivaldi's THE FOUR SEASONS, is by Gerard Schwarz and The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra on DELOS from 1980. The presentation through the 83se was stunning, as was another 1980 favorite of mine DIGITAL DIXIE by The Dutch Swing College Band. This is a live recording where the musicians move about the stage as they play, but the fabulous holographic experience has never been as wide or deep and the trombones have a softness followed by bite that raises the hair on the back of your neck, it's so real.

Vocals are not just wonderful, but have an almost spooky presence. The final track from the album FEELS LIKE HOME by Norah Jones is "Don't Miss You At All", and it is quietly sung in her breathy signature style. I used to think it was too quiet, but the 83se lifted it out of the quiet into what seems like real space and amazed me. Likewise, on the Les Brown SESSION 55 DVD-A, when Lou Rawls sings "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and "I Only Have Eyes For You" I felt as if I was listening to those renditions for the first time and that he was in the room. Unlike the 83, where I could hear no difference between the stereo and MC outputs, with the 83se there is a distinct sheen heard through the dedicated 2ch outputs on some recordings. If you are using the analogue outs on the stock 83 than this is a remarkable deal at this price point, but if you are using outboard DAC's definitely try to hear it first. Should Oppo ever support FLAC through a firmware upgrade, I think they will be off to the races with the BDP-83se. I was expecting nuance and I got a fundamental character change of the revelatory kind. Thank You Oppo.
Dwight

 

[ted_b]

Dwight,
Thanks for that review. Welcome to the SE Appreciation Society.

Gonna have to go find that Les Brown Session 55 DVD-A.

 

[Bob Romano]

Do this if you haven't: turn off auto play! It's a well-known issue with auto play that it clips a second or so off once inserted...and a well-known fix..turn it off.

I have several review snippets of the 83 vs SE on AVS forum. I've lived with both for several weeks, and made sure both were broken in for at least 100-150 hours. For DSD (SACD native) mch playback the SE runs rings around the 83, which isn't too shabby itself. For mch PCM it's better too...still worth it; DSD makes it a no-brainer. This is the 10th universal I have owned over the past 10-12 yrs or so, and it's the best (certainly for 5.1 mch), and yet signficantly less expensive than even the cheapest of those 10 at the time. In DSD mode for 2 channel the differences aren't that big, but 2 channel PCM source stuff certainly is. The soundstage width, depth, transient speed, leading edge attack (piano sounds wonderful), dynamics, microdetail are all exemplary. noise floor on the SE is quite a bit less than the 83, but this was not borne out until a full 150+ hours of break in. Donald Fagen's Kamakiriad (PCM of course) was the best we'd heard ever it when listening this past week. I've owned that DVD-A since the day it was released, and felt like I heard it for the first time. The energy was frighteningly real. The new Jimmy Cobb Live at Blue Note SACD is surreal, as is the nice sampler from Cookie's BlueCoast Records. Jane Selkye's Slow Day is sublime.

My summary is that the 9016 Sabre32 chips do a good job of DSD but a much btter job via PCM; the 9006 chips (used for multichannel) have a sweetspot for DSD that is quite quite good, and overall PCM sound is better than its standard counterpart too, making it a clean sweep The only real downside to eithe rplayer is it's speaker config/BM functionality. In the SE, especially, since Oppo is trageting analog users, the BM is fixed 80hz and the distance (delay) settings require the mains to be your furthest setting!. For me it was fine, I have identical drivers, somewhat equidistant, and trims ettings on my ana,log mch pre. For most, it's an obstacle that Oppo likely can't fix with firmware.

My 5.1 system (as opposed to my 2 channel or dedicated 7.1 channel setup) is now all-analog after dusting off my trusty Sony TA-P9000Es for mch analog fun. The SE shines in that setup. I drive my front SP Tech Revelations with Spectron Musican III Mark 2 monoblocks, and I drive my center and surround SP Tech Continuum AD's with McCormcick DNA-250's. I only mention my system cuz it;s very revealing and lets the SE shine. Net/net, my findings, in my heavily treated (25 Realtraps in my room...that's me in the Nov Stereophile Realtraps ad) room is diametrically opposed to Chucks. Go figure. YMMV.

I have set everything to analog only (HDMI off). Auto play off and I still have the problem with every DVDA disc I play. Every other disc works fine. Any other suggestions?

 

[Ge Someone]

[..]I used to think it was too quiet, but the 83se lifted it out of the quiet [..]

Although I don't deny any improvement with the SE, I must ask if you did match the levels(SPL) when comparing. If (and I don't know if) the SE has a higher (louder) analog output, that was not compensated for, you'd hear things you didn't hear before and it would lift a quiet track to a normal level.

It is a common mistake not to exactly match the levels when comparing audio.

 

[dwight]

Ge, I love the Netherlands....have some delightful friends there. I hesitated to evaluate the Oppo SE modification because questions, such as yours, would naturally arise, and opinions such as mine, should be placed in the skeptical column until the modification can actually be heard. My listening was strictly subjective, taking into account levels and software selections with which I was completely familiar. The differences were not subjectively subtle, no matter the level, so I felt compelled to chime in before the Oppo upgrade deadline of Dec. 31, 09.
As Ted wrote and as I experienced, I felt like I was hearing some recordings for the first time. This was a gross subjective reaction and because it was gross, I thought I would offer my opinion and you should note it as such. If the differences had been, as they usually are, so nuanced that I had to A-B a recording for an hour, as I have done with $10,000 cables, I would have remained silent. I have been a good test subject for over 40 years of buying and listening to every grade of audio and video equipment, and have learned to trust my ears and those who consistently seem to hear what I do. There are those who never seem to hear what I do and I must, at my financial peril, ignore them. Hope that helps!
Dwight

 

[JonUrban]

dwight,

Your results are by using the analog outs, correct? The way I understood it, for those using HDMI only, the upgrade was not suggested.

 

[dwight]

Jon, Yes! This upgrade is of no benefit to those using HDMI. Don't even think about it unless you're using the DAC's in the Oppo.
Dwight

 

[ted_b]

My a/b comparisons are always using an SPL meter to level match, as well. It is an important question, but yes, I did it.

And to reiterate Dwight's comments, I'm not sure a db or 2 would have helped the 83. The SE would've shined anyway.

Jon, yes, the SE is an all-analog upgrade. However, there are a few on the various SE threads that claim HDMI is slightly improved (I still use HDMi for video, 7.1 movie soundtracks, etc) as a byproduct due to the power supply and voltage regulation in the SE being slightly improved to accommodate the SABRE DACs. I didn't see it that way; and the PS is not beefier, just made for a higher voltage requirement for the DACs. Now Dan's (Modwright) mod...THAT's a beefier PS.

 

[jefe1]

Plans for the new year:

1 Buy the Oppo BDP-83SE
2 Buy Lou Dorrens new CD4 demodulator then watch the price of all cd4 records go thru the roof
3 Commit tax fraud or rob a bank.

Maybe this should be in reverse order @:

 

[jefe1]

Well these reviews are informative and make the choice harder. Since I run a Sansui qrx 90001 I have no choice but to use analog outs on the Oppo. On the other hand, would the $400 difference between the 83 and SE allow me to get into a modern hdmi receiver where I would hear the same quality difference? I suspect not. I'm wondering why Oppo did not use the same top of the line DACS for the multichannel output. Cost must have been a factor. In a world where you are now seeing below $100 bluray players you wonder about the costs involved.

 

[Desmo888]

I'm wondering why Oppo did not use the same top of the line DACS for the multichannel output.

If I understand your question correctly, the multichannel output (HDMI) does not require a digital to analog converter because it is a digital output (I's and 0's). I too would be tempted to get the SE if there were more than just upgrading the analog section of the player, but I am glad the unit was built. If I had a dedicated listening room or theater, I would jump on the SE.

Glad to read that other QQers positive responses.

 

[ted_b]

If I understand your question correctly, the multichannel output (HDMI) does not require a digital to analog converter because it is a digital output (I's and 0's). I too would be tempted to get the SE if there were more than just upgrading the analog section of the player, but I am glad the unit was built. If I had a dedicated listening room or theater, I would jump on the SE.

Glad to read that other QQers positive responses.

No, you didn't understand his question. It was about why Oppo chose to use the Sabre32 9106 DACs for the 2 channel analog outs, and then chose the Sabre Premium (read: less expensive) 9006 DACs for the 7.1 analog outs. Likely cost is the major factor, plus some rumblings on various forums about how the DACs perform paralleled (2 channel) vs not (7.1). Anyway, the 9006's and their analog stages sound very good, regardless.

 

[bmoura]

No, you didn't understand his question. It was about why Oppo chose to use the Sabre32 9106 DACs for the 2 channel analog outs, and then chose the Sabre Premium (read: less expensive) 9006 DACs for the 7.1 analog outs. Likely cost is the major factor, plus some rumblings on various forums about how the DACs perform paralleled (2 channel) vs not (7.1). Anyway, the 9006's and their analog stages sound very good, regardless.

Another way to look at this is Oppo's recent statement that they were getting out of the DVD player business and future Oppo disc players would be focused on Blu-Ray player models vs. both DVD only and Blu-Ray models.

That suggests that there will be more Blu-Ray models coming from Oppo in the future. Such models could include a higher end/higher priced product than the 83 or 83SE that included better DACs and perhaps features like Netflix playback.

I don't have any information to that effect, just speculating. But it is interesting that CES is just around the corner. So you never know....

 

[von kulper]

Hi, I'm thinking seriously about getting one of these oppo blu-ray players but one thing concerns me and I was wondering if maybe you guys could fill me in. I currently have a denon-757 which has real weak bass response when listening to dvd-audios due to the apparent LFE bug or improper bass management or whatever it is. I was wondering if I would suffer this same problem with the BDP-83 or is this a thing of the past now?

My reciever isn't HDMI capable so my only choice for the lossless audio is the analog outs.

Thanks, any help would be greatly appreciated,

vonkulper

 

[ted_b]

Hi, I'm thinking seriously about getting one of these oppo blu-ray players but one thing concerns me and I was wondering if maybe you guys could fill me in. I currently have a denon-757 which has real weak bass response when listening to dvd-audios due to the apparent LFE bug or improper bass management or whatever it is. I was wondering if I would suffer this same problem with the BDP-83 or is this a thing of the past now?

My reciever isn't HDMI capable so my only choice for the lossless audio is the analog outs.

Thanks, any help would be greatly appreciated,

vonkulper

Bass is not weak with the Oppo's, but realize that it's using the analog outs only (i.e their own bass management, which is rudimentary but suffices for my full range needs). If your receiver digitizes the analog inputs you'd have it's bass management features (but you'd be digitizing the analog inputs ).

 

[von kulper]

Hey thanks ted! I don't think my reciever would digitize the analog inputs but I'm not really sure. It's just a humble low end yamaha reciever I picked up for about two hundred dollars off the 500.00 asking price from best buy thanks to an ill informed employee who had no clue what dvd-audio was.

Anyway I think I'm gonna go ahead and order it from amazon as an early christmas present to myself, from myself.

You guys have any tips on setting this thing up to get the most out of it?