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EVS modified Oppo 105D

I sent my Oppo 105D to Ric Schultz of EVS for his all out mod including his basic mod package, new low jitter clocks, an Audio Magic Pulse Gen ZX installed on AC input, J-fet buffer output stages installed on balanced and single ended stereo outputs and center channel out and new linear power supply.

The unit was well broken in before sending it to Ric. The modified player I received back is much improved in all areas including sound stage, detail, separation of instruments, etc. Blu ray video is sharper with better color saturation and depth.

I play 2 channel and multichannel SACD and DVD audio disks, red book disks, blu ray audio only and blu ray video. All are improved. I am hearing details in some disks for the first time - fingers sliding on guitar strings, very faint bells and cymbals, etc.

I feed my Epson 8700ub projector directly from the Oppo. Analog audio is fed from the Oppo to the single ended multi channel analog inputs of my modified Onkyo 5508 prepro. All processing is done in the Oppo as the prepro is used only as a multichannel analog preamp. Other digital sources are fed directly to the Oppo through its two HDMI inputs.

I use Dunlavy IVs for left and right front channels with a Dunlavy IVA for the center. All three Dunlavys are driven by Odyssey stratos glass ceiling monoblocks. I consider the Dunlavys to be the weakest link in my audio chain.

Check out Ric's web site at tweakaudio.com or just search for EVS Audio. He is very easy and interesting to talk with. He does custom modifications of Oppo players and other equipment and is developing a line of open baffle planar magnetic speaker kits.
hhop

Showing 11 responses by papaned

papaned
17 posts
 
I too have a fully modified OPPO-105D by EVS for the past two months. I use it strictly for CD/SACD 2-channel audio with balanced IC's. Took a few hundred hours to fully mature and is now the best sounding player I've had in my system over the last 20 years.
I took Ric's advice and removed the steel cover and replaced it with one of his [last ?] MDF covers that just sits on top. I noticed the improvement in a more open sound. The original cover is easily removed with a small Phillips screwdriver and is well worth the effort.
papaned
17 posts
 
Boffellid:
The jfet outputs only 1 volt. How do you maintain dynamics without a preamp unless your speakers have a very high sensitivity ?
papaned
17 posts
 
Heard from the master. Didn't realize that with my balanced IC's, I'm actually getting 2V output.

I used a Placette passive controller for my previous 4V output player into a 1V sensitivity amp and still ran out of headroom on some CD's. Changing to an active preamp eliminated that problem and improved dynamics with no noticeable decrease in clarity. With my current 2V balanced EVS OPPO , I still have plenty of unused headroom.
papaned
17 posts
 
This raises a question re OPPO volume control. Is it modulating the analog output or is it operating in the digital domain ?
papaned
17 posts
 
So at a volume setting of 50 when playing a SACD, is the resolution cut off at 16 bits ?
papaned
17 posts
 
If I understand this pdf correctly,it doesn't compare what happens when a 24- bit number from SACD is fed into the 32-bit Sabre DAC.
papaned
17 posts
 
Mribob;
Don't want to beat a dead horse, but if you still have the OPPO cover on, take it off and hear the improvement. Ric does all his testing and listening with the covers off. You can have a Lucite cover made to just sit on top.
papaned
17 posts
 
I probably have more than 500 hours on my EVS Oppo-105D and found that its musicality has improved significantly.I had a friend over today who has critical listening skills and grudgingly gives praise.He was very impressed with the current sound vs. his last session here after only 150 hours.
So it appears that the Fet zero-feedback stage needs plenty of break-in, but it's well worth it.
papaned
17 posts
 
Suggest you get the full mods if you can.I'm sure you would hear another layer of improvement.
My player was originally interconnected with XLR's.I made the shift from RCA's several years ago and immediately heard the difference.
papaned
17 posts
 
I've been experimenting with a bunch of BlackDiscus samples on my EVS OPPO-105D for the past few months and thought I'd pass my results on to those of you who have this player.
Ric suggested a BD over the 2-channel DAC, but I didn't get any perceived improvement and it got hot trapping heat unnecessarily over the DAC.
I got noticeable clarity and imaging improvement in the following areas:
-two single[half] BD's over the 4 horizontal caps in the right rear [analog board]
-two single BD's over the 2 vertical can caps in the right front
- a trio of 3 sample sets [6 singles] under the disc tray centered 3 -1/2 inches from the front face
- a double stack of BD's [4 singles] centered on my wood cover over Ric's transformer, left rear.
papaned
17 posts
 
$4750. for a tubed modified OPPO !! Wow! What all did he do for that price? I thought that Modwright was the primo tube -modified OPPO-105 with a separate tube power supply.
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