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Has the Oppo carried the AV industry?

I looked through my last Widescreen Review magazine the other day (March issue), and I came accross the latest Oppo Bluray player review -didn't read it. In fact, I refuse to read yet another all-universe, all-everything, "the end-all-be-all", "greatest thing since sliced bread", "MUST HAVE", "there is none better", "will revolutionize your home theaters picture and sound quality, to world class levels" article, about the mythical Oppo player!!!..can't do it..WON'T DO IT! NO!!!
Over the last 13 years, I probably honestly read two (maybe three) entire Oppo Universal disc player reviews -start to finish -and other articles discussing Oppo mods and upgrades, articles/discussion that REFER to an Oppo player, as part of some reference system, and inevitably, I find that the Oppo reviews will JUST WON'T GO AWAY, APPARENTLY! They're like bunnies! They keep producing more of their kind, whether you want them to or not!
Lol -I'm just simply amazed by how much attention and press that a lowely disc player has obviously gotten over the years! Surely, owning an Oppo player must bee a system transforming experience! ..a "must have" item, no less. I must have missed out..cause I never owned one. In fact, never really cared to own one! I've been dazled by how good the quality of video processing has been in all the plain-Jane disc players, flat pannel display's, and even high end video projectors I've owned continue to supply me wiht! But, apparently, every one else bought the Oppo. Cause I surely, honesly, can't remember a year that's gone by in the past decade, where I don't rememer NOT reading somwhere about an Oppo player!
It's really felt, to me, like home entertainment AV products, and home theater in general, have been on a "demand" slide over the past decade! 7.1 and 1080p, Bluray, etc, have all been around long anough now, that it's kind of a "been there, had that" kind of feeling I get when I think about this hobby anymore. I guess life and priorities has weened me away from being a die-hard enthusiest now-a-days. And yet, I can't get the Oppo topic out of my thoughts, whenever I look at my gear!..and I don't think the hobby is going to let me forget much about it neither. lol!
Anyone else get the oppinion that this product surely has been single most important product in the AV industry, these past 10+ years?! Because it's certainly been the most talked about brand/topic I can remember reading about, if nothing else.
I really do think they'll be making Oppo's for the next 100 years, period! -even if they'll do 4k upscaling, 4k/8k future exact pixel mapping, wifi-HD streaming, toast your bread and make you breakfast, whatever! I'm thinking that these Oppo's just must have been so good, that no serious enthusiest, whatever-phile, or system owner should have ever considered "going without!"...otherwise, they missed out!?
Well anyway, anyone here who's used the Oppo think that the product has been a make-or-break, indespensible, product that really made all the differnence to the picture quality they achieved, or the sonic experience they got using these things? (I'm tickled pink by the digital AV processing advances I've gotten just upgrading processor and displays, year after year) I just want to somehow hear that I really missed out all these years, and the only important consideration I should have made was BUYING the Oppo! Cause at the very least, I'm not totaly convinced that Apple and Oppo aren't the same company, ..secretly.
100 more years of Oppo players?..servers?? -probably
avgoround

Showing 6 responses by albertporter

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albertporter
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Well anyway, anyone here who's used the Oppo think that the product has been a make-or-break, indespensible, product that really made all the differnence to the picture quality they achieved, or the sonic experience they got using these things?

That's not the point. They are cheap, attractive, flexible, reliable and represented by a company that offers first class customer service.

Oppo delivers industry leading image quality, friendly operation, an easy to use remote control and for music the DAC is decent, even in stock form.

The point is most people are looking for value, a product that delivers the goods at an affordable price.

Oppo is just that. No miracles no magic. I've owned them all and currently enjoy a BDP105.
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I'm sorry, but I simply have a very hard time believing - picture quality alone (which, btw, should be the only real thing that matters for a Bluray player) -that having an Oppo in my system, was really "that much better" than what some off the shelf Sony player has given me!

The new BDP105 does have superior performance easily observed on my 65" Panasonic Plasma but what's equally important is the quality of the DAC as I already mentioned.

Only the BDP105 has USB input, allowing computer playback through the Oppo DAC. Any decent stand alone DAC will cost thousands. So, the Oppo in addition to delivering world class image subs as a SACD and CD player and allows my Mac Mini playback of thousands of music files.

Maybe not important to some people, but the Oppo streams Netflix and other movie media. You might say "so what?" but remember, the same DAC that supports the Mac Mini also provides superior sound for streaming.

Value is the keyword.
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I have the new Oppo BDP-105 Darbee edition on order. There was a short wait as they were sold out.

I think the success of this product is without question and this new version offers superior image quality plus ability to process DSD from a music server via USB.

Is it perfect?

Hardly, but what other player offers this kind of price / performance ratio? My current Oppo 105 sounds good, this new one is better.
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Tim,

You state with richer detail what I posted here April 22, 2013 and yesterday (nearly a year later :^) about my Oppo BDP-105.

Obviously I agree with you, I'm a big fan of it's performance to cost ratio. A lot of digital has passed through my system and the Oppo holds up pretty well against premium solutions.

I've heard digital that was clearly better (one was much better) but the cost ratio was 10 times more with one and nearly 70 times more for the other.

Like you I own a DVD and Blue Ray library and the Oppo BDP-105 provides the best image I've ever had.

For CDs it does well and the USB input allows decoding of my 6.2 TB of music files via Mac Mini and JRiver.

The reason I ordered the 105 Darbee is image quality and DSD processing. A respected friend told me the Oppo DSD processing of may not provide superior results to regular high resolution sound. If true, no big loss. The Darbee is a $100.00 upgrade.

Don't laugh but I'm eager to see if downloaded and streaming movies render better with the Darbee system. If so that would be an unexpected bonus.
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Late in the game here but I have owned BDP93 for over a year and I agree its a well built machine and has been reliable but sound quality wise...nothing special when using its own DAC

Two things, the Oppo BDP-105 is better than the 93 and second, the Oppo BDP-105 Darbee as a complete package offers a lot for the price.

Oppo BDP-105 Darbee plays all formats including SACD and the USB input in back can decode DSD and double DSD from computer files.

Video wise nothing to complain about but nothing special either compared to your run of the mill blu ray player.

Oppo with Netflix uses twin Sabre DAC to improve sound and the Darbee processing cleans up the images and the Blue Ray is exceptional as well as ability to upsample to 4K.

Look at tests posted on the internet, the frame rate flags, contrast, noise and other specifications exceed just about everything out there regardless of price. I previously owned a Pioneer Elite and no question the Oppo is better.

I can't cover everything, and no doubt there are products that do as well or better in one or more specific areas, but how many do everything the Oppo BDP-105 Darbee does for that price?
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albertporter
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Ak247
As you said the BDP-105 is a different animal..a generation newer and a model higher + modified. I have no doubt its an excellent performer I was just relating my experience with the BDP93 which is also generally very well regarded.

I agree, I owned the BDP-93 and BDP-95 before the current model and each were excellent. Some listeners may even prefer the BDP-95 sound to the current version, although image improvements are easier to agree upon.

All of these Oppo models offer good performance to cost ratio. I have a fairly high end system where digital is not primary source. I respect Oppo for delivering good solid performance and lots of side benefits for low cost.

I've had digital in my system up to near $100K and while they were far superior they still did not match my master tape or turntable. I guess what I'm saying is I prefer digital that costs $1299.00 and gets beat by my other sources than digital that cost $100K and gets beat by my other sources.

That's where my deep respect for Oppo comes from. That being said I have two more DACs coming soon to audition. Hoping for that magic combination of great sound that justifies the cost.
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