OPPO 83 and Benchmark DAC 1

Everyone (except knghifi and danmyers) is assuming that the problem with Oppo's BDP83 is the DAC but I actually talked to Dan Modwright and he thinks the chip sets for both video and audio conversion are top notch. The achilles heel as Danmyers put it is the analog output stage. MW, among other mod outfits, currently has a solid state modification for both 2-ch and 5-ch analog output stages. Modwright is out with the solid state mod first for the BDP83 but has plans for a tube modification for the analog output stage which I am waiting for before taking the plunge. I actually think that the Oppo's CD, SACD, and DVD-A/V playback is respectable (and I am comparing that to my ARC Ref CD7, at least on red book CD playback, which clearly outperforms the Oppo unit by a country mile and it had better do so at the price differential).Yes SACD sounds better on the BDP83 than CD but I think that is a function of the higher resolution format. By beefing up the analog output stage, one ought to convert what is a very decent universal player into an audiophile quality player. Would love to hear knghifi and danmyers' experience with the MW mods.

Mjcmt...i see your logic but the alternative way to look at it is that many audiophiles will look at the Oppo BDP83 as a universal player with much of the audio formats (not only CD, but SACD and DVD-A)in high use. If you are going to use the BDP83 primarily as a video/Bluray player than you are right, there is no point modding the Oppo. But if you are going to use it as an audio universal player (with video/Bluray as a bonus feature)than the justification of spending the extra dollars makes sense. As the thread above chronicles, if you are in the camp that thinks the Oppo BDP83's weak link is its DAC chip set, than you can keep it as is, and use it as a universal transport running thru your DAC of choice. If, like me, you think that the issue is not in its audio/video conversion chip sets but in its 2- and 5-channel analog output stage, than you spend ~$1K to mod the output stage and for $1500 you have an audiophile universal standalone player. Either way, for not much much money (by audiophile standards :-)), i think the Oppo BDP83 delivers a lot of value for the $s spent and that is a nice thing in this expensive hobby of ours.