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REVIEW: Oppo DV980H

Category: Home Theater

I am now three years into a long and twisting road toward assembling a "permanent" home entertainment system including decent H/T as well as 2-channel audio. And along that road I've had pleasant surprises and I've had unpleasant surprises -- but I've never been as shocked and stupefied by the disconnect between what other people are saying, and the experience I had, as with the Oppo DV980H. The player (and the company) for which nearly everyone has only praise and nary a whimper of complaint was, in my experience, just about the most single overrated piece of consumer tripe, this side of the New Coke.

To begin with, the Oppo doesn't work properly even by its own standards without a dizzying assembly-line of firmware upgrades. (Note to self: Never again buy a piece of electronics that touts how easy it is to upgrade with a front-end USB port. If it didn't work when it left the factory, don't buy it.) Break point insertions either do- or do not happen from disc to disc, with the same set of keystrokes, audio decoding either works or it doesn't with no apparent rhyme or reason, and most personal DVD backups of old VHS tapes either don't spin up at all, or return perhaps one frame in every twelve to the screen, making every old recording in your collection look like it was made with clay-mation.

Picture quality is lackluster at best, with lots and lots and lots of false contouring, and the audio is peppered with so much midrange breakup at even moderate output levels that for weeks I thought I'd somehow managed to blow up both of my front-channel speakers. It took me three solid days of experimentation to figure out how to make DTS content play to all six channels including the subwoofer, and then when I changed to a second DTS-encoded disc the same switch-settings no longer worked.

Along the way I also learned that the company apparently staffs a team of thinly disguised schills, trolling the discussion forums under the guise of helpful enthusiasts who immediately close down all discussions of their products that aren't favorable. As soon as it became apparent in a different forum that the helpful suggestions I was getting were self-contradictory and ignored my previous posts, my ostensible hobbyist friend posted one more time to say that next time I should read my manual, and then had the thread closed.

Finally I just threw up my hands and bought a Marantz DV7001 and -- WOW! -- it's so much better, from picture quality to audio reproduction to user interface to support, that I just can't see how anyone on earth should patronize Oppo and their second-rate products, whatsoever. Granted, the Marantz will cost a bit more money, but these days it's not really that much more, and besides: in the words of one famous movie character, you *WILL* know where that extra money went.

Send an e-mail to author "at" escapeclause "dot" net, if you'd like more details.
dog_or_man

Showing 4 responses by ponnie

ponnie
233 posts
 
Hi My oppo 980H bested my Pioneer DV563 SACD/DA player. I have been using mine as a transport and I tried to listen to the unit's DACS but My tube DAC simply sounded more solid in the soundstage and more refined. I also tried it on a 32" LCD and a 26" LCD and the picture was awesome. I used HDMI connection for the video. I like the OPPO and I have been searching for over 3 months to find something better under $1000 but I haven't yet. I increased it to $2000 and now there seem to be some DACs out there that may offer better performance but I haven't found a player that gives you as much performance for under $1000. I'm still open to suggestions for something better.
You must have had a defective unit! Why didn't you send it
back for a replacement? I will give the Marantz and Pioneer a chance in the near future.
I have had my Oppo for almost 10 months.
Happy Listening
ponnie
233 posts
 
It's funny reading all the points of view that I have never used any of the USB functions or anything else. I played with the OSD once and that's it. But I have enjoyed my 980 since it's purchase. We (af friend and I) recently purchased a Playstation 1 to listen to and compare to the Oppo. My friend has 2 tube DACS and an OPPO 980 and a Denon 29?? DVD player. We both came to the same conclusion that we are keeping our Oppos and Scot Nixon tube DAC's. I can't say the Oppo/Scott Nixon setup it's a slayer or anything like that but the sounds are very pleasing. That combination is pleasing and very musical too. I haven't done any of the updates at all to my Oppo and don't plan to. Updates only work some of the time. That little difference and it usually not worth the hassle.
ponnie
233 posts
 
Kudos TIC I could not have said it any better. I also bet
Oppo would have satisfied the customer regardless of the window. They appear to be pretty understanding and have good tech support.
ponnie
233 posts
 
Tgrisham I agree that they need to implement stiffer power supplies. Heck, to be honest every company out there including most exotic makers should invest in stiffer power supplies. Yes, I know it will increase the price of the product but a properly designed power supply will not only make that unit quieter but should actually make it produce a better soundstage too. To add to that it will make the product more reliable as well. You wonder why so many tube amps from the 50's and 60's are still on the market and still playing sounds. That's only part of the reason. IMO they used sound enginering in their power supplies then. Even though parts are superior today compared to 40+ years ago those parts still lasted over 40 and in some cases 50 plus years and still running.
Look at the Dynaco ST 70, Marantz 8B, McIntosh 275, 225, and the Eico amps. Don't forget the many other brands out there like Western Electric and Altec. If you are ever in the Destin, Fl or Pensacola, FL area look up Tom Tutay in the phone book. You will be surprised whatgood power supply design will do for the sound. Better yet Check out
Arthur Salvatore site (search for it on google) and look under modifications.
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