Ok, maybe my comments were a little too strong. I fiddled around with the audio setup on the unit and got things to sound better. Still, the audio is not what a $3500.00 player will get you.
I haven't compared the DVD, which I also have. I don't doubt you, I have some DVD concerts that do indeed sound better than the blu-ray counterpart.
As mentioned Oppo did the best they could allowing only one 205 to be bought per customer in the latest offerings. When Oppo Digital announced that they were stopping production there was a rush on people buying the 203 and 205. Resellers like Crutchfield and Best Buy as well as others were cleaned out of stock quickly. I believe that is where many bought multiple players to resell for a profit. There was nothing Oppo could have done to prevent that. So by limiting one 205 to a customer in the final allotment at least they're trying to limit the "scalpers". But the 205 isn't a $3500 player as it lists for $1299. If people are willing to pay $3500 for the 205 that's their choice one that I wouldn't make.
I can’t speak to why they didn’t go that route other than to say that perhaps they didn’t have that capability.
Lol, so did I, but cancelled it today as I was hoping they would be SHM cds, but they came out with a And it does! It is THE most 'Musical', Analog sounding digital device I've ever heard, at my house or others. Just sounds Right without the 'something missing' that I've had with every other digital player in my system. And a great point about the test bench, if a digital piece measures as close to realistic 'ideal', and is deemed 'transparent', then can one realistically get better than that? With no, or extremely little coloration, isn't that the definition of the ideal player? beave
Is it finally over? Can I quit checking my spam mail every ten minutes? Signed up early, was confirmed then nothing.
The company is closing down. They took a step to control it. They got bigger issues to deal with at the moment. They've been more than generous under the situation.
Haven't heard anyone say they got an email in a while. When did you sign up, and when were you confirmed? I signed up on 4/12, was confirmed on 5/9, and got my email to purchase on 9/18.
I got my 205 last Friday. I've done a bit of listening, though not as much as I would have liked by now (life gets in the way sometimes). So far I'm very pleased, and I'd say that it's quite extraordinary for a player costing $1,300. I have two other universal players (other than my BDP-95s), a Muse Polyhymnia ($7,700 when it came out, but doesn't play Blu-Ray) and a brand new McIntosh MVP901 ($5,500). While I would say that they both sound clearly better than the 205, the difference is not as huge as one might expect. So, while it may not be worth $3500 (I certainly wouldn't pay that), I really do think it sounds phenomenal for $1300, and the build quality is excellent for that price.
People were still getting emails as late as last week. I haven't heard any reports this week, but it's still young. I think for what the Oppo 205 did with all its functionality, and the increasingly rare analogue outputs, it was worth more than list price. Especially now that Oppo has left the market and the remaining players in the space are either ultra-high-end boutique brands, or mass market brands that aren't really known as caring about the audiophile community that much. I think the 205s will hold their value very well over the coming years.
Curious if you can actually attach a sound signature to each of the four players you mention in your post? Or are you just speaking generally? Just asking because it would seem to me, the preamp/amp is normally going to color the sound more. It is silly to take ANYONE on this forum serious, who thinks the 205 sounds like A$$! There are just too many quality parts in the unit. I get that people pay big bucks to upgrade the player to change the color, directly at the source, but that shouldn't directly change the fact that the 205 sounds excellent, stock, in its own right. Without going into specifics about the type of sound you are searching for, overall in a system, proclaiming that the digital front end sounds like A$$, compared to an upgraded tube addition, to the unit, is simply ridiculous. Omitting the fact that personal preference plays a huge part in the overall sound of an entire system, is very narrow thinking.
Agreed. In terms of the sound signature of each of the units, at this point I haven't done much critical listening and going back and forth, but I do have 3 of the units (all but the BDP-95, which I'm deciding what to do with) running in my main system. My (still initial) impressions are that both the Mac and the Muse have a bit more detail and texture to the sound with a more 3-dimensional sound stage and imaging. Deciding whether I prefer the Mac or the Muse overall still eludes me (I've only had the Mac for a few weeks). Some days I prefer one, other days I prefer the other.
Did you see my follow up post?? Sure ya did, still.... I admit I jumped the gun on the sound comment. My mistake on making a knee jerk reaction to the initial sound of the unit. I should have waited to tweek the set up and let things settle in for sometime before commenting.
It's silly to think the Modwright 205 mod only changes the color, as if it were like switching interconnect cables.
Opened up the 205 and hooked it up. Sounds great to my aged ears! Thanks to you all for your encouragement.
And it's the end of a company. They're not continuing. They're doing their customers a favor by making more players. They owe us nothing at this point. But go on and complain.
Jesus wept. I simply pointed out - in relation to another post - something that's a given for any company accepting business directly online today, whether they're closing up shop or not. And as a means to minimise the multibuy chancers out there. If you don't get that, I can't help you there. It's a fact of business life.
I agree with your thoughts. I can see how some are upset that they weren't able to get a 203 or 205 at list price. But it is what it is and hopefully more 205s will be sent out.
I'm surprised that you do Bill. If I remember rightly, you scoffed at the guy that bought a dozen 205s a few months back. Rightly. Yet here we have, supposedly, a professional company, selling direct, with the means to check previous buyers via their software, only going by the email address? Now, I have no dog in this hunt. But if I were one of those guys that missed out on a 205, only to find that the Oppo may have been a bit shy in enforcing its 'one per household' because it because it didn't get it's house in order, then yes, I think I've a lot of sympathy with those buyers that lost out. If that's the case. And - to be clear - I'm really not complaining. I'm just astonished that the above scenario might be a possibility when the software and reporting capabilities of same enable quick sales MI with ease. That's it.
I'm not sure what is the complaint. If Oppo had really wanted to stick it to people, they could have simply jacked the price up to $2000 on the final units. There was clearly some demand for the 205 at more expensive prices in this final run. Considering they were exiting the business and had no "brand" left to protect, I wouldn't have begrudged the company if they had chosen that route. Sticking to the original $1299 price when new units are regularly going for $2500 on eBay was a classy move by Oppo.
