OPPO 203 vs. Sony UBP- X800s

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I am thinking about either one of these players. I will probably buy it multi- region, for my bluray collection. I ask in this forum for the audio side of the equation, differences, pros cons. I thought I would get opinions from people I trust, so I naturally came here!
Thanks for any help

 

They are very different in the sense that the Sony doesn't have analog outs. If you are planning to use HDMI anyway, then the Sony might make sense because it's a lot less expensive than the Oppo. I haven't heard the Oppo 203 but have no complaints with my Sony X800. I definitely prefer its sound over HDMI than my Oppo 93 (my previous player) via analog.

 

I'm hearing from member @High Fidelity that his X800 isn't reading DVDs.

 

^ is it a software problem?

 

The player is meant to play DVDs (even DVD-A). The poor guy got a lemon.

 

Can the Sony be region modded for blu-ray?

Other than that, The Oppo supports Dolby Vision, the Sony doesn't.

 

Yes both can be modded

 

Sony UBP-X800 Region Free 4K UHD Blu-ray Player

Region Free Oppo UDP-203 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray Player

$450 vs $700. I never owned a region free player, but I think that's what I'd get if I bought a new one. Does anyone know if the website I posted is a good place to buy a region free player? What are other good options for places to buy them?

Apologies to the OP for going off topic.

 

I haven't gone 4K yet, but have been casually reading forums for these 2 players. If my current BD box ever dies, I'll replace it w/ the X800. I've owned Sony BD players, and DVD players previous to that. They've always been reliable for me. I once owned an Oppo 980H, and it was fine too.

In addition to the other comments, I think it's important to note that the Oppo doesn't have any streaming apps, like Netflix, etc. I do have an Apple TV that I can use, but to me it's much more convenient to have those apps on the BD machine.

 

That price seems high for the Sony, they regularly sell for $399 up here in expensive Canada and can be had on sale for $349.

 

Blair G. I think the prices quoted were for nodded player for multi region

 

Ah....that makes sense.
Thanks for the clarification

 

The stock X800 can be had for $250 now. Great player for the money, plays everything I've thrown in it, and a great streaming device as well.

 

100% Oppo for me! Mind you it's an easy choice as I have a pre HDMI AVR!

 

Sony X800 UK price $407, Oppo 203 $830, Oppo 205 $1790.

 

I'd definitely be willing to pay more for Oppo for their amazing customer service and the easy availability of repair should anything go wrong. They're uniformly praised on every audio/video forum. Sony, meanwhile, is considered a bit of a disaster in that regard, at least here in the US. The question remains, though, how much more I'm willing to pay. In the UK, I'd probably get the Sony, and at $250 it'd be tempting.

I don't need a new player, though, unless it's region free. Does anyone own a region free DVD player? Where did you buy it?

 

Much like the situation when I bought my 752BD. That was on sale, new, for £400 in Richer Sounds over Christmas three years ago with free return, had I wanted to, until the end of the following January.

No brainer. The 105D was coming in £700 more expensive and opinions were split on which was better. Still playing the 752 hard today and it's the hub of my system now.

Were I looking at that budget, circa £600, the Sony, and even dark horses like the Yamaha and REAL dark horses like Panasonic's £55 BD84 (which handles DSD) would be on the list along with the Oppo.

 

Having had an Oppo for more than five years, I really was leaning towards the 203 or 205. But when I compared the Sony and Oppo, I simply couldn't justify the higher cost for the Oppo given that I was going to be using the HDMI out anyway. The only real issue is that the Oppo is more easily (and cheaply) made region free than the Sony, at least in the US, but I simply kept my older Oppo hooked up for when I'm playing a non-US coded disc.

 

Just acquired the Sony yesterday. An easy set up and software upgrade on first start up. It plays my DVDs, Blu-rays and HDBlu-Rays. Streams from my NAS both video and audio. All sound and look great. Just waiting to upgrade my TV now.

Enjoyed listening to Sgt Peppers 50 5.1 and tried it out streaming Creedence Clearwater Revival -The Best Of Creedence Clearwater Revival 16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC and The Who - Who Are You 24-bit/96kHz FLAC, all sounding good.

The Sony works well. Happy with all aspects of it and very easy to use.

 

Recently installed a X800 as a potential replacement to my Oppo 93. I have been trying all my physical media to make sure everything works as expected. As for audio, a few things to be aware of, although they may or may not matter to you.

• There are no analog outs
• It does not support HDCD
• The coax out LPCM is limited to 48/24 or 48/16 (for copy protected content)

Also, for MC hires DVD-As, the video resolution over HDMI affects the max audio resolution. I had mine set to the original resolution, thus DVD-As were outputting 480i video. In that configuration, the 5.1 MC hires audio was limited to 48k. When I set video to 1080p, I was then getting full resolution of 5.1 hires via HDMI. Two channel was not affected.

I vaguely recall something like that with the Oppo back when I first got it, but can't recall the details.

 

The new Generation of Oppo player (203 & 205) does not support HDCD either, as Mediatek does not support the format anymore.

I can' t comment on the new Sony, but I had the older UDP H-1 multiplayer for a while. It was an ok value for the money, but the disc drive was quite audible and didn't turn off when a CD had played out.

At least it had analog outputs, but I found the audible disc drive extremely distracting, so I got an Oppo 103. In comparison, both video and audio were significantly better on the Oppo.

Meanwhile, I sold the Oppo and got me a Cambridge Audio CXU, with a modded audio section. Best I ever had.

 

Update, now playing The War Of The Worlds SA-CD and loving the surround 5.1 via HDMI

 

ive had the sony since launch date and not had any issues. Some are reporting their players freezing when playing a disc but mines been perfect whether its dvds, blurays or uhd discs. Played everything on my NAS as well via the streaming app.

My only criticism is there are a poor selection of apps but if all you want is youtube, netflix, amazon and spotify its fine. Id like it to come with a browser though.

 

Awaiting return of my Sony X800 which will not read DVDs from Sony repair centre. However the Home display on mine is entirely different to the one I saw on a Sony display in Currys UK. The Sony rep could not understand this and when I get mine back he wants to see it.

 

What a turnout for the books. IIRC you were the guy for whom Sony could do no wrong