Would you buy an Oppo BDP-105 now (as opposed to another player)?

McIntosh has released two universal players (MVP 881 and MVP 891) that play blu-ray. Both are built like Sherman tanks, but if I can be honest for a minute, they don't sound better than the Oppo 105. In fact, I know two die hard Mac fans (is there any other kind?) who sold off their MVP 881s and replaced them with the Oppos and pocketed the changed. Quite frankly, the MVP 881 was a bust. It was painfully slow to load, it hard problems playing recent blu-ray discs, and discs would lock up. The menu system was a mess. When a player that retails for $8,000 can't hang with an Oppo or PS3, then I would say your product is a failure. The fact that they wanted $8,000 for it blew my mind. If you notice, the MVP 891 came out pretty quickly after the MVP 881. That was a very short lifespan for the 881. The 891 is an improvement over the 881 and it is priced at $5,500, so it's significantly cheaper. Still, it isn't better than the Oppo. It looks better, but it isn't a better performer.

 

The biggest drawback to Blu-ray audio is the copyright restriction that limits digital output via anything but HDMI to 24/48. That means an investment in a very good Blu-ray player for audio purposes, and there aren't a lot of choices, and few that compare with the top-shelf SACD players. On top of that most audiophiles don't seem to blend their audio and video system, and so they balk at paying a lot for a Blu-ray player. I have both an audio and video system combined, and didn't hesitate to invest in a very good Blu-ray player and enjoy audio material in that format.

 

How is the 105 with regard to the bass management problems I understand are inherent with sacd?

 

The master is the key and if the OP has many well mastered CDs then would you recommend an audition of an Ayre? I had the experience you had with redbook but with my Cary. Sacd on the Ayre will seem like the icing.

 

There are no bass management problems with SACD as there is no digital bass management functionality with DSD.
You have to output the SACD as a PCM stream to apply digital bass management OR use an analog method.

 

I don't think I would recommend any one brand as it has to fit “THEIR” system and that may suit a completely different brand/player than my system. My amplifier is quite “dark” and the Ayre seemed to match it quite well - I wouldn't say that Ayre or any brand is the master of audio and has it right for everyones system.

If you want the best possible sound available then you need an unlimited budget. Keeping it real I would recommend spending the available budget on a dedicated CD player and not a "universal” player. This can improve all your CD's (by more than the benefit if the extra resolution of SACD) and save you from spending more on the expensive, rare and often no better SACD’s (consider this saving as extra budget to get a really high end CD player).

So, to the original poster don’t think I would recommend any “universal” player unless you have unlimited budget and if that was the case I would consider a high end player and maybe compare it to a budget player like the Oppo.

If you want to watch movies then buy something to watch movies on!

PS: Looking at your system I think that I would find it too smooth for me but who knows? Either way I don’t have the upgrade bug or the budget right now to consider changing anything.

 

I generally agree with you but I'd note that many of us seek out only the well mastered SACDs and there many in jazz and a decent number in rock. Even the very best redbook will be bested by an equally well mastered SACD on a legit CD/SACD player. The hi-end CD players without SACD which will beat all but the very best of those with SACD (redbook vs DSD) are not cheap. These players have really pricey power supply designs (some external), word clocks, analog output stages, etc. Frankly, I'd spring for an MPS-5 and retain SACD if I had that kind of budget.

 

Ok, you guy's have to make me spend more money. Despite having a 95 with less than 50 hours on it, I'm gonna order a 105 tomorrow for my surround audio system. This morning I'm listening to a couple of surround disc's that came in over the last year (Hawkwind, Tull, Miles) and damn they sound good.

 

I am one here who like target CDs. Thanks for the input on the Oppo. I am convinced that it is an excellent player.

 

Very interesting. Thanks for the info.

 

Keith, I bought my Oppo BDP-105 at a Best Buy that had a Magnolia Theater in it, which carried the Oppo in store. It has to be a Magnolia Theater run by their corporate offices. You can call and ask which Best Buy has a corporate Magnolia Theater in your area. Out here there are a couple in Orange County, and a couple more in L.A. County. I was on the fence about the BDP-105 for about 6 months, but once I was able to see and hear the Oppo in person, I was sold. It was also nice to be able to carry it out myself, and not have to deal with shipping issues.

 

I had to carry it home myself (no car available) and "nice" isn't the word I would use. That beast is heavy!

 

Well I just gave my order to Music Direct . Should be here by the end of the week.

 

A Best Buy in my area has a Magnolia Theater, but they do not have the BDP-105. Thanks, though. If I decide to get one, I'll go through Crutchfield or Music Direct. I've bought components from Crutchfield before, and they are very good to deal with. They always double-box components.

 

Why not go to Oppo Digital directly?
No sales tax is one good reason, imo.

 

To piggy back on the other response to your question, I live in the U.S. and ordered a D.I.Y. aftermarket mod (just a chip) from Europe and installed it myself in about 10 minutes. It cost me a whopping $70. Ironically I've only had occasion to test it on region coded DVDs (works flawlessly) as I'd assumed when I bought my 103 that I'd be buying a lot of import Blu-Rays much like I had with DVDs, but that hasn't been the case.

 

My player is region free, and it works like a charm. It's an option when Dan Wright does his Oppo mods.

 

Sorry, I actually havae an 83, not a 103.

 

I bought the Oppo 105 last year-mainly for audio and I have not been disappointed.

The versatility is superb-however it replaced an Ayre CX-7 no slouch in it's day on Redbook and beat it easily.

It's versatility is a fantastic bonus but really it plays discs exceptionally well-whatever kind. Once you get to grips with the interface, it is a joy.

What I would say based on what I've read somewhere else id that sometimes people are buying the 105 and the rest of their system seems not to be up to scratch-I use it with a Luxman L505U and a pair of Proac 2.5's indeed I now wonder if the speakers are holding the rest of the system back.

Blu Ray Audio IS worth a punt imho both Beck's Sea Change and Queen's A Night At The Opera on BRA are the best versions available-I only listen in stereo so cannot comment on 5.1 etc.

I think the other aspect is that not only has the Oppo 105 stood up in VERY high end systems it also requires serious cash to beat it in stereo replay.

 

Wow that is a MASSIVE statement! I've not heard the Oppo so can't comment on your opinion! Did you compare it to the Ayre CX-7 evolution or the eMP?

 

Wow that is a MASSIVE statement! I've not heard the Oppo so can't comment on your opinion! Did you compare it to the Ayre CX-7 evolution or the eMP?

 

Wow that is a MASSIVE statement! I've not heard the Oppo so can't comment on your opinion! Did you compare it to the Ayre CX-7 evolution or the eMP?

 

Wow that is a MASSIVE statement! I've not heard the Oppo so can't comment on your opinion! Did you compare it to the Ayre CX-7 evolution or the eMP?

 

No it was the plain Ayre CX-7 which to be fair was getting on a bit-I took a bit of advice from Audiocom in the UK who told me the Oppo would out perform the Ayre and I took the gamble-I was able to hear them both side by side for quite a while-I use balanced and the Oppo was better-clearly so-then you get the benefits of the other mediums and even a HDCD filter which was good since I had a lot of those discs as well. It also put me on the upgrade path as my system was ageing so my CX-7 and my Ayre AX-7 went on a Luxman amp.

I have a much more detailed and better defined soundstage now-I'm up a level from where I was and as I say I tend to think a speaker upgrade would take me even further....

My take on it and it is only my take is that the Oppo will sit nicely and perform very well in a pretty good set up-if the system has limitations in itself I don't think the Oppo is going to present audio nirvana.....my take on hi-fi is always that it sort of moves in stages but it usually takes cash to get to the next one.....I think the Oppo may be a little bit of an unusual beast in that it punches above its weight and benefits from amplification and speakers well above it's price range.

On Audiogon one of the posters I really respect tried the 105 in his system-which most of us can only dream about-and he reckoned it held up exceptionally well. Of course none of us get to hear every bit of kit and I am sure if you have the cash to spend you'll beat the Oppo-I would have no hesitation in sticking with Ayre but the next step up in digital for them was too expensive for me......

 

Tell me more! I have balanced inputs available on my control amplifier (Primare SP31). What would I gain using a 0.5 metre pair of balanced leads for stereo vs 0.5 metre phono?