Tell me about it. I was going to order a backup 203 from OPPO when they were still available and for some stupid reason I never pulled the plug. Now that nothing has come close to replacing them and we’re stuck with Sony and Panasonic, I kick myself in the ass about once a week!
I have the Oppo UDP-205 and use it every day. Mostly as a DAC being fed by a Roon Nucleus+. It is such a versatile endpoint, I dread the day it no longer works. There is no replacement for it right now. I couldn’t afford a backup machine, even though I had my name on one from the last batch. I am sad about that, but I hope that the Oppo last long enough for their to be lateral alternatives.
Yeah, there's "Buyer's remorse" when you regret buying something but there should be an equivalent phrase for when you regret not buying something!
It's strange to think this kind of scenario would have ever existed. For such a long time the norm would be you'd buy a piece of gear and either get envy/upgrade itch within a couple of years or at the very least never worry about the future, assuming that cometh the time there'd likely to be something even better to buy. However, within the last few years we find ourselves at what seems like a kind of "end of days" for certain things. If 15/20 years ago someone had told me that in the future people would be buying multiple optical disc players for fear of them being irreplaceable I'd have asked "Why? Did the apocalypse come or something?" The closest things to the last Oppo players are probably Pioneer UDP-LX500/LX800 but I don't get the impression there's anything like the same love for those...
I agree with you, very strange - although upon reflection, it’s really just about the disc-spinning aspect: there are tons of music streamers and outboard DACs our there, including well-performing units at almost every price point. The decline of the physical medium is the issue, and in that respect I would guess we feel something very similar to what vinyl folks felt in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s when the great mass-market turntables disappeared. Even now it’s difficult to get a new model direct drive unit for anywhere near the affordable prices of 40 years ago, and the speed stability specs of the entry level audiophile turntables are pathetic compared to what you could find in a midline mass market unit at a big box stereo store in the ‘80s.
Yes, it’s SACD disc-spinning (and other optical media) is a plus. But even if you remove that feature, this unit (for my purposes) is unbeatable at the moment: Dual ESS SABRE 9038PRO chips Balanced output Roon Ready WiFi endpoint w/Oppo remote control use (physical remote, not the app!) Accepts DSD512 from Roon Nucleus Optical, coax, USB, and HDMI inputs As a DAC, I can’t replace its class/functionality except for silly money. As an SACD player, it splendid.
Are you set up for multichannel? You didn't mention it... Would have liked to see a multichannel dac with all the connections found in the 203/205 series with equal quality.
Just a player or does it do the other things that really sets the Oppo apart from the other universal players?
A quick comparison between the backs of the Oppo vs. McIntosh suggests that McIntosh is a player-only. I don't see any of the optical inputs on the McIntosh that would make it a DAC for other devices, in addition to a player. McIntosh MVP901 Audio Video Player https://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-udp-205/images/UDP-205-back-hr.jpg That's really unfortunate. If I paid that much for a McIntosh digital device's premium digital-to-analog conversion capabilities, I'd want to run all my digital sources through that DAC, including HD streaming audio players, etc. Craig.
I am set up for multichannel but don’t use the 5.1 analog outs due to the limits of my AVR. I send it to the AVR via HDMI, so it is no different than any other transport outside of SACD, and I certainly appreciate having that capability.
Well it does have 3 USB inputs which will do the job, but yes it is certainly not the swiss knive the 205 is.
For those of u using dacs the sony ubp x800 i got awhile back does outout dsd thru coax...never updated the firmware Are there any multi channel dacs?
The remaining players in the media hardware business just don't seem interested in building complete players anymore. Oppo was keeping them on their toes but with their demise, there is no real push to keep up anymore. The only issues are minor firmware fixes that I don't think will ever happen. I wish Oppo had hung around at least one more year in the market.
I never did bite the bullet on any Oppo and I deeply regret it. I've been searching online for a modern alternative, and many have drawn comparisons to Panasonic's DP-UB820 but I couldn't confirm this as I've never heard the player. Tag in the fact that it doesn't play SACD, the Oppo players were truly a gem on their own.
Depends on your use as they do play movies and there are 1000's of 4k movie titles! edit: I am assuming you were being sarcastic!
I have hundreds. I suppose there are several thousand available. Virtually every single new movie release gets released on 4K UHD, and the back catalog titles are coming on strong. Don’t take my word for it, just compare the prices of the ‘20x models vs the ‘10x models. The main difference being 4K disc support, and as such the demand/price is several times higher.
I've seen a number of comments like this one and I just don't get it. Why the "dread?" What is likely to fail? Why can't it be repaired? Is Oppo the only brand on the planet where the only option is to dispose of it and enter into a period of mourning when something about it no longer works? I have had numerous products "fail" over the years, but in almost no cases have I not been able to have them brought back to like-new condition by simply taking them to a repair shop. I honestly think there's far more important things to be dreadful of nowadays than the rare possibility that something will happen to your beloved Oppo that can't be fixed. My two Oppo DV-980H DVD players are 12 years old, built like tanks, and have never given a hint of anything about to go wrong with them. And for now, Oppo continues to service its legacy players. Jeff
Even the great and powerful Oppos fail from time-to-time. My '83 failed to open the drawer twice in the several years that I owned it and Oppo quickly and efficiently restored it to perfection both times. My dread with regard to my now 205 is whether or not it fails before I do; whether or not Oppo is still in the business of making factory repairs and, if not, who will reliably repair it. Even if some specialist repair facility springs up, will parts be readily available? Will someone discover that the tray drive belt is nearly the same and yet servicable, as the water pump o-ring from a 1998 Volvo wagon? Dread? Absolutely.
Disc players in particular a prone to failure because of failed lasers/transport assemblies. Those mechanical items don’t stay in constant production (like a capacitor, etc.), and as such can be near-impossible to source replacement parts for. See Sony SCD-1/777ES as examples. However, the OPPOs were made in much bigger volumes, so finding a backup laser assembly should be a bit easier.
