Which Oppo DVD should I get for 2-ch audio and where are the best prices?

What Ham said above is correct. The 105 also features HDCD decoding. The only Oppos which lack HDCD decoding are the 200 series.

And the 100 series can also be used to rip SACDs whereas both the 90 and 200 series cannot.

 

Looking back to other answers I have received here, there were various features of the 95 quoted that the 105 doesn't have (besides the 95's pesky fan). Now, in the last two posts, these seem to have evaporated. Oh well, I already paid for the 95, and its on its way to me. I will just have to try it and compare myself. If for any reason I do like the sound of the 95 (with the Thiel 3.7 speakers and their tendency to have a hard glare in the upper midrange) more than the 105, that will be a nice result.

But there was a review of the 105 I read that the 4 D/A convertors, in both the 95 and 105, were more impressively implemented in the 95 purely for sound quality, whereas the 105 somehow could not be done the same way, due to its enhanced video capabilities (which I don't care about). So this was a challenge for the Oppo engineers which they may not have completely overcome. I will have to go back and find that review for my full understanding of this.

From all of my reading, in this thread and in reviews, I suspect my full Audio Note system will sound best with the 105, and would sound even better with a 205. But the 95 just might have better tonal "synergy" in the Thiel/Audio Research system. This system has a sound in the direction of "analytical" which benefits from any "softness" I can add to the equipment chain's front end.

 

I never said that owing it is strange.
Again, my point was that NOW for whatever reason price for 205 does not make sense. It is of course supply and demand issue, but...
When it was 1,299 several years ago I was indeed thinking about buying it when I installed 4K projector, but lack of applications (Amazon, Netflix) was a major turn off. But at $1,299 given the quality it indeed made sense. Now paying double ($2,500 or whatever is going price for NOS) knowing that company no longer in existence (I know that support is there, but who knows for how long)? Yes, I found it strange.
It is just my opinion, I did not want to force it on anyone, and I again sorry if anyone found it offensive.

 

I agree. The used prices for 205s will go down, once this fanatic concern with them disappearing settles down. If buying used, I think its best to buy 95s and 105s for now, then maybe save buying a 205 for next year.

For anyone that must have NEW, and must have the LATEST model Oppo, well then, you got's to pay the price.

 

It will take a game changing product or new format announcement for the 205 prices to drop anytime soon.

 

Or just some hype and good press about something new, like the latest Pioneer DVD player seems to be getting. Then Oppo will be forgotten, and we can have our 205s.

 

I am going to add as long as they will repair an Oppo for $99 the used prices will stay higher. Makes purchasing their unit second hand less risky.

Not sure I agree with the hype comment in this day and age of instant feedback on forums like this one.

Quality AND features are what makes the Oppo so unique. New players will never surpass the Oppo and will only appeal to a limited niche compared to how wide the appeal of the Oppo. A more expensive player with "better" sound for example without all the features which oppo offers. That is fine though, not everyone needs every feature, but that pool of buyers is smaller than the Oppo crowd.

 

If set for DSD, doesn't that shut off bass management function from OPPO?

 

I don't think so either.

Oppo's are no longer being made. Other players are likely to follow in Oppo's footsteps.

Unless CD's, DVD's and Blu-ray's make some kind of renaissance, like records, I doubt if we will see any more innovative player's com our way.

Oppo's were the best thing going for their prices and what they had to offer.

They will continue to hold their values.

 

To be honest I'm not sure if the bass management feature is bypassed when the DSD setting is used. It could very well be true but I don't use the 5/7.1 analog output of the 205 so I don't use the bass management feature. The reason I suggested earlier that bajaed set his 93 to DSD over PCM was because he was having issues with 2 channel audio volume output. No mention of analog multichannel use.

I use the DSD setting on the 205 when playing 2 channel SACDs and the PCM setting when listening to multichannel SACDs. If set to DSD my Emotiva XMC-1 will process the DSD signal direct bypassing Dirac room correction.

 

Yes, no processing for dsd which is the norm for nearly every player and receiver/processor.

 

I think you underestimate the power of marketing hype. I believe that the vast majority of the audio/video market will be swayed by manufacturers, retailers and on-line reviewers, to forget Oppo. Most of us will want something new, the latest and greatest, so the desirability of Oppo will fade from memory.

Then, there is the issue that complex devices don't last forever, in our throw-it-away-and-buy-a-new-one society. Soon, Oppos will start having more and more functional issues and just become a nuisance to own. Something newer may not be any better, but at least it will have a warranty.

 

Yes, consumers have gotten used to demanding what they perceive as being that latest and greatest thing since sliced bread and individually wrapped cheese.

The specific problem herein, as it applies to players of any physical media, what ever is the latest and greatest thing to replace them will never again be in the form of physical media.

Yes, Oppo's are mechanical things that will certainly develop mechanical issues, but there will not be any newer mechanical things to replace them.

Which is why I still have my '93 and another player I bought as an extra, I forget which one. And I bought a 2nd 203 for when that day comes.

I find that if you like things that are technology or fashion related, buy more why you can.

There is a lot to be said for redundancy.

 

I heard a noticeable sonic improvement between my 103 and 203. It spurred me to purchase a 205 when I got the offer.

 

OK, so 5.1 bass management is moot, since you do not output analog. I output analog and I have come to really like bass management from the OPPO, since my Sony TA-P9000ES 5.1 analog preamplifier does not have sufficient bass management.

 

I've read that the Sony TA-P9000ES is a great 5.1 analog preamp. So that and the 205 would be an excellent match!