Last year we reviewed the Oppo DV-983H universal DVD player which, while a couple years too late to market, was still an impressive product that redefined the price points for universal players. Now, with the only other universal Blu-ray/DVD player coming in at almost 10x the price, Oppo has finally beat the market and brings a true universal disc player to the home theater market that not only plays Blu-ray discs, but also DVD-Audio, SACD and, of course, DVD videos and CDs.
Discuss "Oppo BDP-83 Universal Blu-ray Player Review" here. Read the article.
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Thanks for the review Clint. I really like the player. Of course I have come from one of the slowest (Samsung 1400) so this player seems lightning quick to me. Oppo has a real winner with this player.
Nice review! A couple points to add (for those of us with an audiophile slant )...
-The BDP-83 actually uses different DAC's for two-channel Cirrus CS4398 vs. multi-channel Cirrus CS4382A analog output. The two-channel DAC is the higher quality chip, and compares favorably to my Benchmark DAC-1 for Redbook CD playback (with the Benchmark yielding a tad cleaner bass and overall detail).
-Oppo also (smartly, as in the 980H model) includes a "pure audio" option (via the remote), which turns off all extraneous video circuitry to minimize noise during pure stereo playback.
IMHO, this Universal player truly meets the needs for both the high-end video and audio setups. Given Oppo's reputation of stellar customer support, I'm sure they will continue addressing the few glitches, and optimizing performance further, with subsequent firmware releases.
__________________ AUDIO Squeezebox 2/Oppo BDP-83 > Benchmark DAC-1 > Modwright SWL 9.0SE > Belles 350A Reference > ML Summits. Dedicated 20A line, Belkin PF60 Conditioner, Volex 17604 Power Cords, Au24e Speaker Cables/Blue Jeans Interconnects. VIDEO Verizon Fios/Oppo BDP-83 > Denon 3808CI, Sony 52" XRB4, ML Motif center, Boston Acoustics DX Pro surrounds, NHT Sub Two. Member of the Tampa Bay Listening Society
A couple of questions, from someone that also has a BDP-83 sitting in their AV rack right now:
- What version of Firmware were you using for the testing? As I've had two firmware updates pushed out in the past week, I'm wondering if the HQV numbers might be improved by the time the firmware is final.
- Do you plan to go back and update this review after the final firmware, if it changes any of the issues mentioned in the review?
I haven't tested Multi-channel SACD via DSD yet, but I will go test that today and mention if I have issues in my system (feeding a Marantz AV8003 preamp).
The only thing that I didn't see mentioned is the DVD function region free? The reason that I bring it up is there is quite a bit of DVD concert content out there in region 2 PAL that isn't available in NTSC Region 1. Two of my conventional DVD players are region free and PAL/NTSC agnostic.
The only thing that I didn't see mentioned is the DVD function region free? The reason that I bring it up is there is quite a bit of DVD concert content out there in region 2 PAL that isn't available in NTSC Region 1. Two of my conventional DVD players are region free and PAL/NTSC agnostic.
No, Region 1 only but as I recall there are hacks.
No, Region 1 only but as I recall there are hacks.
All of their previous players had the ability to be hacked to all regions, though I have not seen it yet for this one. I'd suspect it can be done as well, or will be by the time the player is finalized.
__________________ HT: Marantz SR-8300, 2X Audiosource Amp300, 5X GR Research A/V-2s, Adire Audio Tempest sub, Oppo BDP-83, RC2000MkII, Panamax 5100, Panamax Max2 sub, PS3 60G (dead) (250G) + 320G USB
Bedroom: Marantz PM-7200 Integrated, GR Research A/V-1s, Sony 222ES SACD, Denon 2900, RC3200 remote
Nice review. I have had the BDP-83 hooked to my Integra DTC 9.8 for several weeks and DSD via HDMI works. I have no idea why it did not work into the Denon AVR used for the test. According to the AVS Forum, users of other Denon AVR's have also gotten it to work.
One slight issue: there is an occasional, intermittent slight soft "popping" noise using DSD or PCM via HDMI. Some using analog connections have also reported it at AVS. Given Oppo's excellent tech support track record, I expect this to be corrected in a future firmware release. It does not deter me from using it. In fact, I prefer it sonically to my Oppo 980 for SACD.
I also tested multi-channel DSD to my Marantz AV8003 this afternoon and it worked perfectly. I did run into that soft-popping sound when playing a CD (over HDMI), but not when playing an SACD (Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks). Hopefully this is fixed soon as well.
Oppo BDP-83 Universal Blu-ray Player Review
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