Oppo BDP-83 Universal Blu-ray Player - Update

[cvcgolf]

Fedex came through for me on Saturday!

Opening the box was very impressive. Great packaging. The player comes in a very nice nylon bag. The type of bags that are becoming popular for taking to the grocery store to carry your toilet paper and other necessary items. The remote and cords are also nicely packed in a sturdy black box. The player itself is heavy and seems well built. Oh man, you gotta love that new smell.

Setup was pretty simple. The menus are easy and the manual is simple to read and seems thorough. I used the HDMI for video to my Plasma and the analog outs for audio to my older Yamaha Integrated Amp. (DSPA-1)

So does it sound good? In a word, hell yes! The Blu-ray picture quality is beautiful. Standard dvd seems slightly better then my older Panasonic. We all can see the video improvement just cruising through retail stores but the audio was my main concern. I kept reading about how great the non compressed audio sounded and was really looking forward to hearing it myself. It's way better!

Let's keep in mind that I have only viewed 1 Blu-ray disc. The disc was Kill Bill. I listened to the PCM uncompressed track. Sounded fantastic. More immersive and detailed is all I can say. I also listened to a few tracks on sacd. The Oppo sounds a lot better then the older Samsung player I was using for sacd's. For regular cd's I do believe I'm hearing more clarity on the Oppo through the analog outs as opposed to the digital connection to the Yamaha. I love sacd.

I hope the player holds up without any issues because right now I'm definitely pleased. Thanks Oppo, I needed the analog outs!

 

[supervij]

I especially like the "underscan" option when zooming. It reduces the size of the picture by about 5%, which is nice for me, cos my TV has overscan of about the same amount. Now I get to see the entire image, no cropping!

Now I just have to figure out how to add the player to my existing wireless home network. Ooh . . . more research!

cheers,
supervij

 

[j_garcia]

I tried out the upscaling on the player with something that I had on BD as well, and I am very impressed with the results. I compared Kill Bill 1 upscaled vs the BD and the upscaling is quite good. It doesn't quite look as good as BD, but it is better than I expected it to be and have seen with many other upscaling players.

 

[adk highlander]

I tried out the upscaling on the player with something that I had on BD as well, and I am very impressed with the results. I compared Kill Bill 1 upscaled vs the BD and the upscaling is quite good. It doesn't quite look as good as BD, but it is better than I expected it to be and have seen with many other upscaling players.

J would you say it is better than the 980H (I think you had one) or about the same?

Thanks.

 

[j_garcia]

J would you say it is better than the 980H (I think you had one) or about the same?

I sold the 980 some time ago in anticipation of this player, but I'd have to say this one is better. I will compare it to the PS3 tonight as I know the 980 was about equal to the PS3 in terms of upscaling (maybe a tiny bit better with film based material).

 

[supervij]

I tried the upscaling with a low-budget 80s flick called Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins. The picture quality on this disc is nothing to write home about, but I was impressed with how the 83 handled it. Looked a couple notches below HD. Without question, it was a bit better than my old Oppo 981.

And I listened to an SACD (Genesis' Calling All Stations) and was also impressed with the power and detail in the music. Although maybe it was just my imagination, cos I know this player has better DACs than the Oppo 981, but I thought the soundstage seemed wider and the music was more focused. I should add that I listened to it using the multi-channel analog audio output, the Oppo's "Pure Audio", and my receiver's "Pure Direct". I'm uncertain if this is the best way to listen to music, but I tried it and really liked it. There isn't a whole lot of bass on this album, so I can't comment about the 83's bass response. But the sound quality as a whole was pretty amazing.

cheers,
supervij

 

[j_garcia]

And I listened to an SACD (Genesis' Calling All Stations) and was also impressed with the power and detail in the music. Although maybe it was just my imagination, cos I know this player has better DACs than the Oppo 981, but I thought the soundstage seemed wider and the music was more focused. I should add that I listened to it using the multi-channel analog audio output, the Oppo's "Pure Audio", and my receiver's "Pure Direct". I'm uncertain if this is the best way to listen to music, but I tried it and really liked it. There isn't a whole lot of bass on this album, so I can't comment about the 83's bass response. But the sound quality as a whole was pretty amazing.

That is what I get too. I was pleased with my setup before, but it sounds like it is larger than my room now. There's better detail and the sound as a whole on multichannel tracks sounds very wide. There is a better cohesion between my fronts and rears and pans that go not just from side to side, but front to rear, are noticeably more seemless. I've been trying it out with a lot of DVD-As and SACDs and so far I am very happy.

 

[supervij]

j, can you confirm that there's no need for the 10 dB boost for the subwoofer when switching from BD/DVD to SACD/DVD-A, using the m/c analog outputs for all?

cheers,
supervij

 

[roidefromage]

I have had the new Oppo BDP-83 for a week now and am BLOWN AWAY! It is incredible. It is hooked up through my analog ins on my Emotiva LMC-1. The uncompressed Dolby and DTS are amazing! I have played every format from HDCD to DVD-A to SACD and it handles them all with lightening fast dexterity! I really cannot say enough about the player.

 

[j_garcia]

j, can you confirm that there's no need for the 10 dB boost for the subwoofer when switching from BD/DVD to SACD/DVD-A, using the m/c analog outputs for all?

As far as I can tell, it does not need any boosting and it doesn't have a setting for it, so it appears to be taking care of it. I do notice more bass on some movies vs DVD-A and SACD, but it definitely isn't 10dB and is likely the mixes themselves.

 

[Warpdrv]

Woo Hoo....

Just got my priority email and purchased, I guess they are moving along much faster then I would have expected.... Can't wait to get my first Blu-Ray Player, and best of all it will be an Oppo...

 

[audiofox]

Just pulled the trigger on one myself. BTW, does anyone know if the BDP-83 will play "backup" DVD-A disks (ie, ripped DVD-A without the watermark)? The other Oppos were known for this feature, and I was curious if anyone else had tested one of these to see. I'll find out soon enough, I guess. Now to decide if I need to hang onto my Denon 3910-it will be interesting to see if there is any noticeable difference between the two for HD audio or standard DVDs.

 

[PENG]

it will be interesting to see if there is any noticeable difference between the two for HD audio or standard DVDs.

I am not sure about SACD and DVDA but I sure hope the OPPO does better with standard DVD. Even my dirt cheap $60 Philips DVP3982 does better than the 3910.

 

[cvcgolf]

Standard dvd is looking incredible. It looks very close to Blu-Ray. I just looked at a few minutes from the movie Hero and couldn't believe how great the video was. This player is doing all the processing for me now. Video and also audio for all formats. Sacd's and cd's sound way better then before. I'm talking dramatically better. Not "Gee, I think I hear a difference."

And of course you can't beat this. Directly from Oppo's website.

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed or Your Money Back. OPPO offers a 30-day money back guarantee. We will provide you with full refund of the product's purchase price if you are not satisfied with the OPPO product(s) you purchased directly from us. Please note that shipping costs are non-refundable. Applicable to purchases made from this online store only; if purchasing from a reseller, their return policy applies.

 

[DaleAV]

j, can you confirm that there's no need for the 10 dB boost for the subwoofer when switching from BD/DVD to SACD/DVD-A, using the m/c analog outputs for all?

cheers,
supervij

This is from Oppo tech support:


The subwoofer should be -10dB through the subwoofer interface for all content sources. So a universal +10dB boost on your receiver should produce proper levels across all media formats.

Best Regards,

Customer Service
OPPO Digital, Inc.
2629B Terminal Blvd.
Mountain View, CA 94043
Service@oppodigital.com
Tel: 650-961-1118
Fax: 650-961-1119

 

[DaleAV]

Best in the business with regards to up-conversion IMO.

What do you guys think of the included cal disk? I find it excellent, and a great way to see if your display is doing what it should.

 

[supervij]

I love the fact that they included the calibration disc; what an amazing bonus!

I've used it only to calibrate my display, not to check to see that it's doing what it should. Strangely, I found absolutely no change in my settings going from DVE (DVD) to S&M (BD). I would have expected something to change, considering the extended colour space and whatever else when going from SD to DVD.

Boy, does abbreviating "Spears & Munsil (Blu-ray disc)" to "S&M (BD)" sound a little dirty?

cheers,
supervij

 

[j_garcia]

I didn't have to change any settings per the calibration either, but it came out a little darker than my PS3, so I have a separate calibration setup for the 83.

 

[DaleAV]

Same here..basically no change...but I like how the disk is setup..much easier to navigate than most.

S&M..

 

[cvcgolf]

This is from Oppo tech support:


The subwoofer should be -10dB through the subwoofer interface for all content sources. So a universal +10dB boost on your receiver should produce proper levels across all media formats.

Best Regards,

Customer Service
OPPO Digital, Inc.
2629B Terminal Blvd.
Mountain View, CA 94043
Service@oppodigital.com
Tel: 650-961-1118
Fax: 650-961-1119

So are you guys feeling a lack of bass? Are you turning the bass up? I just haven't noticed a bass problem.