New Oppo BDP S83 Blu-Ray player!!!

[obscbyclouds]

Just don't count on using this player for its analog outputs for SACD and DVD-A, it will probably have the same sort of barely adequate DACs the 983 has (just an 8 channel instead of a 6 channel all in one DAC). I am still hoping for DSD pass through with HDMI but not counting on anything more than 88.2/24 LPCM like the 983, still good but will require a good HDMI 1.1 or greater receiver to use it (still got iLink and analog here).

Can you hear the difference between different DAC's?

EDIT: I think HDMI 1.0 supports LPCM (At least it does according to WIKI).

 

[Affejunge]

DACs are not equal

Can you hear the difference between different DAC's?

Absolutely. I have the Oppo 980 running through my Yamaha 663. The yammy boasts burr-brown 192/24 dacs, so for long time I had my Oppo bitstream everything. A week ago I picked up 2 new redbook CDs (Once Soundtrack and Allison Krauss - 100 miles) and I was really underwhelmed. (I do not listen to redbook too often, mostly SACD and DVD-A) I thought even though it is a CD, it should sound better. So I gave the Oppo DACs a shot. Like night and day. The music sounded so much warmer and with depth. Much more natural. Wow.
So, I popped in LOTR-FOTR and let the Oppo do the DTS decoding. Much cleaner. Solid separation with voice track and ambient sounds. Got a nice timber off of Gandolf's voice I had NEVER heard before. So much for the 663 DAC.
Now, as for SACD, I am still streaming DSD to my 663, but that might change. (plus it is a pain since I have to up the oppo output to 720p from 480i to get the bandwidth to push multi-channel DSD) I have not done enough listening tests yet to know if I will completely abandon the yammy DACs, but all DACs are NOT equal.

 

[obscbyclouds]

The music sounded so much warmer and with depth. Much more natural. Wow.

This part sounds like a review for some snake oil cables.

I'm not disputing what you say....ok, maybe a little bit. I've never been able to notice a difference between my Oppo 981 and my Onkyo 705's DAC's, they sound slightly...different I guess, but I couldn't tell you which one sounds better. I should note that I always need to level boost the sub by ~8db in order to get level matching values on an SPL channel test when using the 981's DAC's and sending it over analog to the reciever.

 

[Affejunge]

This part sounds like a review for some snake oil cables.

Well, I would probably feel the same way if I saw my post. I do not own a monster cable, I do not believe in carbon feet and rubber pads for my CD player.. I use zip cord to connect my speakers. I tend to be very skeptical in this digital world.

To some extent, the 663 is still doing DAC, since the Oppo was sending LPCM over HDMI. I did not use the analog out, so maybe the DACs *are* the same, but the Oppo is better at decoding.

I feel pretty confident in my assessment since my wife asked why to voices sounded so much 'clearer'. She did not know I changed anything and she finds this whole home theater hobby "silly". (she would be happy with a 19" telly with the signal delivered over analog coax)

In theory, the redbook should have sounded the same, but the difference was not subtle, it was dramatic. So, I wonder what processing the 980 is doing on the signal.

Anyone?

 

[j_garcia]

Just don't count on using this player for its analog outputs for SACD and DVD-A, it will probably have the same sort of barely adequate DACs the 983 has (just an 8 channel instead of a 6 channel all in one DAC). I am still hoping for DSD pass through with HDMI but not counting on anything more than 88.2/24 LPCM like the 983, still good but will require a good HDMI 1.1 or greater receiver to use it (still got iLink and analog here).

Then there is always the chance that it could use a similar setup to the 980, which would give you DSD over HDMI and decent DAC for analog.

 

[obscbyclouds]

Then there is always the chance that it could use a similar setup to the 980, which would give you DSD over HDMI and decent DAC for analog.

I believe the reciever will still do a PCM conversion in this case however due to the need for bass, level, and time management (TLS guy could give a better explaination of this than I). Basically you need to put together an all analog bass management system if you REALLY want to skip the PCM conversion. I'm not sure that this conversion actually effects SQ to any large degree, but it makes sending DSD over HDMI kind of a moot point.

AFAIK it's very difficult to get pure DSD>Analog.....even if you have a source that can send it (Oppo 980) and a reciver with a DSD decoder.

 

[allargon]

I definately understand where you're coming from. Putting it at $400, or even $500 would by necessity kill their DV-983HD, which hasn't been out that long.

Those $700 players still won't play SACD & DVD-A's, and probably won't contain the Anchor Bay ABT2010 chipset, won't pay PAL movies, won't play DivX, won't have USB 2.0 ports. They may look pretty, but they'll never match the feature vs. price ratio that Oppo has always seemed to master. Ah well, we can only hope that it'll be <$500.

IMHO, Clint and co. are being a bit harsh expecting the Oppo to be $399. IMHO, $699 would be a good starting price. The only players coming to my mind that come close sub $1k are the LG BD300 and the LG BH200. Neither plays SACD or DVD-A. The BH200 (and likely the BD300) plays PAL and does region free playback of Blu and HD DVD. The BD300 plays DivX. Both have USB 2.0 for profile 2.0 content storage and firmware updates. However, the Oppo has 7.1 multichannel analog outs and Anchor Bay scaling. The only thing the Oppo doesn't do is playback HD DVD. (Smart money says they will offer a player that will do just that provided Toshiba and MS lower royalties.) Samsung's player has good upconversion and multichannel analog outs, but likely won't have PAL or region free playback.

Samsung, Panny and Sony (maybe eventually Philips, Mitsubishi, Sharp, etc. will return) are in the $300-500 space where players are expected to decode everything internally, do profile 2.0 and have multichannel analog outputs. Two things have happened--except for Samsung the upconversion quality has decreased from Sony and others in the mainstream plus the DAC's may or may not be as good as the previous pricier Blu-Ray players. (Well--Panny never had good upconversion.)

LG is in a weird space in between Funai and Sony as its player doesn't have multichannel anlog outputs. However, it has the Netflix playback. That is DEFINITELY a value add along with the QDEO.

Funai and others occupy the $200-400 space where players have 2 channel audio for people that still use their TV speakers (bulk of HDTV owners) but can bitstream to HDMI 1.3 receivers that decode if necessary. The players aren't 2.0 yet because the content and demand aren't there.

 

[EJ1]

We should get a pool going. I say $549.

 

[j_garcia]

My guess: $429.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I say $499

 

[Nomo]

We should get a pool going. I say $549.

I'm in. $529.

 

[Sheep]

1 Dollar.


This is the price is right, right?

SheepStar

 

[Affejunge]

1 Dollar.


This is the price is right, right?

SheepStar

Somehow I really doubt anyone under-bid! That said.. I bid $559.

A steal for a universal player, DVDO Edge up sampling, and BR!

That said, if I have the 980...should a get this...keeping only one box.. or, with the supposed PS3 price drop, pick up a PS3 for $299? I am leaning toward the PS3 even though it is SO ugly.

 

[obscbyclouds]

I'm still guessing $599...

 

[dorokusai]

Looks like the new Oppo Blu-Ray player is at CEDIA here is a

Audioholics Sneak Peek

link to photo's over at AVS

No idea of price an the pics are a little grainy. He must have been taking them with a hidden camera.

I really like the looks of that player and it may even be a true universal player with SACD and DVD-Audio. It does have 7.1 multichannel and an ethernet connection. Accounding to the OP it is 1.3 and profile 2.0.

That's super cool. If anyone was going to lead the way here, either format way, it was OPPO. Kudos. OPPO feels alot like Onkyo when it comes to dropping brackets and selling product. The higher end, electronics industry better be freaking out from this level of product. I hope so since it drives more goodies.

Mark

 

[Biggiesized]

I'm still saying $599 as well. Otherwise and it'll cut too much into the DV-983H sales.

 

[davidtwotrees]

I'm still saying $599 as well. Otherwise and it'll cut too much into the DV-983H sales.

Why, are the 983H's jumping off the shelves? The AH review thought it was a great unit, but that a flagship universal dvd player was about four years late coming to market.
To me, the only reason to buy a universal player is if you are heavily invested in DVD audio and SACD..........my point being that I don't think Oppo is worried about cutting into the sales of the 983H. The are worried about cutting into the sales of blu ray units from other companies like Denon.

 

[allargon]

$699... (It will probably be $799, but I will guess $699.)

 

[mtrycrafts]

...The are worried about cutting into the sales of blu ray units from other companies like Denon.

Why would they be worried? Isn't business supposed to corner a market, legally? Why would they mind being the number 1 Blu-ray makers?

 

[lost33]

How will the output of SACD if this is included with the new OPPO be?

Will it be via several cables OR a single HDMI cable?

thanks
lost33