Yeah, definitely some misinformation in this thread. Anyway, the Oppo players were great but other players caught up a bit. Discs have been dying a slow death and Oppo wouldn’t see them to the end.
When multichannel DSD and MLP could only be had over multichannel analog ports, Oppo players ruled and even Denon moved some units with their universal disc players.
I put down five hundred bucks on a BDP-83 over ten years ago and chipped it for all region discs. It was my prized electronic possession for some time. But, then 4K/UHD blu-ray came around and I could not justify the cost of the new Oppo players.
If anyone was upgrading players to connect to older EXT. IN 7.1 equipped processors or receivers, Oppo was the only option and supported the most disc types. But, Enjoying new formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X requires HDMI and every other connection type at this point is obsolete and unnecessary for all but the staunchest supporters of multichannel analog ports and/or XLR ports on equipped players, processors and receivers.
There will be those that believe the DACs in an Oppo or other players will be superior to those in anything else. There will be those that believe DACs in players are unnecessary and can’t do a better job than a quality DAC in a new processor or receiver. I’d say I lean toward the latter.
While HDCP is the real reason for HDMI, that doesn’t mean HDMI does not perform. So, in looking to replace my BDP-83, I looked at non Oppo universal players that did not have analog ports. I came upon and purchased the Sony UBP-X800. Sony also offered the UBP-X1000ES. Those models would be replaced by the X800M2 and 1100ES respectively.
The Sony UBP-X800 was an impressive machine with a great build and great audio and video presentation. While it lacked features of the best Oppo players, what I needed it to do, it did well over HDMI at a fraction of the cost of an Oppo.
But, time marches on and the X800 was aging and never supported Dolby Vision. I wanted Dolby Vision support as I replaced my Samsung LED TV with an LG OLED TV last year. I waited for some time as the picture was just so good with the old player on the new TV.
Just days ago, the X800M2 went on sale. I wanted the Top Gun:Maverick 4K disc and purchased it along with the Sony UBP-X800M2 for continued support of my SACD and DVD-AUDIO discs. The Reavon prices are exorbitant for what is essentially an Oppo knock off and I’m all about bang for buck these days. The Sony UBP-X800M2 cannot be touched at its price point.
There will be those that will spend anything for a machine that measures, in any fractional way, better than something else to say they got their hands on the best of the best. They are fools and from great amounts of their money shall they be parted.
The Sony UBP-X800M2 is not perfect but everything the UBP-X800 did well the M2 does better, surprisingly. Some things were added and others taken away but the M2 amazes at a price below three hundred bucks on sale. I’ll compare the two in another thread at some point.
As for the video presentation of the Top Gun: Maverick 4K disc on my Sony X800M2 and LG C1 77” TV, I am still in awe. It is hands down the finest image of any movie I’ve ever seen in my home surpassing the image I enjoyed from Spiderman: No Way Home on the X800 and also on the X800M2. I can’t say enough about it. It also had the best Dolby Atmos presentation I’ve ever heard from a movie disc. That’s saying a lot as I use Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization in a 5.1 configuration. I’m in for just over three hundred bucks on the player and movie and am absolutely shocked and thrilled with the upgrade over the UBP-X800. No Reavon needed here. Results will vary for others, of course.