Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Oppo BDP-83 on the way.

Thanks Casey, I was hoping to hear some comparisons. Are you saying that you use the stereo analog outs and HDMI? Not that I would be able to use the Oppo as a CD player that often (unless someone else is around to load it for me), but I will purchase some analog cables if it was worthwhile.

Just curious if anyone else was going to chime in with their thoughts on the BDP-83, I figured Mike with all his gadgets could give us one of the best comparisons.

Have had the BDP-83 for a couple of weeks. It is connected via HDMI through my Denon 3808 to a 5.1 setup (M22s, VP150, QS4s) and a Pio 141fd.

Calibrated my 141fd to my previous player, a Panny BD30, and found the BDP-83 to be equally neutral for video. Only very minor changes to my existing ISF settings were required. Am now seeing a very slight improvement for BD video, and a dramatic improvement for DVD upscaling.

Since I am only using it as a bitstream transport for SACD, DVD-A and BD audio, I cannot comment on its analog sections.

Only current issue I have is with SACD/DSD processing, and I think it may be an HDMI handshaking issue. If I set the BDP-83 to bitstream DSD, the Denon sees DSD, but jumps into stereo (or in my case, Dolby PLII) mode. The BDP-83 clearly shows the 5.0 layer selected. Fiddle around long enough, switching modes, switching inputs, etc., and the Denon eventually switches into multi-channel mode. Turn on the next day, try again, and I'm back to stereo.

For now, have changed the BDP-83 setting to convert DSD to mch PCM before bitstreaming, and all works well. Sounds great with excellent bass management. May even sound a little better than having the Denon do the DSD-to-PCM conversion (which I would have done anyway, since the Denon needs PCM to apply Audyssey processing).

So far, I really like this player. Easy to install. No major gripes. Solid transport. Plays every piece of media I own. Am hoping this will be the last transport I ever have to buy......yeah right.

Hook

Sounds like Oppo has a real winner on their hands so far. I'm glad the retail price came down to $500 bucks. The first word out on the street had it priced around $800 - $900 bucks. Which it sounds still would have been worth every penny of that, but at $500 dollars it is a lot more affordable to the masses.

Not that the masses even care about a BlueRay/SACD player a whole lot, but since it does everything so beautifully, and is reasonably priced, more people may gravitate towards it. Heck wouldn't it be great to see a reemergence of SACD because of a player like this?

Just to reiterate what I said in my previous post is that I ONLY use the HDMI cable for ALL playback. The sound is equal or better than any other connection, it is only one cable to hook-up from each player and I get FULL bass management capabilities in my system this way thru the AVR.

The 7.1 audio outs for specifically surround, although good, only provide ONE crossover point which is usually the case with the vast majority of these players when using them strictly in the analog domain.

Received mine last week and watched one BD, few DVDs, one CD, and one SACD. Quality of the unit from a manufacturing standpoint seems noticeably better than my 981. DVD upconversion is at least as good (? better) than my XA2. Sending source direct to EDGE and have EDGE do the deinterlacing and scaling is no different than have 83 do it; this is no surprise since the 83 has the same VRS chip as the EDGE (and DVDO iScan VP50 Pro !). My Integra DTC-9.8 was unable to receive DSD from SACD so I switched OPPO to LPCM for SACD and listened to Roxy Music's Avalon album. Sound was superb and there was more dynamic range compared to listening to same SACD through my 981. CD bitstreamed to 9.8 was similarly excellent. Integra DTC-9.8 can't do multi-channel Dolby Digital TrueHD at 24-bit/192KHz (it will do Stereo only), while the BDP-83 can't do multi-channel DTS-HD Master at 24-bit/192KHz (it will do multi-channel, but at 96KHz). I should be getting full 5.1 channels at 192KHz when the BDP-83 is decoding the Dolby Digital TrueHD signal and sending it as LPCM to 9.8, and I will try to confirm this. Load times with this player are very fast. The XA2, as great a player as it is, is unbearably slow in comparison. I have not yet checked the 7.1 or the 2-channel analog outputs. The Oppo has separate Cirrus Logic DACs for 2 channel and multi-channel outputs, and the 2 channel sound with the higher end DACs is apparently better; rumor is that all but the wealthiest audiophiles will be very happy. This player is certainly worth $499 if use is for DVD, BD, CD, and SACD/DVD-A. If use is limited to BD and you already have a player like the XA2 for upconversion, then it may be reasonable to get another BD player. I will report more later, and look forward to impressions of others.

I've only ran a couple BR's through it so far. I've been too busy to spend time in the HT. I will say that this is one very nice machine. Quality build, very fast, quiet, easy to set up and will play anything (but HD/DVD). I use source direct into my VP50pro, so I can't comment on how well it does with video up conversion, but it does send a very clean signal to the Pro, which the BD 30 and PS3 did not.

Hey, I have a question.

The Samsung BD-P2500 has built in HD Netflix streaming. The 2550 adds Pandora. I see real value in this functionality which is not offered by the Oppo.

It seems like what I get from the Oppo for $200 more is a "universal" player (which doesn't really help me because I'm not into multi-channel music) and the promise/inference of "better" PQ.

I already have an Oppo DV-980H. My display is a 61" JVC HDILA and I use an Onkyo TX-SR805.

What am I missing? Why wouldn't I buy the Samsung?

Your local store might be out of stock?

Seriously, you are raising a good point. I am tempted (in the future, not now) by the Oppo, but their plans for the future are unclear. Moving into streaming, as far as I'm concerned, is a very logical step for any player.

I just got the Panny 605 Blu Ray player, same as the new 60 model. Killer picture on my 720P projector, now I need a reason to get a 1080p projector. May move it up stairs to be used with my new Panny Plasma for now. I didn't care about netflix, liked the Youtube and Picasso option of the Panny. Besided Vieracast can add stuff downt he road, Samsung can't do that. I think they will be adding Amazon video soon.