Official OPPO BDP-83 Owner's Thread [technical talk only] - Page 109

I'm hoping to be one of the Thrilled Three Hundred. I have enjoyed all the reviews and read the FAQ and owners manual. I apologize if I have missed the answer to the following questions related to the 83 and SACDs.

I have an Oppo 981 and a small collection of SACDs. From what I have read in several posts, it sounds like the 981 only passed the audio as DSD whereas with the 83 you can choose either DSD or PCM (hope I got that right). Has anyone pitted the 981 against the 83 as far as listening to SACDs? If so, what did you note (if anything).... which "sounds" better, 981 or 83 (in either mode)? Or is the componentry between the players so similar in this area that there is no difference in the output and/or what you hear? I hesitated to ask, since anything related to audio quality is SOOOOO subjective. Thanks.

Don't mean to clutter the place, but I was wondering if the 300 have been notified.
I've been checking my email and was wondering if I should stop

P.S. I did check the first page here too

While I'd like to have RS-232, I don't think anyone can say for sure if it is going to be a matter of weeks, or maybe months. Plus there is the uncertainty of whether the MSRP is going to be $599 once the player is released.

If I am offered the EAP I'm going for it.

if anyone wants to ask oppo directly, call them on 650 961 1118. they are very friendly and helpful.

Excellent sales pitch!! LOL!

gsr felt that the biggest advantage of serial control is the two-way communication with your remote system, and you emphasized this as well.

But for me, the three biggest advantages are (1) more extensive codesets, (2) much greater stability, and (3) no line-of-sight requirement for the remote. I use serial control for almost everything in my HT, including my Oppo DV-983H, and I'm really glad to see that Oppo will offer it in the BDP-83!

I have no affiliation with them, just answering a fellow members question.


Nothing more.

Apparently so

Why? They have a working modded 83.


Back to topic.

As they would say "All quiet on the western front"

What "mods" are being spoken of here?

It's like listening to an old Stan Freberg record. "Most folks call them green onions, but they're really scallions. Ever notice that?" "Notice what?"

I haven't been able to follow this thread as closely as I like but I did CTRL F the word mod a few pages back and saw the mention of RS-232 so I'm assuming that's the modification being referred to.

On the EAP web site they state that the first round was a complete success and they are sending out 300 emails today for the second round. Has anybody received an email yet?

Trust me you'll know. There will be around 150 posts (AVS members) saying "I got in!". Trust me you'll know.

It is documented on the website that RS232 is an option for the new unit. Question is when will it be available and the cost.... SJ

For the interim, I have a Denon 3930CI for DVD, SACD, and DVD-Audio, a PS3 for Bluray, and a HTPC running TheaterTek for DVD and ArcSoft TMT for Bluray (so I clearly have lots of playback options). I think I can survive another couple of weeks or months to wait for what I consider to be a significant feature. I'm using this with a Crestron system, so having RS-232 control is really a big plus.

Unless OPPO says they don't mind me doing so (and I suppose I will ask prior to declining, if selected), I really think it would be against the spirit of the EAP for me to purchase an EAP unit with the intention of returning it at the end of the EAP - which is exactly what I would end up doing because I definitely want the RS-232 port. I would equate that to buying a Bluray player from Best Buy to hold me over till the OPPO comes out knowing full well that I intend to return it within the 30 day return window - it's abusing the system and leads to increased cost for all of us.


I referenced item 1 with my comment about direct access to all fast forward / rewind speeds, but that is indeed a big plus. But much of this could be addressed through IR if OPPO makes codes available for those extra commands that might not be on the included remote. They would just need to add the functions to the firmware if not already present and publish the new IR codes in the IR spreadsheet.

For items 2 & 3, when using an RF remote in conjunction with a control processor (as you would do with AMX, Crestron, RTI, Pronto, etc. when using RS-232 control), you can make a hardwired IR connection from the control processor to the BDP-83's rear IR input which will be very reliable and have no requirement for line of sight. IR is really just a special serial protocol and it's only 1 way, but it's actually pretty reliable when setup properly and especially so when hard wired.

I'm controlling most of my system via serial ports too (3 DirecTV HR21 Pro's, a Parasound HDMI video switcher, Denon 3930CI, HomeVision X-10 controller, etc.) and a few devices via ethernet (HTPC, and Denon AVP-A1HDCI surround sound processor). The rest of the system is controlled via a mix of hardwired IR and IR emitters.

I'm sure this feature request has a snowball's chance, especially since it would be hardware based, but I sure would like to have a headphone jack on the player, even if it was an extra cost option. My house is solar powered and I would love to be able to listen to my SACDs and DVD-As through headphones on cloudy days and at night without having to power my receiver from the batteries. I have an old Pioneer CD changer which has a headphone jack and I use it all the time.

Like many others I'm hoping to soon find out I am one of the chosen 300!

--Steve

Don't mind me. I'm just amused by how repetitive this thread gets. With the volume of posts, it's to be expected.

Here (I think) are the mods of which they speak.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...2#post16051692

At this rate, there will be 150 posts asking if the emails have gone out yet.

Thanks. I've been trying to catch up a bit.

Not the mods in question... just click on the little blue square with the white > in it and you will go back (in time ) to the referenced post, and from there you can go back to the previous until you get to one that has 83 mod info...

man, this thread is faster than the keyboard...

Obviously there aren't going to be hardware changes at this point.

Would a Y-cable from the stereo outs work?

-Bill

Kal Rubinson in Stereophile reviewed the 980, 981 and 983. His impressions were that each was successively slightly better with SACD music releases into an Integra DTC 9.8. I am expecting the BDP-83 to be at least as good as the 983 in this regard, and possibly slight better still.

Don't think so--how would you control the volume? However, there may some possibilities here. Once I get the player I might try playing around with it. Thanks for the idea. --Steve

I suspect the volume buttons on the remote would work for this.

My experience is that headphone outputs on almost all gear is an afterthought that is not very good quality and is a waste of effort. Line output will not work well since it is designed to drive a very high impedance input, typically 50K ohms or so, while your headphones will be no more than 300 ohms. If you want an experience that is at the caliber of someone who owns a BDP-83 would expect a standalone headphone amp is the way to go. Head-fi.com is a great source of information on this topic. Something like this would draw little power and give you excellent results. They need not be expensive to far outclass anything you will find built-in.

Hmm. That would be great. I'll have to pick up a Y cable next time I am in town and give this a try (when I get the 83). Is there enough signal strength from the stereo outs from the deck to power headphones? Thanks for the help. --Steve

ehlarson -
Good points.
I'll email Oppo directly to ask about:
- timeline for RS-232
- cost

Mike
"a previous surly viking"