Official OPPO BDP-105 Owner's Thread - Page 77

No one here can answer your question. You need to ask OPPO, although they usually don't make promises or mention dates for futures.

I don't use Windows; does the Windows 7 driver not work on 8?

-Bill

I have the same display And the same issue with My Denon A1UDCI player it is extremely slow. Darn if it just didn't sound so good with 2-channel music it would be easier to pull the trigger on the 105, which I may do anyway because of all the other things it will enable me to do. If it winds up sounding as good with 2-channel music I will probably sell my A1.

I would think the Oppo would sound at least as good as the A1 considering the Sabre DACs in the Oppo... you could always get one and send it back within 30 days if you don't like it.

I have a U-verse wireless router and recently added an Apple Airport Extreme and configured it as an AP (Wireless Access Point). Both are connected using a 1Gbps wired connection. Now rather than using AT&T's 802.11g wifi, I'm now using the Airport Extreme which provides me with a 802.11n wireless connection and the option to connect at 5GHz instead of the congested 2.4GHz spectrum. It also provides me with a faster throughput (300Gbps using 5GHz on 802.11n rather than a max speed of 54Gbps, usually much less than that for 802.11g). As a result, wifi network performance is MUCH better and also more reliable.

If you are using a wired connection, you can also connect the PC's directly to the Airport Extreme as it has a 3 port switch built in (you'll only have 2 available though if you are connecting it to your existing router). I can't say it will fix your problem, but it should improve your wireless performance and may also bring a little more reliability to your wired connected devices. To test, I would connect your Oppo 105 to one wired switch port and use the other port for your server (SMB host). That will pretty much isolate you internal network traffic to that one switch (for those 2 devices) but also gives them the ability to reach external sites by going through your U-verse router.

And as a note, I don't have an Oppo 105, just offering some help on your network issue.

I'm a professional Violinist and Technophile. I have owned the BDP-83, 95 and now the 105. Impressions of the BDP-105 vs 95 so far: Blu-ray and 3-d on the 105 are more stable, has a greater depth of field and altogether easier to view. 7 channel analogue out on the 105 is a real audible upgrade over the 95. On Red-book CD's-no audible difference between the units-so far. I bought the
105 primarily because I could use it as well as a DAC for my MacMini Music server system Running AMARA. However because of the way you need to access the DAC on the 105, this is now going to be very difficult in a practical way-let me explain. Most of us using the BDP-105 have high-level or audiophile equipment and use a quality (logitech, Questron, etc.) Universal remote to make the changes
between movie, music server, vinyl, Blu-ray,tuner, and CD modes. Because on the BDP- there is no auto sensing dedicated DAC input button, switching to this mode becomes, very difficult to implement as well as switching the unit back to normal Blu-ray mode. To access the DAC in the BDP-105, you have to press the input button, then scroll (up or down button) to the DAC input of you choice, and when exiting this mode, once again hitting input, scrolling up or down to Blu-ray, or whatever is you BDP-105 default mode. This cannot be accomplished using a Harmony 1 so it is necessary to use the OPPO remote as well, doable but not elegant. If in the next interation of the this unit there was a separate auto sensing DAC button, then the BDP-105 become 5 star worthy...until

The Oppo's do not have 5GHz support.

This bit from the FAQ might help:

How do I select an INPUT source with a programmable remote?

Have the remote send Input, pause briefly to wait for the input menu to popup, send the number key that corresponds to the input you want (1 = Blu-ray, etc), then send Enter.

-Bill

I'm very happy with the sound of the Oppo 105 and I find myself enjoying it more and more. The only way that I"m getting rid of it is when the next top of the line Oppo, the 115 or the 105v2 arrives with a audyssey room correction system. Can this be done, is it possible? it would surely revolutionize the hometheater world as we know it and I'm sure that it can be done.

That's unfortunate. It should still provide a more reliable connection even on the 2.4GHz spectrum and also give him a 130Mbps max throughput.

That being said, it looks like Oppo should have a nice upgrade option next year, 802.11ac (1.3Gbps max wireless throughput).

Is an auto-sensing solution something that could be achieved with a firmware update? I agree it is a nuisance to have to access my AVR's Blu-ray input to see the Input menu of the Oppo, then select the proper input, then switch to the CD input of my AVR where the dedicated Stereo Outs from the Oppo are plugged in to.

As the wireless support is just a USB dongle a 5GHz capable model could be made available to current Oppo's with proper driver support in the firmware. Taking advantage of ac speeds will probably require a new model as current models are stuck with USB 2 ports.

I have an Asus RT-AC66U that I was using as an AP but no ac capable client devices. In fact the Asus is currently "retired" in favor of a UniFi UAP-Pro which, due to PoE, makes it much friendlier for positioning.

Which receiver are you using with your Opp BDP-105?

I just purchased my BDP-105 and am looking to upgrade my receiver.

I am especially interested in one with great two channel audio performance, in addition to using the receiver for playing blu-rays.

What are other owners using?

You could just use a wifi-enthernet connector like the Linksys Wireless-AC Universal Media Connector (WUMC710) and use the AC speed connector right to your ethernet port. It also has enough connections for all your audio products and then that's one less thing the Oppo has to worry about wasting processing power on.

If your Harmony remote does not already have the Input button set up for the OPPO device, you can "learn" it.

In the current firmware, Input followed by a digit will switch directly to that line of the Input pop-up menu. I.e., Input-1 will return to "Blu-ray Player", which is the top line of that pop-up menu. There are others here who are using this in the programming of their Harmony remotes for switching Inputs on the OPPO as part of entering an Activity.
--Bob

He's saying that the local Wifi access point gadget (the Apple Airport unit he added) WILL connect to his existing, 5GHz Wifi network, and then he can run a short Ethernet connection from that to the OPPO. The OPPO itself is actually using Ethernet, but it is taking advantage of his existing, 5GHz band Wifi via the access point gadget.
--Bob

I don't use a receiver for two channel sound, but if I did I think I would check out the Marantz offerings. Hi quality separates are the way to go for best two channel sound. It all depends on your budget and priorities, best two channel sound for your money or a compromise for surround sound etc of a AV receiver.

I already have bdp-103 connected to onkyo TX-NR818 for few weeks now and i am loving it. Would i be enjoying better sound of bdp-105 through onkyo if i invest another $1200? Or it will be same thing as bdp-103 when connected using hdmi?
Edited by FlatRocky - 1/6/13 at 11:40am

For HDMI they are the same.

-Bill

Audio via HDMI will be IDENTICAL between the 103 and the 105.

Get the 105 only if you want to experiment with Analog audio out of the player, and want the best Analog audio solution OPPO has to offer.
--Bob

I ordered a 105, I am going to get rid of my AVR and use the oppo's analog outs straight into power amps.

What's the status with Amazon Instant Video support? I'm surprised that its not included with the oppo.

No news, although you can get it in the Roku Streaming Stick.

-Bill

With the Harmony One, on your activity, send an "Input" command to the Oppo, then send the number of the input you wish to use. For example I have an Activity, "Listen to Sonos" (Coax Input) and as part of the activity I send "Input" and then I send "7" to the Oppo and that sets it to the Coax Input. This technique should work for any other input. It does require a remote that supports a sort of macro chain of setup events - fortunately the Harmony One is such a remote.

More calibration findings - This should be useful information for anyone using Marantz or Denon Pre/Pros - and possibly others.

7.1ch inputs and LFE / Subwoofer Levels.

I reported a few pages back that when I was rough checking my calibration for the Oppo 7.1 outputs into my Marantz 7710, that the subwoofer level seemed to be very close to what it should be without adding 15 of boost or 10 or...why is it one or the other and when? Here's a good read to explain that: http://www.avsforum.com/t/748147/lfe-subwoofers-and-interconnects-explained#post_8855640 - and it was really helpful.

And that article completely agreed with my need to bump the sub level from the Oppo up 5dB to fall into calibration based on my newly acquired Blu-ray calibration disc. I know, I said 5, but above it was 15 or 10. In truth, it is 15, as Bob has said - at least a few times. However, it depends on what your Pre/Pro is doing already as to how much you'll actually need to adjust.

The Marantz "Audio" menu has two places to look: "Audio/Surround Parameter/Low Frequency Effects Level" and "Audio/Subwoofer Level". This is initially confounding as there is only one input (SW) involved that is receiving both SUB+LFE from the Oppo; there is no discrete LFE analog input nor is there a discrete LFE output on the Oppo. So why two places to control the same thing? I have asked Marantz and if I get an answer I'll post it.

For my AV7701, it appears the default for LFE Level on the 7.1 inputs is 10. The choices are 0/5/10/15. This explains why my calibration was already fairly close - 10 of the 15dB I needed was added by default and that makes sense from the article above. But also, as the article above explains, when the Oppo does bass management and combines SUB+LFE, the right thing to do is attenuate that signal 5dB to prevent overload - and it does this, so that's why the additional 5dB is needed.

My Subwoofer Level was -9.5dB as set by Audyssey for all inputs - although each type input (7.1, HDMI, Analog, etc) appears to support is own independent setting.

I'm not sure where the best place to add the other 5dB is - or that it even matters, but for the moment, I'll do it on the LFE channel just to keep all of what Audyssey did consistent and to keep the settings simple to understand for later when I forget all of this.

Why am I not turning up the SubWoofer Amp as Bob suggested? Good question. If I do that, then for all other inputs, Audyssey will want to further attenuate the Subwoofer Level by 5dB, but it is already @ -9.5 and another 5dB would put it at -14.5; 2.5dB out of trim range (-12/+12). So it is not really possible to raise the volume of the Sub Amp and keep the rest of the calibration in place.

I hope this is helpful and not too redundant, but getting the bass right is the right thing to do.

Pete, nice review overall. I do take exception to the above point though and have some comments below.

Firstly, if you haven't compared the Oppo to a $10k CD player I'm not sure it's valid to make this statement until you have. In any case there is generally a scant relationship between price and sound quality in my opinion. I've opened up poor sounding $40,000 speakers only to see convoluted crossovers robbing the speaker of any chance of good sound. I've heard speakers of a few thousand dollars outperform $180,000 speakers. I've heard well designed amplifiers with simple circuits and average quality parts costing $2k or less outperform overly convoluted designs with very expensive parts costing multi tens of thousands. The other noteworthy point with dacs is that technology levels the playing field fairly quickly. Some $20k dacs from a few years ago would struggle to keep up with a $200 dac today.

I'm familiar with the 804D and the MF 5.5. The 804D is forward with an upward tilt in the higher frequencies resulting in a fairly bright and fatiguing sound in my opinion. This is supported by test measurements from hifi world's review.

"Tweeter output was also consistently high, peaking up by +6dB around 12kHz. This will produce audible brightness in the treble, even a treble sting. High frequency output above 3kHz was generally strong from the 804D, giving good detailing but a bright sound balance. High frequency output from the 804D borders on excessive for a so called high fidelity loudspeaker. It is far from accurate. The 804D will have even sounding bass with a dry-ish quality and some subsonic content. It will also sound bright across the midband and sharp in its treble, straying far from accuracy."

Note, my purpose is not to trash your speakers but point out you are comparing the Oppo through a less than neutral transducer. The Oppo's penultimate transparency would merely accentuate the brightness of the 804s. The warmer sounding MF 5.5 would help tame the brightness. To be frank, I think the Oppo is being let down by the 804s. They do not have the transparency to allow the Oppo to showcase its capabilities.

Since owning the Oppo I've heard a number of DACs of varying price ranges, one newly released dac at $15k. Admittedly the $15k dac was clearly superior to the Oppo for two channel playback. Having said that it was superior to any other dac I've ever heard as well. It gave a more organic presentation, closer to vinyl with more air. When the owner of that dac took it home and I returned the Oppo to active duty after an hour or so I was readjusted to the Oppo and happily listening to music again. The Oppo was not embarrassed whereas some other more expensive dacs than the oppo are simply unlistenable.
Edited by djkiwi - 1/3/13 at 3:22pm

I'm not sure there is any point upgrading your receiver. Just buy a 5 or 7 channel power amp and run the Oppo direct. This will result in better sound than any receiver on the market can provide.

Where can we find information about what the latest Oppo 105 firmware is doing? We've had two FW updates in the last couple of weeks and wonder what's going on.

Thanks.

-Brian

The first post in the BDP-103 thread has firmware summaries: http://www.avsforum.com/t/1432162/official-oppo-bdp-103-owners-thread

-Bill

Brian, http://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-103/BDP103-firmware-38-1220.aspx

I have a USB stick plugged into the front USB input on my 105. I can access the stick through the "home menu" and can play all my FLAC files on the stick. However, when I select "USB Audio Input" from the input menu there is no sound, and I can't do anything... just about every button I push results in the "circle-with-the-line-through-it" in the upper left corner. I can't find any reference in the manual for the "input menu".

Any ideas? I'd like to be able to setup my Harmony One as described above with the input selection.

That is for the asynchronous usb input in the rear. It presume you have it connected to a PC soundcard or some other device. Is that what you are doing?

-Bill