Eric5676

Official OPPO BDP-83 Early Adoption Program Owner's Thread [technical talk only] - AVS Forum Might be somewhere in the very first post. Or Unofficial OPPO BDP-83 Frequently Asked Questions

Basically. There's one possibility.

The two sources are: An Oppo DV-980H and a PS3. The PS3 has no analog outputs as I'm sure everyone knows. I need a headphone amp or some kind of hybrid setup that can handle both of those sources at the same time. Ideally, the Oppo should be connected via left and right analogs for SACD and DVD-A playback and the PS3 would have to be connected via optical output. This is for my sister who's ready to start getting more serious about headphones now that she is using my AKG 701s while I've moved to the Sennheiser 800s. Ideally, she doesn't want to spend more than about $500 if it can be helped. Ideally, I would steer her towards something like the Gilmore Lite...but then I run into trouble with that PS3.

Found 'em, thanks.

I had an early invite email to buy this player and I took the plunge. Long/short: Excellent quality on all fronts at a $500 price point and possibly even a little bit past that. If I never use this unit for anything than BD and DVD I'll feel like I easily got my $500 worth. It's fast...in some ways even faster than the PS3. It's smooth. It's quiet. It doesn't put out a lot of heat. My Pioneer 111FD is a 36bit display so I'm able to set the Oppo to Deep Color 36 bit mode and receive some "refinement" benefit from that...nothing earth shattering but there is some benefit and down the road this will see more support especially as more displays can come out that can display 4:4:4 36 bits and even past that. You have to all HDMI 1.3 in the food chain to be able to do this and obviously a display that actually show it, which mine can. OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player If you have any interest, you can register there. I've heard of people getting early invites still anyways so you might just luck out. You have 30 days to test drive it, no questions asked, and you'd only be down shipping costs if you decided to send it back. I think it's well worth it. It's not a super giant killing ultra hi-fi piece of audio equipment masquerading as a $500 player but it is very solid for what it is at this price point easily. I do think it's the best bargain out there at this price point easily, pound for pound. I'm also seeing talk of folks like ModWright getting ready to have a field day doing mods for this thing so that's another avenue that's open to people if they decide they want to get adventerous down the road.

There's a Pico Dac and a Pico Amp as companion pieces for one another, yes? What are the differences between the AE2 unit vs. the Pico Amp?

This might make it even more bad. Audiocircle Modwright 5400ES link I'll understand if anyone's wallet decides to send me some hate mail.

Anyone run across Justin from HeadAmp yet? I'm interested to get more information about those Pico units, among other things.

Agreed. As do I. Easily. A huge night and day difference. Indeed. The Senns 800s are going to sound great when connected to quality equipment of all kinds.

Another quick piece of completely inaccurate stupidity I just saw that goes to my point about crappy equipment. Again, I'll deliberately not name names but people saying these cans aren't good with solid state equipment...no, they aren't good with crappy, overpriced solid state equipment from crappy companies. Very important distinction there. I need to stop looking at that thread now although it's almost like watching some kind of train wreck where I almost can't turn my eyes away even though I should.

That's great!

I've done that a few times in the past and have found myself in a place where I get conveniently personally attacked by certain mods and there's just no backup. It's just not worth it if there's no follow through. The Sennheiser HD 800: The First Listen, The First Review - Page 231 - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio Perfect case in point. I post infrequently enough that I was able to call this up out of my post history fairly quickly. This was fairly early on in the 400 page bloated mostly worthless Sennheiser first impressions thread and you could see where I was already taking exception to some pretty heinous things going on in there, including what I felt was some unfair and excessive abuse directed at Mr. Willet from Sennheiser. That whole episode and what I took exception to was happening almost from the beginning of the thread and it unfortunately set the tone for the rest of the thread. I think there's maybe a dozen or so pages of substance out of that whole 400 page monstrosity. Unfortunately, all of that is simply all too typical of the Head Fi forum, in general. You can see what happened to me. You can also see that I never got a response to that, either. I'm amazed I didn't find myself seeing a nice little PM or a temp ban for not tolerating that kind of crap directed at me. I know you're one of several long time regulars that knows exactly what I'm talking about. I also know you'll know exactly what I mean when I say this: Certain other...beloved names on that forum would NEVER see those kinds of shenanigans tolerated in their threads. I may or may not pick my spots in that thread but I'll honestly tell you...and take it FWIW: I'm too busy enjoying my 800s. Thanks for the kind words. Posting here is a much better idea and what I should have done in the first place although I was happy to see several people liked what I posted in that thread and hopefully took something from it.

I'm reminded yet again why I barely post at Head-Fi and don't lurk much, either. Somewhere in yesterday evening the 800 impressions thread ceased to be useful or constructive. I shouldn't be surprised considering the inital 800 thread was over 400 pages of garbage with maybe a dozen pages or so of anything worthwhile. I don't pretend that the 800's are perfect headphones and above and beyond any reproach or criticism but here's the blunt truth of what's going on in that thread, without naming names. Just about every single negative comment against the 800s meets at least one of the following criteria: 1.) People using crap equipment. and/or 2.) People in crap environments and/or 3.) People who haven't seen or heard a damned thing for themselves at all, which is far and away the most annoying and worthless. Sennheiser HD800 Appreciation Thread - Page 25 - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio ^^ Perfect example and that's where I checked out of that thread. I can see it's gone even further downhill since that post when I skimmed the rest of it this morning. That's it for me. Not surprisingly I was ignored and that same moron continues to post in that thread like that along with some others. I'm once again reminded why I barely post at Head-Fi and just don't go there that much, in general.

Not sure if I've noticed that yet but I have noticed that these cans have "opened up" a bit more since I took them out of the box yesterday. I'd say between yesterday and today I have maybe about 6 hours of use on them. I personally couldn't be happier all the way around.

Thanks.

My early impressions: Equipment: GS-X from HeadAmp. Source: Cambridge 840c for CD and Onkyo DVSP1000 for SACD and DVD-A. Headphones: AKG 701s with Black Dragon cables from Moon Audio and the Senns 800s simultaneously since the GS-X has two headphone jacks. Very handy. Bias: I suffer buyer's guilt easily. I can feel it BEFORE I pull the trigger on something. I'm a notorious fence sitter as well. If I can find an excuse to get back almost $1400, believe me, I'll do it. I went in skeptical along the lines of: "How much better can these thing really be vs. what I already have?" I found out very quickly. Out of the box, the Senns 800s were immediately and clearly better than the 701s. No question about it. I've used the 701s a lot over the last couple of years so I know them like the back of my hand. It was immediately noticeable and apparent and I'm someone who has been very happy with his 701s. After a few hours of use...I couldn't take these things off...the sound was already starting to open up some more, so to speak. These cans will benefit from some warm up and burn in time but honestly...just take them out of the box and start enjoying them. These are not super juggernaut sized headphones. They are more comfortable and form fitting by far than the 701s. If you're a headbanger you can go to town in these. I could easily fall asleep wearing these cans. I can't say the same for the 701s. More bass. More dimension. More natural warmth. More of everything pretty much. More of everything I liked in the 701s. Less or almost none of the things I didn't like or thought were lacking and missing in the 701s. The music just sounds real and organic. You're basically there outright. Some of my CDs I'm almost hearing the actual analog tape in the background of the recording itself like I've only been able to hear on certain SACDs. That's never happened before. Slightly more laid back out of the box...I noticed that "laid back" phenomenon already starting to fade and become more immediate as I used the headphones yesterday. These headphones wake up fairly quickly in contrast to the 701s by my experience. It's not going to take "200 hours" of burn in like supposedly the 701s needed to see these cans really take off and roar. The 701s I had to recable and really burn in to get them more or less where I wanted. A/Bing back and forth I now I understand better what the 701s...good as they are...have been lacking. It's the kind of thing that words can't convey but your ears will tell you in short order. The 701s are drier. They are analytical. These Senns 800s are not. There is no "Sennheiser veil" either. It's hard to put into words vs. being right there and flipping the cans on back and forth as you listen carefully to certain music and repeat sections of certain tracks repeatedly. No question that these cans are "the next level" across the boards. I doubt there will be a dynamic can that comes along for a long, long time that appreciably beats these things out. I really don't know how it could be done. The 701s are well built headphones. These headphones are built considerably even better and show a meticulous craftsmanship and detail down to the smallest little detail. You know this as soon as you open the box. Are they worth the price I paid for them? I can already say yes, especially if these continue to "open up" as see more action. That's a subjective question, obviously. It's not easy to say "Hey, I bought $1400 headphones!" and feel good about it, but I do. Were they worth the delay? Yes. The delay is already a distant and fading memory. I don't tend to suffer from giddy honeymoon afterglow although I'll certainly not recuse myself from it, either. I'll accept that disclaimer on myself. If these cans "get better" with more use as I expect them to then...wow, forget about it. Off the charts. Please accept my post as nothing more and nothing less than typical first impressions. That's fair. I will be very surprised if a few weeks from now I come back here and say: "Y'know what...I may just sell these things because it just isn't worth it." Some pictures: Right before I open the box up. There's a prominent "2 year warranty" label right on the box. This is what you see when you open the box for the first time. The cans in a lap of luxury, so to speak. Fresh out of the box. AKG 701s on left, Sennheiser 800s on right, sitting like a crown on top of my PS3 in a vertical position. And yes, the PS3 is right on top of the new Oppo with no problems. Below that is the GS-X headphone amp that the headphones are connected to. Below that the Cambridge 840c and on the lowest shelf the Onkyo DVSP1000. The pictures don't do these cans justice. Real meticulous care and craftsmanship were clearly taken form aesthetics, performance, and technology. I can't take these things off!

I know what you mean. I'm "thinking out loud" in this thread and just wanted to feel folks out at this point. I KNOW the only way I'll know anything for sure is to hear them for myself which is why I'm keeping my preorder barring something ridiculous. I've never even owned or heard something up the ladder like those Qualias before. The AKG701s were my first step into the "more serious" head-fi arena. Couldn't agree with you more. PLEASE don't rush these Sennheiser! See, I've never had any experience with any hi end headphones like any of those so I guess this will be an all new world for me. Cool!

Well, in my case, the 701s have been a great fit in my rig. Granted, the stock cable on the 701s had to go. I went for one of Drew's Black Dragon cables and I thought that helped those cans out a bit in terms of refinement. The 701s are a very picky can. It takes very little for them to have that "dry" "neutral" and brittle thing going for them. My concern here, in my case, is basically if I'm paying money for a glorified lateral move. If that's the case, then I may as well not bother so I'm kind of on the fence about cancelling my preorder. If I'm going to spend this kind of money on headphones, I want something that's noticeably "better" across the boards. I'm trying to have "realistic" hopes.

Let me gauge the mood out there: How are folks in line to buy these things feeling at this point? Are you considering dropping out or do you still feel confident about these headphones delivering the goods when they finally ship?

A PS3 Logitech Harmony adapter at long last. Many months overdue. I wonder how long it will take to actually get this thing out on the streets?

It's going to be more difficult because one of the conditions the BDA laid down upfront was no region free. It's dumb that even DVD should be affected this time out but it is. I'm not sure why the BDA would care if even DVD was region free but the law was laid down and it was take it or leave it. It's not going to be the old "punch in the quick code" anymore. If it happens at all, it's probably going to be some hardware modification and some such. I hope to be pleasantly surprised. Oppo's "trademark" in the past had been super easy region free for DVD. This thing would be a no brainer for even considerably more than $499 if it offered easy DVD and BD region free out of the box. Alas, not to be.

It's hard to tell how much demand there really is for that and I have no idea how much extra RS232 really would add to the cost of manufactering the player. I would think RS232 is about as common as dirt from a tech standpoint so maybe Oppo will consider swallowing that cost and keep their player at $499, which I hope they do. That's not a bad price but there's an obvious marketing psychology involved if you get that thing out there and there's a 4 instead of a 5 in front of that price. I remember you well enough.

Can't edit so I have to add: I wrote Neuromancer, the other Oppo expert, and here's what he told me: So basically you're right Dusty. The price is still up in the air.

I wasn't doubting your word. I just wanted to see if I'd missed something. I've kept tabs on that thread although not very often because there's been so much whining and nonsense. Instead I prefer to PM the experts and ask them directly. I asked wmcclain just now over PM what he's hearing about final pricing one way or the other. I'll let you know what he says. I think they have a strong product that's probably close to untouchable at $499 if they can keep that price. EDIT: Here's what Wmcclain just wrote me: My response: $599 is still decent for what this player offers but I think $499 for all this makes them almost untouchable if they can pull it off.

How do you know this? I've heard a few rumors to that effect...