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Thread: Oppo udp-205

  1. #1
    Join Date: Apr 2013

    Location: Solihull, UK

    Posts: 410
    I'm Bob.

    Default Oppo udp-205

    I am contemplating an OPPO UDP-205 due to the need to redeploy my existing DVD multi format player to another room.

    As the OPPO will provide Streaming / Universal disc playback / DAC etc it also gives me a chance to reduce my box count.

    Namely a Leema Antila IIs CD player, Cyrus X2 streamer, Leema Elements DAC and the aforementioned DVD player could go, so 4 boxes down to 1.

    The UDP-205 is obviously several generations newer in terms of technological advancement, BUT...... I am loathe to do the swap if it’s SQ isn’t equal to or better than the Cyrus X2 / Leema DAC combination. CD’s are not the biggest priority but DVD-A and SACD I find quite entertaining. Streaming gets used quite a bit so I’d probably still do this if the streaming SQ is up to expectation. There are a few other things to consider (new screen etc) but simplistically sound is the issue.

    I'm taking the visual side of things as read in terms of it far surpassing what I currently have.

    Open to views, alternatives and guidance, but discrete audio out channels are a must.
    Source: Orbe SE / SME IV / Cadenza Bronze
    Source: WD NAS / Cyrus Stream X2 / Chord DAVE
    Source: Oppo UDP-205 (CD/DVD-A/SACD)

    Amplification: Icon Audio PS 3 Sig Phono + Audio Research LS27 + Musical Fidelity A5cr Power Amp
    Loudspeakers: ProAc Response D28
    Cables/stands: Mark Grant G1500HD + Linn K20 + Cat 5e
    Other bits: Okki Nokki keeping things clean

  2. #2
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

    Default

    ive got a 103d and its spectacular. great value tbh. most are able to be improved too
    Regards,
    Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work
    .... ..... ...... ...... ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
    FIIO K7 BT, M11 PLUS, BTR7, KA5 - OPPO BDP-103D - PANASONIC UB450 - PANASONIC 4K ULTRA HD TV - PIXEL 6 - AVANTREE LR BLUETOOTH - 2* X600 SOUNDCORE - HEADPHONES INCLUDE, FIIO, NURAPHONES', FOCAL, OPPO, BOSE, CAMBRIDGE, BOWER & WILKINS, DEVIALET, MARSHALL, SONY, MITCHELL & JOHNSTON - 2*ZBOOK'S- MERCURY BD ROM, ROON, QOBUZ, TIDAL, PLEX, CYBERLINK, JRIVER - MULTI HDD'S -

    Oh my god! There's nothing wrong with the bidet is there?

    “Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy".

    “You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”

    "You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will.”

    “There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!”


    ***SMILE, BE HAPPY***

  3. #3
    Join Date: Mar 2009

    Location: Chelmsford, Essex

    Posts: 433
    I'm Gareth.

    Default

    I have the 205 and despite it’s eye-watering price it is a fantastic universal device; there’s very little it can’t do.

    Well worth ploughing through the official owners thread over at AVS here:
    http://www.avsforum.com/forum/149-bl...-s-thread.html

  4. #4
    Join Date: May 2010

    Location: Weymouth

    Posts: 3,463
    I'm John.

    Default

    I've had one for six months now and it is a fabulous piece of kit. Stunning sound quality with all formats.
    Sent by me using an appendage



    SME Model 15/V tonearm, Lyra Dorian, EAR Phono Box.

    Luxman 509X amp.

    PMC 25 23i speakers.

    Innuos/Roon/Qobuz/I-Pad. Oppo UDP-205.

    Cables by Kimber, Yannis and Audioquest.

    Audioquest Niagara. Tube Distinctions Mains power filter. Project RCM. Zerostat.


  5. #5
    Join Date: Oct 2008

    Location: Glasgowshire

    Posts: 9,656
    I'm Gary.

    Default

    Own a heavily modded 203 and yup, Oppo’s are an endgame product.
    But not if your looking to do streaming....

    The 205 like my 203 is geared towards playback only and unlike Grant’s 103D doesn’t have any installed apps or the facility to have any.
    Not a problem, just use it’s HDMI input and plug in a streaming box of some kind. This will let you use the Oppos picture processing and sound quality for things like Netflix and YouTube.
    Its awesome for that.

    Tv box wise, I’ve tried a few, best Ive found (by far in terms of performance and what you can do with it) is an Nvidia Shield.
    Doesnt reduce your box count though (!) but Streaming boxes can be tiny and put out the way.

    In terms of absolute sound quality I personally dont believe the cost difference between the 203 and 205 isn’t worth it.
    Nope.
    Unless your heavily invested in SACD and have a huge collection of discs then where native playback of SACDs from the 205 will be better than the 203’s.
    BUT the Devils in the detail and I bought an SACD out of curiosity and didnt hear any difference worth getting excited about comparing SACD playback with the same disc using an HDMI audio extractor into my Dac.
    So As always theres nomreal absolutes and the usual answer is...it depends, try and hear one at a dealer and compare.

    I did a direct comparison at a Dealer of my 103 with Young dac against a 105 and mines sounded better.
    The 205 has a better Dac chip that the 105 for sure, but I’d STILL be getting a 203, a streaming box and put money saved into a better dac, after a conversation with the same Dealer recently.
    Was originally going to pick up a 205 but he said the 205s dac is good, but no better than a Chord Mojo they compared it with.

    Food for thought?

    Also,
    Think of it this way,

    The 205 costs £1400, but you shouldnt expect the same sound quality of a £1400 Dac?
    All relative though of course, the one (well...two) box 205 solution’s extra cost may be worth it to you for various factors it brings to the table.
    A big investment, take time to hear options for yourself is my advice.

    Just my £0.02 worth, based on my own experience.
    Last edited by Gazjam; 31-03-2018 at 13:11.
    AC POWER
    Hardwired 10kVA balanced mains powering entire system
    AMPS
    Meridian 557 power Amp (Modded) / PS Audio BHK Preamp (Modded)
    SPEAKERS
    Wharfedale Evo 4.4
    DAC
    PS Audio Directstream (Modded)
    TURNTABLE
    Pro-Ject X8 balanced output via XLR / Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge
    PHONOSTAGE
    Pro-Ject DS3 B balanced Input (TT and Phonostage powered by Pro-Ject Power box RS2 linear psu)
    DIGITAL
    OPPO 203 (Modded: Linear PSU, i2s output to Dac) - Roon Endpoint, HDMI input used for all things Streaming/ PS5 /AppleTV ... also good for movies apparently?
    MUSIC PLAYBACK
    Tweaked AP-Linux based Roon Server into Oppo 203 as Roon endpoint
    Ipad Roon Remote.
    Apple Music/ YouTube via AppleTV, fed to Dac via Oppo HDMI input/i2s output to Dac.
    SPEAKER CABLES
    Biwired: Duelund DCA10GA (Bass) Duelund DCA16GA (mid & treble) Duelund 12DCA used as jumpers (On
    "Blackcat Cable" Chris Sommivigo's advice - yup, even with biwire it sounds better - and it does)
    INTERCONNECTS
    All Balanced: Ghost+ recording studio XLR cables

  6. #6
    Join Date: Apr 2013

    Location: Solihull, UK

    Posts: 410
    I'm Bob.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Gazjam View Post
    .......But not if your looking to do streaming....

    I personally dont think the cost difference between the 203 and 205 is worth it.
    The 203s digital outout is superior to the 103s and the 105 was easily bettered by my 103 into my Young dac.

    205 has better Dac chip that the 105 for sure, but I’d be getting a 203, a streaming box and out money saved into a better dac.
    Was originally going to pick up a 205 but discussing with my Dealer he said the 205s dac is good, but no better than a Chord Mojo they compared it with.

    All relative though of course, the one (well...two) box 205 solution’s extra cost may be worth it to you for various factors.
    Thanks, that's useful however I think I may have not expressed myself too well. The streaming bit is reading music files from a NAS via cat5e cable, processing them and outputting to my stereo pre amp. I was interpreting the OPPO blurb (below) as being able to do this. Have I misunderstood...?

    "Home Network Access
    Built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi or Gigabit Ethernet connects the UDP-205 to users’ home networks, so users can easily play media files stored on computers and home servers."


    I've probably misused the word "streaming" when I should have called it "networking"? (I have no interest in the likes of Spotify, Tidal etc so that makes things easier).

    I think your comment "The 205 costs £1400, but you shouldnt expect the same quality of a £1400 Dac" is really at the heart of my concerns - and is also the reason for skipping straight to the 205 rather than the 105. Everything I read tells me the extra cost of the 205 is all about SQ, both having the same video platform.

    I wouldn't want to replace the Cyrus / Leema DAC (which was actually a coincidental £1399.00) with the 205 and then find SQ has gone backwards. But offset against this argument is the fact that the Leema DAC represents tech of about 10 years ago and the OPPO offering is a bit more up to date: I assume things move on, at least in this arena.

    So if I've understood all of this correctly I should maybe pause for thought and look for another solution.......? Reducing the box count is of only secondary interest - I could just change the Disc player and keep everything else.

    And I thought this might have been a simple one.....
    Source: Orbe SE / SME IV / Cadenza Bronze
    Source: WD NAS / Cyrus Stream X2 / Chord DAVE
    Source: Oppo UDP-205 (CD/DVD-A/SACD)

    Amplification: Icon Audio PS 3 Sig Phono + Audio Research LS27 + Musical Fidelity A5cr Power Amp
    Loudspeakers: ProAc Response D28
    Cables/stands: Mark Grant G1500HD + Linn K20 + Cat 5e
    Other bits: Okki Nokki keeping things clean

  7. #7
    Join Date: Oct 2008

    Location: Glasgowshire

    Posts: 9,656
    I'm Gary.

    Default

    Ah, I see.
    My bad.

    Yeah, the Oppos are great audio streamers, can even act as Roon endpoints with the latest firmware.
    Your good to go on that front, plays all manner of file formats and sounds great.

    The 205 has better video circuitry and transport mech. than the 105, but the same as the 203, think thats what you meant.
    I too was going to go straight for the 205, but I had a rethink after my Dealer (who’s opinion I trust) said after listening for himself the 205’s Dac was on a par with Chord Mojo, and as my own Dac was miles better than that I decided to buy the 203 (with same image quality as the 205) but send its audio to my superior sounding Dac.
    Your dacs still extremely good, an oldie but a goodie.
    Dont assume newer is always better!

    Never regretted buying the 203 over the 205..made absolute sense to me.
    Same image quality and facilities, just with the added versatility of changing its audio quality with dac of your choice.

    The 205s a great machine no doubt, but its very expensive.
    It costs more than my 203 with all the mods Ive done to mine, and I’d bet mines sounds noticably better.

    I put a thread up here on AOS when I was modding my 203, some light reading...give it a look-see and see what you think.
    http://theartofsound.net/forum/showt...ight=Oppo+mods
    You can of course mod the 205 too, but then it gets MIGHTY expensive and in my opinion diminishing returns has kicked in way way back.

    Sorry for complicating things

    Quote Originally Posted by bob4333 View Post
    Thanks, that's useful however I think I may have not expressed myself too well. The streaming bit is reading music files from a NAS via cat5e cable, processing them and outputting to my stereo pre amp. I was interpreting the OPPO blurb (below) as being able to do this. Have I misunderstood...?

    "Home Network Access
    Built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi or Gigabit Ethernet connects the UDP-205 to users’ home networks, so users can easily play media files stored on computers and home servers."


    I've probably misused the word "streaming" when I should have called it "networking"? (I have no interest in the likes of Spotify, Tidal etc so that makes things easier).

    I think your comment "The 205 costs £1400, but you shouldnt expect the same quality of a £1400 Dac" is really at the heart of my concerns - and is also the reason for skipping straight to the 205 rather than the 105. Everything I read tells me the extra cost of the 205 is all about SQ, both having the same video platform.

    I wouldn't want to replace the Cyrus / Leema DAC (which was actually a coincidental £1399.00) with the 205 and then find SQ has gone backwards. But offset against this argument is the fact that the Leema DAC represents tech of about 10 years ago and the OPPO offering is a bit more up to date: I assume things move on, at least in this arena.

    So if I've understood all of this correctly I should maybe pause for thought and look for another solution.......? Reducing the box count is of only secondary interest - I could just change the Disc player and keep everything else.

    And I thought this might have been a simple one.....
    AC POWER
    Hardwired 10kVA balanced mains powering entire system
    AMPS
    Meridian 557 power Amp (Modded) / PS Audio BHK Preamp (Modded)
    SPEAKERS
    Wharfedale Evo 4.4
    DAC
    PS Audio Directstream (Modded)
    TURNTABLE
    Pro-Ject X8 balanced output via XLR / Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge
    PHONOSTAGE
    Pro-Ject DS3 B balanced Input (TT and Phonostage powered by Pro-Ject Power box RS2 linear psu)
    DIGITAL
    OPPO 203 (Modded: Linear PSU, i2s output to Dac) - Roon Endpoint, HDMI input used for all things Streaming/ PS5 /AppleTV ... also good for movies apparently?
    MUSIC PLAYBACK
    Tweaked AP-Linux based Roon Server into Oppo 203 as Roon endpoint
    Ipad Roon Remote.
    Apple Music/ YouTube via AppleTV, fed to Dac via Oppo HDMI input/i2s output to Dac.
    SPEAKER CABLES
    Biwired: Duelund DCA10GA (Bass) Duelund DCA16GA (mid & treble) Duelund 12DCA used as jumpers (On
    "Blackcat Cable" Chris Sommivigo's advice - yup, even with biwire it sounds better - and it does)
    INTERCONNECTS
    All Balanced: Ghost+ recording studio XLR cables

  8. #8
    Join Date: Apr 2013

    Location: Solihull, UK

    Posts: 410
    I'm Bob.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Gazjam View Post

    The 205 has better video circuitry and transport mech. than the 105, but the same as the 203, think thats what you meant.

    I put a thread up here on AOS when I was modding my 203, some light reading...give it a look-see and see what you think.
    http://theartofsound.net/forum/showt...ight=Oppo+mods
    Yes, it was the 203 I meant, thanks. Too long staring at too many numbers.

    I've read your thread on modding the 203 a couple of times now. Well laid out with plenty of pix and you make it sound so easy: I've bookmarked it. Good stuff.

    This is all helping me pick my way through and although it's only a part of the puzzle (my 42" plasma screen will have to go (no HDMI), together with the "S" video cable that runs 20' under the floor boards to feed it) my priority is to get the audio side optimised. I may keep the DAC until all else is sorted just in case. But I'd rather spend well and spend once than have to revisit it because I'm a bit underwhelmed, always thinking of what might have been............. So many options.

    And if all of this works I'll probably get some earache to uplift the main TV in our lounge. Time was we used to wait until these things broke then chuck them out and buy the next generation - but they don't break now!
    Source: Orbe SE / SME IV / Cadenza Bronze
    Source: WD NAS / Cyrus Stream X2 / Chord DAVE
    Source: Oppo UDP-205 (CD/DVD-A/SACD)

    Amplification: Icon Audio PS 3 Sig Phono + Audio Research LS27 + Musical Fidelity A5cr Power Amp
    Loudspeakers: ProAc Response D28
    Cables/stands: Mark Grant G1500HD + Linn K20 + Cat 5e
    Other bits: Okki Nokki keeping things clean

  9. #9
    Join Date: Oct 2008

    Location: Glasgowshire

    Posts: 9,656
    I'm Gary.

    Default

    Hear you Bob on doing things once, and doing it right...

    Spent years swapping kit, cables and god knows what else.
    Decided to step off the anxiety train and just get kit I’d be happy keeping.
    Costly, yeah, but not so much in comparison to what Ive spent “upgrading” my kit over the years...and never been truly happy with.

    I had a pretty good AV setup, took it pretty much as far as I could for 1080p.
    Really enjoyed my older Oppo 103 Darbee and was content, but the jump to 4K was significant enough I decided to invest.
    Like you, that ‘what might have been’ feeling was at the top of my mind so wanted to do it right, so I could forget about and just enjoy the investment.

    Oppo... no other players for me, so 4K 205/203 were the only options.

    Happy to invest, but never to waste money so I really looked into the 205 vs 203.
    You know the results of that and I’d risk it to say that as my modded 203 has upgrades to sound AND image quality it’s a better player than the far more expensive 205.
    The linear power supply is an absolute belter, and upgrades EVERYTHING.

    I’d keep your dac for now, treat that seperately from the AV stuff and invest in a really good one later.
    Having recently been where you are TV wise and did a lot of research and viewing, the TVs I’d absolutely recommend are the Sony A1e OLED 4K panels.
    Budget dependant, they come in 55”, 65” and 77” sizes and the picture quality is gobsmackingly good.
    With one if these you’ll never get that “What if?” feeling...they really are off the scale quality wise.

    Not the cheapest option, but..hey...you know.
    Last edited by Gazjam; 01-04-2018 at 12:05.
    AC POWER
    Hardwired 10kVA balanced mains powering entire system
    AMPS
    Meridian 557 power Amp (Modded) / PS Audio BHK Preamp (Modded)
    SPEAKERS
    Wharfedale Evo 4.4
    DAC
    PS Audio Directstream (Modded)
    TURNTABLE
    Pro-Ject X8 balanced output via XLR / Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge
    PHONOSTAGE
    Pro-Ject DS3 B balanced Input (TT and Phonostage powered by Pro-Ject Power box RS2 linear psu)
    DIGITAL
    OPPO 203 (Modded: Linear PSU, i2s output to Dac) - Roon Endpoint, HDMI input used for all things Streaming/ PS5 /AppleTV ... also good for movies apparently?
    MUSIC PLAYBACK
    Tweaked AP-Linux based Roon Server into Oppo 203 as Roon endpoint
    Ipad Roon Remote.
    Apple Music/ YouTube via AppleTV, fed to Dac via Oppo HDMI input/i2s output to Dac.
    SPEAKER CABLES
    Biwired: Duelund DCA10GA (Bass) Duelund DCA16GA (mid & treble) Duelund 12DCA used as jumpers (On
    "Blackcat Cable" Chris Sommivigo's advice - yup, even with biwire it sounds better - and it does)
    INTERCONNECTS
    All Balanced: Ghost+ recording studio XLR cables

  10. #10
    Join Date: Mar 2009

    Location: Chelmsford, Essex

    Posts: 433
    I'm Gareth.

    Default

    You might want to reconsider and look for an alternative following this announcement:

    https://www.oppodigital.com/farewell.aspx

    A real shame, but I can take comfort knowing my Oppo 205 won’t be replaced by a newer model any time soon!

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