Oppo 103 Blu-ray Player Gets 3 Stars!
The main problem with Oppo is that there are hardly any dealers where you can try them out.
Also reading through the posts the 103 is significantly more expensive than most of the Blu-Rays it is compared with, so while it may be great for what you pay for it, it is probably way above what most people can afford. (So no matter how good it is, it is just not an option for most)
This may be why it only gets 3 stars compared to the cheaper (But brilliant for the price) players.
Bill
Old monitor audio fast bass out, new Kef R400 in: Basic set ups done, now off for a weekend of fun with my what hi fi system!
Seriously. I have used the mag for nearly twenty years, it has proved invaluable many times.I trust the team and the contributors, and many a time they have pointed me to equipment, that along with other publications etc, helped me make an informed choice.
End of the day it was me auditioning all this kit, that lead to the correct purchase. Its only an opinion after all yeah?
One mans meat and all that!
Ime off now in hibernation! New kit to enjoy.
Really good weekend all of you.
Now must really get off and listen to my half star oppo 95, And set up my new sub
Oh, come on. That's twice now you've mentioned your "half star oppo 95", which you know fine well got five stars in this magazine and elsewhere, including a Reference Status rating in Home Cinema magazine in its August 2011 issue.
Which subwoofer did you get, by the way?
CnoEvil. Yeah see what i did there!
Right this is really it for this weekend guys!!!
Son_of_SJ; Trying to inject some humour here, that was all!
Check da sig out.
Twas a Kef R400.Which i am going to attend to right now.
Sogphonio - in what ways do you find the 95 better than the 71? Aside loading speeds?
I have glanced over it. It would be nice to know how it has been tested - was the audio for multi-channel bitstreamed via HDMI or was it decoded in the player and then sent onto an AV receiver via its analogue outputs? Was HDMI1 or HDMI2 used for picture or sound, or both? Were any video settings tweaked to see what could be done with the picture? Were SACD or DVD-Audio discs used? What was the partnering equipment, both audio and visual? And was it tried with a number of other products or just one system (TV and PJ?)?
As far as the video processing is concerned, I haven't had a chance to extensively try out many DVD's yet, but as time goes on I'm moving more and more away from them due to their high compression and excessive edge enhancement. There's not really a particular DVD that I can say I know really well any more since moving over to Bluray, but I know the picture issue I used to hate with cheaper players, so I'll try at out more when I get a chance. From what I have seen it has been fine, otherwise I wouldn't have gone for the 103 in the first place.
Obviously it is the BDP105 that will be the one of more interest to those who want as good a sounding Bluray player as they can get (onboard decoding of course). I'm currently sending PCM to my 8200AP (converting in the 103), and I've been trying out a particular HDMI cable, just for a bit of fun. I'm getting used to this before I change back to my normal one. At this stage, I don't really want to complicate my set up with even more cables, so I'm quite happy with the player and a single HDMI cable for the moment. Most music listening has been via the HDMI, and I have now plugged in my 'decent' optical cable to see if I can hear any difference between them. Once I've tried that out, I'll try its own internal DAC.
I suppose it is also a case of looking at the bigger picture - no Bluray player is perfect, but some have more 'imperfections' than others. And by imperfections, I'm referring to issues that are not minor.
I have glanced over it. It would be nice to know how it has been tested - was the audio for multi-channel bitstreamed via HDMI or was it decoded in the player and then sent onto an AV receiver via its analogue outputs? Was HDMI1 or HDMI2 used for picture or sound, or both? Were any video settings tweaked to see what could be done with the picture? Were SACD or DVD-Audio discs used? What was the partnering equipment, both audio and visual? And was it tried with a number of other products or just one system (TV and PJ?)?
As far as the video processing is concerned, I haven't had a chance to extensively try out many DVD's yet, but as time goes on I'm moving more and more away from them due to their high compression and excessive edge enhancement. There's not really a particular DVD that I can say I know really well any more since moving over to Bluray, but I know the picture issue I used to hate with cheaper players, so I'll try at out more when I get a chance. From what I have seen it has been fine, otherwise I wouldn't have gone for the 103 in the first place.
Obviously it is the BDP105 that will be the one of more interest to those who want as good a sounding Bluray player as they can get (onboard decoding of course). I'm currently sending PCM to my 8200AP (converting in the 103), and I've been trying out a particular HDMI cable, just for a bit of fun. I'm getting used to this before I change back to my normal one. At this stage, I don't really want to complicate my set up with even more cables, so I'm quite happy with the player and a single HDMI cable for the moment. Most music listening has been via the HDMI, and I have now plugged in my 'decent' optical cable to see if I can hear any difference between them. Once I've tried that out, I'll try its own internal DAC.
I suppose it is also a case of looking at the bigger picture - no Bluray player is perfect, but some have more 'imperfections' than others. And by imperfections, I'm referring to issues that are not minor.
Cheers for the feedback, appreciate it.
It got 3 stars because Oppo's a Chinese company that doesn't advertise in WHF, who are essentially saying by giving 3 stars, pay up like the rest of them or take the poor reviews on the chin.
Max?
You're definitely right about kef 
I don't know with oppo, WHF have always consistently marked them down compared to other reviews, but I've never used them myself. I don't really trust WHF on all things blu ray and hdmi as my views are the same as big boss's. I would trust the extremely comprehensive avforums reviews for blu ray players. As for motivation, I'm really not sure.
Edit: to give possible alternative reasons: on PQ WHF would be right to say hd performance is similar (identical) to cheaper players. Not that this is a reason to mark them down. For SQ I suspect the oppo may be pretty neutral, which doesn't suit WHF's listening room and reviewer tastes, so any screechier BDPs (Cambridge has a rep for being bright) may get marked better.
Have you actually bought a Blu-ray player based on an AVForum review then?
Not really. I own a Sony bdp-s370 (I think) and bdp-s185. Both were bought on price and functionality, ie both very cheap, both with iplayer and YouTube and the s185 is tiny. I will have checked a bunch of reviews to check there weren't any major problems, which includes WHF and any avforums review (can't remember if they reviewed them) but I wouldn't say any review was the basis for my purchase. If I upgraded I would have oppo at the forefront of my mind.
Me either. I can say I don't think I have ever bought a product based on anyone else's view other than What HiFi. I use the others for back up, but never bought based on a review. I have when it comes to What HiFi though and have always been happy.
Just out for a breather!! Phew. Serious mistake, looked at this stuff again.
ellisdj(DJ are you?) In what way is oppo better than pioneer, in what way is oppo better than anything on this planet!!!!
I will tell you my friend. AWSOME in every respect. Go and audition one.
For nearly twenty years i worked for the ATV in borehamwood. I witnessed the digital audio revolution circa early eighties.
Around that time i owned a linn sondek grace arm, supex cartridge, richard pavane speakers! Thought they were the dogs Bxxxxx.
Over the years have seen first hand an amazing technological revolution, and during that time built my system.
Made some mistakes along the way, dont we all?
Then i started reading all about the oppo95. Went and listened to one(No several to be truthfull) In all sorts of systems. And the 95 simply won me over.
As a sound engineer, now working freelance for whoever will trust my skills, expertise, etc( Dont do so bad!)
Simply put the oppo products are a once in a generation technological miricale!!!
IF the company ask for three grand, it would still be good value.
No more to be said.
The main problem with Oppo is that there are hardly any dealers where you can try them out.
Also reading through the posts the 103 is significantly more expensive than most of the Blu-Rays it is compared with, so while it may be great for what you pay for it, it is probably way above what most people can afford. (So no matter how good it is, it is just not an option for most)
This may be why it only gets 3 stars compared to the cheaper (But brilliant for the price) players.
Bill
If, and it's a big if, that is the case then why does it mainly get 5 stars elsewhere?
As for way above what most people can afford? Really? That is 3 pints a week less for the year and an Oppo for Christmas. Or even 4 cigarettes a day less. Most people can afford beer and cigarettes but not a decent HiFi. That is the reality.
Just out for a breather!! Phew. Serious mistake, looked at this stuff again.
ellisdj(DJ are you?) In what way is oppo better than pioneer, in what way is oppo better than anything on this planet!!!!
I will tell you my friend. AWSOME in every respect. Go and audition one.
For nearly twenty years i worked for the ATV in borehamwood. I witnessed the digital audio revolution circa early eighties.
Around that time i owned a linn sondek grace arm, supex cartridge, richard pavane speakers! Thought they were the dogs Bxxxxx.
Over the years have seen first hand an amazing technological revolution, and during that time built my system.
Made some mistakes along the way, dont we all?
Then i started reading all about the oppo95. Went and listened to one(No several to be truthfull) In all sorts of systems. And the 95 simply won me over.
As a sound engineer, now working freelance for whoever will trust my skills, expertise, etc( Dont do so bad!)
Simply put the oppo products are a once in a generation technological miricale!!!
IF the company ask for three grand, it would still be good value.
No more to be said.
Thanks Sogo - I get you like it which is great however I was after specifics as I know the lX71 quite well as a player so it will help me
How do you wire up - are you using the analogue out and onboard decoding and processing?Was you using the LX71 the same way?
Or are you feeding PCM into the Audiolab via HDMI? Again was that the same when using the 71
How do you say the picture compares - I think the 71 has a very good picture, quite soft but very cinemalike?
The main problem with Oppo is that there are hardly any dealers where you can try them out.
Also reading through the posts the 103 is significantly more expensive than most of the Blu-Rays it is compared with, so while it may be great for what you pay for it, it is probably way above what most people can afford. (So no matter how good it is, it is just not an option for most)
This may be why it only gets 3 stars compared to the cheaper (But brilliant for the price) players.
Bill
If, and it's a big if, that is the case then why does it mainly get 5 stars elsewhere?
As for way above what most people can afford? Really? That is 3 pints a week less for the year and an Oppo for Christmas. Or even 4 cigarettes a day less. Most people can afford beer and cigarettes but not a decent HiFi. That is the reality.
Because the other reviewers don't have access to the number of Blu-ray players WHF does. So I guess they have to give something 4 or 5 stars. Don't think the other reviewers have reviewed the Pioneer 450 yet where WHF has.
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At the end of the day Gel, the eyes have it.
Cheers
As a pun, it ranks amoungst the best!
"Everything has been said before, but since nobody listens we have to keep going back and beginning all over again." André Gide