SatMumbai
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Oppo BDP-105: Mini Review
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SatMumbai
Active Member
I guess some of you might be knowing that I was keen to get Oppo BDP-105 for my HiFi setup.
Here are the reasons which made me choose the BDP-105:
1. I have very small wall mount monitors / speakers which are very accurate and non boxy but do not got go less than 80hz to 100hz. So I needed a Source with bass management
2. I was looking for a good quality DAC which supports 2.1 and not at the high-end audiophile prices
3. I want my source to be a steamer + player. What I meant is that it should be capable of accessing my NAS (where the music is stored) and play music directly. This is not DLNA or via any other media server
4. Volume Control is needed as I am keen to operate the system in 2.1 mode
Having heard Oppo BDP-95 earlier, I went ahead with the local purchase of BDP-105. it was procured through "Avenue Sound" and Ashish from Avenue Sound is very helpful. Though it took a little longer than we expected, it was all good and the service from Ashish is excellent! The reason for the local purchase (albeit at a higher price) is that Avenue Sound offers the same Warranty as Oppo does for this player (full 2 years warranty). Given the interactions with Ashish, I am pretty sure that the slight higher price is worth the local warranty from Avenue Sound.
BDP-105 comes in a very well packed box with good set of accessories. The build of the player is very solid and it is much taller than any standard bluray player.
The connections are pretty straight forward. I use XLR Analog out to my Jolida and RCA sub woofer out to the sub. The menus are simple and straight forward. I have set the Amp volume a 12'O Clock position and control the listening volume from Oppo. Volume control is pretty linear and it reminded me of my earlier Classe gear. I once had Pathos Inpol2 whos volume control is nice but the steps were too large to dial into the right level where as with Oppo there are many steps in the volume and so it is much easier to get the right volume.
I let the player run for around 50 hours with music playing through speakers before doing any serious listening.
SQ wise, Oppo is extremely quite and noise floor is very very low. Which means that one can listen into the song deeper. This amazing clarity runs across and makes listening very fatigue free.
Balance of the player is pretty neutral. I am able to hear a bit of the sweetness from the tubes of the amp in the midrange but that is really very minimal. Instruments are separated very well. Though I expected most of this, I am still awe struck by the purity of the sound.
Beyond that, it is the upscale capability of the video which is almost a gold mine. I did not focus much on that but when I watch some music videos or at times movies, the colors are very rich and vibrant. Skin tones are brutally revealed.
All in all it is an excellent player both for music playing as DAC + pre-amp and ofcourse for the occasional movies in my case.
Negatives? Though Network functionality is good, UI feels a bit basic (even compared to Sony S-790). I tried the player in the renderer mode where in my NAS was streaming the music to Oppo and the body of the music became thinner. When I played the same song through Mac Mini and Oppo as DAC, the song sounded fuller and natural. This could be because all my music is in .m4a format and NAS is converting them to .wav. Also, I noticed that Oppo can not play .m4a natively which is a big deal for me as most of my music is in .m4a. It plays flac directly. So the best way to use Oppo for music is with CD / SACD or as DAC or play the formats it can play natively (like .mp3 and flac)
Good thing is all inputs HDMI, DAC USB, Optical DAC all sound same in my system.
BTW, I have recently found a bug and already reported to Oppo. When you choose the distance of the speakers relative to sitting position, Oppo adjust the sound stage (left or right skewed depending on what distances are dialled in). Ideally this should not affect the headphone settings but it did on my unit. By resetting the player, the sound stage came back to the center. So at the moment, I suggest not to adjust the distances or levels for Front Left Front right speakers and it sounds brilliant As is.
Do let me know if you guys have any specific queries.
Here are the reasons which made me choose the BDP-105:
1. I have very small wall mount monitors / speakers which are very accurate and non boxy but do not got go less than 80hz to 100hz. So I needed a Source with bass management
2. I was looking for a good quality DAC which supports 2.1 and not at the high-end audiophile prices
3. I want my source to be a steamer + player. What I meant is that it should be capable of accessing my NAS (where the music is stored) and play music directly. This is not DLNA or via any other media server
4. Volume Control is needed as I am keen to operate the system in 2.1 mode
Having heard Oppo BDP-95 earlier, I went ahead with the local purchase of BDP-105. it was procured through "Avenue Sound" and Ashish from Avenue Sound is very helpful. Though it took a little longer than we expected, it was all good and the service from Ashish is excellent! The reason for the local purchase (albeit at a higher price) is that Avenue Sound offers the same Warranty as Oppo does for this player (full 2 years warranty). Given the interactions with Ashish, I am pretty sure that the slight higher price is worth the local warranty from Avenue Sound.
BDP-105 comes in a very well packed box with good set of accessories. The build of the player is very solid and it is much taller than any standard bluray player.
The connections are pretty straight forward. I use XLR Analog out to my Jolida and RCA sub woofer out to the sub. The menus are simple and straight forward. I have set the Amp volume a 12'O Clock position and control the listening volume from Oppo. Volume control is pretty linear and it reminded me of my earlier Classe gear. I once had Pathos Inpol2 whos volume control is nice but the steps were too large to dial into the right level where as with Oppo there are many steps in the volume and so it is much easier to get the right volume.
I let the player run for around 50 hours with music playing through speakers before doing any serious listening.
SQ wise, Oppo is extremely quite and noise floor is very very low. Which means that one can listen into the song deeper. This amazing clarity runs across and makes listening very fatigue free.
Balance of the player is pretty neutral. I am able to hear a bit of the sweetness from the tubes of the amp in the midrange but that is really very minimal. Instruments are separated very well. Though I expected most of this, I am still awe struck by the purity of the sound.
Beyond that, it is the upscale capability of the video which is almost a gold mine. I did not focus much on that but when I watch some music videos or at times movies, the colors are very rich and vibrant. Skin tones are brutally revealed.
All in all it is an excellent player both for music playing as DAC + pre-amp and ofcourse for the occasional movies in my case.
Negatives? Though Network functionality is good, UI feels a bit basic (even compared to Sony S-790). I tried the player in the renderer mode where in my NAS was streaming the music to Oppo and the body of the music became thinner. When I played the same song through Mac Mini and Oppo as DAC, the song sounded fuller and natural. This could be because all my music is in .m4a format and NAS is converting them to .wav. Also, I noticed that Oppo can not play .m4a natively which is a big deal for me as most of my music is in .m4a. It plays flac directly. So the best way to use Oppo for music is with CD / SACD or as DAC or play the formats it can play natively (like .mp3 and flac)
Good thing is all inputs HDMI, DAC USB, Optical DAC all sound same in my system.
BTW, I have recently found a bug and already reported to Oppo. When you choose the distance of the speakers relative to sitting position, Oppo adjust the sound stage (left or right skewed depending on what distances are dialled in). Ideally this should not affect the headphone settings but it did on my unit. By resetting the player, the sound stage came back to the center. So at the moment, I suggest not to adjust the distances or levels for Front Left Front right speakers and it sounds brilliant As is.
Do let me know if you guys have any specific queries.
sajjad4joy
Active Member
Congrats on your purchase. Nice to hear that you are using it for stereo, always wanted to the performance of this player in stereo. How much does it cost you?
docd
Active Member
congrats! I have heard the Oppo 95 and was impressed. Iam sure the 105 will be just as good if not better. Hope to have a more detailed review later!
Vinod.R
Well-Known Member
Nice and detailed review. It is a good read.
Eye candy please (photos) would be nice to see one in the live. What did it cost you?
Vinod
Eye candy please (photos) would be nice to see one in the live. What did it cost you?
Vinod
john_k_antony
Well-Known Member
Did you ever get a chance to compare 105 with 93 for audio and video performance? I was told by Oppo that both 93/95 and 103/105 uses same transport and video circuitry except for 4K upscaling in 103/105.
I have a 93 with me and planning to pair it with W4S DAC2 for stereo and HDMI for 7.1 surround audio. Do you think Oppo 93 + W4S DAC2 will perform similar to 105 for stereo?
Thanks,
John.
I have a 93 with me and planning to pair it with W4S DAC2 for stereo and HDMI for 7.1 surround audio. Do you think Oppo 93 + W4S DAC2 will perform similar to 105 for stereo?
Thanks,
John.
SatMumbai
Active Member
Thank You! I am not too sure if Ashish is fine with me telling the price out (as it was a special order) so I just PM it to the ones who requested the price.
SatMumbai
Active Member
I would say on Video Performance you might not see much upgrade though I have not really compared them back to back. I only have experience with Oppo BDP-95. I borrowed it from a friend in a different set up. IMO, there might be a tinge of extra richness in the picture but I can not say for sure.
Regarding SQ, I do not know the performance of W4S DAC2. Generally the DAC sound is more of your preference after a price point. I preferred the sound of Oppo BDP-95 to Classe CP-800 and infact I love the sound of Classe SSP-800 till date. Back then I had much more resolving system. It all comes back to personal choice and the combo gear.
Oppo sound signature is very neutral. There is no brightness or warmth. There is amazing quiteness in silent moments and very resolved sound. It does not have the analytical nature to the sound like Classe CP-800 had and is also the case that I found with benchmark DAC.
Oppo is musical but the main strength is very clear & clean sound. I have read some calling it lean but that is the lack of coloring. If some one prefers the coloring or more body add a valve amp and one might be more happier that way.
I could not answer straight as I have not heard the DAC that you mentioned but just shared some of my experiences.
SatMumbai
Active Member
I have added some pics in my set up thread.. not much to see but gives you some sense of size in real world pics
http://www.hifivision.com/my-audio-...6006-dx-1-strada-yet-paired-3.html#post469505
http://www.hifivision.com/my-audio-...6006-dx-1-strada-yet-paired-3.html#post469505
john_k_antony
Well-Known Member
Thank you very much for the details. I am choosing W4S after reading through lots of forums and recommendations from some of the HFV veterans. W4S DAC2 uses the same DAC chip that is seen in Oppo 95/105. So I assume they sound "similar". I know that just the same DAC chip will not produce the same sound signature, but hoping they sound "similar".
I am also going to pair the Oppo and DAC with a tube based hybrid setup. I am looking at Acoustic Portrait Pre/Power combo.
Thanks,
John.
SatMumbai
Active Member
In continuation with my observations and experimentation, here is further read on my findings.
I have received the Vashi Meet CD today (thanks to Amp_Nut. Really nice of him!) and I started playing the CD. The system sounded really wonderful with well spaced instruments and the instruments having the RIGHT sound.
I started digging further about my regular listening experience versus this CD. I understand the tracks on the CD are not complex and test the system for what it is worth but highlight the performance of the system.
I have been using the DAC function of the Oppo primarily and it looks like a lot more tuning needs to be done with MacMini.
I have tried few tracs in Flac which are played by Oppo directly from the network and same tracks played Mac Mini. There is a clear improvement in the body of the sound with Oppo acting as a player. In my Oppo review I have mentioned that Oppo's performance is a little lower when it receives the content from music server (like DLNA). But Oppo can play the songs natively too if the music is in the right format. I guess it supports WAV and FLAC.
So when Oppo acts a player and a DAC, the sound is the best. Fully bodies with more dynamics.
As a DAC the SQ comes down a bit and as a receiver for a DLNA server it
comes down even further. Though it is not as bad as I am saying but you know one gets greedy and want all of the things to work the best!
I even played some video files today with Oppo as player and accessing NAS as just an external Hard Disk and the sound is full & beautiful
I am really happy today with the new findings and thanks again Amp_Nut for the CD which prompted to check the entire system.
Now I am a believer that a proper streamer / player will make a difference and a good source is really important (Not just a good DAC)
I have received the Vashi Meet CD today (thanks to Amp_Nut. Really nice of him!) and I started playing the CD. The system sounded really wonderful with well spaced instruments and the instruments having the RIGHT sound.
I started digging further about my regular listening experience versus this CD. I understand the tracks on the CD are not complex and test the system for what it is worth but highlight the performance of the system.
I have been using the DAC function of the Oppo primarily and it looks like a lot more tuning needs to be done with MacMini.
I have tried few tracs in Flac which are played by Oppo directly from the network and same tracks played Mac Mini. There is a clear improvement in the body of the sound with Oppo acting as a player. In my Oppo review I have mentioned that Oppo's performance is a little lower when it receives the content from music server (like DLNA). But Oppo can play the songs natively too if the music is in the right format. I guess it supports WAV and FLAC.
So when Oppo acts a player and a DAC, the sound is the best. Fully bodies with more dynamics.
As a DAC the SQ comes down a bit and as a receiver for a DLNA server it
comes down even further. Though it is not as bad as I am saying but you know one gets greedy and want all of the things to work the best!
I even played some video files today with Oppo as player and accessing NAS as just an external Hard Disk and the sound is full & beautiful
I am really happy today with the new findings and thanks again Amp_Nut for the CD which prompted to check the entire system.Now I am a believer that a proper streamer / player will make a difference and a good source is really important (Not just a good DAC)
Nice writeup, SatMumbai.
Yes, I too am a firm believer that the source ( not just the DAC) always plays a part in the reproduction chain.
Substituting a DVD player instead of a good CD transport, both used with the Same DAC in my system always shows up quite distinctly.
Yes, I too am a firm believer that the source ( not just the DAC) always plays a part in the reproduction chain.
Substituting a DVD player instead of a good CD transport, both used with the Same DAC in my system always shows up quite distinctly.
maniac_2004
Member
pl pm me also .. have you seen/compared the lower end models btw bdp 83 etc
sud98
Well-Known Member
Thanks for your review.
As an old user of Oppo, there seems to be a slight difference in playing via the n/w and using the CD. Why I really dont know, I thought with the newer h/w it might be different as oppo claimed it was a problem and they couldnt resolve it in the 83.
But over a period of time, running it via DLNA, is so much more convenient, that I end up always using it except the rare occasions I want to listen to a complete CD.
As an old user of Oppo, there seems to be a slight difference in playing via the n/w and using the CD. Why I really dont know, I thought with the newer h/w it might be different as oppo claimed it was a problem and they couldnt resolve it in the 83.
But over a period of time, running it via DLNA, is so much more convenient, that I end up always using it except the rare occasions I want to listen to a complete CD.
SatMumbai
Active Member
I guess DLNA is very convenient but the SQ improvement is worth playing directly. If your Oppo has USB port, just try playing the same track via USB and DLNA. If you see a difference and if it is worth it, then you know what to do
SatMumbai
Active Member
Some more pics in my setup thread as below
http://www.hifivision.com/my-audio-...6006-dx-1-strada-yet-paired-3.html#post470762
Picture quaility wise, Bluray as is playback with HDMI audio, I would recommend Sony BDP-S790 only because it is cheaper. But if you want to upscale DVDs or even Cable (Tata Sky in my case), Oppo does a good job. Upscaling greatness is not apparent on everything but on some it looks really beautiful!
http://www.hifivision.com/my-audio-...6006-dx-1-strada-yet-paired-3.html#post470762
Picture quaility wise, Bluray as is playback with HDMI audio, I would recommend Sony BDP-S790 only because it is cheaper. But if you want to upscale DVDs or even Cable (Tata Sky in my case), Oppo does a good job. Upscaling greatness is not apparent on everything but on some it looks really beautiful!
SatMumbai
Active Member
I have recently started to understand about DSD once I saw this.
News Flash: Oppo now plays DSD files | Stereophile.com
This might be closer to analog sound than ever before??
News Flash: Oppo now plays DSD files | Stereophile.com
This might be closer to analog sound than ever before??
I have a query. I suppose the player is region locked for BD.
Is it easy to buy Region-free or Region-A Bluray discs in India.
Also, I read that Oppo 105 does not accept TrueHD/ DTS MA stream on its HDMI inputs? I suppose its a big drawback for someone using it as a pre processor.
Is it easy to buy Region-free or Region-A Bluray discs in India.
Also, I read that Oppo 105 does not accept TrueHD/ DTS MA stream on its HDMI inputs? I suppose its a big drawback for someone using it as a pre processor.
SatMumbai
Active Member
HI Santy.. It is good to see that you are very curious about this player!
I am using Oppo mainly as Network Player and DAC. I run it in 2.1 mode and mostly music occasionally movies.
My experience has been very good till now and the silence is really nice which I love especially when watching movies..
Coming to your query on bluray availability, I do not have much collection or experience with purchase. However the little that I read on the forums, people are getting better bargain if they buy from amazon.co.uk and I have made a small wish list there and it looks like my Wishlist has all Region Free!
May be the starting point would be the Top 25 Blu rays that you intend to buy and see if they are all/mostly region free which will make it easier for your decision. The way I want to see the future is all Region free discs
Regarding the second question, I am not aware that the HDMI inputs will not accept HD Audio but again in my use cases, if I ever have HD Audio based content it has to be played by Oppo. I can't think of a situation in my case where there is HD audio coming from else where than Oppo. May be a HD set top box but even a regular 5.1 is rare, as of today.
I hope that gives my perspective.. feel free to ask more, if you have further queries.
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