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Post by milsap195 on Jun 6, 2017 11:06:17 GMT -5
He is first person that has liked the new sabre chip. Would have liked a better comparison to the 105 as well.
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Post by Gary Cook on Jun 6, 2017 16:56:48 GMT -5
Can someone confirm if I’m reading the statement correctly below, (oppo 205) that if I buy a 4k uhd dvd from the usa or from anywhere else it will play here in Australia even if I do not have a region free player? But a dvd or blu ray dvd will NOT work here unless I have a region free player? Region Free on DVD, Blu-ray & 4K Discs This version of the Oppo UDP-203 comes pre-installed with the hardware modification to make it Region Free on DVD & Blu-ray Discs. 4K Ultra-HD Discs are already Region Free. www.audiotrends.com.au/Oppo_UDP_205_Multi_Region.html?action=viewProduct&itemId=4356 The multi region board for the 203/205 is available from Gattiweb for $120 and it's a simple plug swap, so easy DIY. Cheers Gary |
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LCSeminole
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Post by LCSeminole on Jun 6, 2017 18:45:46 GMT -5
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Post by Bonzo on Jun 7, 2017 12:02:52 GMT -5
He is first person that has liked the new sabre chip. Would have liked a better comparison to the 105 as well. So are you saying many others have not liked it? I haven't had time to go looking for other reviews so just curious. |
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Post by goozoo on Jun 7, 2017 13:58:15 GMT -5
He is first person that has liked the new sabre chip. Would have liked a better comparison to the 105 as well. So are you saying many others have not liked it? I haven't had time to go looking for other reviews so just curious. The Sabre DAC is more forward sounding than say the Burr Brown DACs that the XMC-1 uses. Some people like this type of sound and others do not. Just depends what your frame of reference and preferences are. |
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KeithL
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Post by KeithL on Jun 7, 2017 16:36:53 GMT -5
You're pretty well correct...... Back in those days, most DACs used an external digital oversampling filter (most modern DACs have an internal one, but many still allow you to use an external one). Pacific Microsonics made what was probably the most popular one-chip oversampling filter, and the HDCD decoding capability was included in this chip. So, the HDCD signal was decoded while it was being oversampled. (If you're curious: www.vt52.com/ftp/semi/pmd100.pdf ) However, that claim about benefits is exactly reversed. The HDCD encoding/decoding process is a symmetrical dynamic range compression/expansion process. Therefore, when played without being decoded, an HDCD encoded disc should have a slightly compressed dynamic range compared to a "normal" disc (I've never noticed it, and I guess some folks might find it an improvement). Technically, the audio signal is also reduced to 15 bits instead of 16 because the HDCD encode data is stored in the 16th bit.... but that 16th bit is normally lost to dither anyway so the difference is minimal there. I think the main argument in favor of "HDCD discs sounding better even if you don't decode them" was simply that the Pacific Microsonics analog-to-digital encoder required to encode them was also just a very good sounding A/D converter. HDCD is a software decode, so it should be possible to add it using firmware (note that Microsoft owns the technology now, so there might be license issues). Hmm, seems like I remember when HDCD first came out and its been sometime now, that it was a Pacific Microsonic's technology and thus a chip was installed on board the player. Back in those days Wadia among others took some criticism for not having implemented those chips since all of their hardware at that time was software driven rather than relying on off the shelf DAC chips, such as Burr Brown and others. However I also remember some reviewers claiming that if a CD was recorded with this technology and a CDP such as the Wadia's did not have the technology installed at least to some degree some of the purported benefits were realized. But I'm also relying on my memory from well over a decade ago by now, so don't go to the bank on that statement. I'm not sure I have more than half a dozen or so CD's that were even recorded in HDCD in the first place. Seems like HDCD was one of those technologies that never really took off and became mainstream. In other words having HDCD onboard might not be a deal breaker at least for me. |
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KeithL
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Post by KeithL on Jun 7, 2017 16:51:30 GMT -5
That sounds about right..... Note that an individual DVD disc can be coded to run in more than one region. For DVDs there are seven regions, and each disc can be coded to run or not run in any of them. The region numbers will be listed on the disc; any disc containing multiple region numbers will run in all of them. A disc can also be coded for "all regions" or not coded at all. (In theory a non-coded disc, or one set to Region 0, should play in all regions, but I've heard that some players have issues with them.) Also note that DVD discs also have a video format - NTSC or PAL. Not only must your player be willing to play the disc by region, but it must support the format. For example, a USA disc will be Region 1 and NTSC format. If you have a region 2 disc in PAL format, even if your player is "multi-region", and so supports Region 2, it still won't work unless your player and TV support the PAL format as well. Many modern players and TVs support both, and some few players will play PAL discs and convert them to NTSC while playing them, but not all. Most computers support both PAL and NTSC... Note that the region code is associated with your PLAYER..... if you bought a basic DVD player in the US, then that player will only play Region 1 discs (ditto for a computer DVD drive). Also note that there are various hardware and software patches that enable various players to be "region free" - some players can be "unlocked" with just a magic number. (It usually involves opening the drawer, then entering a code on the remote while the drawer is open - Google your specific model along with "region free" to find out.) Blu-Ray discs have a similar region system (I think they are A, B, and C rather than 1 - 7). Also note that the two systems are SEPARATE. Some region free cracks or mods work for ONLY DVDs or ONLY Blu-Ray discs, while others work for both. In general, modern popular movies are MOST likely to be region coded, while old movies and concerts are usually not. (They want to control things so they can release the movie on different dates in different countries and you can't simply mail the discs back and forth.) Can someone confirm if I’m reading the statement correctly below, (oppo 205) that if I buy a 4k uhd dvd from the usa or from anywhere else it will play here in Australia even if I do not have a region free player? But a dvd or blu ray dvd will NOT work here unless I have a region free player? Region Free on DVD, Blu-ray & 4K Discs This version of the Oppo UDP-203 comes pre-installed with the hardware modification to make it Region Free on DVD & Blu-ray Discs. 4K Ultra-HD Discs are already Region Free. www.audiotrends.com.au/Oppo_UDP_205_Multi_Region.html?action=viewProduct&itemId=4356 |
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Post by Bonzo on Jun 7, 2017 16:53:46 GMT -5
So are you saying many others have not liked it? I haven't had time to go looking for other reviews so just curious. The Sabre DAC is more forward sounding than say the Burr Brown DACs that the XMC-1 uses. Some people like this type of sound and others do not. Just depends what your frame of reference and preferences are. I wasn't very clear in my question. Sorry. What I was referring to mostly was the word "new". The 205 has what is supposedly the newest latest greatest version of the Sabre DAC. I think milsap195 was either saying this guy is the first to review it and he liked it, or, that others have reviewed it, not liked it, and this guy is the first that does like it. I was just trying to confirm. |
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KeithL
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Post by KeithL on Jun 7, 2017 17:02:47 GMT -5
The new Oppo 205 uses the NEW Sabre chip, which I haven't heard yet. (Since the "house sound" of previous Sabre chips was intentional... I would expect the new ones to retain at least some of it.) With the previous Sabre chips, there was a quite distinct emphasis on the midrange and lower treble. (They measure flat but, apparently due to the characteristics of their oversampling filter, they sound "bright" and "forward".) The effect is more or less pronounced in different implementations, but usually there and relatively obvious. People who like the way they sound tend to describe them as "exceptionally detailed". People who don't like them tend to describe them as "harsh" or "grainy". He is first person that has liked the new sabre chip. Would have liked a better comparison to the 105 as well. So are you saying many others have not liked it? I haven't had time to go looking for other reviews so just curious. |
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Post by Gary Cook on Jun 7, 2017 20:30:06 GMT -5
(They want to control things so they can release the movie on different dates in different countries and you can't simply mail the discs back and forth.) For the Aussie readers, the Australian Government outlawed geo blocking on DVD's just before blu rays became available. It was around the same time as the USA & Australia free trade agreement, so it may have been a part of that. Before then we were waiting often 6 months for DVD's to become available and people were buying from overseas suppliers (freight on discs is a non issue), the local retailers were missing out on sales and as a result the Govt was missing out on GST revenue. Blu rays have 3 regions; Region A: North America, Central America, South America, Japan, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia Region B: Europe, Greenland, French territories, Middle East, Africa, Australia and New Zealand Region C: Central Asia, mainland China, Mongolia, South Asia, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Moldova. There has been talk of doing similar for blu rays (banning geo blocking) but it hasn't happened for a whole pile of political reasons. Plus streaming has made it almost irrelevant now anyway. The 103/203/105/205 multi region board allows switching between DVD regions if necessary but I haven't found the need to change from Zone 0 on any of my DVD's. Changing blue ray zones is accomplished by a sequence of button presses on the remote control within 20 seconds of booting up. Cheers Gary |
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Post by mick on Jun 8, 2017 10:17:47 GMT -5
Look at buying a oppo 205 for around $2k, Question ..... when buying a uhd dvd why do they also include a Blu ray disc? after all I'm not going to pay 20 30 40 bucks just for a Blu ray!
cheers
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Post by goozoo on Jun 8, 2017 13:43:27 GMT -5
Look at buying a oppo 205 for around $2k, Question ..... when buying a uhd dvd why do they also include a Blu ray disc? after all I'm not going to pay 20 30 40 bucks just for a Blu ray! cheers That's so you can feel like you're getting more "value" for your purchase. Personally I wait for them to go on the used market and pick up the UHD for $12. The plan is that they make $20 off the BD sales, and $30 from UHD. So now the industry makes $50 off each movie and not $30. Now don't you feel like you got more value by paying only $10 for a BD that you will never watch?! (sarcasm). Seriously, you can then turn around and sell the BD for $15 and hence it only cost you $15. Wait....why the hell am I not doing that?! Dooooooh! |
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Post by Bonzo on Jun 19, 2017 15:26:33 GMT -5
So, everyone who has one of these new players, what's the word? Boomzilla, what say yee sir? One stupid question that most reviews won't talk about is, I'd like to know is how fast do discs load? Particularly music CD's. With a disc in the open drawer, when you hit "play," how long does it take for music to actually start playing? And if you hit "open" during music play back, how long does it actually take to open? |
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Post by routlaw on Jun 19, 2017 16:20:43 GMT -5
Bonzo, as I understand from the fist full of end user reviews I've read on the 205 disc loading is very fast. There are several reviews on Amazon, Audiogon and a few other esoteric websites. From what most readers report one could conclude this new Sabre chip performs or does sound at least somewhat different than their earlier iterations. A few users have reported it sounding much better than the previous 105, however this is contradictory to what Boomzilla reported earlier in this thread. I have one friend who owns the Sonica DAC by Oppo and the last I heard he loves it.
So for now until we know more it appears there are some inconsistencies in how this device sounds and performs.
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Post by Bonzo on Jun 19, 2017 16:50:11 GMT -5
A few users have reported it sounding much better than the previous 105, however this is contradictory to what Boomzilla reported earlier in this thread. But Boomzilla hasn't made any review comments in this thread. Perhaps he has done so in his own adventures thread (which I tend not to read much unless I'm really bored)? |
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Post by routlaw on Jun 19, 2017 20:22:42 GMT -5
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Post by Boomzilla on Jun 19, 2017 20:53:35 GMT -5
So, everyone who has one of these new players, what's the word? Boomzilla, what say yee sir? One stupid question that most reviews won't talk about is, I'd like to know is how fast do discs load? Particularly music CD's. With a disc in the open drawer, when you hit "play," how long does it take for music to actually start playing? And if you hit "open" during music play back, how long does it actually take to open? My 205 loads & plays within about 5 seconds - 10 at the very most - be it music or video discs. OTOH, the 205 sounds (to my ears) not only worse on its analog outputs than the 105, but SIGNIFICANTLY worse. This thing sounds like a $299 AVR from an unknown company. So don't even think of using this thing as a streamer/preamp - it just isn't that good. Bright - 2-dimensional - irritating - and I'm NOT happy about it. If this is the sound of Sabre's best DAC then I predict that they're headed for bankruptcy. The 105 (and, by implication, the 205) are supposed to be Oppo's "audiophile" models. The designation was fair when the 105 came out. But the 205 isn't just a step backward - It's a dozen HUGE steps backward. My advice? Scarf up those used Oppo 105s. For stereo sound, they're WAY better than the 205. Now for video? Yes, the 205 is awesome. I find the "true 4K content" a yawn - but the High Dynamic Range (HDR) feature is da schizz! So ultimately - If you want a state of the art video player and are willing to settle for third or fourth-rate analog audio output, then hey! The Oppo UDP-205's for YOU. This would also be an OK unit if you were feeding a digital signal from the Oppo to a better processor (like a top of the line AVR or the Emotiva XMC-1). But if you're hoping to economize by using the analog audio outputs of the 205 (in any way, shape, or form) then buyer beware! I was so happy with my BDP-105, and expected great things from the UDP-205. To say I'm disappointed is the understatement of the year. What was Oppo thinking?  |
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Post by novisnick on Jun 19, 2017 21:04:12 GMT -5
Im very happy with the streaming ability of my Oppo 103 and Samsung 4K player. Love the Oppo, used the XMC or DC-1 for DAC and adding $250.00 for the Samsung was a deal.
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Post by brubacca on Jun 19, 2017 21:09:19 GMT -5
Read that there was an aftermarket linear psu solution for the new oppo's. User replaces a spms internal to the unit with the linear. Think I read about it on DAR.
Supposedly greatly improves the oppo.
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Post by routlaw on Jun 19, 2017 22:16:47 GMT -5
The 205 comes with a linear mode power supply already. Not sure about the 203.
Boom, do you think there is something wrong with your 205? Others have reported just the opposite of your experience. Anything is possible.
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