# Oppo BDP-83SE *Special Edition* & NU FORCE BDP-83SE *Special Edition*



## recruit

Oppo have just announced and on there website a new version of the great BDP-83, the BDP-83SE, this is a modified turbo charged version of the original with upgraded power supply and analogue section...

Ummm, very tempting :spend:

http://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-83SE/



















*
Features *

The OPPO BDP-83 Special Edition Blu-ray Disc Player is an exciting upgrade based on the highly acclaimed BDP-83. Already well known for its exceptional audio and video performance, the BDP-83 is upgraded with an an all new analog audio stage and improved power supply to become the Special Edition. Designed for the discerning audio enthusiast, the OPPO BDP-83 Special Edition Blu-ray Disc Player delivers an exceptionally wide dynamic range, ultra low distortion, accurate sound stage and jitter-free music clarity via its dedicated stereo and 7.1ch analog audio output.

The OPPO BDP-83 Special Edition uses the state-of-the-art Sabre32 family of Digital-to-Analog Converters (DAC) from ESS Technology. The Sabre32 family is known as one of the industry's highest performance audio DACs and are often found in high-end audiophile and professional equipments. The OPPO BDP-83 Special Edition uses an 8-channel Sabre Premier (ES9006) DAC chip for its 7.1 multi-channel output. The dedicated stereo output uses another 8-channel Sabre32 Ultra (ES9016) DAC chip by stacking 4 DACs for each of the Left and Right channels to achieve even greater audio performance.

Just like the BDP-83 it is based on, the OPPO BDP-83 Special Edition is a Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player featuring bit-stream and full decoding capability for high resolution audio tracks such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. Designed for both home theater viewers and music listeners, it plays DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, Super Audio CD (SACD) and standard CD with excellent video and audio performance in addition to Blu-ray Discs. For a detailed list of features, please refer to the BDP-83 Features and Specifications page.

OPPO Digital recommends the BDP-83 Special Edition to customers who primarily use the analog audio output to connect to either a dedicated stereo or a multi-channel surround system. For customers who primarily use the HDMI output to connect to an A/V receiver or directly to a TV/projector, and for customers who primarily use the optical/coaxial digital audio output, the standard BDP-83 is recommended.

*Retail Price: $899.00*


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## recruit

NU FORCE are even doing a modified version too, this seems like a common trend now, I am seriously tempted by these newer versions, the NU Force looks like it will be available as of the 18th November...

http://www.nuforce.com/hi/products/oppo_bdp83se/index.php








Extracting high-quality audio from Blu-ray players is problematic. The HDMI signal interleaves video and audio data which, upon decoding, produces an inherent jitter as high as 7nanoseconds (For comparison, a good CD player’s jitter is in the picosecond range). In practical terms, it is difficult to properly decode HDMI audio without employing extensive reclocking circuits, thus pushing up the cost of a good HDMI audio pre-processor. 

The simplest way to improve analog audio performance is at the source. The Oppo BDP-83SE player incorporates ESS Technology’s state-of-the-art Sabre DAC, widely acknowledged as one of the industry’s best. The 7.1 multi-channel unit employs a single 8-channel Sabre DAC. The stereo channels’ dedicated Sabre DAC is achieved by stacking four DACs per left and right channel for utmost transparency and dynamic range.

The Nuforce Edition elevates performance yet further by replacing critical analog components with the high-grade equivalents NuForce uses in its high-end audio components. The result is a better power supply and optimized analog signal paths. As always, the proof is in the listening. The improvements in stereo (CD, SACD, DVD-A, BD Audio), and L/R/C movie outputs are clearly audible.

The standard Oppo BDP-83SE offers exemplary audio performance. The Nuforce Edition goes a step further in transparency, dynamics, and detail retrieval. As is typical of all Nuforce products, these benefits relate directly to our high-end product line in the preservation of musical truth.

*
MSRP $1295.00*


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## Jungle Jack

Hello,
For those who do not use HDMI, this is a compelling option/upgrade for existing owners. However if strictly using HDMI, even OPPO does not recommend the upgrade as all of the upgrades pertain to analogue performance. As John has laid out so clearly in his post.

Has this player been announced overseas? After hearing the unfortunate news that the ROW (rest of world) version BDP-831 had been cancelled, I was unsure if the SE was going to be available in Europe.
Cheers,
JJ


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## recruit

Jungle Jack said:


> Hello,
> For those who do not use HDMI, this is a compelling option/upgrade for existing owners. However if strictly using HDMI, even OPPO does not recommend the upgrade as all of the upgrades pertain to analogue performance. As John has laid out so clearly in his post.
> 
> Has this player been announced overseas? After hearing the unfortunate news that the ROW (rest of world) version BDP-831 had been cancelled, I was unsure if the SE was going to be available in Europe.
> Cheers,
> JJ


Hi JJ, this will certainly please a lot of people both in the US and also abroad, I'm sure it will not stop people importing these units to europe, and it may well turn out that the person who distributes the BDP-83 in the UK may well also start to sell these too...the analogue upgraded section sounds very interesting and the NU Force even more so, your right though, even Oppo say if you use HDMI then it is not worth the change, but a lot of people I know still use legacy processors and these 2 players will be of great interest to them


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## Jon Liu

The analog audio on the Oppo 83 was already pretty good, but I'm very interested in hearing the sonic differences between the 83 and the 83SE and even maybe the NuForce edition!

Very cool news for audio enthusiasts.


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## recruit

It certainly is good news Jon and I might try and get hold of the Nu Force SE...saying that I know the Meridian boys have been interested in modded Oppo's and there is also this site that does some special modifications also... Oppo BDP-83 Modification


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## tiggers97

This sounds pretty nice. I'd also like to hear more about the sonic differences. Sadly for me though, $500 is about the max I can ever entertain for a player of any type. But it's still fun to kick the tires.


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## Jungle Jack

Hello,
OPPO is seemingly moving upmarket. Amazing considering, in the past, they were mostly known for their value multiregion NTSC/PAL converting DVD Players. Crazier still that the BDA (Blu Ray Disc Association) made it to where the BDP-83 cannot be made multiregion via a simply remote code entry before they would grant OPPO a license to build a BDP. Moreover, in the first few years, BDA did not grant licenses to any of the Chinese based companies. Much of this due to the rampant pirating of all media there.
Cheers,
JJ


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## tonyvdb

tiggers97 said:


> This sounds pretty nice. I'd also like to hear more about the sonic differences. Sadly for me though, $500 is about the max I can ever entertain for a player of any type. But it's still fun to kick the tires.


So true, I would love to get one of these but even spending $500 on just a player would be near impossible unless I was to win the lottery :spend:
Oh well like you said its nice to dream about it. :daydream:


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## recruit

I think when you look at the price of the Denon A1UD and Marantz UD9004 players the Oppo upgraded players looks like incredible VFM, with the Denon coming in at $4500 and Marantz at $6000 :yikes:


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## Jungle Jack

Hello,
John, no doubt that OPPO offers excellent value for the money. It is just watching them grow in the States, they have really changed. They truly, at one point, were a budget brand.

Now, they have truly reached cult level status amongst videophiles. There are certain forums where if you utter a word of critique, you are branded a heretic. I do believe it to be truly well earned and because of the value they offer. That being said, while I love SACD/DVD-A, it is a small segment that collects and have let alone heard of these formats. Sadly. And with the inclusion of these formats, in addition to stellar DVD playback, being the reason these players are priced much higher than what most of the mainstream companies are selling BDP's for.

Denon's and Marantz's flagships are 40 pound behemoths priced in the stratosphere. In this light, the BDP-83SE is still cheaper than the sales tax for the Denon while still offering an almost identical feature set. And especially with the SE, offers comparable state of the art components. The OPPO's are only lacking the massively overbuilt chassis that the Denon and Marantz sport.

I actually own a DV-980H and a BDP-83 and find them to be excellent players. And if I was using the analogue outputs, my 83 would already be on it's way to California. All the same, seeing an OPPO BDP offered for 800 Dollars is just strange. For lack of a better word. No doubt, still a great value if you own many SACD's and DVD-A's.
Cheers,
JJ


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## recruit

never a truer word spoken JJ :T I am actually interested in one of these upgrades due to the fact that the preamp stage on my Arcam really is first class and with a good analogue source it gives a truly exquisite sound...I'm hoping Henry (CRT) here in the UK takes some requests on board and allows us access to these as I believe there will be many willing to add to what already is as you say becoming a cult player...I have always stuck with the main stream top end Denon players in the past and was so suprised when I first recieved my 83, incredible performance for such a small outlay...I am one of those people who has a lot of SACD and especially DVD-Audio MLP coming from Meridian products in the past..


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## Jungle Jack

Hello,
John, in your instance, it would be a difficult call for me to upgrade. While the Arcam does have an amazing analogue section, the HDMI implementation is truly World Class. Unlike many HDMI processors, your Arcam has next to no jitter to speak of. With that being said, I would be unsure whether it would be worth the upgrade when you would also lose Bass Management and Room Correction being handled by your Arcam.

Again, you are in possession of one of a handful of HDMI processors where there seems to be only positives by using HDMI. The HDMI jitter levels in my Onkyo are concerning to put it mildly. All the same, I am still using HDMI as opposed to multichannel analogue inputs for my BDP. I do use 2 channels of the multichannel input for one of my CD players however.
Cheers,
JJ


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## recruit

agreed, the HDMI implementation on the Arcam is probably one of the best, and I suppose in theory it does seem pointless, but in a statement that was made elsewhere Arcams new BD player suggests that using the Analogue outputs of the player into the AV888 will give the best results for SQ and then using HDMI purely for video, I'm just curious I suppose :huh:


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## Jungle Jack

Interesting. Given that the upgrade price is not that much, it might be worthwhile to go ahead and do it then. Denon also advocates using the analogue outputs of their flagship as well over HDMI.
I am somewhat conflicted that Arcam would recommend using the analogue stage of their BDP.
Then again, the analogue section is the only place where there are discernible differences between BDP's.

That is, if using HDMI bitstreamed, it seems to be almost impossible to differentiate between different BDP's. However, the aforementioned issues with jitter in many HDMI processors is cause for concern in many processors. Tough call.
Cheers,
JJ


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## recruit

I know it has certainly got me curious :whistling:


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## Kal Rubinson

Jungle Jack said:


> Denon's and Marantz's flagships are 40 pound behemoths priced in the stratosphere. In this light, the BDP-83SE is still cheaper than the sales tax for the Denon while still offering an almost identical feature set. And especially with the SE, offers comparable state of the art components. The OPPO's are only lacking the massively overbuilt chassis that the Denon and Marantz sport.


Actually, Oppo's feature set is more inclusive as both Marantz and Denon will only output 16/44.1 from SACD over HDMI while Oppo will do 88.2 or 176.4!


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## Jungle Jack

Hello,
Excellent point Kal. Are we going to be seeing a review of the BDP-83SE in a upcoming "Music in the Round"? I greatly enjoy your writing on Stereophile and your postings.
Cheers,
JJ


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## Kal Rubinson

Jungle Jack said:


> Hello,
> Excellent point Kal. Are we going to be seeing a review of the BDP-83SE in a upcoming "Music in the Round"? I greatly enjoy your writing on Stereophile and your postings.
> Cheers,
> JJ


Thanks. I intend to do so.


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## Jungle Jack

Hello,
Look forward to that. Do you think there is anyway that you or JA (John Atkinson) could also provide a set of measurements? I realize that Music in the Round does not often provide measurements, but perhaps this player might warrant that. Or perhaps a Feature Review done by you. Given the amount of enthusiasm this player has engendered, I really think it would be a worthwhile endeavor.
Cheers,
JJ


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## Kal Rubinson

Jungle Jack said:


> Hello,
> Look forward to that. Do you think there is anyway that you or JA (John Atkinson) could also provide a set of measurements? I realize that Music in the Round does not often provide measurements, but perhaps this player might warrant that. Or perhaps a Feature Review done by you. Given the amount of enthusiasm this player has engendered, I really think it would be a worthwhile endeavor.
> Cheers,
> JJ


Understood. I have been thinking about that, too, but I cannot make any promises.


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## recruit

Kal Rubinson said:


> Thanks. I intend to do so.


I'll look forward to a review of the BDP-83SE if you do manage to get hold of one Kal, as I am subscribed to Sterophile and really enjoy reading the reviews :T


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## Lordoftherings

Wow! I'd love to read a review of the SE Nu Force Edition. :bigsmile:

* By the way, the Samsung BD-P2500/2550 Blu-ray player, also uses an ESS Sabre Premier Dac.
It is the exact same model # Dac that is in the Oppo BDP-83SE. It's the ESS Sabre Premier (ES9006) 8-channel audio Dac (one single Multichannel Dac chip).
--> Here's more on this Dac: http://www.esstech.com/pressPDF/Samsung PR Final 8.26 v2.pdf


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## recruit

It would be good to see maybe back to back testing on the 2 SE models and see how both perform, obviously I would expect the Nu Force to be superior but ineteresting all the same...


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## Lordoftherings

Kal Rubinson said:


> Actually, Oppo's feature set is more inclusive as both Marantz and Denon will only output 16/44.1 from SACD over HDMI while Oppo will do 88.2 or 176.4!


Wow! I did not know that. What is going on with Denon & Marantz? Are they completely loosing their edge? 
Or something else...

* Thank you Mr. Rubinson for this very important piece of information.


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## tiggers97

Ok. It's been almost an entire week :foottap: Does anybody have one in the mail yet? I'm really curious to hear what the opinion is on this unit as everyone is saying that the base unit is so good.


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## Lordoftherings

tiggers97 said:


> Ok. It's been almost an entire week :foottap: Does anybody have one in the mail yet? I'm really curious to hear what the opinion is on this unit as everyone is saying that the base unit is so good.


Hi Mike,

Did you read this thread from the very beginning? 

There was a link about this model: http://www.nuforce.com/hi/products/oppo_bdp83se/index.php

-> Shipping November 20 (now, from previously November 18).

Cheers,
Bob


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## recruit

It's still very early days yet and hopefully someone soon will have the official Oppo BDP-83SE, the Nu Force one as Bob has mentioned has not even been released yet but I am just as eager to hear feedback on both as well!


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## tiggers97

Lordoftherings said:


> Hi Mike,
> 
> Did you read this thread from the very beginning?
> 
> There was a link about this model: http://www.nuforce.com/hi/products/oppo_bdp83se/index.php
> 
> -> Shipping November 20 (now, from previously November 18).
> 
> Cheers,
> Bob


 lol ok. I didn't read that. I think I've been reading to many threads on different forums about this new player. I thought it was already shipping.


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## Lordoftherings

Hey no sweat man. 

* By the way, these November dates are only estimated dates, even for the SE model. We'll just have to be patient.


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## Bob_99

I just recently became aware of the new Oppo SE and would be very interested in reading peoples opinion on the differences between the SE and the NuForce sound when they become available. I am confused in regard to the signal processing. If the SE does the analog processing, doesn't that mean you feed the signal through your processor (and forfeit any signal manipulation like Audessey) and as a result (if you were only using a DVD player) you would only need a preamp and not a processor? Also, it sounds like the SE is using very high end devices that can't be matched in moderately prices processors. Can someone please correct me if this is wrong.

:dontknow:

Thanks.

Bob


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## recruit

Hi Bob,

Yes you are more or less correct, dependant on Processor being used, I feel the multichannel outputs will be more beneficial to DVD-Audio and SACD plus for 2 channel stereo listening, this is where the interest will be mostly aimed at IMO, for normal DD + DTS or the new HD formats it is probably best left to the processor/AV amp to do the decoding...so normal HDMI/SPDIF connections will be best for movie viewing...


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## Bob_99

John,

Thank you for clearing that up. Signal processing between devices has always confused me and just when I think I understand it, I read something that makes me doubt what I think I know. Then throw in the multitude of sound formats and my head starts to spin.

Bob


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## Kal Rubinson

recruit said:


> Yes you are more or less correct, dependant on Processor being used, I feel the multichannel outputs will be more beneficial to DVD-Audio and SACD plus for 2 channel stereo listening, this is where the interest will be mostly aimed at IMO, for normal DD + DTS or the new HD formats it is probably best left to the processor/AV amp to do the decoding...so normal HDMI/SPDIF connections will be best for movie viewing...


Can you restate this? I cannot understand your point. Separate sentences would be appreciated.


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## Jungle Jack

Hello,
Kal, not to try to speak for John, but I believe the point about dependency of processor pertains to jitter levels as to when using the multichannel inputs would be advantageous over a digital connection. Primarily HDMI.

That is to lose Room Correction and Bass Management due to using the analogs. And that the upgrades to the analog board are best appreciated with DSD/DVD-A and 2 Channel applications.

I hate speaking for John, but he is in the UK and it is the middle of the night now there and I thought I would try to clear any misunderstandings.'
John, my apologies if I am off mark or out of line.
Cheers,
JJ


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## Lordoftherings

No matter what Oppo is doing with its new upgrade players, in the analog section stage, it is still much better to use the digital HDMI connection, for very obvious reasons.
And this, for all format discs, SACD, CD & DVD Audio included.

* I believe that what Oppo is doing, is to provide some alternatives to another group of people, like some with legacy receivers (without HDMI connections).
And also the the high end crowd, that uses expensive interconnects, speakers with high resolution, and high end preamps.
Of course, all from the analog connections.

> But for people using the digital HDMI connection, the BDP-83, regular model is the one to get.


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## recruit

Kal Rubinson said:


> Can you restate this? I cannot understand your point. Separate sentences would be appreciated.





Jungle Jack said:


> Hello,
> Kal, not to try to speak for John, but I believe the point about dependency of processor pertains to jitter levels as to when using the multichannel inputs would be advantageous over a digital connection. Primarily HDMI.
> 
> That is to lose Room Correction and Bass Management due to using the analogs. And that the upgrades to the analog board are best appreciated with DSD/DVD-A and 2 Channel applications.
> 
> I hate speaking for John, but he is in the UK and it is the middle of the night now there and I thought I would try to clear any misunderstandings.'
> John, my apologies if I am off mark or out of line.
> Cheers,
> JJ


I am sorry Kal that you did not understand my point but JJ has very kindly laid out what I was trying to get across via my post, there is actually quite a few people that prefer using the analogue outputs rather digital when it comes to music.

Thanks JJ


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## Kal Rubinson

recruit said:


> I am sorry Kal that you did not understand my point but JJ has very kindly laid out what I was trying to get across via my post, there is actually quite a few people that prefer using the analogue outputs rather digital when it comes to music.
> 
> Thanks JJ


Never mind.


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## jpk

Jungle Jack;20525
And if I was using the analogue outputs said:


> JJ,
> Who's in California? Are you returning it or is there another mod shop out there?
> I was taken by surprise when I heard of the SE, I'm wondering if I should have waited? Yes, I use my 83 for a lot of M/C audio via analog out. (I'll have to see how the reviews and $$$ go.)
> Joe


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## Jungle Jack

Hello,
California is where OPPO HQ is located and is where you send your BDP-83 if you wish to have it upgraded to a BDP-83SE
Cheers,
JJ


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## recruit

Good news is we will be able to get our hands on the BDP83SE model too, as our UK importer will make them available come early December :jump:


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## jpk

Jungle Jack said:


> Hello,
> California is where OPPO HQ is located and is where you send your BDP-83 if you wish to have it upgraded to a BDP-83SE
> Cheers,
> JJ


Thanks JJ,
I'm in the que for the upgrade:yay: I do wish I knew how much more the Nuforce mods added. If Nuforce adds enough to justify the cost or is it diminishing returns? Since I'm back-ordered, maybe there will be some reviews of each soon.
Thanks Again,
Happy Turkey Day!:meal:
Joe


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## recruit

It will be interesting to know what the differences make between the Nu Force MOD and Oppo's own mod, would love to get my hands on them :daydream:


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## jpk

To me, and many others, Nuforce seems overly protective about disclosing their "improvements" to Oppos. What they say is pretty general, especially for the extra $$$. I am very tempted to get the Oppo SE upgrade though!

Hope this helps!

Joe


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## recruit

The upgraded DAC's board is certainly a winner for a lot of people but not just for the multichannel output but for the stereo output too, it seems that Nu Force have changed the PSU and tweaked some more to obviously increase performance over the standard SE.


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## Jungle Jack

Hello,
With a player as throughly engineered as the BDP-83, the point of diminishing returns comes quickly in my opinion. While I do not doubt that having an upgraded power supply and DAC's can yield an improvement, but is the juice worth the squeeze when you are tripling the initial purchase price?

I would be most inclined to do the full upgrade if I was running a purist 5 channel processor. Something like the Parasound P7. With so many processors redigitizing the analogue signal, it can become a slippery slope when the improvements are lost by going through conversion.
Cheers,
JJ


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## recruit

Jungle Jack said:


> Hello,
> With a player as throughly engineered as the BDP-83, the point of diminishing returns comes quickly in my opinion. While I do not doubt that having an upgraded power supply and DAC's can yield an improvement, but is the juice worth the squeeze when you are tripling the initial purchase price?
> 
> I would be most inclined to do the full upgrade if I was running a purist 5 channel processor. Something like the Parasound P7. With so many processors redigitizing the analogue signal, it can become a slippery slope when the improvements are lost by going through conversion.
> Cheers,
> JJ


It is also difficult to judge one against the other unless you purchase both or know someone who has either unit, is Nu Force an Internet based retailer also JJ or can you demo them somewhere in the US?


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## Jungle Jack

Hello,
John, that is a good idea. Nuforce does have dealers and one in Florida to boot. I suppose I could take my BDP-83 and compare it to their Turbocharged version provided they had it on display.

It appears the Nuforce Retailer is on the other side of the peninsula, but next time I cross over Alligator Alley, I really might see if this is possible.
Cheers,
JJ


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## recruit

That is perfect JJ as that is the only real way of telling how much of an improvement there is upon the stock model, I would always if possible get home demos but that is the next best way of doing it


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## jpk

Jungle Jack said:


> Hello,
> With a player as throughly engineered as the BDP-83, the point of diminishing returns comes quickly in my opinion. While I do not doubt that having an upgraded power supply and DAC's can yield an improvement, but is the juice worth the squeeze when you are tripling the initial purchase price?
> 
> I would be most inclined to do the full upgrade if I was running a purist 5 channel processor. Something like the Parasound P7. With so many processors redigitizing the analogue signal, it can become a slippery slope when the improvements are lost by going through conversion.
> Cheers,
> JJ


Excellent point JJ. I'm not sure how my Outlaw 990 compares to the P7? I just looked and I have a bypass mode to keep it pure analog. You have me asking myself if it's worth the upgrade? Am I overly complicating the setup if I do some setup/trims/bass man. in the player and some in the pre-pro?
I was hoping to take the analog to the next level, but understand your comment. 
Another thought I had is if/when my pre-pro dies, will the replacement have better DACs then the Sabre upgrade? It just never ends!:help::yikes:
Joe


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## Lordoftherings

jpk said:


> 1. Am I overly complicating the setup if I do some setup/trims/bass man. in the player and some in the pre-pro?
> 2. I was hoping to take the analog to the next level, but understand your comment.
> 3. Another thought I had is if/when my pre-pro dies, will the replacement have better DACs then the Sabre upgrade?
> 4. It just never ends!:help::yikes:
> Joe


1. In all high probability. Start by room acoustic treatments...

2. In this digital age, analog is futile...

3. Most likely.

4. Indeed. Me think that Oppo is after a recoup over a money loss...


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## Jungle Jack

Hello,
While I am greatly impressed by the BDP-83SE, 900 Dollars is a fairly serious investment in a Source Component. I must say part of it is sticker shock after following OPPO for so many years.

While OPPO is one of the most consumer driven companies out there seeming to listen and answer every videophile's wish and want, they really started out as a budget multiregion player with internal NTSC/PAL conversion. As the years have progressed, they have really stepped up their game. But I will say they have to be the first Chinese Owned Company to enter the High End. Obviously, not Chinese Manufactured.

There are of course many high value tube amplifiers coming from Chinese Companies, but in electronics specifically Digital Players, OPPO really seems to be the first. Moreover, with the initial rollout of Blu Ray Players, BDA (Blu Ray Disc Association) did not grant a license to a Chinese based Company for the first couple of years. Much of this was due to the rampant piracy of media in China.
Also noteworthy is that the BDP-83 is the first OPPO Player that is not multiregion via a simple remote control sequence and has to be hardware modified to be multiregion.

I am a big fan of OPPO and own 2 of their Players and love them(BDP-83, DV-980H). So please do not take this as a negative reaction. It is just 900 Dollars is a hefty sum for a BDP.
Cheers,
JJ


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## tiggers97

Has anyone had a chance to compare the Oppo (regular or SE) SACD performance against something like the Denon 2910?


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## Lordoftherings

tiggers97 said:


> Has anyone had a chance to compare the Oppo (regular or SE) SACD performance against something like the Denon 2910?


No, but from what I've read (and I do read a lot, trust me), the Oppo BDP-83 from it's digital HDMI output through a direct bitstream in a capable receiver, is the better audio sounding unit with SACDs.

The Denon DVD-2910 is a nice Universal DVD player, but is falling behind now. The 2930 would be better, and the 3910 or even better the 3930 would compare more favorably. And I'm not talking about Denon Link here, but from the multichannel analog out.

But why doing so, when you can have the direct bitstream out of the Oppo through your receiver direct DSD HDMI input?

For me now, multichannel analog and Denon Link are dead. It's all about digital HDMI interface now, with Pure Direct DSD stream, from output to input to reproduction into your speakers. And that, is a feature of the Oppo BDP-83 Universal Blu-ray Disc Player.

Just my 0.02 cents.


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## tiggers97

Just wondering as I have a Deonon 2910 now that I use for only CD/SACD/DVDA playback.


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## Jungle Jack

Hello,
Bob nailed it. Even the base model BDP-83 would allow you send SACD as a direct bitstream to a HDMI 1.2+ Processor/Receiver. Again this only matters if your processor is HDMI 1.2 on up as 1.2 is when SACD over HDMI was unlocked.
Cheers,
JJ


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## Lordoftherings

tiggers97 said:


> Just wondering as I have a Deonon 2910 now that I use for only CD/SACD/DVDA playback.


Hey Mike, what receiver or pre/pro are you using?

* I have a Denon DVD-1920 connected to a Denon AVR-3805 through its multichannel analog outputs in a secondary system, and I'm happy with the sound. Both the Universal DVD player and Receiver are too old to be connected differently, so this is the only alternative I got for that system. 
But like I said, the sound is very satisfying in that system.

Your Denon DVD-2910 has some good Dacs in it, and should sound superb if connected the same way.
Of course, SACD & DVD Audio are the better sounding formats.

But Mike, if you get the Oppo BDP-83 Universal Blu-ray Disc Player (the standard basic model at $499), and that you can get a Receiver with HDMI 1.2 or more (1.3 better), and the ditto receiver accept a Direct DSD stream through its HDMI inputs, you'll get the best of both worlds. Only one cable solution, for both multichannel SACD, and Dolby TrueHD & DTS-HD MA from Blu-ray discs.
You will play all type of audio disc formats from that only single HDMI cable.
As for multichannel DVD Audio discs, you are probably aware that not all of them can output multichannel sound from a digital HDMI output, due to copy protection; but you still be able to get the 2-channel stereo full high resolution audio from that HDMI connection.
Anyway, for me DVD Audio is a very flaw format that I wished never existed in first place, or at least let you output high resolution audio from the digital HDMI connection (Hollywood paranoia...).
Most Warner Bros titles and others won't allow you this, but some Classical or Jazz or Blues music from different labels will. 

Your Denon DVD-2910 is just fine, but the question is, do you want to do what I just mentioned here above, to simplify life and benefit from a great sounding Universal player at an amazing value, which happens to also play Blu-ray discs superbly from its Anchor Bay ABT2010 video processor chip?
We are almost in the year 2010 (pun intended), HDMI version 1.4 is already knocking at our doors, and Ultra High Resolution video (4K x 2K) with extensive 3D support is already in the works.
How long will it takes till you adapt with this fast pasted tecnological advancement of our times?
You have two choices; or you can let pass you by, or you can try to follow it.
Personally, I'm trying, but it always seems so futile, as I don't have a constant financial source of funds.

Cheers,
Bob


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## tiggers97

Hi Bob. I'm in the same financial boat. My receiver is a Boston Acoustics AVR7120, which is the same as a Sherwood Newcastle P-965. These are very nice receivers, but alas probably one of the last ones of this caliber that did NOT include HDMI. I don't plan on upgrading till the receiver starts to die, or I stumble on some killer deal.

I agree with your ranking, and of late have been considering backup options for when my Denon dies someday. My Choices are 1) Buy another unit as ranked above. Some good deals out there as they do not play blu-ray. 2) save up for the Oppo regular blu-ray, or 3) buy a laser head transport for the 2910. It's the most common part to fail on these players, so would just be extending the life of my current 2910. Yes, the HDMI would be great. But I'm happy with what I have now.


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## Lordoftherings

Hi Mike,

Thanks for responding. Now, I see the picture much more clearer.

Here's my take: Get a new receiver, like an Onkyo TX-SR876 ($799.99, brand new at Tiger Direct.com), and get a new Universal Blu-ray player, like the Oppo BDP-83 ($499). That's all Mike. That will give you all the magic performance, solid build, quality components, exceptional value, and also put you right up to date with the latest High Resolution Everything Audio/Video wise. You will be the new HDMI converted guy of your block.
And for all this top notch new equipment, price of admission is only $1,300. The true value is more like $5,000.

Cheers to you Mike,
Bob

P.S. Just by getting the Universal Oppo BDP-83 for now, and using its multichannel analog output, and its HDMI output connected directly to your TV display, will gain you a lot already. You do have a TV set with HDMI, don't you Mike?
And then later on, when finances permitting, simply replace your receiver by one of the Onkyo THX Ultra2+ certified receiver. It will be an upgrade for sure over your actual Boston Acoustics AVR7120 receiver.
* Out of the three options you just mentioned, the #2 (save up for the regular Oppo BDP-83) is the most sensible one.

And if you really don't want all the benefits of Blu-ray and HDMI, then, the Denon Universal DVD-3910 player is the best audio sounding machine from its mutichannel analog out, and for its price. The analog section is fabulous, and is using the same Dacs that are in the next model after, the DVD-3930CI (TI B-B DSD-1796). The Denon DVD-3910 can be found for about $200 or so, maybe less.


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## recruit

The Upgrade Company  TUC  are also doing modified versions of the Oppo BDP83 with prices coming in at $1500-$2000...

I'll bet they'll be very nice indeed :whistling:


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## Lordoftherings

And the price of the original BDP-83 is just getting higher and higher...

* Not surprising though, everybody else is simply getting a very nice machine, and doing their own modifications to it, by making it even better from the analog section (power supply, Dacs, etc.); which means there is still money to be made in that niche market. 
Me think it's only a money grab. If you really want a good quality sound from your SACDs and DVD-Audios, and CDs; why not just get a Denon DVD-3910 or DVD-3930CI, or even the DVD-5910 on the used market?
Or about an Arcam FMJ DVD player? They are excellent sounding machines. John, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. Or simply get a good transport machine, and add a great external Dac to it. Nowadays it's cheap.
There is a certain point you reach, and realise that you can be smart, and spend your money wisely.
This is what this hobby is all about... High End Sound for Low Money. Well, at least for normal people that are truly conscientious.
And if you have a lot of money, then who really cares. I know, I've been there. I was not frequenting audio forums then... Why? Because I was simply just too busy making it.

Just my 0.02 cents, again...


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## Jungle Jack

Hello,
No matter how you do the calculus, adding 400 Dollars over the regular version is hard for me to swallow. It almost amounts to doubling the price of the BDP-83 for upgrades that are only applicable to the analogue portion of the player. I really would have liked to see a more substantial transport, and a heavier chassis.

No doubt the Sabre is a killer chipset. This just would have been easier to swallow as a 200 Dollar upgrade over the base model. Usually almost doubling the price of the player in a Manufacturers lineup results in a wholly different model.

I am not trying to sound negative about the SE. I am just struggling with a 400 Dollar difference. I know you also get the RS 232 upgrade that is optional on the base, but I am still struggling with the price increase and value proposition.
Cheers,
JJ


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## Lordoftherings

I knew already your way of thinking, and I do agree with you Jack.

* And you know what; I don't think a player that weights more, like 20 pounds or so, would make much difference in the sound quality (but a beefy power supply does help). Also, the ESS Sabre32 Premier is not the last word at all in quality Dac. It is actually used in very cheap players. 

My opinion again, just like yours.


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## Jungle Jack

Hello,
Bob, I realize this. It is just I was initially tempted to send my OPPO in and wrestled with it. And the more I thought about it, the more it bothered me. I suppose seeing 899.99 as the asking price on the website caused me to have a reaction. I realize I could have sent in my 83 for 300 Dollars and applied a sticker making it a quasi 83SE.

For that money, you can pick up a Onkyo TX-SR876, which at that price represents absurd value.
I am just a huge fan of products which offer high value/performance ratios.

Again, I am sure the OPPO SE sounds marvelous via the analogue outputs. However, is it better than using HDMI and having Audyssey and Bass Management via your AVR/SSP? Therefore, I am greatly looking forward to Kal Rubinson's forthcoming review of the BDP-83, BDP-83SE and the Lexicon BD-30.
Cheers,
JJ


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## Lordoftherings

Agreed again.

* Yep, I'm missing Kal here recently. He's a great man, simple and trusty.


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## recruit

Personally the value of the original standard Oppo player is a bargain, and I will not be upgrading as I feel I have no need to as the quality is perfectly adequate for what I need, the DAC's in my AV888 are of very high quality and that makes it no go for other players and with my new CD player my system sounds the best it ever has, but there will be people who will feel that the upgrades of the new Oppo's are worth it I'm sure whether it be the SE/Nu Force or TUC...


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## Kal Rubinson

Lordoftherings said:


> Agreed again.
> 
> * Yep, I'm missing Kal here recently. He's a great man, simple and trusty.


Say that to my wife, please.


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## Jon Liu

I am on the fence right now between upgrading to the SE or just keeping my stock Oppo, so I am really looking forward to Kal's forthcoming review/comparison!


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## recruit

Jon Liu said:


> I am on the fence right now between upgrading to the SE or just keeping my stock Oppo, so I am really looking forward to Kal's forthcoming review/comparison!


Jon - just go for the Nu Force upgraded model and give us the run down, you guys are very lucky over there as we have to import and costs some serious dollars


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## Lordoftherings

Kal Rubinson said:


> Say that to my wife, please.


Ok, just show her my previous post then. 

And you can make a copy of it with an enlargement, and put it in a frame right over her head in the bedroom. :bigsmile:

* But seriously, say Hi to her from me, and it's nice to see you Kal.
The only downer is I don't have a single question for you at this time, as everything is perfectly sound in my home theater, and also in my life. 
Again, that's just my opinion, YMMV.

Cheers,
Bob


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## Lordoftherings

recruit said:


> Personally the value of the original standard Oppo player is a bargain, and I will not be upgrading as I feel I have no need to as the quality is perfectly adequate for what I need, the DAC's in my AV888 are of very high quality and that makes it no go for other players and with my new CD player my system sounds the best it ever has, but there will be people who will feel that the upgrades of the new Oppo's are worth it I'm sure whether it be the SE/Nu Force or TUC...


Wow! That is a smart deduction indeed. I totally agree with you here John. :T



Jon Liu said:


> I am on the fence right now between upgrading to the SE or just keeping my stock Oppo, so I am really looking forward to Kal's forthcoming review/comparison!


Living on the edge is cool. See the wise statement from John's above quote. 
* Yeah, I like to read everything (well almost) that Kal writes... Just kidding, I'm also looking forward to his comparison, but somehow, I feel I already know the scoop. 



recruit said:


> Jon - just go for the Nu Force upgraded model and give us the run down, you guys are very lucky over there as we have to import and costs some serious dollars


Hey, that's an idea! :bigsmile:


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## Kal Rubinson

Lordoftherings said:


> The only downer is I don't have a single question for you at this time, as everything is perfectly sound in my home theater, and also in my life.


You are to be envied.


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## Kal Rubinson

Lordoftherings said:


> * Yeah, I like to read everything (well almost) that Kal writes... Just kidding, I'm also looking forward to his comparison, but somehow, I feel I already know the scoop.


Then you know more than I do. So far, I have been doing this blind and all I know is how I would describe the differences between the first pair but I do not know which is which.


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## Lordoftherings

Kal Rubinson said:


> You are to be envied.


Not true, just a simple philosophy applied in my life now. It was not always that way, and I'm always uncertain about the future. So you see Kal, I'm no better than anyone else.
But I sure do apply some room treatments starting with my brains. :bigsmile:


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## Lordoftherings

Kal Rubinson said:


> Then you know more than I do. So far, I have been doing this blind and all I know is how I would describe the differences between the first pair but I do not know which is which.


Lol.


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## jegyed

I made the jump right to the SE, and I love it.

I am one of those "analog" users with a legacy processor, no HDMI. My Pre-Processor has a good two channel pre-amp and I have been happy with it. Like many my system evolved from a high-end two channel one that now accomodates home theater. I had a Sony SACD/DVD player that was considered ok but never truely impressed me. I did not want to spring for a $2500 universal DVD and then the Oppo SE appeared. 

I currently find myself running all of my processing out of the Oppo and find that the sound is more open, with plenty of slam. I was perfectly happy with my pre-procesor for movies and its dacs for redbook CD, but the Oppo SE is a big improvent on SACD and CD. That said I agree with Oppo, unless you are buying the SE for music playback, on a high end system, you should not spend the extra money. 

On Sacd and CD via the analog outputs I am very impressed. Since you are waiting for the reviews I suspect you have a very high end system and music is your goal. 

Have not heard the Nu-force, but from reading the liturature they seem to be cleaning up the circuit path and power a bit. I suspect that the Nu-force will have a slightly better bottom and top end, with the emphasis on slightly. If your system can resolve it then the Nu-force should be a good value. 

Looking forward to Kal's reveiw, but for my system I am very, very happy.


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## recruit

Thanks for the feedback Edge :T I also look forward to reviews of the Oppo SE and Nu Force version too, I had the PSU in my standard Oppo upgraded to the SE version and it has certainly made it more responsive and can imagine the DAC upgrade must very good indeed!


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## Jungle Jack

Hello,
There is no doubt that the Sabre based chipset on the 83 SE really makes for excellent analog performance. It truly is an impressive chipset and the added power supply makes an already excellent player that much better. 

However, if only using HDMI, the major cost increase is not worth it. Even OPPO makes this clear. The almost twice as much price could be used for acoustic treatments or a used 2 channel amplifier just to name 2 upgrades that could be done with the savings.
Cheers,
JJ


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## recruit

I'd love to put the Oppo SE or Nu Force analogues through the pre amp stage of my AV888 to see how they sound in comparison to the HDMI connection :bigsmile:


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