Oppo 103 Blu-ray Player Gets 3 Stars!

[ellisdj]

Sogphonio - in what ways do you find the 95 better than the 71? Aside loading speeds?

 

[Frank Harvey]

Have you had a chance to read the review yet then David?

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.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Have you had a chance to read the review yet then David?

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.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

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?

Hi Ben. I'm right aren't I? What other reson is there?

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.

 

[sogophonio11]

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.

 

[jjbomber]

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.

 

[ellisdj]

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?

 

[Deleted member 2457]

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.

 

[sogophonio11]

Morning all. ellisdj, to answer your questions then. I use 7.1 from the 95 into the audiolab, using eight chord cadenzas. I use a projector onto a ten foot screen. The oppo is set to source direct, and i use hdmi straight out into the jvc.

All signals, wether audio or video, are straight line, no switching, processing or anything like that.

There are thousands of guys out there who are now tearing there hair out! What no fangled avr in your system. All those expensive cables. How do you control it all. Simple, logitech universal. Nice simple system, for enjoying, not messing with.

Sorry picture quality compared to lx71, sharp, breathtakingly cinematic, simply lightyears ahead of the 71.

Hope this helps you.

 

[Frank Harvey]

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.

Nonsense. Manufacturers will send their items to reviewers either off their own back, or after it being requested by the magazine/reviewer. If a magazine really wants to review a product and the manufacturer won't send them a sample, the magazine/reviewer can purchase one to perform the review. I'm guessing some manufacturers might pick and choose which mag they send a review sample to based on their reputation.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

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.

Nonsense. Manufacturers will send their items to reviewers either off their own back, or after it being requested by the magazine/reviewer. If a magazine really wants to review a product and the manufacturer won't send them a sample, the magazine/reviewer can purchase one to perform the review. I'm guessing some manufacturers might pick and choose which mag they send a review sample to based on their reputation.

WHF do review more Blu-ray players than anyone else though, that is what I meant. So they should know more about the competition than anyone else.

 

[Frank Harvey]

WHF do review more Blu-ray players than anyone else though, that is what I meant. So they should know more about the competition than anyone else.

Maybe they should spend some more time with the Oppo then rather than every player available in the £100-300 price point.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

WHF do review more Blu-ray players than anyone else though, that is what I meant. So they should know more about the competition than anyone else.

Maybe they should spend some more time with the Oppo then rather than every player available in the £100-300 price point.

How does the Marantz 7007 compare to the Oppo 103? Have you compared the two? Because WHF like the sound of that.

 

[Frank Harvey]

As I mentioned before, the bigger picture needs to be looked at

 

[Deleted member 2457]

WHF do review more Blu-ray players than anyone else though, that is what I meant. So they should know more about the competition than anyone else.

Maybe they should spend some more time with the Oppo then rather than every player available in the £100-300 price point.

WHF have already stated they took a long hard look at the Oppo and to be quite honest it don't take long to work out which ones are good either.

 

[duaplex]

Not necessarily, not all products are excellent out of the box and some calibration is needed to bring the best out them. I believe this the point David is making.

When you compare the Oppo 103 to say the Pioneer 450 on a 50 inch TV you wil struggle to see the difference, its there but you have to look hard. Now switch over to a projector and the difference is very clear. The 103 has the best picture quality around. right up there with the 715BD if not better. This was my experience when I had a recent demo and yes I adjusted the settings to get there.

The review is harsh, I would have gone with 4 stars and awarded the 105 the 5, purely because it's better on Music.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Not necessarily, not all products are excellent out of the box and some calibration is needed to bring the best out them. I believe this the point David is making.

When you compare the Oppo 103 to say the Pioneer 450 on a 50 inch TV you wil struggle to see the difference, its there but you have to look hard. Now switch over to a projector and the difference is very clear. The 103 has the best picture quality around. right up there with the 715BD if not better. This was my experience when I had a recent demo and yes I adjusted the settings to get there.

The review is harsh, I would have gone with 4 stars and awarded the 105 the 5, purely because it's better on Music.

My personal opinion of the 751bd picture quality is poor, so if this Oppo is like the 751 bd the review is spot on! I do like the sound on the 751bd though, dont know about the Oppo sound but trust the review.

 

[duaplex]

Perhaps whoever gave you a demo did a bad job? The 715BD is fab, if you trust reviews from whathifi then it's a 5/5

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Perhaps whoever gave you a demo did a bad job? The 715BD is fab, if you trust reviews from whathifi then it's a 5/5

Possibly it was Richer Sounds. I like my Pioneer me and when that was first reviewed it got 5 stars.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Perhaps whoever gave you a demo did a bad job? The 715BD is fab, if you trust reviews from whathifi then it's a 5/5

Possibly it was Richer Sounds. I like my Pioneer me and when that was first reviewed it got 5 stars.

I have tried other brands but don't get on with them.

 

[duaplex]

But we still can't play Prometheus 3D on our pioneer, wish they would hurry up with the update. Mind you Panasonic never seems to have issues with playback of newer formats. That's another thing Oppo has going for it.

 

[ellisdj]

Morning all. ellisdj, to answer your questions then. I use 7.1 from the 95 into the audiolab, using eight chord cadenzas. I use a projector onto a ten foot screen. The oppo is set to source direct, and i use hdmi straight out into the jvc.

All signals, wether audio or video, are straight line, no switching, processing or anything like that.

There are thousands of guys out there who are now tearing there hair out! What no fangled avr in your system. All those expensive cables. How do you control it all. Simple, logitech universal. Nice simple system, for enjoying, not messing with.

Sorry picture quality compared to lx71, sharp, breathtakingly cinematic, simply lightyears ahead of the 71.

Hope this helps you.

Hi Sogo

Using the Oppo / LX71 that way for audio its not surprising you have seen such a jump in performance a comparison to the Oppo really would be the LX91.

So from what you are saying you run 7 full range speakers and sub @ the full 120hz or do you use internal sound mangement in the Oppo such as crossover setting and levels?

I dont remember the LX71 having any setup like that for analogue, maybe it does I dont remember seeing it?

I wonder if the gap is much closer over hdmi pcm?

 

[Deleted member 2457]

But we still can't play Prometheus 3D on our pioneer, wish they would hurry up with the update. Mind you Panasonic never seems to have issues with playback of newer formats. That's another thing Oppo has going for it.

Did you ever buy the Oppo then? Because you still have the Pioneer in your signature.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Not necessarily, not all products are excellent out of the box and some calibration is needed to bring the best out them. I believe this the point David is making.

When you compare the Oppo 103 to say the Pioneer 450 on a 50 inch TV you wil struggle to see the difference, its there but you have to look hard. Now switch over to a projector and the difference is very clear. The 103 has the best picture quality around. right up there with the 715BD if not better. This was my experience when I had a recent demo and yes I adjusted the settings to get there.

The review is harsh, I would have gone with 4 stars and awarded the 105 the 5, purely because it's better on Music.

Can't see the Oppo 105 getting anywhere near 5 stars if it produces the same budget Blu-ray picture as the Oppo 103 at double the money which David says it does, then we could be looking at 2 stars! Like you say though the sound should be better quality on the more expensive one. Guess we will have to wait and see.

 

[bigboss]

The only difference between Oppo 105 & Oppo 103 is enhanced audio quality. Picture quality is exactly the same (same as with CA 651 BD / 751BD).