(Obliterated) OPPO BDP-105 Review (Blu-ray/DVD/SACD/CD Player)

[MoreWatts]

Great review! I enjoy these reviews of some audio-gear classics.

Bybee "Labs" "Music Rail"; ModWright tubes ; Cardas RCAs; "The Pulse Gen ZX" internal power supply enhancement, with voodoo crystals. Upgrades?

The original power supply was probably drowned by the massive flow of snake-oil that poured from this "ModWright" unit.

This snake-oil was purchased to the level where ModWright was able to start an actual tube audio company. They market a full line of pricey tube products. Their 'discontinued modifcations' list shows they did 'upgrades' for 3 OPPO models, and about 10 other audio products.

One of their first tube 'upgrades' was the SlimDevices/Logitech Transporter, a streamer/DAC/digital preamp, in 2008. The ModWright Transporter was a $2000 upgrade for your Transporter (which was already a $2K device), or for $3600 they'd sell you a model direct. The power supply was also 'upgraded,' to include an audiophile-approved mass of copper. 6 Moons did a nice overview of the mods, actually worth a look. For $2K, they did fill the box....

I recently retired a 'stock' Transporter, in continual use since 2007. I did replace the power supply -- the small, yellow board -- for ~$10. Retired the unit for a WiiM Ultra, of course.

This shows 'before' and a small 'after':

Here's a larger 'after':

 

[Daverz]

A cautionary tale about toxic nostalgia. I sometimes find myself longing to return to warm, cozy evenings as a child sitting in front of our big console TV that still used vacuum tubes because Dad wouldn't replace it with a solid state model if the old one was working just fine. I don't remember any pink quartz being involved, though.