Review and Measurements of Oppo UDP-205 UHD Player

[Descartes]

I purchased my BDP-205 shortly after it was released and have enjoyed years of fantastic listening, in particular SACD disc playback of classic jazz titles. Recently, for the first time, I purchased a few high rez downloads (128K DSD) from the best known sites, loaded them onto a thumbdrive and tried playback through the USB 3.0 inputs, expecting further improvements over SACD discs. Instead, it has been hugely disappointing -- in direct comparison with SACD discs, the USB sound is lifeless, 2 dimensional and what I think of as "digital" sound. I next tried a high rez PCM download of the 2021 remaster of CSNY's Deja Vu and again, the sound was awful. Literally unlistenable. So I'm baffled... is there something I'm missing here? Is there something inherently worse about playback of files off of a thumb drive? If anyone can shed any light on this, I'd really appreciate it.

Strange especially if they are high resolution files!!

 

[GXAlan]

Strange especially if they are high resolution files!!

That user @charlesnyc posted once and never returned. Shrug.

I do think one problem is that there are amazing vinyl, CD, and SACD recordings. I doubt the question was for the same recording, released in DSD128 compared to the SACD. You can easily make a poor recording in DSD128 and that is a definite problem of having to buy without trying. Back in the day or brick and mortar music stores, you could listen to music before buying. With Amazon Music HD and Tidal, you can also try listening to high res sources but then the question is if you still want to buy a high res digital download when the streaming is so easy? I have found that I will buy physical media if I like the streaming but rarely have purchased digital downloads if I like the streaming version.

 

[Open Mind Audio]

That user @charlesnyc posted once and never returned. Shrug.

I do think one problem is that there are amazing vinyl, CD, and SACD recordings. I doubt the question was for the same recording, released in DSD128 compared to the SACD. You can easily make a poor recording in DSD128 and that is a definite problem of having to buy without trying. Back in the day or brick and mortar music stores, you could listen to music before buying. With Amazon Music HD and Tidal, you can also try listening to high res sources but then the question is if you still want to buy a high res digital download when the streaming is so easy? I have found that I will buy physical media if I like the streaming but rarely have purchased digital downloads if I like the streaming version.

One exception: I'll buy digital downloads, even if I'm happy with the streaming, as a way to support my favorite artists. Ditto for CDs -- and that's usually my first choice, buying a CD straight from the artist's site. I wish more artists had the ability to sell high-res digital downloads from their own sites (I'm talking smaller-sales artists here, not the Rolling Stones).

Knowing how poorly the major streaming services compensate smaller-selling and independent artists, it's important to look for ways to support the people you listen to all the time.

 

[GXAlan]

One exception: I'll buy digital downloads, even if I'm happy with the streaming, as a way to support my favorite artists. Ditto for CDs -- and that's usually my first choice, buying a CD straight from the artist's site. I wish more artists had the ability to sell high-res digital downloads from their own sites (I'm talking smaller-sales artists here, not the Rolling Stones).

Knowing how poorly the major streaming services compensate smaller-selling and independent artists, it's important to look for ways to support the people you listen to all the time.

Agree. Often times when supporting the artist, I will go for the vinyl since it is a different mastering.

 

[Descartes]

One exception: I'll buy digital downloads, even if I'm happy with the streaming, as a way to support my favorite artists. Ditto for CDs -- and that's usually my first choice, buying a CD straight from the artist's site. I wish more artists had the ability to sell high-res digital downloads from their own sites (I'm talking smaller-sales artists here, not the Rolling Stones).

Knowing how poorly the major streaming services compensate smaller-selling and independent artists, it's important to look for ways to support the people you listen to all the time.

Agree, I wish Jesse Cook would do that, release all his albums in high-definition or better yet DSD multichannel SACD!

I own every single one of his CDs.

 

[ericdammann]

Hi All
Has anyone had a chance to check out this player yet? Is it a worthy successor to the 205?

Blu-ray discs won’t last forever, but this new beast of a 4K Blu-ray player might

Blu-ray in beast mode

www.techradar.com

 

[MacCali]

Hi All
Has anyone had a chance to check out this player yet? Is it a worthy successor to the 205?

Blu-ray discs won’t last forever, but this new beast of a 4K Blu-ray player might

Blu-ray in beast mode

www.techradar.com

I posted a complete thread on this to see if anyone has any knowledge on it. Considering it’s being touted as an oppo clone.

Honestly if the performance is accurate than it’s worth it, manufacturer specs. Considering you will use the analog outputs and SACD’s. If it’s strictly for movies no point

In a YT review the picture quality on the Panasonic is top notch and obviously you will use digital out to your processor/AVR, so measurements mean nothing pretty much

 

[Descartes]

I posted a complete thread on this to see if anyone has any knowledge on it. Considering it’s being touted as an oppo clone.

Honestly if the performance is accurate than it’s worth it, manufacturer specs. Considering you will use the analog outputs and SACD’s. If it’s strictly for movies no point

In a YT review the picture quality on the Panasonic is top notch and obviously you will use digital out to your processor/AVR, so measurements mean nothing pretty much

Now Panasonic just need to support SACD

 

[lewdish]

Its so sad that Oppo knew what they were doing but just didnt feel like it was worth maintaining, imo they would have been a bigger company today had they kept at it, ironically Oppo is smaller today than many of its sister brands

 

[bhu1kaura]

I am facing an issue with the balanced output from OPPO-UDP205.. One of the channel is ~6db less than the other.. The unbalanced output does not have this issue.. I checked the level and distance of both the channels and it's the same. Is anyone else facing the same problem?

 

[tmtomh]

I am facing an issue with the balanced output from OPPO-UDP205.. One of the channel is ~6db less than the other.. The unbalanced output does not have this issue.. I checked the level and distance of both the channels and it's the same. Is anyone else facing the same problem?

I switched my 205 from unbalanced to balanced several weeks ago and have not experienced this issue. Which channel is louder? Also, apologies if this is a dumb question, but have you swapped the XLR cables between the L and R channels to make sure it's not an issue with one of the interconnects? And have you swapped the XLR cables L to R at only one end (the Oppo or else whatever you're feeding it into) to ensure it's not an issue with the downstream component?

 

[bhu1kaura]

Swapped cables, same results.. Left channel is around 6db less than the right.. Input from OPPO is fed to Yamaha SP-2060.. From there on, two AUDIOPHONICS HPA-S500NC amps are feeding the external passive crossovers of Brystom Model T loudspeakers..

I checked the level controls in OPPO's android app and also in the Yamaha speaker processor.. All set to 0db.. Roon's headroom management plugin is also disabled.. What else should I check?

 

[MacCali]

Swapped cables, same results.. Left channel is around 6db less than the right.. Input from OPPO is fed to Yamaha SP-2060.. From there on, two AUDIOPHONICS HPA-S500NC amps are feeding the external passive crossovers of Brystom Model T loudspeakers..

I checked the level controls in OPPO's android app and also in the Yamaha speaker processor.. All set to 0db.. Roon's headroom management plugin is also disabled.. What else should I check?

Did you buy it new or used? Is this a recently purchased item

 

[Head_Unit]

Its so sad that Oppo knew what they were doing but just didnt feel like it was worth maintaining, imo they would have been a bigger company today had they kept at it, ironically Oppo is smaller today than many of its sister brands

I think it was a small and shrinking market, insane for a large company to participate in. But I sure wish they has spun it out or sold it off to some small employee core who could have kept it going. I didn't feel rich enough to get one of those players at the time, now I'm like "$300 for a no-controls-on-the-front Sony? "

 

[bhu1kaura]

Did you buy it new or used? Is this a recently purchased item

I bought it box packed with all accessories.. I was powering Bryston Model Ts with a single AUDIOPHONICS HPA-S500NC and felt that the sound was very lean.. Then bought another AUDIOPHONICS HPA-S500NC and Yamaha SP-2060 ( for multiple balanced outputs ) and am quite satisfied now, except for channel level mismatch.. One amp powers the triple 8" woofers and another powers dual 5" mids + dual tweeters..

 

[scottm_dj]

I genuinely don't understand what Oppo was thinking when they added that HDMI input; it's such a weird addition to a blu-ray player.

I'm not sure what they were thinking about either but I'm sure glad they did because I have a 100% analog system and that HDMI in is the only way to get something digital into it (video game system / Android box with high res audio etc). I'm sure everyone's noticed that players like Magnetar have completely copied the Oppo look, but NO ONE has added that critical (to me) HDMI in feature. Even on their ridiculous expensive 900 model, HDMI IN is nowhere to be found! I still have the 205 from when I picked up a Taiwanese model from a trade show as a last-ditch effort to get it for they were gone for good...and it's amazing that they're still putting the same DAC they put in there 6 years ago in current equipment. As I look for a DAC and streamer I realize that the 205 does 90% of what a streamer will do... except stream Qobuz in the highest resolution.

Besides Roon being an expensive memory hog (as well as now being taken over by a questionably shady conglomerate leaving its future highly in question)... someone rightly pointed out that Oppo left things a little unfinished on the Roon front when they jumped ship. You cannot stream multi-channel audio to the Oppo through their RAAT..or much more concerning it wont stream Native DSD! But I'm wondering just what I need to get to improve the sound of the 205 DAC? I mean that Eversolo DMP-A8 uses the awesome new AKM chipset... but I wouldn't use its i2s output, or it's highly touted analog volume control... and of course it's only two channel. Yes its got a lot a lot of features....but many are superfluous for me.

Like someone else here I have hundreds of ripped SACDs and DVD-Audios from back in the day so I made sure to modify my 205 to play those image files direct from SSD drives (it definitely makes an audio difference!). There's really not much this 205 beast cannot do. Heck even the new Schiit Syn analog surround sound "processor" would work beautifully with the two channel RCA-out of the Oppo into the Syn...and then into a multi-channel preamp--of which I also happen to have the equally coveted (and awesome) Audio Research multi-channel MP1. That ridiculously great sounding beast has three multi-channel analog inputs... so I can hook up virtually anything I want and switch from there.

I'm thinking of getting the base Eversolo A6 model to use as a streamer (and a nice feature NOT on the A8 is it can send multi-channel files including DSD through the HDMI port). I would Oppo-connect it via HDMI or Asynchronous USB because it has a lesser DAC than the Oppo...but a reportedly top-shelf streamer section and companion app. On the other side of things, if I could find a *better* DAC, I could run the digital audio output of the Oppo into that DAC and then into a separate input on my preamp.

Has anyone run the Oppo into an external DAC they recommend? Maybe a ladder/R2R from Denafrips (Ares/Pontus) or even Gustard (R/A26)? I debated pulling the plug on an older Aurender A10 (4 TB local storage & great ASR results), but in the digital world I kind of want to get something a little more modern the A10 is about the same vintage as the Oppo.

What's everyone's current thoughts on this now 6-year-old Oppo wunderkund...that's still at the top of its game?

 

[Count De Money]

perfect sound via its multichannel analog outs

except if you select “small” for your speakers then the subwoofer out gets clipped

this was confirmed by a guy on another forum who showed the clipped waveforms for subwoofer out. I could hear it too on my sub .

and despite what the oppo guru at avsforum suggested , it was never fixed by firmware

 

[Open Mind Audio]

perfect sound via its multichannel analog outs

except if you select “small” for your speakers then the subwoofer out gets clipped

this was confirmed by a guy on another forum who showed the clipped waveforms for subwoofer out. I could hear it too on my sub .

and despite what the oppo guru at avsforum suggested , it was never fixed by firmware

It's really quite an amazing piece of tech. Here eight years (?) after it was discontinued, it remains a Unicorn, able to multichannel DAC, play high-res discs, and stream stereo and multichannel with nearly the best of the best in each of those categories, not to mention being a fantastic DVD/Blu-Ray player. And I use mine as a 5.1 preamp to boot.

 

[scottm_dj]

Has anyone run the Oppo into an external DAC they recommend?

I have now "inherited" a really nice (hardware) Bryston BDP3 network streamer which runs into the Oppo. Unlike most of them that use some kind of Android chip said, this uses a true Intel and has plenty of memory for big music collections. On the flip side, I'm still getting used to the rather...interesting...interface . Curiously I tried both USB and coax input to the 205 and I vastly prefer coax (surprisingly).

I'm strongly thinking of picking up Orchard Audio's Pecan Pi+ DAC to pair it with the Oppo--as I can hear some digital glare on its venerable DAC. Its very reasonably priced (as I would configure) for a device that uses the brand-new state-of-the-art AKM R2R chipset, which is same one Eversolo A8 uses. They also have a very nice Streamer-DAC (with screen) that is just now coming out and available for a pre-order price. I saw both of the devices in-person at an audio show,..and they were rather impressive sounding.

The other option I looked into was Modwright's brand new Analog Bridge--which basically is a standalone "replacement" for their legacy modification of the Oppo 205. The only problem is I would never be able to/remember to manually turn on & off the device. Since it uses tubes, that would burn through them in no time flat...so that's not exactly ideal.

 

[MacCali]

I want to see the magnatar 800 or 900 in comparison. Not sure if there are any legit measurements, in addition it would probably need be the 900 with hopes that the video quality is better than the 800 which is less than the Panasonic hcx tech or whatever it’s called. Seems like that’s the only pitfall vs oppo’s, however we do not know or at least me if magnatar is better than oppo when it comes to video performance.