Review and Measurements of Oppo UDP-205 UHD Player

[c1ferrari]

Amir's tests really have not shed any light on optical transports, pun, pun! But, I don't think you can go wrong with an Oppo, any model. But, frankly, others may be just as good as transports.

Thanks for the reply. My Esoteric P-0s must be sent to Japan to effect repair and the process is cost prohibitive, ergo the search for a transport.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Thanks for the reply. My Esoteric P-0s must be sent to Japan to effect repair and the process is cost prohibitive, ergo the search for a transport.

Maybe this is a good option.

https://www.psaudio.com/perfectwave-memory-player/

It stores the data in solid state memory and then plays from that. You could do that with a computer and ripped discs. This however lets you have all the same interaction to listen to discs without storing things on a hard drive.

Sugden makes a unit working with the same idea, but it costs more.
https://www.sugdenaudio.com/pdt-4f-cd-player

 

[c1ferrari]

Maybe this is a good option.

https://www.psaudio.com/perfectwave-memory-player/

It stores the data in solid state memory and then plays from that. You could do that with a computer and ripped discs. This however lets you have all the same interaction to listen to discs without storing things on a hard drive.

Sugden makes a unit working with the same idea, but it costs more.
https://www.sugdenaudio.com/pdt-4f-cd-player

Hi,

Thanks Blumlein I was just viewing a PS Audio video with NAS as the topic. I'll investigate the PWT...hopefully, it will complement the Merging Hapi I'm using for AD/DA conversion.

 

[esm]

As for HDMI, I will see if I can test it.

Maybe I missed it, but I'm guessing you never had a chance to run any HDMI tests while you still had it in hand?

As an FYI for folks looking for one of these (I'm in the market for something like the 203/205), it looks like Oppo will be doing one last batch of them in August, and there's a mailing list you can sign up for, if you're interested.

 

[amirm]

Maybe I missed it, but I'm guessing you never had a chance to run any HDMI tests while you still had it in hand?

I did run a quick test but ran into a problem. When using either HDMI or S/PDIF, the *balanced* output voltage dropped in half! This made any direct comparison to USB difficult. Specifically, the lower output level hurt the signal to noise ratio in tests like THD+N:

I then had to return the unit so no chance to run more tests. Good news is that performance is the same as S/PDIF over HDMI which is great. Past experience showed HDMI to be worse in other devices I tested a few years ago.

Unfortunately I had to pack the unit and send it back so couldn't do more.

 

[ampegaG]

wow, nwavguy once said headphone impedance should be at least 8 times the impedance if the amplifier. I don't think there are any modern headphones with 960 Ohm impedance

The acclaimed HD800 meassures 600+Ohm in frequency range around 100-200 Hz, where the body of the music resides, so this could be a perfect match.

 

[yummy]

so buggy!

 

[envydd]

Amir's tests really have not shed any light on optical transports, pun, pun! But, I don't think you can go wrong with an Oppo, any model. But, frankly, others may be just as good as transports. It is the DAC and audio circuitry that really sets the 205 apart, although Oppo has also always had benchmark performance on video as well. I have had a number of Oppos over many years, and I always found them excellent, though I never had a 203/205.

However, I play all my files either as ripped from PC hard drive or as played by the cheap optical drives in my PC. I have detected no noticeable audio or video differences from using a separate player as a transport vs. the internal PC optical drives. But, I find file audio playback from hard drive subjectively a bit more "relaxed" sounding, meaning slightly preferable, but nothing to get excited about. No noticeable difference on video quality, though. There is speculation in some circles that servo motors and the electromechanical optical drive assemblies might slightly modulate power supplies or generate slight variable EMI internally, more so than with PC hard drives. But, that might also be a total myth.

I think it might be fair to say that no measurement studies have indicated anything significant about most optical drives in PCs vs. separate players or confirmed the superiority of hard drive playback.

Note also that use of an Oppo as a transport might restrict player output options, such as with SACD, due to DRM. No issues with CD, however.

Have you compared with a good transport e.g. psaudio DMP or the NuPrime CDT-8 (both can upsample to DSD that helps with imperfect CDs) ... I hear that a good transport can make real difference. I am on the fence to buy one as I am not giving up on CDs yet. In fact doubling down!

 

[RayDunzl]

I hear that a good transport can make real difference.

After opening my first CD player (1992 or so), watching the disk spin (at various rates as it played), placing my thumb on the spinning disk to vary its speed, and even stop it momentarily, with no change to the music playing, I decided not to worry too much about transports.

On my third "player" now, simple Tascam CD200.

 

[amirm]

FYI, the owner sent the unit in to Oppo for testing and they measured the headphone output impedance at 0.4 ohms. I am at a loss as to what went wrong but tend to trust the data from Oppo given how high my measurements were.

I have added the above note to my original post on the headphone measurement.

 

[garbulky]

After opening my first CD player (1992 or so), watching the disk spin (at various rates as it played), placing my thumb on the spinning disk to vary its speed, and even stop it momentarily, with no change to the music playing, I decided not to worry too much about transports.

On my third "player" now, simple Tascam CD200.

I always liked the look of the old Emotiva CD players. Helped that they came with an AES connector

I toyed with the idea of getting one for a transport. But then decided it's just going to clutter up the place unnecessarily. It's a big unit.

 

[JJB70]

It was very sad when Oppo pulled the plug on their AV line. While their equipment wasn't cheap it tended to be technically excellent and with genuine substance. The cost was commensurate with the quality and technical excellence of their product (which, pricey as it was was nothing like the audio jewellery of the high end of the hobby), I can't say the same about quite a lot of other hifi producers.

 

[mi-fu]

Just read from another forum that Oppo is sending out emails to those who have registered to purchase the last batch of 205. Any lucky one receiving that email here?

 

[esm]

Nothing yet for me, but I'm still hopeful I'll be able to grab one.

 

[frogmeat69]

Just read from another forum that Oppo is sending out emails to those who have registered to purchase the last batch of 205. Any lucky one receiving that email here?

I did a few days ago, and just decided to purchase one. I already own the 80 and 103 models, and always wanted one of the "audiophile" models.
Thought it would be a good idea, since my other players are still working great, but do get lots of use, and I haven't found another brand of player I like, Oppo just does all I want and need.
Very sad to see them go.

 

[mi-fu]

I did a few days ago, and just decided to purchase one. I already own the 80 and 103 models, and always wanted one of the "audiophile" models.
Thought it would be a good idea, since my other players are still working great, but do get lots of use, and I haven't found another brand of player I like, Oppo just does all I want and need.
Very sad to see them go.

Congratulations!! I haven't received an email yet. Maybe I am too late in the line. Fingers crossed!

 

[esm]

I assume everyone hoping for one has seen this, but just in case: https://oppodigital.com/blu-ray-udp-205/lastbatch.aspx

August 27, 2018 We have begun sending out e-mails inviting registered customers to purchase am OPPO UDP-205. As we have already begun winding down our business, we have limited fulfillment capacity. E-mails are being sent out in daily batches to throttle the amount of orders to fulfill. This page will be updated when we have sold out of the OPPO UDP-205.

I still have my fingers crossed that I'm high enough on the list to get one. I haven't seen anything else on the market that ticks as many boxes for me as this does, even if it's a discontinued product.

 

[helloworld]

I assume everyone hoping for one has seen this, but just in case: https://oppodigital.com/blu-ray-udp-205/lastbatch.aspx

I still have my fingers crossed that I'm high enough on the list to get one. I haven't seen anything else on the market that ticks as many boxes for me as this does, even if it's a discontinued product.

Actually if you are unlucky, you can get one from China and ask a friend to ship it with EMS.

 

[Addicted to music]

Here’s a screen shot going by what was posted for the 205

 

[envydd]

Got the Oppo email that I could get mine and need to decide today (I almost missed the email). Is it still worth it to get a Oppo 205, given the onslaught of good DACs that are reviewed on this forum. I mostly listen to CDs and Chromecast audio. I have a 203 for my CDs/SACDs/BDs. If I get the 205, it will replace the 203. It will be connected to a PS Audio SGCD + Icepower amp (1200AS2) + LS50