[jimdgoulding]

Hi.  I've been using a mid line Sony DVD player as a transport since the late 80's.  Having read that Oppo is a great DVD player, I'm wondering if it would make a positive and noticable improvement as a replacement.  I'm thinking about the BDP 83 or an older model.  Appreciate your reply and quantifying if you can.  I'll answer any questions if it would help.  Thanks.

[ted_b]

Hi.  I've been using a mid line Sony DVD player as a transport since the late 80's.  Having read that Oppo is a great DVD player, I'm wondering if it would make a positive and noticable improvement as a replacement.  I'm thinking about the BDP 83 or an older model.  Appreciate your reply and quantifying if you can.  I'll answer any questions if it would help.  Thanks.

You are specifically saying "transport" so what is your DAC?  Have you thought about computer-as-transport? 

[jimdgoulding]

My DAC is a 2nd generation Bel Canto and use a KCI Pegasus dig cable.  I'm only hoping to find out if the Oppo would be a worthwhile upgrade in sound at this point in time.  Wait, Ted, are you talking about the disc slot in a laptop or the whole nine yards?

[ted_b]

9 yards!   

Anyway, the Oppo is a great machine, but mainly due to its universal disc capabilities (inc SACD and BluRay) and it's Sabre DAC implementation.  It's digital outs (coax/toslink..not HDMi for this discussion) can only do redbook and DVD-A though...not BluRay or SACD..so as a transport it is not anything unique IMHO.

[jimdgoulding]

So, you don't think it would give the sound anything I'm not getting with my Sony on redbook cd's?

[ted_b]

So, you don't think it would give the sound anything I'm not getting with my Sony on redbook cd's?

Dunno, I doubt it would be discernible...but it would give you more value for everything else (i.e used as a bluRay player, SACD player, ec.).  I'll leave this issue open for other comments.....never a/b'd my Oppo as a transport but there is nothing in it (no great sled or special vibration damping, etc.) that screams great transport.

[Phil A]

Does your DAC reclock the incoming signal?  I have 2 DACS.  An old Micromega DuoPro in the secondary basement system.  It is very sensitive to transports.  I have a Marantz DV9600 universal as a transport now.  I'd say it works better as a transport than many things (I've had up to a dozen transports at one time among 3 systems over the years).  My Sony 2000ES CD/SACD changer also works well as a transport as does my modded Oppo BDP-83. Right now I have the 2000ES and the BDP-83 in the main system hooked to a Bryston DAC along with a Philips DVD Recorder and I also have a LD player.  The Bryston DAC reclocks and is not as sensitive as the Micromega.  I also have an older Oppo 980 universal player I've had hooked to the Micomega DAC at one point when I had it in the bedroom system.  I preferred the 2000ES as a transport vs. the 980.

[werd]

Hi

Everytime i look at those i oppo dvd players i am amazed. Its pretty much got everything....

If i were going to use it as a transport it would be with the usb out. I would take advantage of the 1gb
storage and usb out for a HD transport.

It doesnt look like it has its own cd laser assembly which kind of makes it lame for a cd transport.  I would say that this is the only thing its not good at, is a cd transport.. What it probably does is use the sacd read and converts. I guess thats ok but it requires on the fly algorithms to do this which will lowers quality.

Its hard to say maybe it is though, you would have to try it...

[K Shep]

So, you don't think it would give the sound anything I'm not getting with my Sony on redbook cd's?

It's very unlikely you'd would hear a difference in the Sony as a transport compared to the Oppo as a transport using your Bel Canto DAC. 

I compared an older Oppo DV-980H to my Arcam using an external DAC, couldn't hear a difference.  But without the external DAC in the system the difference between the Oppo and Arcam was very noticable.