[modwright]

I wanted to start a new thread for feedback RE the Oppo mods as people have been asking me and there is no formal reviews as of yet.  We have taken quite a few orders and filled most.  As most of you know, we are scheduling the work out and even then I regret that some of our first customers had to wait longer than expected.  That is no longer the case and current orders are filled in a more timely manner.

I was quite frankly overwhelmed by the interest in the mod and changes such as the SE model and other things have caused me to have to take a fresh look at a few things.

A good customer from France, Mr. Blackman, has been good enough to share some internal shots of his unit, as well as feedback.  Following is what he said to me in emails, followed by links to photos and further feedback on other forums.


Feedback:

"I wired the player in may system and I must say it sound amazing!  Picture is way better then what I had with another (poorly) moded player.  Sound from digital HDMI is also very good.  The best part is of course its analog stage, it is amazing!  I must say that I was so pleased that I bought some more SACD, that did not happened to me since nearly 3 years!  DVD-A sound amazing too and CD playback exceed what I get with my Shanling CDT-100 despite it has been heavily modded with Bybee modules.  I sold my previous SACD player just after testing your version of the BDP83 SE." J. Blackman, France, 1.29.2010.


Please note, there is off-top discussion RE another individual here also.  I am only pointing to the feedback RE our mods.
http://www.curtpalme.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18831&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=80




















Here is a picture of a stock Oppo BDP-83SE BEFORE our mods, for comparisons sake.



I want to thank you all for your support and patronage.  Hopfully this will shed more light on the extent of our mods and allow those who are shopping, to compare to pictures of what other companies have done.

Sincerely,

Dan Wright
360.247.6688

[Artp]

I have a BDP-83(Non SE) that Dan set up with the (XLR)balanced stereo and clock mods. I've had it since late December and let me first say that it took a long time to burn in. I ran it 24/7 for two weeks straight and it still got a bit better a few weeks after that, now it sounds awesome! The most obvious thing I notice is an absolute clarity to the music. You can hear everything on the recording....good and bad. I guess Dan's output stage and that beefy power supply combined with the balanced output really allows the sound to emerge from a dead silent background. The player has a big, detailed, and powerful sound...not forward or bright. Some redbook CD's sound almost as good as SACD and others are just OK...revealing is the word that would be best. SACD is better across the board as is DVD and Blu Ray audio. The 2ch downmix on movies is fantastic. I have to say that for around $1600 I am just amazed about what kind of sound quality I'm getting now. I had a Modwright Sony 9000ES and this player just blows it away.

Here is my system:
-Oppo BDP-83 XLR & Clock mods with ESP Essence power cord.
-Krell KAV 300iL balanced integrated amp with Shunyata Python Helix PC.
-Vandersteen 3A Signature speakers.
-Speaker cables and interconnects are all Analysis Plus Solo Crystal Oval.
-Power conditioning is a Hydra 4 with a Python Helix to the wall.

Cheers!

[modwright]

Thanks for sharing your feedback Art!

Dan W

[modwright]

Modwright Instruments modded Oppo BDP-83

I just received my new Modwright/Oppo BDP-83.

WOW!

Right out of the box:
Very musical and balanced.
The bottom end is solid without exaggeration.
The mids are clear and detailed without any trace of being analytical.
The top end is delicate and pristine.
Overall the soundstage is wide, deep and present, yet not “in your face”.

Over the years I have owned 2 box Krells and Mark Levinsons, single unit Audio Research, Musical Fidelity and Esoteric, and a Musical Fidelity D/A converter. Each had their advantages and disadvantages. They were either too warm (lacking details and high end extension) or far too analytical (lacking musicality) preventing me to feel the emotions conveyed by the artists.

I generally spend too much time reading and analyzing specifications.
The merits of the Oppo BDP-83 vs. the SE, modded versus unmodded, and comparing dacs on paper, for me are now mute.

Dan’s creation is world class. My CDs and SACDs have never sounded this good.

A friend of mine (David Hare) owns an audio shop in Walnut Creek, California – his motto is “Don't Analyze... Be Mesmerized”.

Take his advice, stop analyzing and enjoy your music. Not only is Dan’s modification an excellent audio source – it is also an excellent video source.
The price and value are unparalleled.

Submitted by Larry K Feb 10

[ducatirider]

Just curious regarding the XLR outputs.  The design is a bit confusing to me as this model uses 4 DAC chips per channel (albeit in 7.1 surround mode).  Is the XLR truly dual differential?  My system is fully balanced from pre-amp to amp.

[talk2me]

Just curious regarding the XLR outputs.  The design is a bit confusing to me as this model uses 4 DAC chips per channel (albeit in 7.1 surround mode).  Is the XLR truly dual differential?  My system is fully balanced from pre-amp to amp.

This is an excellent question, and I am wondering the same thing, as I might sell my McIntosh MCD500 and buy (again) a Oppo 83, but have it modified (if it does sound better).

[modwright]

The XLR outs ARE fully balanced.  The unit does use four DACs per channel for Stereo playback, but the output from the four DACs is still differential - i.e. the output is +/-L and +/-R.  We use four channels of our mod board to allow for both +L, -L, +R and -R.  The remainder fo the channels, if uses, are for FL, FR, C, SL, SR.

The RCA's are wired from the XLR +, so that both XLR's as fully balanced outputs are available as well as in-phase RCA's.

Thanks and please don't hesitate to call with any questions.

Sincerely,

Dan W.