ModWright Modified Oppo BDP-83!

MrBrix · « **Reply #40 on:** 21 Jul 2009, 03:36 am »

How soon can we order/send in our units for the full Monty mod???

Ije

Reverb · « **Reply #41 on:** 21 Jul 2009, 04:55 am »

Quote from: modwright on 18 Jul 2009, 07:47 pm

Thanks for that informative contribution. I agree that the effects of the 'direct' mode will be minor and subtle at best. Yes, we are using our own analog stage and this is so important. We are also shielding some of the noisier portions of the digital supply.

I am thinking that we could offer the following ways to improve the BDP-83.

1) 2CH SS mod only, includes clock and PS upgrades.
2) Full 2CH and 7 of the MCH outs, clock and PS upgrades.
3) 2CH tube mod only, includes clock and PS upgrades.
4) 2CH tube mod and ss MCH outs, clock and PS upgrades.

Bottom line, the PS upgrades and clock upgrade will be standard, provided that I find that the clock upgrade alone is significant and I expect it will be.

We may thus offer a sort of a la carte mod offering for this fantastic player, due to its diverse customer base and use.

Thanks!

Dan

Excellent!

#2, Full multi channel mod would be what I'm after.

Another modding company is doing a 2ch balanced XLR mod for the OPPO. I know there isn't allot of room on the back of the BDP-83, but would it be possible to do a full 7.1 Balanced XLR mod? The BDP-83 has a digital volume control built in, I'm interested in bypassing a preamp and taking the OPPO directly to my multi channel amp.

modwright · « **Reply #42 on:** 25 Jul 2009, 06:50 pm »

Who is offering this balanced mod for the Oppo?

There is NOT enough room for our design to allow for fully balanced channels all around. It would be possible for 2CH only however.

The mods are VERY close to completion. The clock upgrade is to be installed and the MCH mod board finalized. After that is done, we will start a wait list with a first-come, first serve basis. We will ask for a 50% deposit to enter the list and the remainder of payment due upon shipment of the unit to us. Turnaround time for the work will be 1-2 weeks in the shop.

Thanks, I will update just as soon as we are ready to start scheduling!

Dan

Kevin Haskins · « **Reply #43 on:** 25 Jul 2009, 07:13 pm »

Quote from: modwright on 25 Jul 2009, 06:50 pm

Who is offering this balanced mod for the Oppo?

There is NOT enough room for our design to allow for fully balanced channels all around. It would be possible for 2CH only however.

The mods are VERY close to completion. The clock upgrade is to be installed and the MCH mod board finalized. After that is done, we will start a wait list with a first-come, first serve basis. We will ask for a 50% deposit to enter the list and the remainder of payment due upon shipment of the unit to us. Turnaround time for the work will be 1-2 weeks in the shop.

Thanks, I will update just as soon as we are ready to start scheduling!

Dan

Send one up here Dan and I'll mill you a new enclosure on my CNC mill. We can make room for fully differential.

modwright · « **Reply #44 on:** 26 Jul 2009, 06:04 pm »

Right on Kevin! Now we are talking!

.

I need to pay you a visit. I may make a trip up to the Seattle area to visit potential dealers and the Puget Sound Audio Society. If I do, I will try to plan a visit your way also.

We should talk about what you can do with your new 'TOY'! I am serious!

Take care,

Dan

modwright · « **Reply #45 on:** 26 Jul 2009, 06:14 pm »

I am planning in the next 7-10 days to have the Oppo mod finally wrapped! I will then begin taking orders on a first-come first-serve basis. Many of you have contacted me and I will first contact those people in order to confirm a place on the waiting list.

We will ask for a 50% deposit to secure a place on the wait list. Final payment due upon shipping of the player. We will schedule the work such that units are in the shop for no MORE than 1-2 weeks.

This is a FABULOUS mod for an exciting new player.

Others are 'modifying' the player with upgraded connectors and parts, but few are re-engineering the analog stage and upgrading the power supplies the way that we are. When we get done, you will have a TRUE UNIVERSAL player with stereo and (7) out of 7.1 channels all upgraded with our proprietary discrete mosfet analog stage circuit featuring zero global feedback and NO op-amps. All analog stage circuits will be fed via our own internal dedicated power supply.

Stock digital and video power supplies are also upgraded, benefiting the player both for video and digital out via HDMI or RCA/toslink. Upgrade of master clock will also improve performance of unit as transport, video player and audio player, both stereo and MCH.

It will be a one-box solution with no external supplies necessary or extra cables.

Pricing is to be ~$1K, depending on options. We will offer stereo and full stereo/MCH upgrades at different price points.

We may also offer a tube mod for the Oppo ($2K+) that would require an outboard PS and this would serve the 2CH analog stage only. This could feature balanced outputs also.

The SS mods will be the BEST value and EXTREMELY high performance. The sound is open and resolving and the bass is rock solid!

Oppo has hit one RIGHT out of the park this time and we are happy to boost its performance from the ballpark right on out to the atmosphere!

Thanks for your support.

Sincerely,

Dan W.

tomm · « **Reply #46 on:** 26 Jul 2009, 09:04 pm »

Dan,
When are you able to supply the unit as well?

modwright · « **Reply #47 on:** 27 Jul 2009, 02:07 pm »

Hi Tomm, not sure about supplying the unit as well. I need to see about becoming a dealer.

Worked hard on the mod over the weekend and we are very close now.

Thanks to all of you who are patiently waiting.

Sincerely,

Dan W.

Kevin Haskins · « **Reply #48 on:** 28 Jul 2009, 12:03 am »

Quote from: modwright on 26 Jul 2009, 06:04 pm

Right on Kevin! Now we are talking! .

I need to pay you a visit. I may make a trip up to the Seattle area to visit potential dealers and the Puget Sound Audio Society. If I do, I will try to plan a visit your way also.

We should talk about what you can do with your new 'TOY'! I am serious!

Take care,

Dan

Your welcome anytime. My relatives just left so the guesthouse is vacant if you need to crash before heading back. We can crack a few brews and enjoy the tunes. I know many of the PNWAS members so if you are planning a visit, let me know. I'll make the trip over to Seattle and that may remove the necessity of making the trip out here to the boonies.

In terms of the enclosure, I'm sure I could manage something. I'll trade you some enclosure work for a modified Oppo.

jwes · « **Reply #49 on:** 29 Jul 2009, 05:00 pm »

Quote from: modwright on 26 Jul 2009, 06:14 pm

Pricing is to be ~$1K, depending on options. We will offer stereo and full stereo/MCH upgrades at different price points.

The SS mods will be the BEST value and EXTREMELY high performance. The sound is open and resolving and the bass is rock solid!

Hi Dan,

Please forgive my questions as this should be obvious, but:

I'm interested in 2 channel audio performance, and the solid state mod (don't want to add an extra box and tubes on this one). Does the basic mod of around 1K handle this? I got confused by the comment that you'll offer stereo upgrades at different price points. This is likely just around multi channel, but wanted to check.

Also, I'm curious about how you perceive the Oppo's DAC for audio. I could always go digital audio out and use my maxed out TP (TS 6sn7's, EML, bybees, etc.) as the DAC. Would I be taking advantage of the mods if I used the TP as the DAC? Thanks!

Jim

ted_b · « **Reply #50 on:** 29 Jul 2009, 05:09 pm »

Jim,
The ss mod is to the analog section AFTER the DAC, so using an external DAC will somewhat nullify (power supply, etc is better regardless) the work. Also, the external DAC won't address the hirez Blu-Ray codecs as they are only available at the analog outs or HDMi port (48k is BluRay codec maximum for digital outs). His ss mod is mainly targeted at 2 channel, with options to additionally mod the 7.1 channels.

jwes · « **Reply #51 on:** 29 Jul 2009, 06:04 pm »

Quote from: ted_b on 29 Jul 2009, 05:09 pm

Jim,
The ss mod is to the analog section AFTER the DAC, so using an external DAC will somewhat nullify (power supply, etc is better regardless) the work. Also, the external DAC won't address the hirez Blu-Ray codecs as they are only available at the analog outs or HDMi port (48k is BluRay codec maximum for digital outs). His ss mod is mainly targeted at 2 channel, with options to additionally mod the 7.1 channels.

Thanks Ted. The nullification of work on the analog section makes sense to me, with some general improvements still available to the digital audio out.

But I don't quite understand the issue with the HDMI codecs. It seems you are saying that more audio information is being converted/processed and put out of the analog section (after Oppo DAC), whereas using digital audio out will provide less audio information, and so even a better external DAC will have less to work with. Is this the right way to read your response? Thanks!

Jim

ted_b · « **Reply #52 on:** 29 Jul 2009, 06:16 pm »

The Blu Ray HD codecs (TrueHD, DTS HD-Master Audio) are capable of 8 channels at 24/96 (or 2 at 24/192), and will be delivered at that high resolution via analog outs (using the Oppo's decent internal processing) or via the HDMI out (bitstreamed or pre-converted). The Oppo digital coax and/or toslink connections only see the downmixed core DTS or Dolby Digital (48k max) signals. That's a Blu Ray spec issue.

For DVD-Audio the digital outs can see up to 192k but at 16 bit, not 24 bit. For SACD they are not a candidate.

On top of this, the MW TP, although a tremendous tube DAC, will only handle up to 96K anyway, so highest rez DVD-Audio out of the Oppo will be downsampled to 16/192 out of the Oppo and then 16/96 through Squeeze Center (SOX).

jwes · « **Reply #53 on:** 29 Jul 2009, 07:24 pm »

Thanks Ted. Well, it looks like I'll be needing another pair of Liveline interconnects. Or maybe here I downgrade. Livelines are amazing for the money but still pricey.

Different subject, but I'm wondering the best "deal" cable out there. Would it be the Reality cables? Actually, I just remembered there's a cabling thread - will go look there.

tomm · « **Reply #54 on:** 30 Jul 2009, 02:34 am »

Bogdan Audio's Goldy power cables are a good buy at AudiogoN auction. He can also make the cables with two plugs at one end, which cost more but are more quiet.

I have LESSLOSS power cables for sale for $200 each. And I have Audience power cables for sale as well.

PLMONROE · « **Reply #55 on:** 31 Jul 2009, 01:58 am »

Dan, will you have a BDP-83 at RMAF this year?

Paul

modwright · « **Reply #56 on:** 31 Jul 2009, 05:56 am »

Hi, the Oppo will be at RMAF, likely in more than one room. I plan to have both a transporter and BDP-83 in our room.

The Oppo has very good DACs in it and it is true, that to realize the full potential of SACD, Blue-Ray, DVD-A, audio DVD's, etc., you are best served using the Oppo as a standalone player. It will be different than the Transporter, for 2CH CD's/DVD's. I don't know that it will be better, but different.

The SS output stage is VERY fast and detailed with phenomenal bass. It also has a sweet midrange and is startlingly accurate. It is not a tube mod, but it is a SS circuit that offers many of the strengths of tubes, in some of the same ways as our KWA 150 SS amplifier.

Thanks,

Dan W.

modwright · « **Reply #57 on:** 31 Jul 2009, 05:57 am »

Pricing:

I will be finalizing this before the weekend and the 2CH mods with clock, will be < $1K. The MCH mods with clock and all upgrades will be a bit over $1K, but not much.

Thanks!

Dan

talk2me · « **Reply #58 on:** 1 Aug 2009, 05:44 pm »

Dan, I would like to get your SS mods and also as my preamp only has XLRs, I really would like that mod. I'm sorry if I missed it, but can I send my 83 in now? Thanks again!

modwright · « **Reply #59 on:** 2 Aug 2009, 07:38 pm »

Hi, at this point, we don't have a balanced output stage mod for the Oppo. It can be done with a tube stage or possibly with a much more sophisticated 2CH output stage. At this point, we are only offering the SS SE (RCA) output stage. I will be posting final pricing and begin taking orders by tomorrow!

Thanks!

Dan