[Dan Driscoll]

I looked at the guide for the OPPO, and it does not accept an input where the rear speakers are a larger distance away from the listening position than the front speakers are.  That's how my system is set up, and Oppo recommends having a receiver do the processing, which means HDMI, which means the upgraded SE version isn't useful in my situation.

I came "this close" to returning my SE for exactly that reason. Frankly, the audio configuration capabilities of the BDP-83 & 83SE absolutely suck and even 6 months later I am still madder than hell at Oppo for their lazy assed excuses.

The only reason I didn't return it is that it sounds amazing. And I keep hoping that Oppo with update the audio configuration routine, at least for SE owners.

[Phil A]

If you're interested in 2-channel hi-rez audio from SACD, the Oppo will pass 24/88.2kHz over HDMI.  I found this really good Port-ta PET4000 HDMI switch that de-embeds the audio over coax or optical digital.  I take the coax output and put it into my Bryston DAC which upsamples it to 176.4kHz and it sounds amazing, especially since it was under $70 with shipping. 

I'd look to get a decent DAC (even used) and you can really get good sound from CD over a transport.  Much of course depends on your budget.  If you don't need hi-rez (i.e. SACD), you can get a decent DAC for less than the Oppo BDP-83.

[rockadanny]

Phil - Hmm ... didn't think about inserting a DAC. Good idea! Thanks.

[jimdgoulding]

If I may piggy back on Danny's inquiry, please.  I have an upsampling Bel Canto DAC, second generation.  Co-axial is all it will accept.  I'm just looking to use a DVD player as a transport.  The one I have, a Sony, is 5 or 6 years old.  What should a poor boy be looking at?  And how would an OPPO SE or not SE benefit my ears?   What would it bring an older DVD player would not?  Thanks.   

[ctviggen]

I came "this close" to returning my SE for exactly that reason. Frankly, the audio configuration capabilities of the BDP-83 & 83SE absolutely suck and even 6 months later I am still madder than hell at Oppo for their lazy assed excuses.

The only reason I didn't return it is that it sounds amazing. And I keep hoping that Oppo with update the audio configuration routine, at least for SE owners.

They probably think you're going to use an outboard preamp/receiver in this situation. The problem for me is that my current receiver supports 6 channels, but not 7, which is what my new room supports (when I bought the receiver, I figured I'd never need 7.1, but then I configured the room for 7.1).  So, if the Oppo would decodes 7 channels, my receiver does have 7 channel input and pass through.  But since the rear speakers don't meet the criteria imposed by Oppo, then I have to have the receiver do the decoding, and I lose the 7th channel effectively.

I also don't have an SACDs, etc., and plan on playing 2 channel through a Dodd battery preamp and a Bolder modified Sqeezebox.  So, I don't need a great sounding CD player. 

[bside123]

Okay, so this isn't 500 bucks, but this little unit was quite a sleeper. This series of Samsung DVD players were also highly noticed by tweakers for upgrades. As far as I remember: Burr Brown DAC, CD, DVD, SACD, HDMI capable. I bought one of these units a few years back, had all of the caps replaced and the unit rewired, damped the sh@# out of it and replaced the power cord. The unit sounded great for 2 channel, still does in my sisters system, and I was in it for only $200 total (including all the customization). This one is a steal:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=84437.0

[Dan Driscoll]

They probably think you're going to use an outboard preamp/receiver in this situation.

I bought the SE model specifically because I don't have and don't want a processor or receiver in the chain. I don't even have a digital processor, my preamp is an Audio Refinement Pre-5, a pure analog 5.1 unit that only does source selection and volume control. The Oppo has to do all of the processing and speaker configuration.

What really pisses me off is that the Sherwood-Newcastle SD-860 the SE replaced has an absolutely wonderful speaker set-up routine. Each speaker is independently adjustable for distance and level, plus the mains, surrounds center and sub have adjustable cross-over settings from 40-120Hz, in 10Hz steps. Absolutely the best speaker set-up routine I've ever seen in a player, receiver or processor. It also sounds pretty good.

I bought the SE primarily for multi-channel music. But frankly, if the SE didn't sound so much better than the SD-860 I would have returned it, bought a cheapie Blu player for movies and kept the SD-860 for MC music.