[loghead]

Ok bear with me, I'm a noob when it comes to home theatre/audio setups. Thus far, my entire head-fi experience has been dedicated towards portable listening.
 
I have been looking at the Oppo BDP 103 as a nice universal player investment. I have a good collection of sacds and dvd-audio that I can only play in my car at the moment, and of course would like to be able to enjoy them at home. I also like the fact that I can watch virtually any blu ray disk regardless of region.
 
However, after reading reviews on amazon, I discovered that these players can essentially be used as dedicated DACs and that they also have a dedicated headphone jack. I have a Schitt Asgard headphone amp that I use for home listening with my Senheisser HD600s, it's plugged directly to my record player preamp. I also have my ps3 going through my headphone amp for times when I need to be quiet while playing (simply through the ps3's analog audio outputs, separate from the HDMI). I am not currently using any sort of receiver
 
 
That is literally the extent of my current setup. I have a home theatre currently in storage (worth about 12K) that I can't use where I'm currently living, but I hope to move somewhere in the near future that is bigger and will allow me to make use of it. In the meantime, I'm taking a very minimalist approach.
 
 
Could someone help me decide between these two players? Are they both able to be used as DACs? What kind of improvements can I expect for that extra $700 the 105 costs? Is this an investment I can use to significantly improve my audio setup and build upon into the future? 
 
 
 
Sorry if that's not very clear, like I said, I am a novice when it comes to home audio. Thus far, my high end audio has been portable for the most part.

 

[wuwhere]

There is already a thread here.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/626743/new-oppo-bdp-103-105-previewed-at-cedia
 
There is also the AVS thread for both.
 
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1439524/official-oppo-bdp-105-owners-thread
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1432162/official-oppo-bdp-103-owners-thread

 

[loghead]

My reason for posting, as I stated, is I am not versed in ANY of this. I have read those threads and can't really make heads or tails.

Assume I know nothing.

If someone maybe willing to just give me a basic idea of what this device does other than play discs, and help me decide between the two models.

Edit: More specifically, what are the major differences between the two. I do not own a DAC so that may explain my lack of understanding. I have a minimal set up at this point and im wanting to squeeze some more potential out of my media/headphones by upgrading.

(a pm would be welcomed if this thread should be closed)

 

[thrand1]

Quote:

My reason for posting, as I stated, is I am not versed in ANY of this. I have read those threads and can't really make heads or tails.

Assume I know nothing.

If someone maybe willing to just give me a basic idea of what this device does other than play discs, and help me decide between the two models.

Edit: More specifically, what are the major differences between the two. I do not own a DAC so that may explain my lack of understanding. I have a minimal set up at this point and im wanting to squeeze some more potential out of my media/headphones by upgrading.

(a pm would be welcomed if this thread should be closed)

 
The Oppo 105 has HDMI, coaxial, optical, and USB inputs. The USB inputs are of two types: one for connecting directly to a computer and feeding signals to an asynchronous USB DAC, and one for reading files off of an external hard drive/flash drive.
 
The Oppo 103 only has HDMI and USB inputs. The USB input is only used for reading files off of an external hard drive/flash drive.
 
The Oppo 105 has superior SABRE DACs (ES9018) compared to the Cirrus Logic DACs used in the Oppo 103.
 
The Oppo 105 has a headphone amp built in, the 103 does not.
 
The Oppo 105 has a set of dedicated stereo outputs (balanced XLR or unbalanced RCA) with a dedicated SABRE DAC chip attached to them, and then another SABRE DAC chip for the unbalanced 7.1 analog outs. The Oppo 103 does not have a dedicated stereo output nor balanced outputs, and uses the same Cirrus Logic DAC for all 7.1 analog outs.
 
Both have identical "disc reading" capabilities in terms of SACD/DVD/DVD-Audio and both have identical capabilities when it comes to reading files off of a USB flash drive. Both have identical capabilities when it comes to reading files off of a DLNA media server streamed over your home network.
 
Overall, the players have similar capabilities when it comes to playing back media, the primary difference in your application would be the addition of digital inputs (coaxial/optical/USB DAC) on the 105 along with better DAC chips and build quality. If you had a system where all you really needed was an HDMI connection to a receiver then the 103 is usually recommended. The 105 is like a "mini receiver" in that it has more input flexibility along with the headphone output.
 
If you have other specific questions, I'd really recommend sending Oppo an e-mail (here's a link ), as they are usually very responsive and helpful. I own the BDP-83, and have had a very positive experience with the player and the customer service from the company.
 
Good luck!

 

[Rozeqloud]

Hi
 
I wasnt sure where to start this discussion , so here i am
 
I have a Oppo 105 . I am very pleased with the audio experience . Tho ive had
limited time since Xmas to use it
 
My question concerns the latest firmware up grade (which in some ways is a down grade)
 
To play dsd/dff/dsf from optical drive and usb had me hoppin happy ,but to lose the ability
to play SACD-R , when i own thousands of dollars of sacds , some costing into hundreds
of dollars , really leaves me sour .
 
Does anyone else feel the same on this issue ? And is there a way to enjoy the best of both
firmwares ? Play SACD-R and plau dsd/dff/dsf on Oppo 105
 
Its really disappointing for me , and once Im done with this Oppo , if such does nt change
i wont buy another. Their customer service is top shelf , I get replies , often in minutes ,and
never over 24 hours , very kind , and helpful . But if the product cant meet my needs , I will
move on .
 
Cheers

 

[MoneIntuitive]

myself with the BDP-105, the superiority that it gives over the BDP-103 might not be so sonic, but it's always nice to have their best model

 

[tme110]

he mentioned the other thread earlier because if you would have posted in that thread then everyone with an interest in and who has already posted in it would have helped you.  I'm just seeing this now because I was surprised there was no 105 discussion then wondered if there were other threads.
 
 
As for as the original question, there is no difference what soever between the 2 units for playing a movie or using any digital outs.  The 105 adds a much better DAC, a seperate dedicated 2-channel dac, balanced outputs, a zero-loss digital volume control, and asych USB DAC.  If you don't need any of those, then theres no need to get the 105.  I use my 105 connected directly to my power amps so it's my pre/pro.

 

[tme110]

Quote:

Hi
 
I wasnt sure where to start this discussion , so here i am
 
I have a Oppo 105 . I am very pleased with the audio experience . Tho ive had
limited time since Xmas to use it
 
My question concerns the latest firmware up grade (which in some ways is a down grade)
 
To play dsd/dff/dsf from optical drive and usb had me hoppin happy ,but to lose the ability
to play SACD-R , when i own thousands of dollars of sacds , some costing into hundreds
of dollars , really leaves me sour .
 
Does anyone else feel the same on this issue ? And is there a way to enjoy the best of both
firmwares ? Play SACD-R and plau dsd/dff/dsf on Oppo 105
 
Its really disappointing for me , and once Im done with this Oppo , if such does nt change
i wont buy another. Their customer service is top shelf , I get replies , often in minutes ,and
never over 24 hours , very kind , and helpful . But if the product cant meet my needs , I will
move on .
 
Cheers

Im not sure what other product would meet your needs better.  Though the oppo originally played SACD-R's it was never a supported format and I don't think it effects too many poeple.  You say you have 1000's of SACD's, well this still plays all SACDs.  I'm not even sure how you make a SACD'r.

 

[Greg121986]

I was pretty annoyed when my Oppo 105 stopped playing SACD R. I knew that it had to happen at some point, but I didn't expect it so soon. It was a sad day. 
 
I have had a BDP-103 and BDP-105. I didn't keep the 103 for long and returned it for a 105. 
 
I am using it straight into a power amp, so I am taking full advantage of the 105's ability to run as a multi-channel pre amp. It does very well for this. There are pre amps that sound better, but considering all of the functionality within a single box I am happy with its performance. I use it to stream video files from my PC/Linux machine, Netflix, and as a USB DAC. I have an Electrocompaniet amp and I am running the balanced XLR line output directly into the Electrocompaniet integrated amp. The Integrated Electrocompaniet sound much better than the BDP-105, but it's a $5K amp so it damn well better. 
 
I have had some major software glitching lately with the Netflix app and I am really bummed about it. I can count on the thing freezing every time I use Netflix, I just never know exactly when. Sometimes I make it through 1 episode, sometimes I make it through 5 episodes before it freezes. When I first got the Oppo in January it ran flawlessly, but after the latest 2 updates I've run into issues. I expect that they will fix them soon. 
 
Overall, the sound quality of the BDP-105 is better than you should expect to receive for its price. However, there are several devices that sound better. But, you'll pay some multiple of the Oppo's price tag to get better performance, and you'll likely only get a single function for the money you spend. You might spend 5x the price, but you'll only be getting a pre amp and power amp, like the Electrocompaniet I have. It sounds far better, but its bang for the buck is far lower. 
 
I bought the Oppo BDP-105 because I needed high value in a multi-function device since my budget was limited and space was limited. It is a DAC, multi channel pre amp, 2 channel pre amp, Netflix streamer, video/audio file streamer, Pandora streamer, and has a somewhat useful Youtube app. I use all of these features so I felt like the Oppo was the perfect fit. It also does all of these things with an incredibly satisfying sonic signature that puts a smile on my face every time. 

 

[zowie]

People talk about the "superior" DAC in the 105 but in fact the whole audio section is imlpemented differently from what I've read.  Has any one heard the difference between the 103 and 105 for 2-channel?  Because the price disparity between them has grown large.

 

[Shaffer]

Out of sheer curiosity, what gear are you guys using to burn SACD-Rs?

 

[HPiper]

  People talk about the "superior" DAC in the 105 but in fact the whole audio section is imlpemented differently from what I've read.  Has any one heard the difference between the 103 and 105 for 2-channel?  Because the price disparity between them has grown large.

I was wondering the exact same thing myself...Interesting thing I learned in this thread is that the 103 uses the same dac that Marantz uses in its high end cd and sacd players, so I would think it would be pretty good sounding unit.

 

[tme110]

I've had the 93 and the 105.  I don't think anyone would be unhappy with the 103.  In fact, the 103 basically includes the aftermarket upgrades some people were paying big bucks for on the 93. 
 
The audio changes on the 105 are pretty substantial since it includes a much  upgraded power supply and everything else from there - plus it's fully balanced.  But the price difference is more than the audio section and compared to what people are paying for other items here on head-fi, the 105 is actually very very cheap.  the 105 includes the headphone amp which may not be too exciting for people but it also includes a 24/192 asynch USB DAC and all other digital inputs including toslink, and spdif coax.  Both units have HDMI inputs and USB mass storage and act as network player.  I can stream music straight from my NAS to my 105 with no computer using my phone as the screen but most of the time I do have the computer up and use Jriver (controled by Jremote on my phone and Gizmo on my kindle) using the 105 as a renderer (so no TV screen is ever needed).  I also use the 105 outputted directly (by SE and balanced XLR) to my power amps (so no preamp).  All analog and digial ouputs are on all the time so  you can connect devices to each output.  The headphone amp is no slouch either though and work well even on my LCD-2's.  It doesn't come close to my other amp but I have a GSXmk2 which is the single best headamp I've ever heard so that's a bad comparison.  But I haven't listened to headphones much since the 105 re-introduced me to multichannel music (my GSX has only ever been turned on twice) so I can't talk to much more about that side of things.

 

[zowie]

Thank you, TME, that's an informative response.

 

[victorjb]

I recently auditioned the 103 vs 105 stereo outs vs each into an M-Dac at my local hifi. Amp was a big expensive Denon, speakers were sonus faber auditors. Listened to Freewheeling Bob Dylan - as nicely engineered . Guitar and harmonica sounded much more realistic on 105 to 103, voice was pretty much the same. M-Dac was identical fed from both and in my assessment better than the 105 stereo outs. It gave up more detail, forceful sound (filter = optimal spectrum). I have an mdac at home so it is what I am used to and possibly other people may prefer the 105 stereo outs. Those sounded less detailed but with some of the harsh edges taken off so 'smoother'.
 
Salesman also suggested I compare to a Cyrus 8SE CD player as transport into M-Dac. He asserted this was better technically as a dedicated CD transport and on listening he asserted he heard more bass extension. My own impression is after I equalised volume, I could not hear any differences - they sounded the same to me .
 
I bought the 103 a few weeks later as I wanted the 7.1 analog outs for movies. Now I have it at home and I decided to compare to the Sony BDP S580 I was using before. Feeding both into the M-DAC using coax, the sound with the Oppo as a transport is significantly better than the Sony. I am listening to Tracy Chapman tracks on both via the same speakers (Whatmough p11s) and then with headphones from (hd25-13s). With the Sony you lose the cymbals and synths that are more subtle parts of the mix. As I bought it for other features not SQ, so was not expecting to hear a difference. Not sure what the reason can be as I thought transports would sound the same if fed into the same DAC, but that is not what I am hearing.