I have the OPPO 105 and it sounds wonderful. I use it in a bedroom system with Jeff Rowland integrated and Harbeth p3's and REL sub.
I have had no problems with the unit. Unfortunately I have never heard the Modwright version |
I find it to be sensational. It replaced a very fine Lavry fed by a good Panasonic CD player. Soundstages beautifully and with the right material extends easily past the speakers. Great sense of depth. Terrific dynamics and strong and detailed bass. Very revealing, so watch out for poorly engineered disks. Needs tons of break-in. It encourages me to buy SACDs, including the old RCAs which are wonderful and inexpensive. It is Avery Fischer Hall rather than Carnegie, so system matching matters. For me it makes digital much more competitive with my vinyl. Among the joys is putting youtube videos up wirelessly on the screen and enjoying many performances with excellent video and audio that are available. They're getting better all the time. Much more enjoyable than watching on the computer. I should add that I'm only using two channels of it. And did I mention that it needs tons of break-in. |
Also, the Sony and Oppo 95 are compared directly at: http://www.stereophile.com/content/music-round-50-page-2-0 |
I have both an Oppo BDP-105 and Sony XA5400ES in my setup, both with analog out to a Cary 11a processor set to bypass. I got flamed for saying this in a AVS thread, but I prefer the sound of the Oppo 105. High-quality (200 gram) vinyl sounds remarkably similar to high quality SACD played on the Oppo in timbre nuance and soundstage presentation. Not so the Sony 5400ES; it has a smoother less detailed sound in my setup, and some of the nuances are missing. The specific vinyl and SACDs I've compared are "Jazz at the Pawnshop" and "Time Out." The 105 presents a sufficiently detailed and deep soundstage that you can believe you're in the bar listening to live music.
My listening preference is intimate chamber and jazz, but I do enjoy occasional large orchestration. Both the Oppo and Sony are fine players that represent excellent value.
db |
Do I need an external monitor when using the Oppo 105? I will be using it in a two channel system (no video) and am hoping its regular screen is okay. Any other comments on the Oppo 105? |
Have the OPPO 105 going on 5 mos., running in a 2ch system, no video. You will need a screen to setup(computer monitor works fine), set your OPPO, disconnect from monitor, put into your system and you're off to the music. It does take a long time to break in, but it's worth the wait. Figure at least 100hrs. It's very revealing of the disc you play, good is great, so-so just that or bad. You get a picture of what's there, the good, bad & the ugly. One of the best bargains around. Enjoy the music! |
You may need a monitor for set up, e.g. if setting crossover to a sub with the 105 rather than a processor, but I usually listen to music without turning on the projector.
db |
Does the Oppo 105 sound better than my Ayre CX-7eMP? Several people at THE Show suggested I get the Oppo 105. I cannot believe the 105 sounds better than the Ayre. Any comments? |
Not a comment, but rather a question. Why can you not believe that the $1200 Oppo can sound better than the $3500 Ayre? Does price rule all? Reviews of the Ayre were middling. TAS review of the Oppo was a rave. But don't expect a full review of the Oppo in Stereophile. Their objective measurements of it might embarrass very expensive advertising competitors. |
"Reviews of the Ayre were middling."
Oh really?
http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/ayre_cx7e.htm
http://www.stereophile.com/cdplayers/840/
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0503/ayrecx7.htm
http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/ayre-acoustics-cx-7e-cd-player-and-ax-7e-integrated-amplifier-1/
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue4/ayrecx7.htm
There's nothing wrong with preferring something else, but you lose credibility when you misstate what reviews have to say about the product. |
Whmuckley & Melm: Thank you for your comments on the Oppo 105. I assumed the Ayre would sound better but, based on the above, maybe not. The Oppo 105 looks very interesting. Does any one else have a comment on the Oppo 105? |
I had mentioned on another thread that I bought one to use as a transport via coax output only and its been doing a good job of that. Last night I decided I should try it alone just to get a feel for it so i put it on repeat (feeding into my [on] preamp) and will try to get the required 200 hrs or so on it for break in and then make an assessment about it. |
P59teitel, I really have no dog in this fight, but that I prefer a company that has a marketing plan that includes me, to wit, price competitively and sell a lot of units..
First, when we speak about modern reviews, no one gets a bad review these days. It's all about advertising and all about how many adoring words the reviewer can dig out of the thesaurus. So all modern reviews have to be read between the lines IMO. And I look only at those in the paper mags as having any real value at all.
But actually, let me admit an error here. I was really writing about the $9950 Ayre DX-5 which in its features is the Ayre directly competitive with the Oppo 105. In fact, it is based, in part, on an old Oppo design
In its review Stereophile includes the following about this $10,200 (in black) player:
"The Ayre DX-5 was a pleasant-sounding SACD player, but its performance wasn't spellbinding.
"The Ayre's soundstage was also smaller than I expected from this SACD in both width and depth.
"Bryan Ferry's voice seemed diffuse and recessed through the DX-5, perhaps because the reverberant backdrop blended with his voice instead of separating out in space.
"but I could get only a blue screen, and the default audio mode was DTS-HD Master Audio. It appears that there are still glitches to be ironed out of Blu-rayAudio."
There are similar caveats in the (now 5 and 10 year old) reviews of the CX-7 and CX-7e in the paper mags for these $3000+ CD only players, this in a very fast moving field. |
"Does the Oppo 105 sound better than my Ayre CX-7eMP? Several people at THE Show suggested I get the Oppo 105. I cannot believe the 105 sounds better than the Ayre. Any comments?"
Hi Hgeifman
I wouldn't necessarily rely on what "people at the show" have to say. One thing I have discovered with digital is that the presentation and sound will vary system to system and most importantly there is no shortcut to a better designed more robust output stage and power supply.
Now that I have gotten THAT off my chest I have heard the OPPO 105 and actually compared it to a Modwright Truthmod 95 in an unfamiliar system. This goes back to the point above, things in this hobby are never black and white. Overall the 105 sounded very good in HIS system. What was more remarkable to me was that the Modwright didn't have near the impact in his system as in mine which was compared directly to an OPPO 95 and 4 different DACs. No one can answer your question definitely concerning the Ayre vs. the OPPO but my bet is that the Ayre would probably sound better in a more highly resolved system than the 105 and I say this as a big OPPO fanboy, great products and great value. So the short answer is you have to compare side by side in your system to know for sure, a surprise may be in store, who knows? |
Tubegroover: Thanks for your comments. I agree that comparing side by side is the only way to decide but I am not going to do that. I am going to keep my Ayre CX-7eMP and listen to the music. The Ayre sounds very good to my ears. |
I'm totally loving mine (Oppo 105). I bought it to do Blu-ray and it sure does that well. So much better to watch movies on. And it is also much better than my Redbook CD player, the Cambridge 840C. To me it is fast, neutral, revealing, and sounds like music. Really lifts the veil that some players exhibit. I have never heard the Sony, so I have nothing to add here. Of the hi-end players I've heard, and though I have not compared them side by side, the Oppo sure gives them a run for their money. You can always just order it up and give it a test run and if it doesn't fit the bill, you can send it back. That's how confident Oppo is. So live a little and give it a shot. Nothing ventured, nothing gained (that coming from the choir!) Good luck in your journey.
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I own both players. There really is no comparison. The Oppo sounds far better, plus it can play Blu Ray, DVD-A, and computer music. Sometimes the software in the Oppo causes glitches, and you won't have to worry about that with the Sony. |
I have the 95 & the 105, I think the 105 sounds better in exactly the ways described in the brief TAS review. They have also been a lot of fun with a lot of options. I suspect to do better you would have to spend at least $7K.
I had tried it (balanced) direct to amp & preferred it with my preamp(This will depend on how good the preamp is).
Big surprise: I took it off fixed out to variable last nite in order to compare analog to SACD, and have now left it set at 80 because the sound with reduced attenuation by the preamp seems better than fixed out to a lower preamp volume setting. Curious to know if others have tried this. |
Some people have found that full output can overload the input on the preamp.
Kal |
Since I replaced the Cary Cinema 11a with a Parasound JC-2 analog stereo preamp, I recant much of what I wrote in my 3/24/13 post. The pairing of the XA5400ES with the JC-2 is as though a veil has been lifted, revealing a detailed wide and deep soundstage. I've concluded either the Oppo and Sony can sound superb with either SE or XLR connections. The Oppo may be less system dependent.
The JC-2 connects to Proceed HPA amps that drive KEF Reference 107.2s.
db |
Oldears:
This may have been answered in another thread, but do you consider the 105 a huge upgrade over the 95, or a marginal? I've got the 95, and I think it's an awesome box. I'm not going to sell my Wadia 121/Mac Mini, but the 95 is a great little box! |
The 105 is not a huge difference, but the small things it does
(better imaging, tighter bass, more precise & delicate treble)are hard to get, and for me significant. Plus..I have a quiet room and it gets rid of the fan. |
The 105 has a rear HDMI input which enables its use as the analog section of my DirecTV HD-DVR. It also has an asynchronous USB port for my Mac Mini. IIRC, the 95, which we use in another setup, has neither.
db |
I own an Exemplar eXpo T-105 which is based on the Oppo 105. It has a tube analog amplification stage and is considerably better than the stock Oppo. It is considerably better than my old Weiss Dac202. I have been doing without any universal player for a long time, so I am enjoying the new freedom with new software.
I must say that I fully expected my music server to outperform the Oppo playing cds or even sacds, but that is not the case despite the careful ripping done by my server. My biggest complaint about the Oppo is that when you turn it off your input selection is cancelled. The USB input is the last on the menu.
I have never used it with video as I watch none, but the owner of Oppo is a videophile, I'm told.
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A person in our neighborhood has purchased the Oppo 105 for video use (mostly). We are getting together at my place tomorrow night to see how it sounds in my passive system - RCA Vs XLR. We will be comparing the Oppo to my existing SACD player. |
Auditioned the Exemplar oppo and my Arcam FMJ 23 was every bit it's equal. The Bryston BPA-1/BDA-1offers much better SQ. |
Rockyboy, the Exemplar Oppo 105? What is SQ? |
Tbg
Exemplar's product, if I understand it correctly, is a highly modded oppo player.
SQ=sound quality |
Rockyboy, yes it is a modified Oppo 105 we are talking about not the 95 or earlier. I think the new output stage they put into the Oppo in this mod. really makes it exceptional. |
Exemplar player did indeed sound nice, but just not any better than my Arcam - especially considering the Exemplar's price tag. |
I took home the Oppo 105 and the Cambridge 851C and was able to compare them at home. No comparison, in fact, a WORLD of difference. I was, frankly, shocked. I had read so many glowing reviews/remarks on the Oppo. Thin, uninvolving, fatiguing.....I could go on. The Cambridge 851C on the other hand was wonderful. I don't get what the fuss is about.
Cheerio;
Doug |
I have OPPO 105 and love it, it sounds wonderful and I am done. |
Rockyboy, I have never compared the Arcam and the Oppo, but have compared the stock Oppo 105 with the Exemplar moded unit. There was no comparison
I do know that the Oppo 105 on video is just exceptional and that the owner is primarily interested in video. |
I just got the 105D . My initial comments are the exact opposite of Dmacg's. Although I owned the Cambridge 840C I like the Oppo better. Just goes to show different systems, different tastes. You just have to listen your self |
I bought a modded BDP 95, solid state mods, after selling my older 20bit Bat VK-D5SE and the only thing the Oppo did better than the Bat was play movies. I know it was not the 105 Oppo but i miss my Bat Player. Ted |
Couldn't live with 105 as all-in-one hub for fidelity and vinyl reasons. I'm lean to being a no frills sort. Not even have a balance control on my preamp. I have had my 105 over a year using it for CD/SACD/DVD-A/Bluray playback and streaming PC, server and cable audio. Edgy, bright not smooth...digital sounding. Then I added an inexpensive tube buffer after the 105. WOW!!! Maybe the tubes and/or maybe an impedance thing? I promise you adding this magic box after the OPPO made for real people playing real instruments right there. Open, quiet background, detailed, natural dynamics and pinpoint placement. No digititis. The opposite of the muffling tube buffers of old. No one here will listen any other way now. Even bought a second buffer as a backup and all my high price modified CD friends are jealous of the bang for the buck results!
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GCP
What tube buffer are you using? |
Gcp you are genius tubes helps |
Gcp I do have oppo DV 970 HD I never took this unit seriously bec it's only $75 when I bought it long ago then my sony modwright 9000es tray will not open I put the oppo while waiting for my sony which went to the repair shop. Suddenly this oppo did sound very good after two days.i can't believe it.i realize then I have connected it to my tube preamp and ps audio 300 conditioner.It is really good.i believe when I get my oppo 105d connect it to My ps audio.i will get the same result.it works. |
I heard the latest updates the OPPO 105 by Exemplar Audio at the RMAF 2015. It was truly exceptional. Primarily, it was being used as a dac after a music server. |
Tbg, I picked up the eXception DAC from Exemplar. It's lovely. One of the most musical and listenable DACs I've owned. I'll have to try the Exemplar Oppo one day. |
I just wanted to mention you don't need a monitor to set up a 105 or 103 in a stereo application if you use a tablet and the oppo remote app. It works great, you can access playlists, see cover art and change menu settings. You just have to have the player on your network. |
