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Oppo 105D as media center

Merry Christmas everyone! Well it's time for me to shuffle around my hifi systems. My current digital source is the lovely myro.air and it does most of what I'd like to do... So it will move to my bedroom with my Sophia baby amp and L100's. This thing is a great little streaming Swiss Army knife and I'd recommend it in a heartbeat.

looks like I might breaking my mostlyYamaha pedigree https://instagram.com/p/_s2vsdiRic/

and the 105 does everything digital I'm looking for (SACD, CD, UPNP, DoP) and leaves room for video. There are probably detractors out there saying that you shouldn't mix DSD and PCM players... But at this juncture a multifunction device will do.


here's the headspin... I'm looking at these mods, And my mind is jello. EVS, modwright, upgrade company, custom analogue, oppomod, sound affairs, vinculum (they don't list their prices, they look too bougie).

have any any of us ever had a chance to hear these up against each other? I'm sure they all yield improvements. The prices are all over the map, but the mods sound pretty similar. Clock, analog stage, power supply... Mix, match, repeat. I guess I'm interested in EVS and oppomod, and most interested in staying solid state... (As I may add tubes to the signal path at a later date if I wish).
onwatershipdown
10 responses Add your response
digsmithd
913 posts
 

Im with ya tony...im enjoying the oppo 105d...no mods needed here to enjoy this badboy...I have one of dans amps (kwi200)...it really has surprised me how good the player sounds...considering its so much more than a cd player...imho

No its not the best...im hearing some decent playback...

mid40sguy's avatar
mid40sguy
163 posts
 
I also own a Modwright truth mod 105. I owned Modwright Sony for ten years before that. The Modwright 105 is commonly seen at RMAF and is known for it’s great sound and value. I enjoy mine very much. Dan has a great reputation and will repair any issues if needed quickly.
Over the years I have heard John’s gear at RMAF it always sounded great to me.
fliz
66 posts
 
Good question.  I'm not interested in selling mine. :)
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dbphd
1,628 posts
 
The obvious answer is for OP to listen to the unmodded Oppo 105D insitu for a month or so before deciding if any mod is needed in OP's judgement.  I'm guessing the decision will be no.
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tonykay
1,301 posts
 
"I have no idea what an unmodified Oppo sounds like.  I've never heard one, but the reviews aren't very flattering."

Every review I have read goes overboard about how good the Oppo units sound. I see modded Oppo units for sale on Audiogon and C****list, but even used they ask double or triple the original price. I repeat, if they sound so good modded then why are they for sale? 
  

oddiofyl's avatar
oddiofyl
3,825 posts
 
I bought a 103D to use as a universal transport, plus for Netflix, Pandora, and my .wav  and FLAC files.....it's a great machine.....I have a NAD M51 DAC and with a daughter in college the 103 was a better fit.  The 105D is a great machine and I could justify the cost if it was wasn't for already owning a great DAC.  I love the 103D, I wish I bought one sooner.  
fliz
66 posts
 
I've got John Tucker's fully modded eXemplar eXpo T105D.

About 10 years ago, I had an Electrocompaniet EMC1UP, a $5000 player that was, by far, the best sounding source I had owned up until that point.

I sold it in favor of John's modified Denon 2900, which absolutely crushed it on every front.

Years later, I sold that in favor of John's modified Xindac Dac-5, which was a marked upgrade.

I had that until 4 months ago when I sold it in favor of John's new modified Oppo.

TBH, I have no idea what an unmodified Oppo sounds like.  I've never heard one, but the reviews aren't very flattering.

I just know that that Denon crushed everything else I'd ever heard up until that point so much so that trust was built.

I bought his pre, some amps of his, and eventually his speakers.

Now I have literally a full eXemplar system, including all his cabling and his preferred isolation and room treatment (Stillpoints).
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tonykay
1,301 posts
 
I also have an Oppo 105D. It sounded so good right out of the box,  I never felt the need to consider modding it. Just my opinion. I used it as a source for my Stax 009 phones (via the balanced outputs). Now, I'm just using it for video. I don't know exactly how much mods might cost, but added to the price of the Oppo I'd probably opt for a used Wadia or Esoteric. Although I rarely sell equipment, I'm conscious of the resale value and modded units seem to sit on the market longer than stock unless you find just the right buyer. Again, this is just my perception.
mountz's avatar
mountz
132 posts
 
I guess I am one of the few who have seen the light with Mods.  I have the Oppo 105d with the modwright truth mod (I also have an unmodded 105 to compare) and can agree with the dramatic improvement of the mod.  Lots of warmth and greater detail.  I am curious about the Exemplar mod to the Oppo, because John Tucker has modded my integrated and speakers to statement level, and I couldn't be happier.  Yes the mods are not cheap by any means, but allow equipment to work untethered to the strains of power supplies or other components to muddy the sound that your device is trying to produce.  I find that any good modder will stand behind his work and do this best to keep you as a customer and go well beyond any warranty to keep your equipment functioning.  Dan at Modwright has been a great resource well after he modded the Oppo for me.  I would suggest that you as lots of questions and listen for open and honest answers about the mod to be sure your understand what you are getting for your money.

BTW:  I have done shootouts with my modded Oppo and PS Audio transport and it wasn't even close!

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tonykay
1,301 posts
 
IMO, mods are overrated. First, they're expensive. Second, they make it difficult for anyone else to ever repair the piece should it ever be needed. 
When I see modded equipment for sale it's usually prohibitively expensive due to the cost of the mods. Also, if the mod was the cure all the owner expected, why is it for sale? Just my opinion. 
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