Oppo Ceasing production

OPPO has had a good run and everyone I’ve talked to who owns one of their decks, absolutely loves them. So yeah, it seems this is a poor decision, that for all we know is based on what the masses want.

But the masses are like sheep. They go where they are told when it comes to product "innovation" as if that is a good thing. Innovation is only good IMHO when it has real value to the consumer and society as a whole ... as in having a measurable benefit that is not just based on convenience to satisfy a growing lazy culture. From where I’m sitting, the masses and their real or perceived desires are cheapening our culture, under the delusion that progress is being made.

Think about all the younger people who have only heard music in cheap digital formats. They don’t know what their ears are missing. Then there is the idea of reducing your footprint, which motivates some people to use the Cloud for their entertainment media. That is based on saving money and getting what you want immediately. It’s all about quick and cheap. I can’t think of any product or product category in the history of mankind (aside from the computer and software), where that is a good thing.

This contributes to why there is a growing interest in "vintage" things across several product categories. People want products that have substance and a lasting quality.

Maybe my opinion is tainted because I’m in my 50’s, and remember the good old days. But I can honestly say that I enjoy vinyl, cassettes and cd’s more now than when I did back in the 70’s and 80’s. In part, because I have a better system now, and the low cost of buying used media allows me more freedom to explore music.

I also like the idea of owning my music. I don’t have to rely on using a computer, or using a streaming service to enjoy music. Frankly, it cheapens the music experience. The listener is not engaged with the "playing of music", rather it’s about bouncing around to listen to whatever, whenever. I’m generalizing here ... but most of you get my point. I like the process of purposeful listening. I like listening to albums mainly because I’m not just playing my favorites, and it’s a reminder of songs I either forgot about, or have a growing enjoyment for.

The appeal of vintage audio is going to grow for at least another 10-15 years. The fact that companies who press vinyl are growing is going to increase available inventory in the marketplace that can be enjoyed for another 20 years. You can still find quality pressings from as early as the mid-60’s (~53 years ago) ... so I’m quite happy to enjoy vinyl knowing that no company is going to control my enjoyment and ownership of music for the rest of my life.

I own both the 203 and 205 and glad I bought when I did....both perform flawlessly.  I tend to agree with earlier comments that the average millennial simply aren't the target market for these products....and that other technologies have certainly disrupted existing media platforms. It's all about making smart forward thinking strategic business decisions and suspect OPPO's resources will be further directed to support their huge brand in China for mobile phones.......but at a price and unfortunately leaves a huge void for some of us dinosaur's.   

We live in a junk culture that has no appreciation for quality, for history, for patience, for common sense, tradition, individuality and distinctiveness. Most of the crap that people buy these days is made to last a very short time, manufactured with the intent to be replaced, as opposed to being repaired because it’s cheaper to throw the crap out then to fix it. People are lured by a low price, and would rather buy something a dozen times than buy something of value that costs more money but last for years and never malfunctions. They are happy with a piece of crap that in the long run will cost a small fortune compared to a quality item that will cost WAY less in the long run. In other words, most people are just plain stupid!

Anybody who perceives that Oppo gear is outrageously expensive is a complete idiot, with no sense of the value of the dollar, and no sense whatsoever of what constitutes value in the first place. They, the dumbed down masses who have lived their vapid lives conforming to what everybody else does, and having had their brains destroyed by television and "the phone", think that buying the $69 blue light special at Walmart, that will last a year if they’re lucky, is the steal of the century! Ignorance is bliss, and man oh man are there a lot of ignorant, dumbed down, dollar store shopping, junk hoarding, dumber than their smart phone imbeciles walking around on this doomed planet. What these morons don’t get, and never will get, is that a product like Oppo doesn’t come along very often. They will never understand that Oppo offered a value proposition all out of proportion to its price. Then again, how could we, the discerning people who care about quality and take pride in owning something that’s well designed, sounds great, looks great and gives us real pride of ownership... how could we possibly expect the masses to relate to this concept of excellence when all they have ever known, craved, and surrounded themselves with is garbage?

I have a really decent audio system the sounds terrific, and will most likely last me for many years. When I play it, I actually sit down and actually LISTEN to the music. Unless the house is burning down, I stay seated and enjoy the experience. No facebook, no twitter, no snapchat, no emails telling me my casket and plot is ready - nothing but me and the music. This is my escape from the insanity and the stress that is turning people into nut cases. Into robots. Into complete dopes.

This niche endeavor that we audiophiles/musicphiles enjoy and pursue will hopefully survive. This decision by Oppo doesn’t bode well for for discerning audio/video enthusiasts, and it’s a shame because there doesn’t seem to be a viable alternative out there that would come close to replacing these best of category components. When a great product is bought exclusively by a niche group, I guess this is what can happen. It does make you wonder who will be next, who will be the next victim of the evolution away from quality, away from music viewed as a beautiful work of art, an expression of truth via the universal language that is is, as opposed to a mere commodity/background noise like it is today. And the video that these Oppo players provide - absolutely stunning, nothing anywhere near the price can touch it!  My brother has the first blue ray player Oppo made - BDP 83 I believe - still working like a charm and he is going to freak out when he heres a bout this, if he hasn’t already. I don’t even own one, and I’m upset! I've watched many movies and his Oppo shames every other DVD/Blue Ray player that he had in the past.

Hey Oppo... do you see all the commotion you’ve created with this bombshell that you dropped on the real, bona fide video/audio community? Do you understand the massive amount of publicity you are getting right now? You make something that’s the best, and people are very upset about this situation. Put your thinking cap on, reconsider what you are doing, and think of the massive void that will exist when the last player comes down the assembly line.

Sad indeed. I just got a Modwright 205 last month... This does lend one to wonder what the after market will be for Oppo players, say six months from now.