I think it is commonly suggested that these decoding chips.... 9018, 9038, etc represent computing power that ultimately shows up in very good resolution and musicality but only if everything else in the signal control is well done: transformers, capacitors, rf shielding, clock etc. Therefore, a well implemented 9018 or 9028 can exceed the performance of a poorly implemented 9038... as evidence... it is often stated that ess chips are generally brighter than those of other chip makers...which I suspect is implementation and a desire to maximize the absolute resolution capability of the ess chip. I suspect that oppo was careful to make sure that the 203 and 205 sounded the way they wanted them to sound. It would not not be surprising if someone like Rega, or Naim, or Parasound, to name just a few, liscenced aspects of the oppo intellectual property if there appears to be enough demand going forward. In in the mean time, the question remains... would you buy a Rega, Marantz, Music Hall, Vincent, Nad, etc CD player to replace your current player/oppo if it died..or would you go cd transport + dac to give you a better overall option and if so.... what would you choose? |
Looks like the demand for the 205 has Oppo thinking about doing another production run...so, they are taking names to see if it is justified. Here is the link...delivery would likely be July/August https://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-udp-205/lastbatch.aspx |
since a lot of the streaming apps are now part of the cable or satellite services, its probably less of an issue for many people. If you want to order a 205 from Magnolia Best Buy while they still have a few available (and I'm told they will ship for free), here is the contact info: Jim seven seven zero three nine one four seven three two I have no affiliation with Jim or BB...consider this a public service announcement!! As the world moves to streaming, the 205 will probably be one of the last generation of great CD players; most likely a few years down the road you will be using a CD transport connected to your DAC/Streamer to play discs, when you aren't streaming from a service or from your own library. Or, we will all be back to vinyl??? |
