Review: Oppo BDP 83 CD Player

Category: Digital

Below is a preliminary review of the Oppo BDP-83 with modifications from the Upgrade Company run by David Schulte.

Before I begin, 3 things: 1) David was incredibly responsive, helpful and efficient...7 days start to delivery (international). I would definitely do business with him again...and hope to soon. 2) I will update this review as the product burns in...given the level of intense scrutiny this product (and many after-market modifications available), I wanted to post this review quickly after spending several days with the player post-modification. 3)This is really an Audio-review. The video speak for itself from the many reviews out there.

System:

CJ Act 2 Pre
Gryphon Antileon Amp
Zanden DAC Signature
Transparent Ref IC and Speaker cable
PAD Dominus/Anniversary Contego PCs
Sonus Faber Stradivari speakers
Velodyne DD-18 sub (run in parallel)

Review of:
BDP-83 (mod'd by Upgrade Company) via Cardas Neutral Ref Digital into Zanden DAC Signature...versus BDP-83 (Upgrade Company) via analog outputs

1. Initial Observations (via analogue)
PROS
- 18 hours of break-in...out of 600 recommended...so basically very new and still burning in.
- shockingly good...forget its price point...shockingly good on an absolute level
- Much more forward, bolder soundstage and presentation than Zanden
- substantial detail retrieval...comparable to Zanden in terms of separation of instruments, and being able to keep background stuff (echoes, the fingertip edges on the guitar strings, etc) in the presentation and not lose them to other louder sounds in the music...as detailed below, it does not quite get to Zanden's level of "shading" or grading these forte v piano musical lines...everything is placed in front of you at more similar volume levels....zanden is much broader dynamically in terms of subtle shadings...

- People have told me repeatedly they hear things in every day tunes on my system they've never heard before...even on rap music...this is a function of many things...the Zanden, the Cardas Neutral Cable and the low noise floor of the Transparent Ref Cables...but the Zanden drives much of this...the Oppo is delivering much if not at all of this detail

- Bass might be a touch clearer...a touch...which is promising actually

CONS
- for now (pre-break-in), the music is technically detailed but relative to Zanden...still feels "stiff"...but it is continuing to "relax" as it burns in
- to be fair, where I feel like the Zanden excels is its ability to deliver music in a very natural form with plenty of detail. That is tough for digital to do...keep the detail and many digital players feel stiff/cold...smooth out the detail to warm it up...and you actually end up with fuzzy.
- I would say the Oppo Upgrade Company is straight down the middle (detailed but not cold) slowly making its way towards the natural/warm side...in speaker terms, like listening to some of the Thiel 2's and 3's, Wilson 8's (properly driven)

2. Initial Conclusions
Put another way, the Oppo manages to deliver a highly detailed picture with minor drawbacks which are improving thru burn-in.

- stiffness...the music feels like it is still relaxing as the unit burns in.
- compared with Zanden, less macro/micro dynamic range...the entire presentation is laid before you with less of the subtle shadings/micro-dynamics that you get with Zanden
- the Zanden 'magic' still wins for me...it should

Nevertheless, in spite of "stiffness", the detailed, forward presentation is much more relaxed than I was expecting. Frankly...to the point of being shocking.

3. Comparisons
Already, I prefer this modified Oppo 83 by Upgrade Company to Chord 64 DAC, 2-year old Wadia equipment...which cost more...I find it more detailed, more natural than Pathos CD player, Roksan.

I would take it over the ARC CD 3 and 5, probably over Electrocompaniet too. And not for the money...on an absolute basis.

I am waiting to see if it will match an ARC CD7 or Krell 505. My gut tells me it could get there as the unit burns in...it is that good...cold out of the box.

I am burning 24/7...so I expect by Jan 8th, I should have 600 hrs and a clear view on the Oppo 83 as modified by Upgrade Company as a standalone unit using its analogue outs vs. its co-ax digital out into the Zanden DAC.

Hope that helps for now.

Associated gear
CJ Act 2 Pre
Gryphon Antileon
Transp Ref IC/Speaker
PAD Dominus/Ann Contego PC
Zanden DAC Signature
Sonus FAber Strads
Velodyne DD18 Sub

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