OK...since I managed to take the day off and have a few hours with the house to myself, I was able to do some more dedicated listening and am ready to post some more of my thoughts regarding the Modwright modification of my Oppo BDP-83!
The short version is that I have never been more pleased from an overall perspective with any source unit I have heard in my system (which includes several at 3x or more cost than the Modwright). The sound quality of the player is extremely full, musical, well-balanced, and just right on to my ears. There is the just the right amount of detail, depth and width of soundstage, and presence at all frequencies. Piano and vocals sound extremely natural, and I am enjoying all types of music in ways I have not appreciated before. The player does not even resemble the stock BDP-83 in terms of sound quality, which was overly bright, forward, and lean in comparison. One of the most immediate differences between stock and the modified unit is the bass - it reaches lower with more depth but is also more musical. The soundstage is significantly more three dimensional as well. The additional dynamics and detail of hi-res recordings is much more realized compared to the stock player. Same with listening to uncompressed Blu-Ray soundtracks and music vs. their compressed counterparts - the differences are much more pronounced than with the stock player, and the soundfield is much more 360 degree with improved smoothness and balance when panning between speakers.
I will state that I have not had the opportunity to compare the BDP-83 SE to the modified BDP-83, but I have full trust in Dan's comments when he states that the modified 83 is significantly better. I have no doubt that the upgraded DAC in the SE and improvements that Oppo makes to the analog stage makes a very positive improvement. That being said, I believe that while the upgraded DAC is important, there is a lot more involved with the dedicated analog power supply and newly developed analog stage that Dan has developed that makes the biggest difference in the final outcome of the sound of the player.
I still plan on making a direct comparison with my Modwright Oppo and my dad's MVP881 when that opportunity becomes available - that will probably be a month or so out at this point. I have heard both in our individual systems, but not in the same system at the same time. The MVP881 is a fantastic sounding player, but I honestly am not hearing a significant difference between the sound quality of the two players based on indirect comparisons. The Oppo has a much better user interface and responsiveness - I am not impressed with the MVP881 in these areas, and I am really hoping Mc can improve those aspects of the MVP881 via firmware updates in the future. For me, having the combination of the video and UI prowess of the Oppo with the improved sound quality of the Modwright modifications creates an incredible universal player. Having the Modwright Oppo in my system does not give me any want or desire to upgrade to anything else.
Some may question why one would spend ~$1200 in modifications for a $500 or $900 (SE) player. Having a modified player is not for everyone, and I understand that. I would simply say that in a world of $11-25k + amplifiers, $6-25k preamps, etc., those who look at spending the money to upgrade their existing Oppo (either stock or SE) and bring it to an entirely different level of sound quality will realize a tremendous return on investment and will be very, very pleased.
Those are my thoughts for now...more comparisons to come in the not so distant future
