Comparison - ModWright Oppo BDP-95 vs. 105

[JJinID]

I was able to spend a couple of hours this morning performing a direct comparison of my two ModWright modified Oppo players. My 95 had to be boxed up today to be ready to send off to a new owner, and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to do a quick comparison. I haven't had the 95 in my system for the past couple of weeks, so I knew it would be interesting to plug it back in and see what differences I hear. To level the playing field as much as possible, I inserted the stock Electro-Harmonix 6SN7 tubes into both units. Same WW SE cables for both units. The only advantage for the 105 is that it is plugged into the new PS 9.9 power supply, which is what it comes with, while the 95 is plugged into the 9.0 PS. There is one other difference between the two players - I added the option of the Audio Magic Pulse Gen ZX, which my 95 does not have. Both units do have the optional Bybee Music Rails added to the 2-channel DAC.

Music used in the comparison included Melody Gardot - "Worrisome Heart" and Mighty Sam McClain with Knut Reiersrud - "One Drop Is Plenty". The sound of both players is excellent, and I could have easily lived with the 95 permanently if not for the lack of digital input. In terms of tone, the 95 is a just a tad warmer and darker sounding. The 105 is brighter, more open and resolved sounding, while also being more quiet with a blacker background. Soundstage width is similar for both units, but the 105 definitely wins on soundstage depth. You are sitting a bit closer to the stage with the 105, and instruments are more distinct and occupy their own space more clearly. The increased resolution and micro-detail are especially noticeable with the texture of acoustic instruments, and the clarity and richness of the female voice is amazing. The 105 is also a bit more dynamic and extended sounding. Bass goes deeper with more impact with the 105, and the cymbals are just a bit crisper and real sounding. The 105 also wins on overall build quality of the stock unit, which I believe carries over to the performance as well. I also love the additional features including being able to run my modified SB Touch into the coaxial digital input as well - music streaming has never sounded better!

I knew from the first time I turned on the 105 that it was a different sounding player, and I loved what I was hearing. The differences I describe above are not subtle - they are very real and quickly noticeable. That being said, the 95 still sounds great. It is very cohesive and smooth sounding. I am wondering if I still need a bit more break in with the 105, as it is not quite as smooth as the 95 (yet).

That is where things stand for now. As I mentioned, today will be my last day with the 95. It is a fantastic sounding player, and I highly recommend it. The 105 does take the sound to another level though, and it is my belief that it competes with the best of digital that is available at any price (and yes I mean the 5 figure + players that are very popular here at AA - I have heard them). I am now finished for the foreseeable future in terms of digital source components - the ModWright Oppo 105 is now the best and strongest link in my system!