Oppo's Heavily-Modified BDP-83 Special Edition is The Player to Beat Under $1K?

[Dj_AmTraX]

I see that you guys like the standard model, but does anyone own this SE version?






The Award-Winning Blu-ray Player Gets a HUGE Upgrade!

This is the Blu-ray player audiophiles have been waiting for! Built around the core of the outstanding BDP-83, the Oppo BDP-83 Special Edition receives a beefier power supply, a better DAC chipset and an improved analog output section for the best performance ever offered from an Oppo player. The BDP-83 SE plays CDs, DVDs, DVD-A, SACDs, Blu-ray discs and about a dozen other formats! It even has two USB ports for playing back music stored on portable disks.

Oppo has long been known for offering unbelievable performance at extremely reasonable prices, the BDP-83 SE is no exception. Regardless of which format you choose to play, the BDP-83 SE is outstanding. The BDP-83 SE offers superior audio performance with wide bandwidth capabilities, very low distortion, deeper soundstage and noticeably improved tonal balance. Video performance is also improved, with deeper black levels and greater image stability thanks to the various improvements to the power supply.

The BDP-83 SE features ESS Technology's new Sabre32 Ultra and Sabre Premier DAC chips, capable of achieving 128dB of dynamic range, these are the current state of the art for digital audio conversion. These ESS chips are even designed to eliminate jitter, a distortion inherent in many inferior DAC chipsets. These ESS chipsets give the BDP-83 SE a smoother, more powerful, more musical presentation.

"The ESS Sabre32 Ultra DAC incorporates innovative patented circuits to deliver spectacular music with up to 128dB dynamic range and 0.0003% (-110dB) total harmonic distortion, free from clock jitter common in digital audio systems." -ESS Sabre webpage

Oppo also revised and upgraded the analog output section using higher quality parts, which makes the music more natural sounding, richer and more textured. The BDP-83 SE has greater rhythmic drive and greater subtlety, allowing it to convey more lifelike tempos and cadence.

All the upgrades to the digital section and the analog section required some substantial changes to the power supply; this new, larger better regulated power supply feeds the BDP-83 SE cleaner power, delivering deeper and blacker backgrounds, with explosive dynamic range, giving the music room to breathe and expand into your room.

A word on hi-rez audio formats: the BDP-83 SE supports both SACD and DVD-Audio, in either stereo or multichannel. It will also output both these formats via the HDMI output! SACD lovers get to choose between native DSD output or PCM conversion.It's not possible to talk about Oppo players without mentioning their video performance. Put simply, Oppo players dominate the video domain. They offer outrageously good performance in every possible measurement with every media they support. The BDP-83 SE takes that performance even further, using the much lauded VRS chipset from Anchor Bay. Smoother, cleaner and more true-to-life than any other chipset we've seen, the VRS chipset offers excellent decoding of Blu-ray discs and DVDs alike with one of the quickest mechanisms we've ever had the delight of playing with.

The HDMI output supports HDMI v1.3 and will also do Deep Color, to a display that supports it. For those with 2.35:1 anamorphic lens systems on their projectors, the BDP-83 does vertical stretch, allowing for Constant Image Height!

The BDP-83 SE remote is easy to hold, intuitive and in a first for Oppo, backlit! The BDP-83 SE sports dual high-speed USB 2.0 ports, allowing those of you with libraries on hard drives or USB sticks to access it instantly and easily through the Oppo's menu system.

Specifications:
WDH: 17"x13.25"x3"
Weight: 11.2 Lbs
Universal Power Supply, allows use from ~100-240VAC and 50/60Hz operation
Power Consumption: 35W (0.5W Standby)
BD Format: Version 2 Profile 2
Outputs:
Analog Audio: 7.1, 5.1 or Stereo (Menu Selectable)
Digital Audio: Coaxial, Optical
Composite Video: 1x RCA
Component Video: 1x RCA (Set of 3)
HDMI: 1x v1.3*
* Audio: stereo, up to 7.1ch high-resolution PCM, up to 5.1ch DSD, bitstream or LPCM conversion of Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, and DTS-HD Master Audio
* Video: HDMI with HDCP 480i/480p/720p/1080i/1080p/1080p24

[cmalak]

DJ...the SE version was just launched on Nov 9th...there is another thread on the Ayre DX-5 where one of the posters highlighted the Oppo BDP-83SE as well and there was some back and forth on the unit and upgradeability of the base unit to the SE version etc...hope this helps

[jdandy]

cmalak.......Oppo BDP-83 players can be updated for $299.00 through December 31, 2009. Here's the link to the information. OPPO BDP-83 Special Edition Blu-ray Disc Player

[Dj_AmTraX]

I am just curious how good could it be weighting in at just 11 lbs.

[cmalak]

Thx Dan...yep I was aware of the upgrade...thx

[jdandy]

cmalak.......When you think about it, $299.00 is good deal to upgrade the Oppo BDP-83. You get a new power supply board, the new ESS Saber 32 bit eight channel DAC, and the warranty clock is reset to zero. That's a bargain.

[KingRT]

I have an Oppo SACD player and it is amazingly good through HDMI.
The analog was not near the SQ as the HDMI hook up, when I tried it on my system.
But for how inexpensive it was, no complaints, I use it on my HDMI 5.1 system.

The BDP-83 SE looks like a bargain!
I will be adding one to my system, for a versatile backup player.

[Dj_AmTraX]

Originally Posted by KingRT

I have an Oppo SACD player and it is amazingly good through HDMI.
The analog was not near the SQ as the HDMI hook up, when I tried it on my system.
But for how inexpensive it was, no complaints, I use it on my HDMI 5.1 system.

The BDP-83 SE looks like a bargain!
I will be adding one to my system, for a versatile backup player.

Please correct me if I m wrong. The internal DAC of the Oppo is bypassed when HDMI is used.

[cmalak]

That's right DJ. The SE version with the newer ESS Sabre 2-ch and multi-ch DACs as well as the beefier power supplies than in the base unit are only a benefit if you use analog outs. If you use HDMI (which is uncompressed digital data interface) out, than you are bypassing the Oppo DACs and analog output stages.

[cmalak]

Originally Posted by jdandy

cmalak.......When you think about it, $299.00 is good deal to upgrade the Oppo BDP-83. You get a new power supply board, the new ESS Saber 32 bit eight channel DAC, and the warranty clock is reset to zero. That's a bargain.

Dan...I guess that depends if you use the Oppo for audio playback or not. If you just use it as a Bluray player with HDMI out, than no you shouldn't upgrade. If you use it as a Bluray player but connect through analog outs and you listen to Bluray concerts for example or actually use it as an audio plauback device, then it's a slam dunk for $299. Just my 2 cents worth.