price of Oppo players threw the roof

Thank you for this thread. It’s nice to see that I’m not alone in waiting to hear about the chance to purchase a 205. I was fortunate to be able to purchase a 203 from Oppo at the end of May. But I also put my name on the list for a 205 in late May, and I have yet to receive notification for purchase.

While I take coyotesx5’s point, I still think it’s worth trying to obtain a 205 directly from Oppo. (Yes, the prices for 205s elsewhere ARE ludicrous and more than I’d be willing to risk, for the reasons coyotesx5 raises.) The only other comparable option for me to do better than my 203 (or a 205) for playing SACDs and DSD downloads through my McIntosh MAC 6700 seems to be something like a McIntosh MVP901 (more than quadruple the price of an Oppo 205 and a risk, given the price AND the troubles that McIntosh seemed to have with the MVP901’s predecessor). Otherwise, I’d have to look at a dedicated SACD player with analog outputs (e.g., a Yamaha CD-S2100), which would offer a tech support phone number for potential problems down the road. As the Yamaha wouldn’t allow the use of an external hard drive (no USB A input) for playing my (mostly PCM) download files and I don’t wish to use a computer to play download files, I’d continue using the Oppo 203 to play PCM files through the coax input of my McIntosh MAC6700.  But my experience with Yamaha’s tech support hasn’t left me feeling very encouraged about the thought of Yamaha for a dedicated SACD player. Others, though, cost even more.

I wish I’d foreseen all of this before I started buying SACDs and DSD downloads. For now, I’m likely to curtail purchasing these and opt for PCM downloads of hi-res recordings. I’m very much enjoying the 203, but I’ll also continue waiting to see if my name comes up on the list for an Oppo 205.

I also just received an invitation from Oppo, in my name only, to purchase a 205. The offer is not transferable. It appears they are doing their final production run in batches, beginning now and probably ending by August. So if you put your name on the waiting list this spring, be patient and watch for an email from Oppo.

The 205 will be replacing my 7-year old 95. I’m hopeful the “improved” transport and the use of the latest  ESS 9038 DAC chip will result in a better audio experience with CDs and SACDs.

Received my Oppo 205. updated firmware 0115 and 0118. Streaming Tidal MQA from iMac. Showing MQA. Many MQA are 96k/24bit.  Sound is so airy and image so clear. Challenge my SACD collection. Can’t beat for its price $1299. If you can still get one, go for it. Even if is $2000 eBay price, still worth it.

coyotesx5  I am unsure of purchasing expensive speakers $50K to $60K because if a driver fails, it maybe irreplaceable if the manufacturer goes out of business.  The three I'm considering are von Schweikert VR55K, Einstein and Lumenswhites.   Companies like Bryston and B&W or Harmon Group products have major company sales including professional so they will probably always be around.  Audio Research and McIntosh, also major names, were sold to conglomerates too.  I'm just worried about making big ticket purchases from small companies.  Oppo fits into the small company realm.  I'd rather purchase an Esoteric (Teac) SACD player DV60 for Blu ray and SACD and let my TV upscale to 4K.  

It breaks my heart to read about people who bought a uber expensive amp or something from a 1 man operation, only to have the  person die or go out of business and leave the hobbyist with a very expensive piece of junk.

I had 3 different Audible Illusions Modulus preamps from 1992 to 2015, and my main reason for going with other equipment was because Art Ferris is semi retired and the factory (probably 3 people at most) is even slower than it was in their heydays.  The equipment is too expensive to take a big hit.