Use or sell/replace Oppo UDP-203?

Sell.

Rip your CDs.

I use my Oppo 203 as a transport (and for bluray/4k movies)into an external DAC, and it performs flawlessly playing CDs.  While I'm sure there are better transports out there, the 203 does well.  That said, the prices for Oppo players are insanely high (especially unboxed ones!), and you could get a good amount of money for it to spend on something else.

Oppo 203 and 205s do go for a fair amount.  But they're good Swiss army knives too.  They're Roon compatible which is the best way to combine streaming and a local ripped library. 

So if you're starved for cash, move it, but it not, realize that you'll never get another new one and if you ever wanted one you'd have to pay through the nose to get it.  

I don't think physical media will ever entirely die.  And I'm not convinced the Internet is as perfectly stable as we all seem to assume. 

personally, if the oppo is new-in-box i'd sell it (you can get north of two grand for it) and replace it with an inexpensive cd transport and a streaming dac (something like the bluesound node or yamaha musiccast would be around $500, though you can spend more and get better). you'll be ready for the future.

I had to replace an ailing Arcam DVD, and wound up buying an Oppo 203. I ordered a new non-switching power supply for it from Korea, and put it in. It's now the best sounding player I've had, and glad to have it.

Regards,

Dan 

I don't think physical media will ever entirely die.  And I'm not convinced the Internet is as perfectly stable as we all seem to assume. 

I still spin discs. I only have to get up once an hour to change a disc. My music is always available and won't disappear due to licensing changes as has happen to some. 

I wanted to add that some of my music will never be available for streaming, too rare. 

+1 @melm take the inflated $$$ and run. Since you’re obviously considering streaming, which is an excellent idea as you’ll discover worlds of new music not to mention the extreme convenience, this would be a great excuse to set this in motion. Depending on your budget and the level of your system I’d highly suggest a streamer/server like the Bluesound Vault or Innuos Zen Mk3 because in addition to streaming you can load all your CDs directly into it and literally have access to all your music along with streamed music from your chair and never have to deal with a transport again. Anyway, just my $0.02 FWIW, and best of luck.

I own an oppo 203, bought years ago when the price was normal. It is used primarily in my modest home theater set up. I’ve often thought about selling it for a crazy inflated price, but I can’t let it go. It just plain works so well, and my hd/4k movies look and sound great!. Never had an issue with it, and it still looks brand new. I guess I sell it if I’m starving.

I love mine.  It plays Data Discs, usb flash drives and other usb hard drives,  and will play music  files from my NAS.  I have started using it to display photos that I transferred to a hard drive.  It’s a lot more than just a hard disc player

My goal was better audio for CD’s and SACDs, video not the goal.

People rave about Oppo’s, I was encouraged here, I tried 3, didn’t find any audio superiority, sold them, kept going, found two preferred players, CD only, then found a vintage Sony CD/SACD player xa5400ES that makes me quite happy, enough to be enjoying all my CD’s again, even buying used CD’s as well as LP’s

If not hooked to a perceived superior sound, get the money out of it!

 

@soix @elliottbnewcombjr This is my thinking.  I will not need the 203 for video and it is not known as a killer CD player.  Selling it gets me a good way toward a streamer/server and DAC, neither of which I have, and both of which are planned.  If CDs get ripped to a server (or something like the suggested Innuos Zen Mk3), I will need something to spin an occasional disc, but not something is effectively a $2K CD player.

new in the box may be worth more than you realize

 

IF you had a great sounding SACD/CD player, why rip them?

 

here’s a decent price for the one I chose https://www.ebay.com/itm/194951276369?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338381866&toolid=10001&customid=e8e48af6-d3ad-11ec-8168-336162616530 you can arrange with ANY local UPS to pack and ship ANYTHING for you. All seller has to do is drop it off in your name.

you just find a UPS store that packs and ships near the seller.

. I just had my AR-2ax's packed and shipped from Illinois. Previously arranged from upstate NY, another from Canada.

@elliottbnewcombjr That Sony is a fantastic CD player and if I had that instead of the Oppo I'm sure I'd keep it indefinitely.  But, once I sell the Oppo, I'll have a limited budget to acquire equipment for a future that likely involves a transition from buying CDs to streaming.  Plus, as @soix demanded in an earlier thread ;-), i must replace my current AVR with one that has preamp outs so that I can run my mains through an integrated amp with home theater bypass. 

i must replace my current AVR with one that has preamp outs so that I can run my mains through an integrated amp with home theater bypass. 

You Da Man!  Not sure though why you said above you may need something to spin the occasional disc.  Why when you can just load everything into the Innuos?  One last thought on the Oppo — they’re obviously belly up so good luck if you ever have a problem.  I had to send my Oppo back once to repair the drawer mechanism, so it’s something else to consider. 

@soix Just that I might pick something up, or someone might bring something over, that I might want to hear without/before ripping to the Innuos.

Prior to the xa5400ES, I researched, went thru 9 models, found two very nice sounding players, quite in-expensive, that would give you your existing CDs back.

Onkyo Integra CDC-3.4 II, CD's only, (serial number with M is Mark II)

new one with warranty, 

 

Perhaps for you, DVDs/SACDs/CDs, this Denon DVD-2910 also sounds very nice.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/165463883680?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338381866&toolid=10001&customid=051e517a-d449-11ec-b2c2-393539633535 the search, the whole story https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/better-cd-sound-the-search

Well it sounds like the OP doesn’t particularly need the 203, which has many capabilities.  He can definitely get a good price and use the money elsewhere 

I have two Oppo 203's and they are awesome and were ridiculous value when new. If you're not playing SACD's or 4k movies I'd personally sell it and get a great CD player or streamer. 

My 203 in my theatre room started playing up the other week so I bought one of the new Reavon x110 universal players. I went through 3 of them in a week, first one the transport fell apart after 2 disks, the second one showed bloches of black and white throughout movies. The third one would lock up, freeze and require having the cable unplugged to get it to start again. And they were all noisy as hell. Absolute junk and nearly twice the price of the Oppo 203 when new. I'm now getting the Oppo fixed to sell and buying the Panasonic 9000 player.

I have two Oppo 203's and they are awesome and were ridiculous value when new. If you're not playing SACD's or 4k movies I'd personally sell it and get a great CD player or streamer. 

My 203 in my theatre room started playing up the other week so I bought one of the new Reavon x110 universal players. I went through 3 of them in a week, first one the transport fell apart after 2 disks, the second one showed bloches of black and white throughout movies. The third one would lock up, freeze and require having the cable unplugged to get it to start again. And they were all noisy as hell. Absolute junk and nearly twice the price of the Oppo 203 when new. I'm now getting the Oppo fixed to sell and buying the Panasonic 9000 player.

I have an Oppo 203, which I bought when this model was first released. I use it exclusively — as a transport — to play multi-channel SACDs and movies (4K and Blu-ray). For both audio and video, it does a superb job. Moreover, its flexibility in customized settings is unmatched. I urge you to keep and use it — for today and the future.