Suggestions on DVD/CD player with great sound....

OK, Sony ES gear is nice. If I'm correct, it is older with no digital processing. With that said, you need a player with a good DAC. The fun part of the oppo is that it an act as a dac for other connections, it can link to your home network and can link directly to netflix and more.

You will appreciate it greatly, both sonically and functionally. Will you hear a difference with the 105, Maybe? I will say that if you do not intend to go with a theater set-up, the 103 will work fine and you can always add an external DAC if you want to step it up another notch.

Let me again say what a deal ALL the gear from OPPO Digital is. Yes, they each have their own specific purposes but the differences between each unit are truly at the bleeding edge of high end audio. You need VERY EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT (and great ears), the PERFECT room and set up, to hear the difference between the units. This hardly EVER happens in the Real World. I have a second one because, when the time came, I needed a 3D Blu-ray player. Video aside, I tried swapping my two different OPPO's in my system and I could not tell any difference at all, listening to anything. And I have good ears :)

When I got my first OPPO, I thought the carry bag was waaay cool but I also thought the 122 page instruction manual a bit odd. Why would you need a 122 page manual for a "basic" Blu-ray player you intend to replace your broken CD player with? Heh. Buy one, study that manual, and see just what these are capable of. Best of luck!

j

Okay, so is this OPPO product better than a Playstation 3?

I think under your situation the Oppo 103 would serve you well. You can buy a new one for half your budget limit giving you the full life of the transport and optical pickup. From everything I have heard the Oppo company is great to deal with.

This may be an old posting and I'm not sure your decided yet, but there are plenty of great cdps available and many price ranges. Since you have Sony ES why not get a Sony ES dvd/sacd player. I had the dvd9000es and its cd performance was spectacular, better than many high-end stand alone cdps of its era.