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Question about new Oppo 4K player

Hey guys!

My first post here, been reading for a long time but wanted to wait until I upgraded my system to jump in! I recently got an Xbox S to use as a 4K player - I needed a new one, and my Sony 930d does HDR, so I figured why not?

I have always been curious about Oppo Blu Ray players, I have read nothing but amazing things about them. My question: WHY is the new 4K player only $500, as opposed to the 103 and 105(d)? My buddies at Magnolia always rave about the sound quality and video processing from the Oppo....so, will the 4K player possibly lose some of the audio power? I can't figure out why it would be so cheap - I figure maybe the darbee chip won't be necessary since its running 4K?

Hope this question makes sense! Thanks
128x128ethos4lyfe
ethos4lyfe's avatar
ethos4lyfe OP
74 posts
 
Yeah, I Have signed up for info - the price point just stuck out to me. The "last generation" are so highly priced, it makes me think that the first line of 4K players from them will be basic. The first 4K player I believe was the Samsung a while ago, and it left alot to be desired. 
oddiofyl's avatar
oddiofyl
3,797 posts
 
I have a OPPO 103D and it's the best player I've ever owned.  I have had some higher end ES in the past and they were great but this time I was looking good for a universal transport that could stream  Netflix and pull audio off external storage plus play all of my existing media. I own a NAD M51 dac and the combination is killer....Had I not had a great DAC I probably would have bought the 105, but I knew 4k was right around the corner when I bought it about 10 months ago.  The 103D was a perfect fit ,  it's a real bang for the buck, not to mention I have a kid in college so the price was about where I wanted to max out at....
randy-11
1,913 posts
 
AFAIK, Oppo is a Chinese firm with a design center in Silicon Valley.  I am not worried about parts or build quality as Apple is manf. in China with a design center in Silicon Valley.  The Chinese will build to spec. so it depends on the spec. you want.

Also, given that these things can become obsolete in 2-3 years, longevity is less important.

Audiophilic consumers are often attracted to ultra-thick aluminum face plates and will overpay for such trivia...

Finally, Oppo is a major, or the major, cell phone maker in China.  It is possible that they just like building audiophile equipment and make less profit on it.

OTOH, a search for photos, or reviews of build quality might prove fruitful.
gdhal's avatar
gdhal
1,641 posts
 
@randy-11 with regard to obsolescence the Oppo 4K will not be going anywhere anytime soon. 8K is already on the horizon but well known (documented) to be more than 10 years out before a player of that resolution is available in a U.S. home. Also, 4K CONTENT is in its infancy so Oppo 4K will be around after Trump or Clinton finishes their second term.  
gdhal's avatar
gdhal
1,641 posts
 
Yet another reason the Oppo is relatively inexpensive is because most other audio only and/or audio/video brands are overpriced.

Something else to be aware of about the forthcoming 4K Oppo's which purportedly is a plus is that they have transferred more (as compared to their non-4K models) functionality and reliance upon firmware updates. So they are, in my view, understanding of the fact that HDR and comparable Dolby are evolving technologies with no definitive standard. 

I have a pro-calibrated Samsung UN65KS9800 and frankly the picture is "exactly perfect" (that's a Grateful Dead reference) so I'm looking forward to the audiophile 4K model Oppo myself!
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