Is OPPO losing it's way?

@dlcockrum Thanks. I'll give serious consideration to modifying the UDP-205 once it is available, I purchase it and listen to it stock for a little while. This way I can at least have an idea of the "before and after" sound. 

@ricevs I glanced over your website. Nice job on the photos. Everything is well explained too.

I've been thinking about the original question of this thread, "Is Oppo losing it's way?".  I don't think they have lost their way because they still make good products, but I miss the days of the BDP-83 when their top tier product cost $500 and you didn't have to choose between it and a higher tier option.  The 83 came with separate analog outputs for 2-channel stereo as well as 5 analog outs for multi-channel, different dac chips for each. Oppo made its name by being the smart choice for budget conscious audio/video enthusiasts.  I don't think that is their M.O. anymore.  I chose the 103 because I believe external DAC's are the way to go, so I appreciate having a 103 to choose, but the same $500 that bought me the 83 with the top of the line features no longer buys those features.  They're gone from the $500 range.  And the next step up is a big one.

as long as they can make a $1200 universal player that sounds as good as a $4,000 SACD player, I'm fine with it

I guess, but you can see the road that leads down.  Maybe someday they'll make a $4000 player that sounds as good as a $6000 player.  It's leaving their original $500 customers in the dust.  They sell great products, just not in the sub $1000 range anymore.  That's the "way" they might be losing.

The Oppo 83 was all they could do at $500.  To give you the better analog stages and DACs and power supplies they had to make it a bigger machine and charge you $900.  The of course, the newer ones got even better and slightly more expensive.  The new 4K baby machine coming out will be $500.  It will be better in every way than an 83....better picture, better sound and more features.  Hardly losing their way!  Of course, they will have a more expensive version with better DACs and power supplies, etc. No one has ever given as much value as Oppo. They have the highest resale value of any component.  Heck, right now, the last few 105Ds that dealers have are selling for way more than the list price.