Oppo UDP - 205

azbrd,

Everything you say in your first paragraph is true re: that MW does not touch the digital section directly in their mod, excepting improving the AC quality fed to it, both by use of the Bybee rail and also freeing up the stock unit’s power supply from feeding the analog section and output stage (the massive MW external power supply does that).

Comparing the sound quality of my stock Sony 5400ES and my MW 5400ES and assuming that the SQ improvement between the stock 105 vs 205 is similar to redbook vs SACD, I honestly can’t imagine that the stock 205 would be close to the MW105 in SQ. Redbook on the MW is much better sounding than SACD on the stock unit. The stock and MW version are on far different levels of sound quality IME and the improvement is much more than a new-version DAC chip could ever produce IMO.

If using to feed a DAC through one of the digital outputs, there might be minimal difference in SQ between stock and the MW.

Dave

I've been using my 105, because of annoying audio problems using the 205 with DirecTV that don't occur with the 105. Having learned about the firmware update, I reinstalled the 205 and updated it. The annoying problems appear to have been fixed in the update.

Perhaps, but at least one *new* annoying problem has been introduced.

Speakers and their interaction with the room are by far the weakest link in any system. Just look at the distortion numbers and frequency response graphs. DAC’s or amplifiers are so much better that the differences between them (if audible at all) are completely overshadowed by the modest quality of even the best speakers. Even a ’modest’ Oppo is lightyears better than the best speakers, so spending more on probably inaudible gains is a waste of money if you can spend it only once.

Can’t argue that the room is the weak point. Investment should be made here as one of the first steps for any serious audio system IMO.

Yet, we can only get the room so good. But that is not the topic of this thread. Much out there already about this.

The recording/mastering process remains the primary determinant of/limitation to sound quality. Study the stages of signal degradation (starting with the microphone) that our media suffers prior to even being presented for reproduction.

Is your point that we should just throw in the towel on component improvement since perfection will never be achieved re: room/speakers? Many current and past speakers are plenty good enough to hear differences in SQ of sources and amplification.

As for "inaudible gains", I feel sure we would all like to read of your real-life personal experiences that support this rather than only unsubstantiated opinion.

Dave

Willemj, you're either not serious, or don't know what you're talking about.

dlcockrum, you need to get yourself a 205