Oppo Vs Esoteric

@1graber2 Agree 100x. @milpai Yes, higher end products will sound different but, will they provide the sound you are looking for? And will you will be willing to spend that kind of money in order to achieve it? Furthermore; yes a great source is paramount as @1graber2 stated.  However, if your electronics and speakers don't have the resolving power ; you'll never hear this potential.  Until of course you upgrade them.  Frankly, finding a dealer that will let you borrow one of this pieces to hear in your system is the only way to be sure.  Finally;  I also own a 205 and recently upgraded it with the MW 205 upgrade.  It has taken the performance to a new level and I preferred it in my system to the PS/Audio/Directstream combo (that I heard a few months ago with previous firmware).  That stack retails for over 10k.  System synergy and subjective preferences do go a long way. To that end; I'm looking to replace my MW 205 eventually but not as fast as I once thought.  I'm thinking it might take an Esoteric K03X or higher ; Luxman D08u to surpass it.  All those one box players I listed retail for over 10k.

Enjoy the 205.

1graber2 currently I’m enjoying the best digital playback in my home to date , though changes are a commin

, I’m experiencing familiar music is at its best only made more enjoyable by some critical cable changes . 
The ModWright 205 oppo is possibly a very satisfying performer for some and with member Lances comparison of his ModWright 205 and his PS Audio dac and player I find curious because the PS
Audio pair playback is outstanding however as good as these components are they are not worth thier retail price at all . It has absolutely nothing to do with diminishing returns , clearly they do perform very well though technical issues still plague these components they and I think partly is why they don’t hold thier value at all as frequently seen on the used market .

For that very reason I have moved on from PS Audio and currently auditioning thier replacement.
Over the years I’ve listened to these so called giant killers wonder of all wonders only to realize no matter what mod and tweaks most if not all are just an expensive digital sounding player .
The Esoteric K03 was replaced by PS Audio simply because playback was much better , I can actually tell the difference from good and better however CD playback of the KO3 I never warmed up to even after the ridiculous run in time and trying the too many set options .
the OP s question about other dedicated players or the ModWright Oppo he should maybe stick with and purchase quality anti resonance devices for under the power supply and oppo , there will be a nice improvement, well it did with my oppo 205 by ridding some but not all digital glare and improved the picture quality by a good margin.

@in_shore The reason I passed on the PS Audio stack (even though was discounted highly off MSRP) was more so the technical glitches you mentioned.  In addition, I prefer having a one box digital solution.  You might consider checking out the newly released K03Xs model to replace your PS Audio.  I've also seen some used K03X and 01X for sale to make way for the XS models that were just released. I'm also considering Luxman and perhaps even TAD D1000Mk2.  EMM Labs XDSv2 while amazing isn't available new anymore but; probably also very good if you can find a deal.  

@in_shore Diminishing returns has everything to do with bang for buck and ROI/return on investment, unless you are talking about something else, which you are, so there was no reason to say that it has "absolutely nothing" to do with diminishing returns.

OP, I rarely buy any new high end audiophile gear unless it is a great piece. So if @mdp632 says some new Esoteric models are coming out, I would suggest seriously considering a used X05,x07, etc. the used price probably be about %60 of MSRP.

Remember, these units at $6k are build to last a lifetime. You could pick one up for $3500 and try it out, even do your own side by side comparison with the Oppo. If you did not like the Esoteric (tho I dont know why), you could sell it for about the same price you paid for it b/c the price will not drop right away after the new model comes out. In any case, this is what i would do.

Someone suggested accessories to lower the distortion of the Oppo using, eg put anti resonance under the power supply. When i had an Oppo, I did this. it helped. But still, compared to the Esoteric, etc, it is like putting lipstick on a pig.
After the lipstick is applied, do you still want to kiss her?

1graber your all mixed up , I’m pretty sure by your comments you’ve never heard a well balanced and revealing system , also you don’t seem to understand what I just said ,...by by boo boo