Oppo will be supporting this player for years. They built their company on great customer service. The parts will be available for years down the road. The latest Oppo models are super reliable, as well.
People have said the 205 has a slightly better picture than the 203 (probably due to the heavier dual chassis bottom and the low jitter HDMI out that only the 205 has).....and with the power supply mod and transport mods the 205 has an even better picture. The better HDMI output would make the HDMI audio out better too.
There really is nothing like a modded 205.......there is no "better product" that I know of. It has great 2 channel sound for all forms of music (CD, DVD, DVD-A, SACD, Music Videos, DSD512 and 24/192 via usb DAC input, usb inputs to play usb sticks or usb drives, etc. It has a great headphone amp, it has multichannel outs, and it plays all video with better picture than most anything. And you have only one machine with one power cord.
There is one person who said his stock LKS DAC was better than the Dave DAC......well, my modded LKS DAC is even better and when playing CDs.....the modded 205 is even better than that. I was using a modded Oppo 103D (with $1300 mod) as transport with my own custom digital cable and a heavily modded IFI Spdif Ipurifier into the modded LKS or modded Sonica DAC. I thought I was in heaven. Then the 205 came in and I was shocked. Even stock it did a couple things better than my reference combo. Once I did the mods to the 205 the DACs were now history for playing discs. Now it could be that one of those modded DACs might sound better via usb in than the 205....but that is not how I am currently listening. What I do know is this is the best these discs have ever sounded.
Have you seen the prices used and new Oppo 205s are selling for? Has there ever been anything like this ever happening? The 205s are really good stock. If you are fortunate to own one or are on the Oppo waiting list you have or will have soon a really nice machine.