Blue ray player with good audio

I would agree that a modified BDP-83 is the way to go. I have an Exemplar/Oppo and am just amazed at sacds. I think it is the Crystal chip set that is responsible also. This is not used in the SE and that is one reason I avoided it.

I also have a Mac/Amarra/Firewire/Weiss Minerva music server. I can hear a difference between it and the Exemplar/Oppo and sometimes prefer it, but sacds on the Exemplar/Oppo are clearly better in every comparison I have done.

Pioneer BDP-09fd if you plan to use the analog audio ouputs. Sound is tonally richer with more body and transient slam than either version of the Oppo 83, though I can't comment on the Nuforce Edition of the Oppo. Visually, Blu-ray video and DVD upscaling are slightly in favor of the BDP-09, but that difference is small and may not be worth the price. It's the audio (and the build quality) that make the Pioneer worth the cash over an Oppo SE. The bonus is that Redbook CD from the Pioneer clearly bests the Oppo, and every other Blu-ray deck with the possible exception of the $6,000 Marantz UD9004 and the $8,000 McIntosh MVP-881 and even that's not certain.

You don't even have to modify the BDP-09 for it to sound steller. I suppose anything can be improved, but the Pioneer is well thought-out and executed from the factory. If you're only passing all signal from the player via HDMI, then the standard Oppo 83 is fine.

Phil

Craig_hoch, I had a DV-980h and the BDP-83 is superior in every way.

Strateahed, It's a BDP-83 and NOT SE. Dan found the SE offers a slight advantage in detail and resolution over the non SE because of the superior SABRE DAC.

I bought the Oppo for an occasional BluRay but the sound was so poor in all formats that I stopped using it. The reasons I decided on Modwright is only Dan's mod replaces the whole analog output stage plus I'm familiar with his work.

Good luck!

I decided to go with a DAC. I read some decent reviews of the Valab and for the price it is worth a try. Thanks for all the input.

If you are using an external DAC, and do not listen to much SACD, is there any reason to get an Oppo bdp-83se as opposed to plain bdp-83? I was under the impression the Sabre DAC's in the SE would be of importance only if using the analog outs. Am I wrong?

Neal