Oppo 83 SE Sound in Absolute Terms ?

Jfz...I own the Oppo BDP-83 SE as well as an ARC Ref CD7, clearly at opposite ends of the pricing spectrum. The Oppo is a great unit for the price and I would say it holds its own against units in the $2K range as a general statement (I am sure you can find many in that range that better it and many that are materially worse) but in my system on CD playback (which is what the ARC CD 7 supports), there is no comparison. The ARC CD7 clearly betters it on any aspect of audio reproduction you wish to analyze. When I compare hi-rez SACDs on the Oppo vs the CD counterpart on the ARC, the gap narrows a smidgeon but not by much. The ARC is still clearly superior.

Buconero117...you may have been thinking about the Lexicon BD-30, which indeed is a stock Oppo BDP-83 with a fancier chassis but with a $3K price tag. Here's a blog from Chris Martens on the Lexicon BD-30 and the subsequent controversy on this which you can read about in the responses to the blog: http://www.avguide.com/blog/first-listen-lexicon-bd-30-universal-blu-ray-player. Audioholics.com broke the story about the Lexicon BD-30. All the best.

the Ayre unit could very well be just a minor step up from the Oppo (as Mitch2 describes)

Cmalak, to clarify, "just a minor step up" is not at all what I was implying and not what I said. My intent was to point out that several well known modders are reportedly achieving "significant" improvements to the stock 83se, and that the Ayre (which I believe is based on the 83, not 83se) is likely at the "top of the heap," with even greater improvements compared to the other modified units. Charlie Hansen and his crew have reportedly added improvements to the DX-5 that place it's sonic performance at or above the level of the C-5xe MP. I wish I could afford one.

Mitch2...sorry i misquoted you. it was in fact Buconero117 that he had heard the DX-5 and thought it was only a "step up" from the BDP-83 SE. I somehow doubt that as you say :-). Whether the DX-5 is worth $10K is a different question and can only be answered by each individual considering to purchase it within the context of his system and budget. Apologize for the misquote.

No problem Cmalak...I just wanted to be clear. Although I haven't always liked the sonic presentation of the Ayre gear I have owned, I have always respected the build quality, the value for the money, and especially their commitment to customers and service. What intrigues me is the sonic quality these modification guys (and Ayre) are reportedly getting from the 83/83se. Modwright is supposed to be coming up with a tube rectified power supply and tubed output mod for the Oppo, similar to his Sony mods. The ability of the 83/83se to play CD/DVD/SACD and R-versions is a huge plus and the blu-ray, video and multi channel capabilities are like the frosting and a cherry on top. If only someone could make the 83se sound as good as my Lector....for under $5K.