Oppo 83 SE Sound in Absolute Terms ?

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.

Mitch2...when Dan Modwright came out with his first iteration of mods for the Oppo BDP-83, I emailed him and asked him if he was going to have a tube-based mod for the output stage and he said he was still working on it and wanted to meet the then current demand for his first iteration mods. I am glad to hear that this is getting closer because I will definitely pull the trigger when he comes out with the tube mods for my BDP-83 SE. Thanks for the heads up.

Can anyone comment on the OP's question in direct terms. I think he and the curious are looking for is - Does an Oppo sound as good as a DCS stack or an Esoteric model of your choice or Reimyo or Emm Labs etc.?

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.

I thought I did that with my comment above. Not even close. The Oppo BDP-83 SE is nice for the price but it is not a SOTA player in any shape or form.