Oppo BDP83SE vs Oppo BDP95

Jdub39, I do find it odd that my 83SE required little or no break-in (yes, I bought it new). What is it about the 95 that demands a ridiculous (to me) 500 hours? Did you compare the 83SE to the 95 in your system?

Isn't break in a bitch? I wonder how many fine products have been maligned because they were evaluated before breaking in. Does anybody know the true reason there is such a phenomena? Molecules being aligned is one theory I know of.

If I was a manufacturer I'd break in every piece of equipment before sending it out for review or demo.

Strangely, my experience (after about 450 hours on the 95) is similar to that of Dopogue. I wouldn't use the term "recessed", but I am unimpressed. What I hear is a lack of "meat" on the bones...a lack of density of tone and image. The 95 also sounds somewhat strident to me. Now, of course, we all listen and compare what we hear to something else: live music, some other system or component, etc. In my case, I am used to listening to my heavily Exemplar-modified Denon 3910 (with tube out-put stage).

Having said all that, I am still considering keeping the Oppo...and getting it modified. I say this because I keep reading many excited comments from others. Part of my dilemma, however, is that I am not tolerating the fan noise well at all.

Dopogue, I speak only to the merits of the 95, as I never owned an Oppo product prior to it. Not sure why it took the 95 so long to settle but this is what it took in my setup.I only posted to give some insight on what I found over the course 500 hrs and especially the out the box recessed sound which I experienced as well and was about to send it back!That my friend would have been the biggest opportunity missed by me in 25yrs of this hobby! if you get a chance to hear a settled one post back what you find!

Jeff

Jfz, you captured what I was hearing, better than I did. Except for the "strident" part. What I heard was more polite. Maybe it gets more strident as it breaks in :-)

Seriously, I listened for only a couple of hours but I did have my 83SE for direct comparison, and however good the 95 might eventually get, I don't think it would be good enough to make me switch.

Jdub39, I think you might like the 83SE too.