OPPO UDP-205 Ultra HD Audiophile Blu-ray Disc Player

For years Ive wanted to get a hold of one of Oppos flagships. Im glad I was patient enough to wait for the 4k capable UDP-205. As a long time, veteran audiophile who actually has owned, professionally sold, and auditioned many of the most prestigious names in audio (Krell, Martin Logan, Audio Research, VTL, Wadia Digital, Wilson Audio, Paradigm, B&W, etc...) I am so blown away by the sheer construction, attention to detail, and pure bliss Oppo has managed to somehow cram into a $1300 digital player. This unit is built with a rock solid chassis and a toroidal power transformer you wont even find in many, so-called mid-range home theater receivers or amplifiers. With a host of outputs and inputs, there is no feat this machine cant handle. In fact, with the wide array of INPUTS it has, the reference level Oppo machine acts as a first rate, top-of-the-line DAC for a multitude of digital audio sources such as other CD transports (like my classic Krell MD-10) or a USB drive loaded with music. I used the HDMI input to strap my Playstation 4 but it also works very nicely with the Apple TV. Apart from the brand new reference SABRE DACs this employs, it also carries the coveted Balanced XLR outputs for a pure 2 channel audio signal to your preamp or integrated amp. In my case, My Oppo 205 is sent XLR out (I used the Better Cables brand Blue Truth II found here on Amazon, another fantastic bargain for audiophile grade products) to the Cambridge Audio Azur 840a V2. It is a beautiful combo that delivers some stunning performance to a pair of Joseph Audio RM 7si monitors via some JPS Audio Super Conductor 2 speaker cables. I have zero regrets except that my Krell 64x DAC (formerly paired with my MD10 transport) will likely find retirement given the stellar performance of the Oppo UDP-205. So far as video performance, I would laud the same praise upon it as I have for its superb audiophile characteristics. Oppo truly has the midas touch but produces on a total value budget. If you are looking for an elite CD player for your high end system, or an elite Blu-Ray/4K player, you CAN actually have both in a single unit for a very reasonable price. Excellent and HEAVILY recommended

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I debated a long time between the 203 and the 205 models. From a video perspective they are exactly the same...very good. The 203 is not a bad performer for music, but the 205 takes music output up several notches. Its truly an audiophile caliber machine. Its like where do I start. Dual power supplies for the lowest noise floor, dedicated stereo analog inputs, upgraded DACs at the analog stage, a dedicated HDMI audio input, and also an asynchronus USB input supporting Hi Res music files from your computer....none of these feature are present in the 203. Is there a night and day difference in sound quality from the 203? No, but there is a difference. Bottomline, if you have a good set of speakers and you want the closest reproduction to what the sound engineers and producers intended, the 205 should be on your list to demo. If you have floorstanding speakers that cost $500 for the pair...theres nothing wrong with your speakers, but this is not the unit for you. I have a pair of B&W 804 speakers. Old, but above average performers. Listening to this machine in 2 channel or multi-channel SACD is the best Ive heard these speakers sound. Con...no streaming to Netflix, etc. built in. To be honest...I think thats a bigger negative for the 203.

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Purchased this unit to replace an Oppo BDP-103 in my 2ch system. I moved out of the "3" series to the "5" series for the advanced analog output stage in the UDP-205. In my 2ch system I only use the dedicated 2ch analog output and DAC for audio. I also have it hooked up via HDMI directly to my Sony 4K television. I occasionally use the television for watching shows and movies, but its mostly for managing media. I have a SSD drive attached to one of the USB inputs on the back of the unit. I have ripped most of my CD collection to ALAC and I also have a lot of high-rez FLAC and DSD downloads from HDTracks. I also have several SACDs and Blu-Ray audio/concerts that I like to watch and listen to. Im not ready to walk away from physical media just yet. Another large consideration for the move to the 205 was the built in headphone section for my late night listening sessions. The headphone section in my preamp leaves a lot to be desired. I pre-ordered the UDP-205 directly from Oppo and it was delivered quickly and packaged very well in a double box. Physically, this is MUCH larger than the "3" series Oppos and much beefier. This can mostly be attributed to the dual power supplies (one for the digital section and a toroidal supply for the analog section) and the better engineered chassis of the 205. I connected everything up and it fired right up, did not even have to change the settings on my Harmony remote! I also downloaded the new Oppo app for my iPhone since it will allow me to control the 205 and media on my SSD without even turning on the TV, or being in the room if Im just walking around the house getting stuff done while I play background music. The sonic improvement over the 103 is quite large and very pleasing. Better defined soundstage with better instrument separation and imaging. Vocals are more forward and clear, albums like "The Union" (Elton John and Leon Russel 92/24 FLAC) went from good to GREAT. One of my complaints on that album in particular were veiled vocals that were pushed too far back. The 205 pushed the vocals forward and cleared them up nicely. Macy Grays "Stripped" (192/24 FLAC) album suffered from this as well with the 103. Same results with the vocals, but the incredible musicians backing up Macy became more focused with a less "muddled" soundstage. Overall, the 205 brings out more of the fine detail with my recordings that was lost with the 103. An artist breathing in the mic, a natural cymbal decay... One of the things I enjoy the most from this unit is the dedicated 2ch DAC does an amazing job cleaning up recordings whenever possible. Sturgill Simpsons "A Sailors Guide to Earth" (44.1/24 FLAC) had noticeable distortion with Sturgills vocals. It was not too bad through my main speakers, but with headphones it was pretty bad. The 205 cleaned up pretty much all of it. The headphone section is MUCH better than my preamp headphone section. Much better control of my AKG Q701s with a more focused and balanced soundstage, I actually WANT to use my headphones again. Video is fantastic from the 205. Upscaled 1080p Blu-rays look outstanding with smoother transitions and a sharper image than the 103. The only UHD Blu-Ray I have for the moment is "Planet Earth II". The picture is OUTSTANDING, even on my "budget" Sony XBR-55X810C in my 2ch room. I did not feel like spending too much for the TV in this room when I replaced it a year ago since its mainly just a monitor for managing media. I only watch TV or movies in my 2ch system when my HT is overrun with children. Cant wait to see what this will do on a newer higher end 4K display. The old 105 suffered reviews of being too thin, hyper detailed and harsh. I dont see ANY of that with the 205. Full, rich and well balanced soundstage in my system. The 205 brings a lot of detail to the table without getting a digital glare or harshness to it. I have about a 100 hours of burn-in time, my 205 is putting a smile on my face every time I fire it up. My 2ch system as it stands right now: Oppo UDP-205, Parasound P5 preamp, Parasound HCA-1500A amp, Furman Elite 15 DMi power center, Totem Arro speakers, SVS SB2000 sub, AudioQuest HDMI, speaker and analog wiring. For the money, this is a powerhouse that just does A LOT right. It can managing media with a the ability to be a USB host for a mass storage device, physical media powerhouse with 4K UHD and HDR, headphone amp, standalone DAC and can function as a "preamp" if you want it to; the 205 is the value of the century with the sonics to match. I feel like this is a machine that I can "grow" with and upgrade around. I dont really want to look at the price tags of the machines that will best this unit... UPDATE: 7/24/2017 I have made a couple of system changes and felt it was appropriate to update. First update was changing my speakers out after moving my system into a larger room. I swapped out the Totem Arros for Sonus Faber Venere S speakers and I also took out the SVS sub for a return to a "true" 2ch system. The speaker move allowed me to really dive deeper into the soundstage and capabilities of the UDP-205. Clearly the speakers play a large part in this as well, but I have found the entire system to play VERY nice together. After a month of the Veneres in service I decided to allow the UDP-205 to use more of its features and I took the Parasound P5 out of the system. Now I have the UDP-205 hooked directly to my Parasound amp. The soundstage grew and became better detailed and textured once I simplified the signal path. I still have the HDMI cable running to my TV for movies and streaming shows, but now I have the TV and UDP-205 set up to utilize the built in ARC for audio FROM my TV (streaming:Netflix, HULU, HBO, Amazon). The ARC was simple to set up and has worked perfectly. This machine continues to impress and Ive enjoyed its well thought out design and great functionality.

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This is a true audiophile level player. I have a more expensive setup, but I am listening to the 205 exclusively. There is some magic in those new DACs.

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Previously owned a 103 and a 105d .. the Udp- 205 is excellent !! Great job Oppo !!! The 205 connected to a 4K Sony XBR 930d and my entire sound system to go with it looks and sounds better than ever !! ..also connected Sony PS4 Pro to the HDMI input ..Powerful audio Sonics ! ..Great 4k picture !! .. I have everything set up Auto UHD and everything Ive played so far from Regular DVDs to Blue Rays and 4k-Uhd videos and PS4 games running through the extra hdmi input to the tv on the 205 looks and sounds awesome !! 5 stars *****!

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Replaced my Oppo 105D and the only thing I am missing is my beloved Tidal Hi-FI. They told me Roon was included and better in some way but not as easy to use given you need a dedicated file server to enjoy to its full potential. I am still giving this 5-stars because it really is a great sounding unit with much better video and DACs.

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excellent $1300 investment. all audio video better than anything I have seen. issue with fast forward and reverse an issue, may have to call oppo.

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Oppo continue to exceed expectations. 4K picture is amazing and of course the sound value of the 205 is great in theater mode as well as two-channel. A little pricey, but an excellent machine!

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I purchased this as a means to enjoy my multi-channel SACD collection. The OPPO UDP-205 is one of very few Ultra BD Players which have the analog multi-channel outputs necessary to enjoy multi-channel SACDs through non-digital amplifiers such as the one I own; thats to say, I need analog outputs from the Player, since my preamplifier does not have modern HDMI digital inputs. The SACD music sounds great. I also have connected my computer to the OPPO via the OPPOs usb DAC input. This permits me to enjoy hi-rez stereo files I have in my iTunes Library. In addition, Ive made my computer a DLNA Server, which allows me to stream music from computer to OPPO wirelessly and then route with wired connection to preamplifier for playback, even multi-channel files, although with this DLNA Network connection gapless playback is not possible. I am told for gapless playback I will need another sort of Server. At any rate, Ive discovered I can get gapless playback for stereo and multi-channel simply be putting the music on a thumb drive and inserting it to the OPPOs front usb port.

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Its the highest end 4K player, period ($125), combined with the best video and audio upscaling in one package ($1100) built with super high-end capacitors. Youll need HDCP 2.2 rated HDMI cables with this. I use it to upscale my Direct TV feed then into my processor, everything comes out 4K and with full surround sound....This helps as my Sony Z9 wont process 780i/p signals...

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