Jeff of Arabica
Seasoned Member
Name the greatest of all inventors... Accident.
Posts: 968
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A lot has changed equipment-wise for me since I posted that message. I did end up purchasing the OPPO UDP-205. And you are correct, it no longer supports third party apps, so all movie and music streaming functionality ended.
I eventually got a PS Audio DirectStream DAC which now offers native Tidal Master streaming AND fully unfolded MQA capability.
For awhile, I was using the 205 for SACD playback, and it did a fantastic job at that, actually - much better than the prior modded BDP-103 I once owned. The 205 is in another league. But for $1300, it better significantly best its $599 little brother.
I eventually added the DirectStream Memory Player for disk playback and now only use the 205 for 4K Ultra HD and Blu-Ray movies. I am also routing my AT&T U-Verse TV signal through it (HDMI in) to improve the sound quality. Had I known I was doing to get the DirectStream combo as soon as I did, I would have opted for the cheaper UDP-203 model which offers the same video playback features, without the "audiophile" 2-channel improvements, which I am no longer using the player for. At this point, it makes no sense for me to sell it only to purchase the cheaper 203 as I would take a hit on the sale. Plus, if I eventually separate my HT from 2-Channel, I may again need the audiophile features of the 205.
All in all, I am really impressed with the improvements they made with the new lineup and for someone using it for optical disk playback (SACD in particular) for 2-channel listening and 4K movies, it's absolutely worth the $1300 price tag.
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