DVD-A1UDCI or Oppo or other...

[welwynnick]

I think the Oppo is a known quantity by now, and we can be pretty sure about what we will get when we buy a stock unit. It will have particularly good functionality, usability, stability and video performance. It appears to be more rigorously developed than other players, and has fewer faults and bugs. Even where there are problems, we can be pretty sure that Oppo will perform better than other manufacturers in resolving them.

The uncertainty comes from what the modifications might bring. David seems to have worked some magic on other CD, DVD and BD players, but there's no certainty that will apply to the Oppo as well. For my part, I believe the Oppo may have more opportunity for improvement than other machines, but until David gets his hands on one, I think there will always be the possibility that other upgraded machines may perform better for the same total price.

What also particularly pertinent to this thread is the possibility that the Oppo sounds better out of its spdif and HDMI outputs than it does through analogue. Thats the area where I expect both the A1UDCI and the upgraded BDP-83 to pay their way, but Ii don't think that's a certainty, either.

Nick