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04-22-2018, 09:13 AM | #1 |
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Oppo Digital shutting down manufacturing
I know there are a few A/V enthusiasts here. So I just found out today the news Oppo Digital is stopping all manufacturing. This is indeed a sad for the A/V world akin to when Pioneer left the plasma TV market with their legendary Kuro TVs. Sad to see a company that offered one of the best bang for the buck products, built exceptionally well, great performance, and great customer service now gone.
If you're on the fence about buying anything from Oppo, make up your mind now as what's out there in inventory is it. Once they're gone, they're gone. My wallet got much lighter today as I bought a UDP-203 and a PM-3. https://www.audioholics.com/editoria...-manufacturing
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Last edited by zx10guy; 04-22-2018 at 09:21 AM.. |
04-22-2018, 09:22 AM | #2 | |
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04-22-2018, 09:24 AM | #3 |
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How is the 205? I was going back and forth on buying the audiophile editions of their players. It seems if I wanted to buy a 205 now, I can't. Oppo doesn't show them in stock and has a link to be notified when they are available. Which with this announcement, I doubt they'll ever be now.
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04-22-2018, 09:27 AM | #4 | |
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04-22-2018, 09:32 AM | #5 | |
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04-22-2018, 09:43 AM | #6 | |
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I still have one of the last Pioneer Kuros. 65in. One of the MOSFETS died on me recently and I had a Plasma "repair specialist" come out and fix it for like $150. He said this is really the only design flaw of the TV - in all other respects it's better made and generally superior than anything else out there these days. I love telling people what it is when they ask: "one of the best if not THE BEST plasma TVs ever made". Same is true of my old Denon receiver - just don't make them like this anymore... |
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04-22-2018, 10:59 AM | #7 | |
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There is a market for high end compnents. It's up to the company on if they're satisfied with the small market share that accompanies that market. I also own two Pioneer plasmas. One is a 1010HD and the other is a 141FD. Both calibrated by D-Nice from AVSForum fame. Don't even have an urge to look at anything current. |
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04-22-2018, 12:15 PM | #8 |
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I think the enthusiast high end market of consumer electronics (maybe outside of iphones which are also considered an accessory) is almost gone. You have very high quality cheaper alternatives as everyone has caught up... there will be those that see a difference and there will always be more of those that don't. It's just like cars... in 2001, the E46 M3 was almost an exotic compared to its competition... in 2017, the F80 M3 is like any other 70K sports sedan.
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04-22-2018, 07:48 PM | #9 |
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Not sure what products you are comparing and what your definition of high quality is, but high end products are definitely not disappearing. The ones that seem to have problems are in the middle niche that straddles between consumer and lower high end.
There are plenty of companies which I got to know when I got into being a "phile" in the late 80s that are still around. Companies like Krell, Audio Research, Wilson Audio, Meridian, Martin Logan, Mark Levinson, Theta Digital, Wadia, B&W, VPI, Bryston, to name just a few. The differences are there compared to mass market if one cares about the differences. It's all about priorities. The analogy can be compared to driving a Prius versus an M car. Both will get you to the same destination. But yet both provide a different level of experience to the driver. An example of the quality one gets with higher end equipment is in the construction and components used. An example of this is my Bryston 6B-ST 3 channel amp. The thing is built like a tank. Weighs about 90lbs. Every amp made by Bryston, including mine, goes through a 24 hour burn in where the amp is driven at full power the entire time. If the amp survives this QA test, then it gets a pass. This is why Bryston amps have a 20 year warranty. Don't know of any mass market product/manufacturer which has anything close to this level of QA and warranty. Hopefully people will realize the demise of physical digital media is going to make things worse overall for the consumer and we'll see the resurgence of optical media just like we're seeing a revival of vinyl. |
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04-22-2018, 08:04 PM | #11 | |
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I'm wondering if the sound of the PM3s will mimic the lush sounds I love from ribbon/electrostatic speakers. I remember hearing a set of Apogee Stages being driven by a full Krell stack at the local drug dealer to my college. The dealer had this in a listening room where they set up an acoustically transparent curtain. The curtain rails were set up just in front of the speakers and they would pull the curtain across during auditions. After a while, you forget there are speakers behind the curtain and you're just in the moment. I remember Stax headphones and always wanted to own a set. But the price of admission was way too high. Hoping these PM3s will match up. I also have a portable headphone amplifier I will use with the PM3s from Ray Samuels Audio called the Predator. |
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04-24-2018, 11:49 AM | #12 | |
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04-24-2018, 05:13 PM | #13 | |
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I haven't heard the Klipsch. I would really like to hear the B&Ws (as I own B&W N804s and N805s) or Etymonics. Am I sorry I bought the 535s, no. But I wish they had kept the design shape the same as the lower end 200s. You'll find when you first use the 535s that your ear canal my get irritated. Something changed that I can't put my finger on that made the 535s a bit challenging for my ears. |
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