Thanks, Ravi. Are you referring to the Boss, or the Oppo?
Absolutely not - it is the right forum. However, as you can read, we all have different opinions. Professional reviewers have different opinions. It is always fun to discuss but some of these are endless passionate discussions: e.g… cables, power cables (another argument in itself) analog vs digital, solid state vs tubes, class D vs class A/B, room tuning equipment, equipment stands, 1-bit vs multibit, FLAC vs WAV/AIFF, MQA and so on. I’ve lost track of the argument topics over the years. Some come and go, some are here forever 
Some of us want to feel the kick drum in their guts, some of us want to hear the wood vibrations of the clarinet, some of us want to feel like we’re in a large concert hall, some of us can’t hear high frequencies, others are over-sensitive to them and so on. In the end, none of us is going to be sitting in your room hearing music the way you do.
Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a system that does everything perfectly - at any price. Every system is a set of compromises. Of course, the better the system, the lesser the compromises, but they are still there.
So you need to decide what gives you shivers. Is it the boogie factor? Is it the beauty and liquidity of the string section? Is it the realism of the mass strings? Is it the earth shaking when timpani is finally hit? Is it the impression/illusion that Ella is standing in front of you singing just for you?
A good dealer will not try to flog equipment on you for the sake of making a sale. A good dealer will help you identify what it is that rocks your boat and will help you put a system accordingly. Forums such as this one, magazines, internet are full of opinion - some very valid, some outright rants, but should be used as a rough guide to make a list of possibles, in the best of cases.
One way to figure out if the dealer is any good is to see how patient they are. If they try to impose their opinion on you - as opposed to listening to what appeals to you - then you should find another one. If they try to make a quick sale, walk out.
Having said, it might be difficult finding a decent dealer in your area these days. I am ever grateful to one that was extremely patient with me when I was a young student some 40 years ago and guided me towards aural bliss.Another way is to find out if there is an audiophile club in your area. If so, you can go listen to other people’s system and form an opinion on what appeals to you. Take your time - it’s worth it.
Today, I have an extremely costly system. I refuse to buy anything if I don’t have it in my house in my system for a couple of weeks no matter what anyone says. Dealers tend to accommodate me as most purchases I am likely to do these days carries a high ticket. Point is that the room has a massive impact on the sound, so any demo outside your listening environment is only a guide. A good dealer should give you a home trial on most stuff or at least a possibility to return after a few days for a store credit. A good dealer should also give you the opportunity to take your old equipment when you do decide to upgrade. Of course, you might get a better deal on ebay/Audiogon/ etc but you won’t get the dealer advice and facility to try at home.
One last comment: if you do find a decent dealer, please do not try the eqpt then look for a cheaper deal over the net. You might save a few pennies in the short term but it will definitely cost you in the long run.
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11 posts were split to a new topic: Imagine buying a car - analogy
The Oppo 205.
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Echoes of Husserl!
Yes. I’m trying to figure out what the compromises are.
That one, I think.
OK, I’ll look for that.
Right. Words to live by.
Oh, my. Look what you started now…
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Sadly, Oppo is out of business. The Panasonic player coming out this fall seems to be the replacement.
No, OPPO is not out of business. The company is ceasing production in the AV component category but continuing production in other product categories.
AJ
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Yes, I should have said out of that business. In either case, these Oppo players are abandoned products.
No, you are overreacting to this decision to cease production. OPPO will continue to support, not abandon its components.
AJ
The article I read said that the support is going to be outsourced, because there won’t be anyone left at Oppo to do it. That’s what I’d call an abandoned product. Your definition may be different.
But what I mean by it is that there’s no future in it. No point in becoming familiar with Oppo, because there won’t be any more products following it.
Yes Bill – Oppodigital has exited the AV components segment. However, the Oppo 205 is going to be released for one last run before they finally shut down. They have a website where one can register to be notified when it is released. From someone in the know, it is weeks away, although he could not tell me how many are being produced.
Here is the URL where one can register: https://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-udp-205/
Yes and no. They are retaining a small core team to push firmware updates, and also support the player. The actual servicing will indeed be outsourced, but that is already the case in most markets. Also, Oppo clearly states that it will honor the warranties.
I am going back and forth on this one. I do need to replace my old but finicky Denon SACD/ DVDA player – and without doubt, the only real competition below $ 2k is the Oppo 205. However, I share your concerns despite what I wrote in the previous paragraph.
My UMIK-1 has arrived! Now to see what my speakers are actually doing!
Bill are you going to do the work yourself or send the measurements off to the guy mentioned sometimes who does the processing online? My UMIK arrived this week but I don’t have the time to do anything with it at the moment.
Ged, I think I can do it all myself. Thanks to @dhusky for providing the link to the procedure: http://blog.roonlabs.com/digital-room-correction/.
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Good luck with it. If you’re just taking measurements to assess your speakers then it’s pretty straightforward. I didn’t get on very well doing my own room correction, or at least I wasn’t happy with the results, so went to Thierry at HAF for this. I imagine more knowledgeable folk than I would better understand how to find tune things to address the issues, though Thierry’s offerings are rather more advanced than is possible through REW.
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Given that I am cack handed at the best of times (no attention to detail) it sounds as if i should use Thierry too. I just have to wade through what his various offerings mean and get time to do the measurements. Did you use the REW software or his tools to take them?
I used REW, which with guidance from the forum thread wasn’t too bad, but several people have said that his tools are easier.
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Thanks for that - I think reading all the threads concerning this takes longer than doing the work!