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In Reply to: RE: Oh, no, I bought an Oppo BDP-105D... posted by Mel on March 12, 2014 at 08:47:59
I would never post a negative review of any product before at least 200 hours of operation.
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In my experience break in never makes better something that you don't like the sound of initially, it only improves on aspects you already find positive. All the times I've worked diligently on break in it has been on a component that had a bothersome aspect right from the start, and I was hoping that break in would change that. It never does for me. I'll make the (dangerous, since someone will probably ask for proof) blanket statement that any component I have ever had that was counseled as needing serious break in to see it at its best I have returned/sold within months of acquiring it. If the piece doesn't sing to me in some way in the first hour after warm up then 400+ hours of break in (what I did on the 105) isn't going to make me ultimately like it.
John K.
I basically agree with you, but I've had one experience with the exact opposite results. My Thiel CS3.7 speakers required serious break-in before sounding good. I originally heard them on a factory tour and I was completely blown away by their excellent sound quality. However, when I bought them and initially set them up, they sounded pretty bad in my system. I was actually shocked that the built-in speakers in my flat panel HDTV sounded better than the Thiel CS3.7. In fact, I was ready to dump them when a good friend told me, "John, you need to listen to those Thiels until you like them." Well, I respected this guy quite a bit, so I began playing the Thiel's night and day. They were bright with little bass and they actually produced distorted sibilance that I had never heard on female vocal recordings with which I was familiar.
Anyway, to make a long story short, after a month of daily use, the Thiel CS3.7 speakers transformed into what I heard in the Thiel factory listening room. They continued to improve for at least another six months, but after one month they turned into the best sounding speakers I have ever owned, and possibly the best sounding speaker I have ever heard. They are no longer bright in the least and they no longer produce distorted sibilance. Their bass improved considerably, but I still use a subwoofer for the bottom octave. These Thiel CS3.7s are now very musical and detailed, yet not the least analytical in the negative sense. They allow me to hear everything in the recording and they present good recordings with outstanding presence and realism. Their imaging and soundstage is truly holigraphic. They make good recordings sound better than ever and not-so-good recording sound not-so-good. Whatever their sonic signature, I now prefer it to any other speakers I've owned or heard.
Quite frankly, I had never had an experience like this. All my other experiences with break-in were just as you suggest. I suspect the Oppo BDP-105D will fall into the category for which break-in will not change the actual character of this component. Anyway, thanks for your comments.
Best regards,
John Elison
That in some cases speakers can be the exception to the rule, but in my own case I have never found that to be so. But then I have gone through many more components than I have speakers. In the case of the latter when I find what I like I stick with it.
John K.
Well, I'll post an update after I give it some more break-in time, but I've been playing it quite a lot. I have watched several DVD and Blu-Ray movies and also some Netflix online movies. I watch movies and Netflix as much or more than I listen to audio. However, I will now put a CD on repeat while I'm not using it. I hope I don't wear it out before the 30-days is up. ;-)
Best regards,
John Elison
John,
That's why I suggested a zip drive with the music on it. No need to wear out the disk player when all you want to do is exercise the DAC and associated analog circuits.
I think you will be astonished with what the break-in does. I was.
The player also responds to aftermarket power cords. I tried two and the cheaper one worked better.
Mel
> That's why I suggested a zip drive with the music on it.
Yeah, good idea! I have a CD called "Irrational, But Efficacious!" that is designed for "system enhancement." I can copy it to a flash drive (they're called "flash drives" now -- there used be something called a "zip drive" years ago). If you have any other suggestions for a break-in CD, let me know.
Thanks,
John Elison
Good luck. I look forward to your impressions down the line.
I recently purchased the 105 but have not spent much time with it. Since I can do extensive mods myself, I'm not too worried since fundamentally it's a good design and has some features I like. I'll be using it for two channel unbalanced audio only (both movies and music) which will make the modification process easier.
For those that can't do their own mods, the EVS (tweakaudio.com) "Best basic mod for 2 channel unbalanced only" looks like a great value for $525. At around $1750 total, I'll bet this would be the current under $2k player to beat.
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