Oppo X 2021 Review

[Peppin Kishore]

I always enjoyed approaching home theater from a PC perspective, discovering the unparalleled flexibility of a DIY build and tweaking it to deliver the quality and performance of high-end dedicated components. Indeed for over a decade my main PVR, Blu Ray player, Netflix streamer and general media source has been a gradually updated PC, with a high-end USB DAC connected to it to satisfy my audio desires.

What I really wanted was a higher resolution and better-connected upgrade for the Meridian which supported HD audio (24 bit / 96 or 192Khz), could stream it over ethernet from my NAS unit, and which supported the latest surround formats like DTS-HD Master. I realized if I had to buy two boxes, the one connected to my power amps and projector had to be a high-end audio processor, through which I could then connect a separate video source for apps if necessary.

When Oppo finally released the specs for the UDP-205, it certainly ticked almost all the boxes. It took the 4k video support of the UDP-203, but significantly upgraded the audio section with internal decoding of HD audio (including 192KHz / 24 bit FLAC and DSD64/128) via USB or Ethernet, internal decoding of Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio, 7.1 analogue outputs driven by not one but two top-end ESS Sabre Pro DACs, the choice of RCA or XLR for the main stereo outputs, and even a proper headphone amplifier. Now, anyone can employ top-end DACs, but the UDP-205 went the extra mile with separate power supplies for the digital and analogue circuitry, a dedicated HDMI audio clock to reduce jitter and a circuit design and component selection closer to esoteric high-end hifi components than consumer electronics.

The only thing the UDP-205 lacked was apps, so while it could stream AV content from a NAS over a local network or directly from a USB source, there was no means to connect to and stream from the likes of Netflix, Amazon, Spotify or Tidal. It did however offer an HDMI pass-through which supported 4k and HDR, allowing you to connect a simple media streamer like a Roku, Amazon Fire TV or Chrome Cast.

That said, the sheer number of things it did offer, along with its claims of audiophile credentials had me hooked, especially the intriguing possibility of bypassing a pre-amplifier and AVR, and instead connecting its analogue outputs directly to my power amplifiers. So once it became available, I contacted Oppo to borrow one for evaluation.

My original 5.1 system consists of a home-made media PC and Meridian 500 CD transport as a source, a Meridian 568 as a surround processor and preamplifier, a Meridian 557 power amplifier driving the front left and right, a Proceed AMP 3 power amplifier driving the centre and rear, a pair of B&W Nautilus 802 speakers and Nautilus HTM on the front, a pair of B&W CWM 7.4 in-wall speakers on the rear, and a B&W AWS 850 subwoofer. I also have a Benchmark DAC1 PRE connected to my PC over USB for headphone listening and decoding of HD Audio.

I then swapped the Meridian CD 500 for the Oppo UDP-205, using the same electrical SPDIF connection, and the same Meridian 568 for the processing; I should note the Oppo was a review sample, already burned-in by previous testers, and in all my audio tests I selected the Pure Audio mode which disables the video processing and turns off the front display to eliminate any possible interference.

I was surprised how different it sounded, considering the processing was unchanged in this configuration, but I generally preferred what I was hearing from the Oppo and was also reassured to find albums streamed as lossless FLACs from my NAS over Ethernet sounded identical to those played directly from CD discs.

But while this report is mostly about music, I was of course curious to hear how the Oppo 205 performed with movie soundtracks, particularly as my Meridian 568 was capable of nothing better than vanilla Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1. Now with the Oppo 205 doing the processing, I was able to access higher resolution formats including DTS-HD Master.

I asked a lot from the Oppo UDP-205 and it delivered the goods across the board. It sounded better than my Meridian 568 processor for stereo and multi-channel music, and especially for Blu Ray movies with Dolby True HD or DTS-HD Master soundtracks. It worked well as an audio streamer, accessing a variety of content, including HD audio, on my NAS over my local network, while the mobile app allowed me to easily browse my collection. It also performed surprisingly well as a pre-amplifier, with basic speaker management (size and distance), and connecting directly to my power amplifiers, allowing me to bypass a traditional AVR / pre-amplifier. The headphone amplifier was even good enough for me to retire my Benchmark DAC1 PRE.

So the only question mark over my particular configuration regards using the UDP-205 as a pre-amplifier, connected directly to power amplifiers. It certainly works, but the levels mean I have to turn the 205 down to between 20 and 30 for music and no more than 40 for movies. While the volume control still has plenty of dynamic range even at these low settings, they remain well below the optimal output levels.

Audiophile On is dedicated to bringing reviews of high-end portable audio products with an easy-to-understand format. If you want better-sounding headphones, earphones, amps, and DACs we are sure to have something to suit your tastes and price points.

The fight to pack the most impressive camera hardware into a smartphone is still raging, and the Oppo Find X7 Ultra demands a place in the running alongside the best from Samsung and Xiaomi. This high-end smartphone takes camera hardware to a new level, with periscope lenses enabling powerful optical zoom and large image sensors to make the most of limited light.

Forgive the specs dump here, but there are four 50-megapixel lenses in the rear camera. The main lens boasts a 1-inch Sony LYT-900 sensor, an f/1.8 aperture, 23-mm focal length, and optical image stabilization (OIS). The ultrawide is packing a Sony LYT-600 sensor, an f/2.0 aperture and a 14-mm focal length, and can focus on subjects as close as 4 centimeters (1.6 inches).

To squeeze the best results from this hardware, Oppo has developed the HyperTone Image Engine and partnered with camera maker Hasselblad. There is a Hasselblad Portrait Mode for bokeh effects, a variety of photo filters, and a Hasselblad Master Mode that allows you to shoot in RAW and tweak ISO, shutter speed, EV, focus, white balance, and many more settings.

Low-light and nighttime photography is always trickier, but the large image sensors allow you to snap lovely low-light photos, often without the need for night mode. When it does kick in, the night mode captures impressively detailed shots with little noise, provided you hold still. Any movement inevitably introduces blurring.

The ultrawide is my favorite thing about this camera. It offers expansive, dramatic shots with impressive depth of field. The ultrawide also kicks in automatically for close-ups, as there's no dedicated macro mode. When you want to zoom in, you can pick your level with the two telephoto lenses (3X or 6X optical zoom), but you need a steady hand or a tripod for higher-level zoom.

There is also a 32-MP, f/2.4, 21-mm front-facing camera in a cutout at the top of the screen. It serves fine for video calls and selfies, but ask someone else to take the photo for superior group shots to take full advantage of the rear camera. All five cameras can shoot video in 4K at up to 60 frames per second.

While the Find X7 Ultra is mostly about the camera, Oppo has not scrimped elsewhere. The 6.8-inch AMOLED display goes up to 120-Hz refresh rate, supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+, and tops out at 2,600 nits in high brightness mode (4,500 nits peak for highlights). It looks lovely, vibrant, and plenty bright to me. The only display downside is the curved edges, making it tricky to handle without accidental touches.

The camera inevitably dominates the back and makes this a top-heavy device. I have almost dropped it a few times, usually when trying to use the camera one-handed. But I love the contrast between the deep blue, fake leather finish, the white glass of the top half, and the silvery camera module (the fake leather also comes in black or brown). The Find X7 Ultra scores an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, so rain or brief submersion is nothing to worry about.

Inside is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, and my review unit has 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. The Find X7 Ultra is slick, responsive, and keeps cool, even after shooting video or playing games for an extended period. Support for the very latest Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 provides some future-proofing.

The 5,000-mAh battery is enough to see you through busy days, and you can fully charge this phone from dead in half an hour with the 100-watt charger in the box. You can also wirelessly charge the Find X7 Ultra at up to 50 watts.

For most folks, importing is more hassle than it's worth, but keen photographers may be tempted. With no plans for a global version, we can only hope to see elements of this excellent camera system make their way into more widely available Oppo releases soon.

On the inside, the Oppo Reno 7 Pro 5G features a Mediatek Dimensity 1200 Max processor, which appears to have the same core configuration and clock speeds as the regular Dimensity 1200, but with some AI features thrown in. There is also a generous 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage.

While there are stereo speakers, there is sadly no headphone jack and this is a flagship affectation a Rs 40,000 phone can scarcely afford. The speakers themselves are reasonably loud and full, although not quite up to the standards of my personal favourite, the Poco X3 Pro.

The battery is a solid 4,500 mAh, and the device comes with a 65W charger. The fingerprint sensor is an under display optical unit and, as always, not quite as fast as the capacitive ones. My quest to get phone makers to ditch this inferior technology remains alive.

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