Ahhh... answered my own question by d/l the manual. The advantage of the 980H (over the 981HD) is the remote has an "Audio Only" button which turns off the HDMI/video circuitry, thereby giving a cleaner pure audio signal. With the 981HD, you need to delve into the setup menus to accomplish that.
I have an Oppo 981HD, and I've been wondering why a lot of folks seem to choose the 980 over the 981, when there's only about $30 difference in the price. I've heard both playing straight stereo and 5.1, and to my ears, as a player (without an external DAC) the 981 wins hands down. Even knowing about the "Audio-only" on the remote, I think I'd still go with the 981...
I also use my 981 as a transport, and I also use it to feed a Benchmark DAC1-USB via the coax PCM digital output, and it sounds REALLY good. Not as good at an Esoteric or Wadia (or even Krell) dedicated CD transport, but it's really close to my ears. I have a Sony ES3100es DVD player, and as a transport feeding the Benchmark (AND as a straight player), the Oppo leaves the Sony in the dust, and the Sony retails for $500.
The only under-$1000 player I've heard that even touches the Oppo is the Rega Apollo, and it's a dedicated CD player, not a "universal" unit. Some of the Marantz DVD players come close on SACDs and 5.1 movies, but they are mostly over $1000...
No matter which Oppo you choose, I think they are the best "bang for the buck" in the DVD/CD/Univeral market. As players they are pretty sweet, have VERY good video, and do 5.1 decoding very well. As transports, they are unmatched in the "under-$1000" class, and the fact that they play DVDs (and, pretty much ANY format on a silver disc) is just icing on the cake.
I know there are several folks on the Carver Forum that have bought Oppo's based on my recommendations and my demonstration at the "CarverFest" we had earlier this year. I bought my Oppo based purely on the recommendations of folks here on the ML Forum, and I'm happy I did. The Oppo is one of the biggest bargains in audio today--it's amazing that so many people have never even heard of them!
You've got a great combo there--the Benchmark is also a "sleeper" in the audio world, and although pricey (compared to mid-fi gear), it's a veritable steal compared to anything that can touch it sonically, like Krell, ARC, Theta, etc. The Benchmark/Oppo combo can be had for under $1300--Where else can you get this level of resolution, fidelity, and versatility for that price? The answer: Nowhere...
--Richard