Oppo 105D vs. Schitt Gumby: A novice's DAC comparison
Oct 3, 2016 12:55:36 GMT -5
legends, garbulky, and 3 more like this
Post by saru on Oct 3, 2016 12:55:36 GMT -5
I mentioned a little while ago here that I had just purchased a Gungnir Multibit DAC to try out in my 2ch system while I still had some time left on the return window for the Oppo 105D. Following the advice of some lounge lizards, I've had the Gumby powered on for just over a week now, so it's all ready to go for a fair test. I was waiting to do an A-B comparison until I'd gotten a matching USB cable and a new pair of XLR cables so that I wouldn't have to keep getting up and swapping cables. Plus my wife and I celebrated our anniversary this weekend, so that delayed my testing plans a little bit 
But, I did some preliminary listening last night (quiet levels) and some more thorough listening today (louder!), and I believe I have enough information to make a fair assessment. I did want to clarify that I'm still a newbie to the world of hi-fi, so my listening skills are probably not up to par with some of you vets, and I doubt I will have the adequate language to describe the subtle differences between the two DACs. Consider yourself forewarned: YMMV with regards to the usefulness of this write-up, and just remember, you get what you pay for
Note to mods: feel free to move this post if it's not in the right place. Hard to judge exactly where it should go when the new structure is still fresh!
==========================
The Gear:
- Source: Primarily Tidal desktop app for streaming and Jriver Media Center for my FLAC rips, ran through Mac Mini 2014.
- USB DACs: Obviously, A/B switching with Oppo 105D and Schitt Gungnir Multibit, both connected via Audioquest Carbon USB A-to-B USB 2.0 cables from the Mac Mini. Note: the "get better gear" light on the Gumby does NOT switch on with my rig.
- Pre-amp: The outstanding XSP-1 (gen 2). Using Monoprice XLR cables from both DACs into the balanced inputs. Running in Direct mode, no filters, full-range to the speakers.
- Amp: XPA-200, receiving input from the XSP-1 via Monoprice XLR cables. Possibly the weak link in my system at this point, though for the size of this room I don't really need more power than what this provides.
- Speakers: Sonus Faber Venere 2.0 bookshelf speakers, wood veneer, on the SF stands. Bought new a month and a half ago, I believe I've broken them in adequately but I understand that SF speakers can have a longer-than-usual break-in period, so they may still have some growing pains left to go through. Speakers are connected to the amp via Audioquest Rocket 44 cables.
- Subwoofer: Sumiko S.5, bought open-box last month. Roughly the same amount of break-in. Rather than running the low-end through the XSP-1's bass management, I use the Speakon cable connection to obtain the signal directly from the amp (after a lot of switching back and forth between Speakon and standard line-in, I'm convinced the Speakon yields much better bass response for the Sumiko).
The Room:
- Smallish room (10' x 12') that serves as my home office. Front-stage wall features large bay window where my component rack sits in the middle, with the Veneres on either side about 6' apart and the Sumiko between the rack and the left-side speaker. Wall-to-ceiling bookshelves on the side walls, so panels at first reflection point are not practical. Closet and door in the rear, so I've got a spare GIK 2x4 panel freestanding in the back, but that's it for acoustic treatment. Desk is in middle of room, and that's where the MLP is, about 5-6 feet from each speaker. The Veneres have slight toe-in such that they are aimed directly behind my head when sitting in MLP. Computer monitor is in line of sight of the component rack (so the conditions are not ideal for working the remotes), but the speakers are positioned with clear line of sight on either side of the monitor. Also, there is a hardwood floor, will probably get a rug for the middle at some point.
======================
The Comparison:
For the past week, I'd been listening to the Gumby exclusively, hoping to note how the sound quality changed from initial power-on through the daily marks and on to what's been described as "optimal" operating conditions. In my opinion, the change was more subtle than I was expecting, but around Day 4 or so, I felt that I could perceive a clearer image of specific instruments. But it wasn't an "angels singing from on high" moment -- well, maybe if I had put on some choir hymns it would've been. Still, it was some good sounding Schitt, and I was not disappointed.
Anyway, comparison time. I've been putting both units through a variety of genres -- classical, jazz, electronic, acoustic rock, alternative, classic rock. My overall impression is that the two DACs sound very very good, and are in fact very close to each other in terms of sound quality (broadly applied caveat: in this room, with this set of gear, with these ears). I have not being doing blind A/B, random-order listening (since I'm on my own for this exercise), but even if I were, I don't know that I would have very high accuracy in guessing whether the Oppo or the Gumby was in play. But over the past few hours, here are some overall comments:
============================
The Verdict:
For what my novice opinion is worth, the Gungnir Multibit edges out the 105D ever so slightly. The performance improvement is so marginal that my decision to keep the Gumby is more a function of convenience and economics than anything else (boxing up and mailing back the Gumby to California at my expense plus a 5% return fee, versus boxing up the Oppo and driving it down to my local Magnolia for a full refund -- oh yeah, and the 5-year warranty from Schitt versus 2-year from Oppo helps too). If I had to rate the degree of performance between the two units, I'd say that if the Oppo 105D reached 80% of this environment's (room + gear) performance potential, then the Schitt Gumby pushed it somewhere between 82-85% depending on volume and content. Again, a more experienced audiophile might have different things to say, but that's my takeaway. Of course, this is not to say that either unit is a slouch -- they are both excellent pieces of equipment and I'm glad to have taken the opportunity to get to know both. I initially had reservations about using the full-featured Blu-ray player in a strictly 2ch environment, where I would be using only a portion of the unit's capabilities, so I'm glad to have the Gumby in there, where 100% of the capabilities are being put to use, even if the results aren't leaps-and-bounds beyond the 105D.
As a bonus test: before I pack up the 105D, I am planning to take it downstairs to the theater so that I can compare its performance through the XMC-1 analog inputs to the XMC-1's DAC. I don't expect there to be much difference there either, but it could mean the difference between getting the Oppo 203 to replace my current 103D & Sammy UHD players or to wait for a 105-class replacement to be announced and released (the 103D is actually going to be moved into the 2ch system as a CD transport, and the Samsung player will be moved to the "casual" living room system. I'll probably make a quick note of findings from that test in this thread.
Thanks for reading, if you made it this far! I hope that my impression will be useful to someone, but at least it was useful for me to go through the exercise!
But, I did some preliminary listening last night (quiet levels) and some more thorough listening today (louder!), and I believe I have enough information to make a fair assessment. I did want to clarify that I'm still a newbie to the world of hi-fi, so my listening skills are probably not up to par with some of you vets, and I doubt I will have the adequate language to describe the subtle differences between the two DACs. Consider yourself forewarned: YMMV with regards to the usefulness of this write-up, and just remember, you get what you pay for Note to mods: feel free to move this post if it's not in the right place. Hard to judge exactly where it should go when the new structure is still fresh!
==========================
The Gear:
- Source: Primarily Tidal desktop app for streaming and Jriver Media Center for my FLAC rips, ran through Mac Mini 2014.
- USB DACs: Obviously, A/B switching with Oppo 105D and Schitt Gungnir Multibit, both connected via Audioquest Carbon USB A-to-B USB 2.0 cables from the Mac Mini. Note: the "get better gear" light on the Gumby does NOT switch on with my rig.
- Pre-amp: The outstanding XSP-1 (gen 2). Using Monoprice XLR cables from both DACs into the balanced inputs. Running in Direct mode, no filters, full-range to the speakers.
- Amp: XPA-200, receiving input from the XSP-1 via Monoprice XLR cables. Possibly the weak link in my system at this point, though for the size of this room I don't really need more power than what this provides.
- Speakers: Sonus Faber Venere 2.0 bookshelf speakers, wood veneer, on the SF stands. Bought new a month and a half ago, I believe I've broken them in adequately but I understand that SF speakers can have a longer-than-usual break-in period, so they may still have some growing pains left to go through. Speakers are connected to the amp via Audioquest Rocket 44 cables.
- Subwoofer: Sumiko S.5, bought open-box last month. Roughly the same amount of break-in. Rather than running the low-end through the XSP-1's bass management, I use the Speakon cable connection to obtain the signal directly from the amp (after a lot of switching back and forth between Speakon and standard line-in, I'm convinced the Speakon yields much better bass response for the Sumiko).
The Room:
- Smallish room (10' x 12') that serves as my home office. Front-stage wall features large bay window where my component rack sits in the middle, with the Veneres on either side about 6' apart and the Sumiko between the rack and the left-side speaker. Wall-to-ceiling bookshelves on the side walls, so panels at first reflection point are not practical. Closet and door in the rear, so I've got a spare GIK 2x4 panel freestanding in the back, but that's it for acoustic treatment. Desk is in middle of room, and that's where the MLP is, about 5-6 feet from each speaker. The Veneres have slight toe-in such that they are aimed directly behind my head when sitting in MLP. Computer monitor is in line of sight of the component rack (so the conditions are not ideal for working the remotes), but the speakers are positioned with clear line of sight on either side of the monitor. Also, there is a hardwood floor, will probably get a rug for the middle at some point.
======================
The Comparison:
For the past week, I'd been listening to the Gumby exclusively, hoping to note how the sound quality changed from initial power-on through the daily marks and on to what's been described as "optimal" operating conditions. In my opinion, the change was more subtle than I was expecting, but around Day 4 or so, I felt that I could perceive a clearer image of specific instruments. But it wasn't an "angels singing from on high" moment -- well, maybe if I had put on some choir hymns it would've been. Still, it was some good sounding Schitt, and I was not disappointed.
Anyway, comparison time. I've been putting both units through a variety of genres -- classical, jazz, electronic, acoustic rock, alternative, classic rock. My overall impression is that the two DACs sound very very good, and are in fact very close to each other in terms of sound quality (broadly applied caveat: in this room, with this set of gear, with these ears). I have not being doing blind A/B, random-order listening (since I'm on my own for this exercise), but even if I were, I don't know that I would have very high accuracy in guessing whether the Oppo or the Gumby was in play. But over the past few hours, here are some overall comments:
- At lower volume levels (that is, it's-midnight-so-don't-wake-the-wife levels), the Gumby seems to win out in terms of perceived dimension. When I hear tracks processed through the Oppo at this volume, the music sounded somewhat flat, but the Gumby featured a bit more presence. Note, I was listening to classical, jazz, and acoustic rock at this time, not much harder than that.
- At higher volume levels, it was easier to perceive dimension through the Oppo. There were some tracks -- mostly harder rock stuff -- where my admittedly untrained ears couldn't make out the difference. In fact, vocals did not sound to be affected much by one DAC or the other, regardless of what I listened to. However, I feel that minor details in things like cymbal hits and guitar strums were just a bit more clear when pushed through the Gumby.
- I kept the volume level on the XSP-1 consistent throughout the day (when I was doing louder tests). Yet, it seemed like the gain was a bit higher when playing through the Gumby than through the Oppo. I know that I had set the 105D's internal volume to max (though I should double-check this), so I'll have to A/B with the SPL meter out to see if the Gumby does indeed put out higher gain. Note, I did not notice a gain difference when playing last night at lower volumes.
============================
The Verdict:
For what my novice opinion is worth, the Gungnir Multibit edges out the 105D ever so slightly. The performance improvement is so marginal that my decision to keep the Gumby is more a function of convenience and economics than anything else (boxing up and mailing back the Gumby to California at my expense plus a 5% return fee, versus boxing up the Oppo and driving it down to my local Magnolia for a full refund -- oh yeah, and the 5-year warranty from Schitt versus 2-year from Oppo helps too). If I had to rate the degree of performance between the two units, I'd say that if the Oppo 105D reached 80% of this environment's (room + gear) performance potential, then the Schitt Gumby pushed it somewhere between 82-85% depending on volume and content. Again, a more experienced audiophile might have different things to say, but that's my takeaway. Of course, this is not to say that either unit is a slouch -- they are both excellent pieces of equipment and I'm glad to have taken the opportunity to get to know both. I initially had reservations about using the full-featured Blu-ray player in a strictly 2ch environment, where I would be using only a portion of the unit's capabilities, so I'm glad to have the Gumby in there, where 100% of the capabilities are being put to use, even if the results aren't leaps-and-bounds beyond the 105D.
As a bonus test: before I pack up the 105D, I am planning to take it downstairs to the theater so that I can compare its performance through the XMC-1 analog inputs to the XMC-1's DAC. I don't expect there to be much difference there either, but it could mean the difference between getting the Oppo 203 to replace my current 103D & Sammy UHD players or to wait for a 105-class replacement to be announced and released (the 103D is actually going to be moved into the 2ch system as a CD transport, and the Samsung player will be moved to the "casual" living room system. I'll probably make a quick note of findings from that test in this thread.
Thanks for reading, if you made it this far! I hope that my impression will be useful to someone, but at least it was useful for me to go through the exercise!
