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Post by mgbpuff on Feb 4, 2017 15:45:22 GMT -5
I only see one DAC -  By the way, it's also a fully balanced design from the chip output to the XLR. |
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Post by redcoat23 on Feb 4, 2017 15:48:00 GMT -5
It does not say if it has preamp capability? It does, the volume can be placed in either variable or fixed outputs. Though from the manual it says it shouldn't replace a dedicated preamp. |
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Post by pedrocols on Feb 4, 2017 15:50:11 GMT -5
It does not say if it has preamp capability? I am sure it does. |
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Post by mgbpuff on Feb 4, 2017 15:54:47 GMT -5
From the OPPO site - "Easy Connection with Source Components and Amplifiers
Sonica DAC provides both XLR balanced and RCA single-ended outputs, and the outputs can be set to volume-controlled or bypass, making it suitable for connecting to either pre-amps or power amplifiers. 12V trigger input and output make it possible to turn on and off the entire audio system with one click. In addition to the USB DAC input and network streaming, Sonica DAC also offers coaxial and optical digital inputs for additional digital audio sources."
No analog, however! Nix that - it has analog input too!
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klinemj
Emo VIPs 
Official Emofest Scribe
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Post by klinemj on Feb 4, 2017 16:23:42 GMT -5
Don't they both the Oppo and the LH Labs DAC use the same chip? No! Oppo uses ES9038PRO, LH Labs uses 9018AQ2M. The PRO is the latest. This and the great SNR claims and the app have me really interested. Mark |
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hemster
Global Moderator 
Particle Manufacturer
...still listening... still watching
Posts: 51,951
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Post by hemster on Feb 4, 2017 16:32:12 GMT -5
I absolutely love how Oppo engineer their products. The layout on the new dac is an example. It looks to me like its got two dacs (two heatsinks?) but Oppo doesn't state two dacs. The 2 heatsinks are for the 2 transistors. |
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Post by pedrocols on Feb 4, 2017 16:50:33 GMT -5
Toroidal transformer!
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Post by brutiarti on Feb 6, 2017 14:15:35 GMT -5
Anybody doing a comparison with any schiit dacs or the DC-1 ?
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Post by bluemeanies on Feb 6, 2017 16:22:32 GMT -5
Nice piece from OPPO.
I like to read about comparisons form the OPPO/Grace Design m920.
I believe the Grace is capable of doing more especially since it is more than a dac and I believe has a better chip and is also a complete monitoring system.
That said for the money and knowing the quality of OPPOS blu-rays I would think this latest entry from OPPO is worth the money!
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Post by garbulky on Feb 6, 2017 16:41:14 GMT -5
That SNR is pretty impressive!
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Post by badronald on Feb 6, 2017 23:54:22 GMT -5
I absolutely love how Oppo engineer their products. The layout on the new dac is an example.
It looks to me like its got two dacs (two heatsinks?) but Oppo doesn't state two dacs. I'm not digging the fact that it has a switching PS in the box. I got mine last week, and have burned it in for about 100 hrs. So far my first impressions are not good. My $600 Audio GD nfb-1.32 blows it away in transparency, soundstage and smoothness. I really want to like this dac with its streaming capabilities, but so far, not liking what I'm hearing and may send it back next week. |
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Post by Boomzilla on Feb 7, 2017 6:55:29 GMT -5
Why wouldn't I buy this? Let me count the ways...
1. It's black
2. The UDP-205 is coming soon that should have all the advantages of this item plus the ability to play 4K movies
3. There is no dedicated remote - the Oppo folks say that it's to be controlled via smartphone app, but they don't say whether the app will also run on tablets
4. If I need the smartphone app to run the device, then how will I simultaneously run my jRiver music server via its app? Do I need TWO smartphones?
5. It's black
YMMV
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Post by bluemeanies on Feb 7, 2017 7:27:22 GMT -5
Why wouldn't I buy this? Let me count the ways... 1. It's black 2. The UDP-205 is coming soon that should have all the advantages of this item plus the ability to play 4K movies 3. There is no dedicated remote - the Oppo folks say that it's to be controlled via smartphone app, but they don't say whether the app will also run on tablets 4. If I need the smartphone app to run the device, then how will I simultaneously run my jRiver music server via its app? Do I need TWO smartphones? 5. It's black YMMV BOOM....but it's BLACK! |
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Post by brutiarti on Feb 7, 2017 8:02:54 GMT -5
It looks to me like its got two dacs (two heatsinks?) but Oppo doesn't state two dacs. I'm not digging the fact that it has a switching PS in the box. I got mine last week, and have burned it in for about 100 hrs. So far my first impressions are not good. My $600 Audio GD nfb-1.32 blows it away in transparency, soundstage and smoothness. I really want to like this dac with its streaming capabilities, but so far, not liking what I'm hearing and may send it back next week. Are you using a dedicated preamp or the volume control from the oppo? |
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Post by mgbpuff on Feb 7, 2017 8:11:29 GMT -5
"I'm not digging the fact that it has a switching PS in the box" - Really? It has a huge torroidal transformer, that spells linear to me!
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KeithL
Administrator
Posts: 10,261
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Post by KeithL on Feb 7, 2017 9:54:19 GMT -5
The Oppo 95, the Oppo 105, and the new Sonica DAC all share the same BRAND and type of DAC chip - ESS Sabre. ( NOT the Oppo 93, Oppo 103, or Oppo 203 - which use more neutral DAC chips.) While, in general, I would not suggest that other brands of DAC chips have brand-specific sound signatures, I would say that for Sabre DACs. I haven't heard the latest Sabre chip yet, but ALL products I've heard that were based on previous Sabre DAC chips DO share a specific sound signature. They tend to emphasize details slightly above what I would consider to be "uncolored and natural". (They sound like the treble is slightly boosted - even though measurements confirm that they are actually flat.) People who like them describe them as being "very detailed"; people who don't like them describe them as sounding "grainy" or "harsh". Obviously whether you like that sound or not will depend on personal preference, your musical tastes, and your associated equipment. No! Oppo uses ES9038PRO, LH Labs uses 9018AQ2M. The PRO is the latest. This and the great SNR claims and the app have me really interested. Mark |
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Post by Loop 7 on Feb 7, 2017 10:31:07 GMT -5
I'm not digging the fact that it has a switching PS in the box. I got mine last week, and have burned it in for about 100 hrs. So far my first impressions are not good. My $600 Audio GD nfb-1.32 blows it away in transparency, soundstage and smoothness. I really want to like this dac with its streaming capabilities, but so far, not liking what I'm hearing and may send it back next week. Lack of smoothness would be a deal breaker for me. It's just about my number one requirement for a DAC. |
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Post by Boomzilla on Feb 7, 2017 10:58:10 GMT -5
The Oppo 95, the Oppo 105, and the new Sonica DAC all share the same BRAND and type of DAC chip - ESS Sabre. ( NOT the Oppo 93, Oppo 103, or Oppo 203 - which use more neutral DAC chips.) While, in general, I would not suggest that other brands of DAC chips have brand-specific sound signatures, I would say that for Sabre DACs. I haven't heard the latest Sabre chip yet, but ALL products I've heard that were based on previous Sabre DAC chips DO share a specific sound signature. They tend to emphasize details slightly above what I would consider to be "uncolored and natural". (They sound like the treble is slightly boosted - even though measurements confirm that they are actually flat.) People who like them describe them as being "very detailed"; people who don't like them describe them as sounding "grainy" or "harsh". Obviously whether you like that sound or not will depend on personal preference, your musical tastes, and your associated equipment. Mr. L has expressed his opinion succinctly. I, for one, partially, but only partially, disagree. The DAC in my Oppo BDP-105 has, indeed, sounded "grainy or harsh" but ONLY when being used as a variable-volume preamp-DAC combo. And even then, any harshness evident with lower-input-impedance power amplifiers goes away completely when driving high-input-impedance tube amps. Which brings up the question, is it the Sabre DAC or the Oppo's output buffer amps that create the (slight) harshness? The impedance that the device must play into seems to have more audible effect than the DAC itself: Typical solid state power amplifier input impedance = between 5,000 and 10,000 ohms Typical preamplifier input impedance = 47,000 ohms Typical tube power amplifier input impedance = 300,000 ohms When my Oppo is used at full volume and plugged into a line-level preamplifier, I find NO harshness whatsoever. That's my opinion... I agree that most every DAC on the market measures as flat as a pancake (everything from $14 Behringers to multi-thousand-dollar flagships). Yet they DO sound differently. Why? Mr. L has given cogent explanations in previous threads, so I won't repeat them, but there ARE logical explanations - this isn't audio voodoo. I've listened to some of the best DACs and compared them directly to the Emotiva Stealth DC-1 and to the DAC in the Emotiva PT-100. To my ears, there was no more difference that if I'd swapped speaker cables - In other words, not enough to spend any significant money on, if even that. So my future philosophy on DACs is "don't worry, be happy!" The differences available at any price don't seem (to my ears) to be worth bothering with. The only possible exception may be in DACs that use specific encoding-decoding algorithms to compensate for the digital damage done in the A-D and D-A conversions of the original analog signal. To date, only the MQA system claims to offer these theoretical advantages. That said, I've never heard MQA, but would like to. I'll reserve judgement until I do. So for my ears, the Sabre DACs are no better (and no worse) than any other DAC. If you hear differences, then choose the DAC that sounds most accurate to your own ears. To mine, DAC differences are so vanishingly small that I don't consider them worth worrying about. Boomzilla |
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Post by brutiarti on Feb 7, 2017 11:47:07 GMT -5
In my system the Oppo 105 is the dac that works the best so far. I tried several cd players and standalone dacs. The only dac that i'm interested that i didn't try yet is the schiit Yggdrasil. To me other dacs don't sound neutral, i feel that the "neutral" sound comes at the expense of less natural treble, doing otherwise will result in harsh sound and emphasizing the weaknesses of the delta-sigma topology . The sabre dac can bring extra details to the table with the risk of sounding harsh for some people. Let's see how this new flasghsip chip behaves. If the sonica dac doesn't improve the glare from the 105 i will send it back for sure. At $800 is worth the try.
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Post by garbulky on Feb 7, 2017 12:10:15 GMT -5
I've listened to some of the best DACs and compared them directly to the Emotiva Stealth DC-1 and to the DAC in the Emotiva PT-100. To my ears, there was no more difference that if I'd swapped speaker cables - In other words, not enough to spend any significant money on, if even that. So my future philosophy on DACs is "don't worry, be happy!" The differences available at any price don't seem (to my ears) to be worth bothering with. The only possible exception may be in DACs that use specific encoding-decoding algorithms to compensate for the digital damage done in the A-D and D-A conversions of the original analog signal. To date, only the MQA system claims to offer these theoretical advantages. That said, I've never heard MQA, but would like to. I'll reserve judgement until I do. Boomzilla MQA is not the only game in town. There are a few DACS that use FPGA chips that do these too in different ways. As well as of course Schiit's multibit dacs with their filter that does not throw away the actual digital samples and approximate. As for DACs, well I think DACs matter a lot. But not every system can reproduce the differences. I believe yours can to an extent. On it Nick and I could hear the difference between the Oppo and the DC-1. The Oppo had a lit up from within lively feel, while the DC-1 was a bit more neutral, less lit up. Both sounded good. |
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By the way, it's also a fully balanced design from the chip output to the XLR.
