Oppo UDP - 205

Hi Ozzy,

Facts first: The Sonica DAC uses the same DAC chip as the 205 - the ESS ES9038 PRO Sabre DAC .The 205 uses two - but here is the fatal flaw IMO - instead of using the two ESS DAC chips in a dual mono config as some of the better players/DACs out there using the same two chips,  Oppo chose to use one for two channel and one for multi-channel, so the two channel mode see no improvement from the second chip beyond what the Sonica provides.

Another review of the Sonica DAC (http://hometheaterhifi.com/reviews/dac/oppo-digital-sonica-dac-review/) substantiates that the 205 uses the same digital hardware, power supply,  and architecture as the Sonica DAC and goes further to state that they anticipate that the Sonica DAC will "have the edge" in sound quality since the 205 shares the same circuitry, but with addition of the video, multi-channel circuitry in the single chassis drawing on the same power supply and possibly introducing noise to the two channel circuitry. That makes sense to me.

As to the validity of the whathifi reviewer's opinion, who knows.There are no reviews of either product by what I consider to be the more highly-regarded audiophile publications (I have to wonder why that is given all the buzz about Oppo in the past), only home theater publications. I suspect that the rapid acceleration of the sound quality of many digital two-channel products, new and older brands, has caught up to and surpassed Oppo and they are content to be the choice brand of home theater aficionados for the present. Nothing wrong with that, but it does speak to the Oppos competitiveness when two-channel sound quality is the main goal IMO. 

The good news is that the 205 is, by all accounts, a fine home theater product (video and multichannel) and has what looks to be a first class transport mechanism, so it could be ideal for use in a mixed home theater/multichannel and two channel system WITH the addition of one of the plethora of fine two-channel DACs out there.

Ozzy, I have known you for a long time via this forum (all the way back to your SR days) and have great respect for your experience and hearing prowess. I suggest you consider trying a great two-channel DAC fed from your 205's transport and see what you think then.

Best to you Ozzy,
Dave

dlcockrum,
Yes, you make a very good point regarding implementation of DAC chips but the Sabre is an 8-channel part. So, four channels of the Sabre are stacked (paralleled) for both the left and right stereo outputs from one chip not two chips. That was how the Oppo 95 was configured and most but not all other Sabre DACs. Now for 105 and I believe 205 Sabre chip breaks down as, one pair of DAC channels feeds the RCA stereo outputs, a second pair feeds the stereo XLR balanced outputs, and two pairs are stacked for the headphone output. The second chip like you said is used for RCA analog output jacks.

@dlcockrum 

Would just like to point out, given your concern with the DAC, that the Sabre ES9038PRO is also used in a $9,000 Ayre component, and I do not believe (although perhaps I'm mistaken) it is implemented any differently than the $1,300 Oppo. Again, no disrespect, just pointing it out.

http://www.audioxpress.com/article/ayre-acoustics-adopts-ess-sabre-es9038pro-dac-on-new-qx-5-twenty-...

http://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1059-ayre-acoustics-qx5-twenty-digital-to-...

10K for a Dac using of the Shelf Chips?

maybe look into Playback Design Merlot Dac, It runs circles arround my Oppo 205.

Hi Jeffrey and gdhal,

I in no way intended to cast any dispersion on the Sabre DACs. Probably as good as any and better than most. There are also other great DAC chips (AKM used in Esoteric and Hegel products and TI/Burr Brown used in some top DACs) and also the RTR ladder DACs that many prefer. IMO, it’s all about implementation.

All things inside an audio component affect the sound quality: DACS, power components, caps and other passive components, opamps, circuit boards, wiring, chassis, etc. The Oppo is a fine multi-channel/video player, but built to a price point. Considering all of its functionality (the "swiss army knife of digital audio/video"), Oppo has done a fantastic job of maximizing performance for $1300. BUT, keeping it real, cost has to have prohibited their use of some critical non-DAC components that are used in the better (and usually more expensive) stand-alone two-channel purpose-driven offerings. If you have doubts about that, maybe call Ric Schultz of EVS who mods the Sonica DAC and discuss this with him as I have.

Jeffrey: There are those that are implementing the same Sabre DACs as used in the Oppo 205 in a dual-mono configuration to reduce crosstalk between the channels and for other reasons. Some are operating them at a higher "bias" that is not possible with both channels driven through one DAC chip, partially due to the heat generated by this approach. L.K.S. is one that I am familiar with.

gdgal: No disrespect to you either, but are you serious? I can assure you that the implementation of the Sabre DAC in the $9k Ayre unit is much different than the Oppo 205/Sonica DAC. Ayre has risen to the top tier of audio by optimizing the entirety of design and implementation. Why would anyone buy a $9k digital component vs a $1300 one that has much more functionality. Because it sounds better.

Dave