External DAC. Pick one...

[Irvrobinson]

Same here, that's why I haven't picked it up for months until now. I am thinking of trying to use it as a DAC and the HA-1 as preamp first and see how well that works. I have no expectation of any sound quality related improvements. It is just an extra electronic toy that I think I deserve. If for any reason I hear a difference, I can try to talk you into loosening a little more with your money.

Just FYI, I finally bought the Sonica DAC, and I may have received one of the last ones available. Oppo has none in inventory, though it still appears on their web site. I got mine from Music Direct, and now they're out of stock and they no longer list it. A colleague of mine tried to buy one anywhere he could find it, and finally gave up.

I haven't unpacked mine. Perhaps I should sell it for twice as much as I paid? ;-)

 

[RichB]

^ It doesn't look good for the Sonica DAC.
I'll bet you could make money on it.

- Rich

 

[PENG]

Just FYI, I finally bought the Sonica DAC, and I may have received one of the last ones available. Oppo has none in inventory, though it still appears on their web site. I got mine from Music Direct, and now they're out of stock and they no longer list it. A colleague of mine tried to buy one anywhere he could find it, and finally gave up.

I haven't unpacked mine. Perhaps I should sell it for twice as much as I paid? ;-)

I paid a lot for mine due to the low C$. What the heck is going on with Oppo on this inventory control or speedy discontinuity practice. Not long after I got my HA-1, you couldn't buy it any more, and now the same may happen to the Sonica? I hope not as I haven't even use it for more than an hour.

@RichB, do you have any insider's info?

 

[RichB]

I paid a lot for mine due to the low C$. What the heck is going on with Oppo on this inventory control or speedy discontinuity practice. Not long after I got my HA-1, you couldn't buy it any more, and now the same may happen to the Sonica? I hope not as I haven't even use it for more than an hour.

@RichB, do you have any insider's info?

They do not share this information with beta testers.

I know there was some heat from folks who wanted MQA and Roon support so maybe there is a new version coming, IDK.

- Rich

 

[PENG]

They do not share this information with beta testers.

I know there was some heat from folks who wanted MQA and Roon support so maybe there is a new version coming, IDK.

- Rich

Thanks, too bad they couldn't just do it via FW update, for a price. I have no interest in MQA but understand a lot of people do.

 

[Irvrobinson]

I paid a lot for mine due to the low C$. What the heck is going on with Oppo on this inventory control or speedy discontinuity practice. Not long after I got my HA-1, you couldn't buy it any more, and now the same may happen to the Sonica? I hope not as I haven't even use it for more than an hour.

It is weird. Now their new planar headphones are showing an out of stock status. Perhaps for these specialty products their business modeling shows they make the most money when they make one manufacturing order and discontinue the product when they sell out. That wouldn't surprise me. Oppo is in Menlo Park, a place where conventional business models are always being rethought. I'm just glad the phone app is the same as for the Sonica speaker, so that we continue to get support and upgrades.

 

[Irvrobinson]

I'm sending the DAC back. The ATI amps keep on amplifying for a while after you turn them off, and the Sonica caused a massive turn-off thump. Unacceptable. The Benchmark DAC is silent all the time. The Sonica phone app is also a very cumbersome way to control volume. I know Oppo has a dedicated remote available, but I'm not dealing with big turn-off thumps. Dealer says just don't turn it off. Nuts to that. In a power failure or some other mishap I'd get thumps. IMO, thumps are the sign of poorly designed equipment. Oppo is off my list of potential product companies.

 

[RichB]

I'm sending the DAC back. The ATI amps keep on amplifying for a while after you turn them off, and the Sonica caused a massive turn-off thump. Unacceptable. The Benchmark DAC is silent all the time. The Sonica phone app is also a very cumbersome way to control volume. I know Oppo has a dedicated remote available, but I'm not dealing with big turn-off thumps. Dealer says just don't turn it off. Nuts to that. In a power failure or some other mishap I'd get thump. IMO, thumps are the sign of poorly designed equipment. Oppo is off my list of potential product companies.

That's weird. The AT6000 also keep amplifying for a while. I'll try connecting the SDAC to my amps directly and see if it happens.

I am pretty sure the SDAC is an endangered creature.

- Rich

 

[PENG]

That's weird. The AT6000 also keep amplifying for a while. I'll try connecting the SDAC to my amps directly and see if it happens.

I am pretty sure the SDAC is an endangered creature.

- Rich

Very weird indeed, I didn't think my SDAC had ever caused a thump or the amp to keep amplifying for a while. I just tried it again before I post, and can confirm that it does not do either. I tried both SDAC direct to the Bryston, and to the HA-1's analog input and then from HA-1 to the amp. Either way there was no thump, and as soon as I turned the SDAC or the HA-1 off, music stopped right away.

I agree if it would cause a thump turning on/off before turning on/off the amp, it would not be good, even though we are supposed to turn the amp on first and off first.

 

[Irvrobinson]

Very weird indeed, I didn't think my SDAC had ever caused a thump or the amp to keep amplifying for a while. I just tried it again before I post, and can confirm that it does not do either. I tried both SDAC direct to the Bryston, and to the HA-1's analog input and then from HA-1 to the amp. Either way there was no thump, and as soon as I turned the SDAC or the HA-1 off, music stopped right away.

I agree if it would cause a thump turning on/off before turning on/off the amp, it would not be good, even though we are supposed to turn the amp on first and off first.

I also turn the amps off first and on last, but with the ATI amps (both of mine), they continue to produce output for an indeterminate amount of time after you hit the power switch. My old Levinson 334 amps (which were not an ATI design) used to do this too. Perhaps the Bryston (properly, IMO) mutes the outputs on power-down. I think ATI is trying to show-off the various power supply capacitors acting like batteries. I've never been impressed, but until now the behavior has been mostly harmless.

The volume control on the SDAC's remote app was also useless, though Oppo does offer an infrared remote for $10, last I looked, when you order from them.

 

[RichB]

I also turn the amps off first and on last, but with the ATI amps (both of mine), they continue to produce output for an indeterminate amount of time after you hit the power switch. My old Levinson 334 amps (which were not an ATI design) used to do this too. Perhaps the Bryston (properly, IMO) mutes the outputs on power-down. I think ATI is trying to show-off the various power supply capacitors acting like batteries. I've never been impressed, but until now the behavior has been mostly harmless.

The volume control on the SDAC's remote app was also useless, though Oppo does offer an infrared remote for $10, last I looked, when you order from them.

Does it pop if you leave the amps on when powering off the SDAC?

- Rich

 

[Irvrobinson]

Does it pop if you leave the amps on when powering off the SDAC?

- Rich

I didn’t try that, and the SDAC is on its way back to Chicago already.

 

[RichB]

I didn’t try that, and the SDAC is on its way back to Chicago already.

Bon Voyage. I guess that means I don't have to do the direct to amp test

I have the XLR outs on the SDAC and HA-1 routined to a Kramer switch then routed through the XMC-1 for volume control. I don't hear degradation and it greatly simplifies using the sources without running the risk of leaving the mains swiched off and causing panic amoungst familiy members.

- Rich

 

[RichB]

@PENG you have to stop spending all this money on gear so that you can afford and avatar

- Rich

Edit: Might I suggest...

 

[Irvrobinson]

Bon Voyage. I guess that means I don't have to do the direct to amp test

I have the XLR outs on the SDAC and HA-1 routined to a Kramer switch then routed through the XMC-1 for volume control. I don't hear degradation and it greatly simplifies using the sources without running the risk of leaving the mains swiched off and causing panic amoungst familiy members.

- Rich

Even my el cheapo $500 Outlaw prepro in my HT system doesn't thump with an ATI amp when the Outlaw turns the ATI off via a trigger cable. The SDAC turned off the AT3000 via a trigger too, but with a big thump. That's why it's on its way back to Chicago. (And it pisses me off that it needed a $50 FedEx bus ticket to get back.)

 

[PENG]

Even my el cheapo $500 Outlaw prepro in my HT system doesn't thump with an ATI amp when the Outlaw turns the ATI off via a trigger cable. The SDAC turned off the AT3000 via a trigger too, but with a big thump. That's why it's on its way back to Chicago. (And it pisses me off that it needed a $50 FedEx bus ticket to get back.)

I also turn the amps off first and on last, but with the ATI amps (both of mine), they continue to produce output for an indeterminate amount of time after you hit the power switch. My old Levinson 334 amps (which were not an ATI design) used to do this too. Perhaps the Bryston (properly, IMO) mutes the outputs on power-down. I think ATI is trying to show-off the various power supply capacitors acting like batteries. I've never been impressed, but until now the behavior has been mostly harmless.

The volume control on the SDAC's remote app was also useless, though Oppo does offer an infrared remote for $10, last I looked, when you order from them.

My Adcom did that too and bragged about the large caps.

 

[PENG]

Even my el cheapo $500 Outlaw prepro in my HT system doesn't thump with an ATI amp when the Outlaw turns the ATI off via a trigger cable. The SDAC turned off the AT3000 via a trigger too, but with a big thump. That's why it's on its way back to Chicago. (And it pisses me off that it needed a $50 FedEx bus ticket to get back.)

It could have something to do with the fact that the ATI amp is fully differential end to end.

 

[Irvrobinson]

It could have something to do with the fact that the ATI amp is fully differential end to end.

Oppo claims the Sonica is fully differential end-to-end too.

Why do you think differential circuitry has anything to do with it?

I think it's simply that they didn't mute the outputs before power-off. A simple design oversight.

 

[PENG]

Oppo claims the Sonica is fully differential end-to-end too.

Why do you think differential circuitry has anything to do with it?

I think it's simply that they didn't mute the outputs before power-off. A simple design oversight.

Read about it from an article on the pros and cons a while back but don't remember any details.

You can do a search, and I'll post a link later. Again, it's just a could be..

Here's the link:

https://hometheaterhifi.com/technical/technical-reviews/the-fully-balanced-power-amplifier-advantages-and-design-challenges/

 

[Ernie Schmuntz]

I would like opinions on which of these 3 externals DACs are likely to give the best sound quality. They will be fed lossless FLAC files from my HT PC. I currently own an iFI Micro iDSD. It is doing a very good job, but I am considering either the new OPPO Sonica DAC https://www.oppodigital.com/sonica-dac/sonica-dac-Images.aspx or the Emotiva Stealth DC-1 as possible upgrades. https://emotiva.com/products/dacs/electronics/dacs/stealth-dc-1 or just keep the iFI if the opinion is no appreciable difference would be seen from the other two.
Again, I am less concerned with functionality as I am with sound quality. If there are other suggestions for under $1K, I would love to have input on those.

Current system includes Tekton Double Impacts, Denon 4520ci (about to be upgraded to separates) and home built sub powered by Crown amps.

Thank you in advance for your time and opinions.

I have been using a great little device called Popcorn Hour A-500. It has SMP8758 1.2GHz ARM Cortex Dual Core, a ESS9023p dac, has a hard drive bay, 4k video etc. it serves up ftp, nfs,cifs,PnP.

I have used popcorn devices for the last 14 years. I ftp all of my files to the device and use the analog out for music. It runs 220.00 or so. They also have a pro version that has balance connections and SABRE32 audio DAC ES9018K2M. Its my go to for all audio listening. Buy one, it’s an awesome media tank. You’ll love it.

https://www.cloudmedia.com/?product=a-500-pro