OPPO UDP-205 for Stereo & Multi-Channel Audio

S

sterling shoote

Audioholic Field Marshall
I've enjoyed, but have also been frustrated learning how to use my new OPPO UDP-205 for Hi-Res multi-channel audio via analog output. Here are my results so far with multi-channel pleasures, as well as stereo adventures. First, SACD multi-channel playback is a no brainer. Even a cave man can do it. Simply insert an SACD and enjoy, that's to say, there's no need to navigate through menu, inputs, or even use the monitor to play a disc. Now, I could just leave it there. After all, the multi-channel SACD function with analog output is the only reason I purchased the 205. But, having some free time on my hands, I thought about some other means to an end which were afforded me with this player. One of those is the usb DAC input for enjoyment of iTunes or other music libraries on a computer. I discovered that this feature allows enjoyment of the few Hi-Res songs residing in my iTunes Library with what I perceive as better sound than I was getting from iTunes when connected to my HT via a Creative Sound Blaster converting usb to S/PDIF for processing through my Sony TA-E9000ES pre/pro's DAC at 24/96, which is now about 18 year old technology, or from Airplay to my pre/pro at 16/44. Only thing not to like about the OPPOs usb DAC is that it does not process multi-channel. But, the OPPO does have two other methods to enjoy multi-channel stored on the computer. One of these is through the OPPOs Network connection to a DLNA device. I accordingly set my Windows 10 laptop to be a DLNA device and discovered it would indeed produce a multi-channel result from my HT; but, and this is a big but, this result is not gapless, confirmed by OPPO, which makes enjoyment of "The Firebird" in multi-channel or stereo futile. So, I do not see any usefulness in using the Network input. Moving on, I put "The Firebird" multi-channel file onto a thumb drive and tried that out from the OPPOs front panel usb input. From the monitor I saw the file, clicked it, and almost immediately the OPPO was outputting to my preamp in multi-channel, as well as gaplessly for an dazzling aural experience. Now, with these first experiments, I've concluded: 1. for general listening to Hi-Res stereo the usb DAC feature gets the outcome desired. And, 2. for multi-channel music, not available on Hybrid SACD, buying multi-channel downloads and placing them on the thumb drive delivers the desired result. At any rate, overall, what comes through clearly, no pun intended, is that all of my music, stereo or multi-channel, from AAC to PCM 24/192, sounds better from the OPPOs DAC than from my Creative Sound Blaster's X-Fi HD 24/96 DAC, my Airport Express 16/44 DAC, or my Sony TA-E9000ES's 24/96 DAC. The OPPO DAC gives me overtones, undertones, detail, bass, and wider sound stage with instrument placement better understood than through previous playback means. Also, I discovered, for the most part, AAC iTunes can not be distinguished from the same material at 24/192. It all sounds great. I am very satisfied. And, one more thing, I discovered, playing AAC files through OPPO's usb DAC, I could get a sense of the recording engineers credentials, as some of the DOO WOP I have in my iTunes Library actually did not sound better, since the OPPOs DAC easily revealed recording flaws not revealed to me from other means to enjoy those recordings. Of course when that music was recorded in the 1950's and early 1960's I was enjoying it on an $8 Magnavox AM Transistor Radio, which seemed at the time to be giving me the portable music enjoyment I was wanting.
 
Last edited:
K

Kenco278

Enthusiast
Hi. The Oppo website has an article about the effects of digital audio jitter and how it can be more or less eliminated. I think this is at the heart of why, as you noted, high end DACs produce better sounding music. These articles are pretty technical but you’ll probably be able to follow the main parts of the explanation.

https://www.oppodigital.com/KnowledgeBase.aspx?KBID=129&ProdID=UDP-205

Also, ESS, which developed the DAC chips in the 205, has this article about the same thing:

http://www.esstech.com/files/4614/4095/4305/about-jitter.pdf
 
S

sterling shoote

Audioholic Field Marshall
Hi. The Oppo website has an article about the effects of digital audio jitter and how it can be more or less eliminated. I think this is at the heart of why, as you noted, high end DACs produce better sounding music. These articles are pretty technical but you’ll probably be able to follow the main parts of the explanation.

https://www.oppodigital.com/KnowledgeBase.aspx?KBID=129&ProdID=UDP-205

Also, ESS, which developed the DAC chips in the 205, has this article about the same thing:

http://www.esstech.com/files/4614/4095/4305/about-jitter.pdf
Interesting reading. In my system I'm only using the OPPOs HDMI video output to TV. I cannot use the OPPOs HDMI audio output, since my 18 year old Sony Pre/pro does not have any HDMI inputs. I do not have multi-channel analog inputs on it either, just IEC 958 and optical which are used for multi-channel DVD and BD enjoyment. Primarily, I use that amp to receive unbalanced SACD stereo from OPPO. I have another preamp which is a multi-channel analog model to receive the unbalanced 5.1 multi-channel output from OPPO. At any rate, since I am not using the OPPOs HDMI input for receiving audio, or the OPPOs HDMI audio output for delivering audio, I can not comment on what jitter reduction actually sounds like.
 

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