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Old 07-15-2018, 07:02 PM
damacman damacman is offline
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Default Oppo UDP-205 XLR Polarity - You May Want to Check . . .

If you own one of these players and you're using it as a 2-ch source via the XLR outputs into your preamp, you'd be wise to check polarity at the speakers. I've had one for a few months now but only last night had the inclination to listen to a few CDs through it. My reference CDP is an ancient Pioneer PD-T07 with a fully balanced architecture and a special version of Pioneer's Legato Link DAC. To date, I've not heard another CDP or DAC best it in my space. So, I was curious how the Oppo compares.

In a quick listening comparison, I noticed that the Oppo sounded different from the Pioneer. Was this good or not? After 3 songs, the only thing I could put my finger on was different. And then it hit me - I should check to be sure both the Pioneer and the Oppo have the same output polarity to be sure I'm comparing both on the same playing field. Both are plugged into my McIntosh C200 preamp, also fully balanced.

So, out came my trusty Perfect Interface Phase Detector and the Autosound 2000 Test CD #101 (Track 3 is polarity pulses). Sho' enuf', the Oppo was backwards. Now I knew the Pioneer was correct because I've checked it before, yet I verified it and it was indeed correct. Pshew - the Oppo gives you the ability to invert the polarity in the menu so piece of cake whereas that would have involved swapping pins in the XLRs for the Pioneer. Oddly enough, the Oppo manual says that it comes pre-set to the American XLR standard and Inverting it sets it to the European XLR standard . . . but, you can't argue the results.

[Side note - if you've not used a polarity checker before, it's really simple. The polarity pulses are recorded three positive and one negative. Positive - Positive - Positive - Negative. If you stand directly in front of the speaker you can actually hear the difference. One holds the polarity checker close to the speaker's drivers and if you observe Green - Green - Green - Red lights, polarity is correct. This is a handy tool to ensure correct polarity for every driver in a loudspeaker as well as correct polarity for any source that you have said media with the necessary polarity pulses. Here is an example of a kit - https://www.mobilesolutions-usa.com/...page/pt-9a-kit ]

After I did that, I popped in my copy of Muddy Waters Folk Singer (MFSL CD) and just enjoyed it. The Oppo sounds just sublime. Now, does it sound better than my Pioneer? I'm not sure yet . . . I really need two copies of the very same CD so that I can switch back and forth in real time with one disc about 10 seconds ahead of the other. I actually do have a few such copies so I'll have to try that and see. But sometimes, you just want to listen and enjoy . . .

Oh, and from what I heard last night - the 205 is one helluva' CDP.
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Old 07-16-2018, 04:23 PM
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Very informative thanks! Would this be possible for a 203 with RCAs or just solely for XLR?
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Old 07-16-2018, 04:45 PM
clpetersen clpetersen is offline
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Very informative thanks! Would this be possible for a 203 with RCAs or just solely for XLR?
Just the balanced (XLR) connections. The two signal lines are subtracted from each other at the receiving end. Flipping the subtraction (swapping signal lines) inverts the answer - i.e. polarity change.
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Last edited by clpetersen; 07-16-2018 at 04:57 PM.
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Old 07-16-2018, 10:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Doug Lax View Post
Very informative thanks! Would this be possible for a 203 with RCAs or just solely for XLR?
Sure - happens with a lot of gear. Absolute polarity can be inverted in the design so that a recorded positive pulse would be output as a negative going one.
Damacman - could you check the single ended outputs? It would be good to know.
Tom
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Old 07-17-2018, 06:59 AM
clpetersen clpetersen is offline
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Default Polarity

This is a rich topic.
Here is a link to an article on the subject - if you read the article, be sure to read the informed counterpoints in the following comments.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/...act-or-fallacy
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Old 07-17-2018, 07:26 AM
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Default Oppo UDP-205 XLR Polarity - You May Want to Check . . .

Interesting article, especially the comments.

As always you have to listen to both inverted and non-inverted polarity in your own system and see if you notice a difference and have a preference.

It’s as easy as switching the speaker leads.

Some instruments are very asymmetrical - horns and especially the trumpet are a good source if you want to experiment.


Tom
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Main System:
Amati Futura Mains
Amati Homage VOX Center,
Proac Response 1sc Rears,
Three MC2301's for L,C,R
MC 602 for the rears
C 1100, MX 151, MCD 1100, MR 80
Nottingham Dais with Wave Mechanic
Sumiko Palo Santos Presentation

SurfacePro 3, RPi 4, ROON, WW Starlight Platinum USB, Schiit Yggdrasil, Benchmark DAC3 HGC

MX 151, OppO BDP-95, JVC RS-500 DILA projector, 106" diagonal Stewart Luxus Screenwall Deluxe with Studiotek 130 G3 material.

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Last edited by W9TR; 07-17-2018 at 07:35 AM.
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  #7  
Old 07-17-2018, 05:24 PM
damacman damacman is offline
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Originally Posted by W9TR View Post
Sure - happens with a lot of gear. Absolute polarity can be inverted in the design so that a recorded positive pulse would be output as a negative going one.
Damacman - could you check the single ended outputs? It would be good to know.
Tom
Tom, I would assume that the RCA outputs would be correct but you know what they say about the word assume. You would think this would be easy for me to determine - however, my rack is VERY heavy and VERY difficult to get to the rear of. Next time I have to pull the rack from the wall, I'll see if I can remember to do this.
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Old 07-17-2018, 05:33 PM
damacman damacman is offline
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Originally Posted by clpetersen View Post
This is a rich topic.
Here is a link to an article on the subject - if you read the article, be sure to read the informed counterpoints in the following comments.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/...act-or-fallacy
Very interesting indeed. This is one of those topics where there is no denying that proving the relevance (or lack thereof) to yourself is the way to go. For the sake of what I was doing, comparing the sound of two different units, having them both reproduce music with the same polarity was paramount to a valid comparison.

Since I posted this I've listened to numerous discs on each player, enjoying them all. I still have not done a real-time comparison between the same discs.
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