Oppo UDP-203 Questions

[chessman]

I read the Oppo webpage's description of its capabilities and connectivity, but I am a little unclear on one point. If the UDP is connected to the pre-pro via HDMI 2.0, is the audio decoding taking place in the Oppo UDP or in the pre-pro? I would think the pre-pro, but I am not sure. I always thought HDMI carried solely digital signals. The presence of analog outs on the back of the Oppo UDP-203 further supports the notion that if one wants decoding in the Oppo you cannot use the HDMI connection to the pre-pro for audio. Am I thinking right about this?

[j3brow]

I believe you are correct. no audio processing on the HDMI.

I also own the 203.

I called OPPO last week to inquire about the 205. The video processing capabilities are same 203 vs 205.

The 205 as we all know has better audio processing via the ESS9038PRO DACS but only via its analog outputs (rca and XLR). The 205 HDMI digital audio is nearly identical to the 203 HDMI digital audio output EXCEPT the 205 boasts anti-jitter circuit(?) on the HDMI output but even the dude i talked to at oppo said the lower jitter is not worth the cost difference between 205 and 203.

[nicoff]

Originally Posted by chessman

I read the Oppo webpage's description of its capabilities and connectivity, but I am a little unclear on one point. If the UDP is connected to the pre-pro via HDMI 2.0, is the audio decoding taking place in the Oppo UDP or in the pre-pro? I would think the pre-pro, but I am not sure. I always thought HDMI carried solely digital signals. The presence of analog outs on the back of the Oppo UDP-203 further supports the notion that if one wants decoding in the Oppo you cannot use the HDMI connection to the pre-pro for audio. Am I thinking right about this?

You are correct: If you want to listen to the DAC from the Oppo, you must connect the analog output of the Oppo to your preamp. If you have a digital preamp, make sure that your preamp allows you to bypass the analog signal coming from the Oppo and send it directly to the amps without reprocessing it.

If your digital preamp does not let you send the unaltered analog signal to the amps, then your preamp will have to reprocess the analog signal by converting it to digital again, and then back to analog. You probably do not want to do that.

When you connect the Oppo to your preamp via HDMI, the Oppo will send a digital (unprocessed) signal and your preamp will do all the digital-to-analog conversion.

Now... the Oppo outputs digital and analog signals simultaneously. That means that you can connect the Oppo to your preamp both ways (just use different inputs in your preamp). Then, playing the same track you can change inputs and decide which DAC you like better: the one in the Oppo (connected via analog) or the one in your preamp (from the HDMI connection).

I looked at the 203 and the 205 and decided to go with the Oppo 205 because it is designed to have better analog outputs. I spent some time this weekend listening to the DAC in my digital preamp (Bryston SP3) and that of the Oppo 205. Without a doubt, I much preferred to DACs in the Oppo 205.

You can do a similar test and decide which one you like better.

[chessman]

Nicoff, just to confirm, you preferred the SP3 DACs?

[nicoff]

Originally Posted by chessman

Nicoff, just to confirm, you preferred the SP3 DACs?

No, I do not. I prefer the sound of the Oppo 205 DAC to that of the SP3 DAC. Keep in mind that the SP3 is a unit that is going on 7 years old. In digital terms that is ancient.

I pass the ANALOG signal from the Oppo via the SP3. But the SP3 just passes the analog signal without touching it. The ANALOG section of the SP3 is excellent.

[ChrisMag]

The nice thing about the Oppo 205 is that it has a wide range of digital filter options. The 203 also has a few, but not as advanced.

I prefer the sound of my outboard DAC (Mytek Brooklyn DAC+) to the internal on the Oppo 203, but using the internal on the 203 is necessary for any SACDs because the Oppo cannot output DSD to an external DAC via the SPDIF connection.

You can playback a SACD to an enternal DAC via HDMI, but I suspect it's converting to a high bitrate PCM output. My Brooklyn shows a higher than redbook rate with this method, but it's not showing DSD as the source.