Small Format SACD Player

[GSOphile]

There is a copyright problem feeding one manufacturer's DAC with another manufacturer's SACD transport (for SACD music). There are maybe a couple of older machines that do not 'conform' here, but if playing SACD discs is important, I think the OP should be looking for an SACD player (or possibly a two box solution by someone like Macintosh or PS Audio).

[Formerly YB-2]

Originally Posted by bart

Carlos (cma29) replaced his Esoteric K-03 by a BDA-3 and feeds it with his Oppo. He's very happy.
I do think the Bryston DAC is far superior to the one of the Oppo.

Bart - does this include SACDs?

[cma29]

Originally Posted by bart

Thanks Glenn for the compliment!

Carlos (cma29) replaced his Esoteric K-03 by a BDA-3 and feeds it with his Oppo.
He's very happy.
I do think the Bryston DAC is far superior to the one of the Oppo.

Originally Posted by Formerly YB-2

Bart - does this include SACDs?

Yes, I can confirm that. Using the Oppo and the BDA-3 via HDMI, I can play redbook CDs, SACDs and Blu-ray discs and decode them in their native coding.

[Formerly YB-2]

Originally Posted by cma29

Yes, I can confirm that. Using the Oppo and the BDA-3 via HDMI, I can play redbook CDs, SACDs and Blu-ray discs and decode them in their native coding.

Carlos - thank you. I'll start with a Schiit Bifrost multibit DAC and see how it compares with the Oppo on-board DAC. If neither works I'll move up the DAC food-chain.

[Cohibaman]

Originally Posted by Cohibaman

Sony PS3?

Sorry, I misread original post (been a long, crappy week).

[GSOphile]

Originally Posted by cma29

Yes, I can confirm that. Using the Oppo and the BDA-3 via HDMI, I can play redbook CDs, SACDs and Blu-ray discs and decode them in their native coding.

The OPPO 105 was one of the exceptions I was referring to in my earlier post above. I don't believe this holds for newer OPPO models.

[cma29]

Originally Posted by Formerly YB-2

Bart - does this include SACDs?

Originally Posted by GSOphile

The OPPO 105 was one of the exceptions I was referring to in my earlier post above. I don't believe this holds for newer OPPO models.

As far as I know, the 105 and the newer Oppo model output the DSD, Blu-ray signals in their native format via the HDMI output which the BDA-3 DAC can decode via its HDMI input. The key here is the HDMI data transfer to allow SACD playback. In this configuration the Oppo is a disc transport only.

[bart]

By the way, I also listen to 5.0 SACDs over HDMI via my Marantz processor.

[Formerly YB-2]

The DAC that I've been considering (Schiit Bifrost multi-bit) has the following inputs:
Coaxial SPDIF, Optical SPDIF, USB.
Capability: up to 24/192 for all inputs, including 24/176.4.

The Oppo 203 has the following outputs:
Analog Audio: 7.1ch, 5.1ch, stereo.
Coaxial/Optical Audio: up to 2ch/192kHz PCM, Dolby Digital, DTS.
HDMI Audio: up to 7.1ch/192kHz PCM, up to 5.1ch DSD, Bitstream.
HDMI Video: UHD/1080p24/1080p/1080i/720p/576p/576i/480p/480i, 3D frame-packing 720p/1080p24.

Is the Oppo only capable of out-putting the SACD bit-stream on the HDMI port? If so, does not appear that the Bifrost could use same.

While HDMI seems to be what folks are using with the BPA-3, the Bifrost is limited to either the optical or the coax interconnects to match up with the Oppo 203. Am wondering which is the better of the two?

[crwilli]

Glenn, Nothing against Schitt but it is a limited DAC. If or as you develop a digital library, you are likely to delve into DSD and IMHO, should have that capability - no matter how articulate Schitt argues their DAC technology ‘is enough’.

In a small form factor DAC, I might suggest a TEAC UD503.

Features
USB DAC that supports 11.2MHz DSD and 384kHz/32-bit PCM
Dual-monaural circuit structure used from the power supply to the digital and analog sections
Both left and right channels have their own high-end AK4490 DACs, which are made by Asahi Kasei Micro devices Corporation
Two high-capacity toroidal core power transformers-one each for left and right channels
Four types of PCM digital filter and two types of DSD filter

I have one I will send you to try if you want. It was used sparingly in my second home system and now sits in its box.

Craig