An update of this journey...
1. Reflected on my Oppo 205SE sitting there with 2 USB 3.0 at the rear and one at the front. Grabbed a USB Drive and my WD 2TB SSD.
i) Well the USB Drive worked except one of the three folders is only .dsf files and it didn't play those. The others were flac files and wav files and no issues there.
So then I took coaxial out to coax in on the Ref CD9 and I dropped the same cd in each, the CD9 then swapped it over to the Oppo and compared audio. Well the coax from the Oppo sounded harsher and more shrill, like it was somehow compressed compared with the cd playing in the CD9 itself. So I didn't get much of a glow out of that process.
I haven't tried the files fed from the Oppo into the CD9 as yet. I got too distracted playing Hubert Sumlin Blues that was so well recorded via Tidal. Again the options are somewhat tiresome, everything has dual - do it all - functionality. My HT Marantz has HEOS/Tidal, my phone has MConnect Lite with Tidal that can be streamed UPNP much better the Airplay, and so on ad nauseam.
ii) The SSD would not be recognised by the Oppo despite it was powering up ok.
Still to try in this lot, files to CD9 via coax and streaming via phone to Oppo to CD9.
2. All of this activity testing just after making an online purchase of a used Topping M50 off eBay from a local sale. Cost $160AUD. At least it was cheap. Let's see if it adds any value over the Oppo. If not it can bounce back on sale again...
Use cases are the situation here. Let's see what this Topping has to bring.
Even for me, the idea these days of watching old movies on disc, is not continuously attractive to drive the investment. Despite having some 500 approx movies. I've seen them all and have no burning desire to see them again that often...given the convenience of Netflix etc. Yes the video and audio quality is so much better, but how often can you watch a movie? My 7 year old granddaughter is not attracted to many of the movies and everything she watches including Sing, Zootopia, and similar are on Netflix etc. Its like I haven't opened a vinyl or set up my TT in 18 months. On the other hand we recorded an amazing video together looking like two rockers to the Live at the Fillmore Santana track last week, she playing on her toy guitar throwing her long hair back and forth over her head and me bashing it out on a darbuka hand drum (like a djembe only middle eastern). That inspired me to unpack one of my two conga drums...
Changing tastes and shifting convenience do battle in my audio spaces.
More in this story as it unfolds after the Topping is installed...