OPPO or Something Else?


I am very ignorant in the latest and greatest in digital audio. My current setup is all analog with the exception of a CD player. Before OPPO announced their cease of production I read a lot of reviews and opinions from what a wonderful product it is. My main interest is in the quality of audio it can produce and not so much with the video capabilities. However, it is probably more capable than my current Blu Ray player (3D is not a concern).
Getting back to audio quality my sources are CD's and SACD's. I know that DAC's are all the rage with digital media. While researching the history of the various OPPO models that came out over the years, and paying close attention to user experiences with audio performance, it seems that with each model the audio quality improved with each release of a new model. Such as.....the 95 over the 93, the 105 over the 103, and the 205 over the 203.
Since the close of OPPO production it makes sense that the price of existing units in good condition would bring a premium price in the used market to those determined to purchase one. There are also many opinions that some of the upgrades to those units elevate them to a supreme product (those upgrades/modifications appear to cost almost as much as the units themselves).
Given that info on what my listening media is, would purchasing a used OPPO whether modded or not offer very good audio performance versus buying a different piece of equipment in the $1k to $1.5 range? I know that there are many OPPO users out there that are satisfied with their purchases. But I am mostly interested in opinions that have strolled down the OPPO path and have been disappointed with the audio performance.

jrpnde

Showing 2 responses by audioengr

Any old Oppo will do if it has a digital output (coax).  Just add a Sychro-Mesh reclocker and you have a world-class digital source with 8psec of jitter.  No Transport delivers this, at any price:

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=154408.0\

Jitter is ALL that matters in a transport.  30-Day money-back guarantee, less shipping.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

This is where I don’t understand Steve’s comment; is he saying to use the Oppo’s analog output (ie, the output from the Oppo’s DAC), but improve its timing by adding a Synchro-Mesh reclocker?

The term "transport" means that it is being used as a digital source, not an analog source.

The 105 has both digital output (coax) and digital input (coax), so the Synchro-Mesh can just be inserted in this digital loop using 2 cables.  It's that simple.  Select the coax digital input in the "input source menu" and play the CD and you should get the lower jitter data to the DAC inside.  It's really simple.

For most systems, lowering the jitter of the source is a bigger improvement that upgrading the DAC, and certainly cheaper.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio