Rega DAC? Oppo 95 and wait?

Hi Rob

I don't think you can make a mistake purchasing an Oppo 95 and waiting. It has to be among the very best values in digital components in the here and now for all that it offers at its pricepoint and level of performance, one hell of a lot of bang for the buck. While certainly not as refined as the Eastern Electric DAC Plus which I recently purchased nor my friends W4S DAC 2 and I'm sure some of the other DACs in this price range it still offers excellent playback performance for CD/SACD, and has plenty of flexibility. The Oppo is still very relaxed and musical and should keep you satisfied for awhile. Of course in this hobby "awhile" varies for each of us. It also uses the ESS Saber 9018 chip like the other two mentioned. I purchased one with the same though as you and discovered that the Oppo is definitely a keeper for all that it offers at the price. If it proves unsatisfactory in your case, there is a 30 day trial period. If you already have a good transport, which you will need for any of the 9018 based DACs, and the other features of the 95 are of little interest, you might want to look at other DAC options. We each have different needs but based on your query, I say go with the Oppo.

Rob

I say "Better" should be clearly defined by a concensus of listeners before laying out double the dough or more. At the very least you should listen first. I am NOT convinced that 2-3K spent on a DAC is necessarily going to reap the benefits to one on a budget looking for value over very subtle differences UNLESS you are willing to pay but AGAIN this may be a line when you might want to audition first.

Chayro I do understand your point and it may certainly have had more validity in the past than now. It seems to me the real excitement in digital is happening at the budget end of the market. In reading professional reviews I am seeing many of these low priced DAC's being compared favorably with much more expensive units. I can certainly attest to the quality of the units I have on hand. This is not to say that you might find something with more refinement or more to your liking at a higher pricepoint which is often the case and the general rule in most things audio. The question of course is whether or not it is worth paying the difference, ESPECIALLY a moving target like digital. All the units I have mentioned are superb performers. The Eastern Electric has just been released and the folks at Stereophile though the OPPO 95 was good enough to put it into their A+ category of digital sources, maybe a bit over the top but it does say that they think very highly of it as do I. I also own an $850.00 MHDT Havana a NOS unit that has been compared favorability (better than) the reviewer's 3.5K NOS unit.

My only point is that before laying down more money for something "better" it would be wise to listen first to be sure. Buying at the budget end of the market is less risky in that if you don't like, its easier and less costly to turn over.