Computer Audio Asylum

Music servers and other computer based digital audio technologies.

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RE: Oppo Sonica DAC

Posted by Ric Schultz on December 22, 2016 at 18:47:37:
Oppo is not a tweak company....that is, they do not listen critically to their components. They give greater features and value and basic sound/picture quality than anything at their price point. But they do not really know how to make something sound "musical". They use not great sounding output stages, clocks, electrolytic caps, resistors, diodes, have undamped parts, etc., etc. However, most of these things can be changed and upgraded so a modded Oppo sounds nothing like a stock one. The stock Oppo sound is dry, grainy, compressed and missing lower midrange energy. Every stock Oppo sounds this way (I have heard them all except the headphone amp). When modified they can sound outrageous with way bigger soundstage, more air, more liquid, more dynamic, more warm, etc. etc....better in every way. The Sonica DAC will no doubt give the best combination of features and performance for the money but its audio sound will still be stock Oppo (well, I would like to be wrong here....we shall see).

The new ESS DACs are outrageously good. And they have 7 possible digital filter options. If Oppo does not give you the option to choose the digital filter this is really not good! Also the Oppo will only do DSD256 via usb and the really hot thing is using HQplayer in a high powered Windows 10 machine and upsampling all music to DSD512. The $900 Gustard X20U pro DAC (that also allows you to pick any of the 7 digital filters) can take DSD512 via I2S and early next year Singxer is releasing a gadget that will pass DSD512 via I2S allowing all Gustard owners to hear the glory of upsampled DSD512.