I'm going to try to make this as short as possible, but not sure if I'm going to be able to.
I decide to add a headphone amp to my secondary listening system instead of using the headphone jack on my Denon receiver. I thought I would be able to use the Zone 2 output and send digital signals through Denon DAC to the Zone 2. Turns out the Denon won't send anything but analog signals to the Zone 2 outputs. To work around this I am able to connect RCA cables to the Denon from both my TV and Oppo and I am able to listen to Tidal from a secondary Andriod app Mconnect, from the Oppo a BD-103. (Since Oppo n is no longer supported getting the Tidal app to work from the Oppo player doesn't work.)
I bought the Schiit audio Jutunheim 2 amp, which is connected with RCA's to the Zone 2 out on the Denon. So basically I'm using the TV's DAC for TV veiwing, which I'm not sure I care all that much about, and the Oppo DAC for music.
So first of all, I'm not sure I'll ever spend $600 for the Bifrost DAC for example on a secondary system, maybe the Modius, but is it really going to improve on the Oppo DAC?
I've only had this all setup up since yesterday, and it does sound good. Haven't listen to my speakers in here yet, which are Troels Gravenson's Nomex 164's, but from what I can tell the Oppo sounds pretty good like it is over headphones. And turns out I can stream my DNLA stuff from my PC to the Oppo too, instead of the TV's Plex app.
Curious what you guys think.
I decide to add a headphone amp to my secondary listening system instead of using the headphone jack on my Denon receiver. I thought I would be able to use the Zone 2 output and send digital signals through Denon DAC to the Zone 2. Turns out the Denon won't send anything but analog signals to the Zone 2 outputs. To work around this I am able to connect RCA cables to the Denon from both my TV and Oppo and I am able to listen to Tidal from a secondary Andriod app Mconnect, from the Oppo a BD-103. (Since Oppo n is no longer supported getting the Tidal app to work from the Oppo player doesn't work.)
I bought the Schiit audio Jutunheim 2 amp, which is connected with RCA's to the Zone 2 out on the Denon. So basically I'm using the TV's DAC for TV veiwing, which I'm not sure I care all that much about, and the Oppo DAC for music.
So first of all, I'm not sure I'll ever spend $600 for the Bifrost DAC for example on a secondary system, maybe the Modius, but is it really going to improve on the Oppo DAC?
I've only had this all setup up since yesterday, and it does sound good. Haven't listen to my speakers in here yet, which are Troels Gravenson's Nomex 164's, but from what I can tell the Oppo sounds pretty good like it is over headphones. And turns out I can stream my DNLA stuff from my PC to the Oppo too, instead of the TV's Plex app.
Curious what you guys think.
It really is difficult to follow you (for me at least) 😉 make a sketch of all the devices involved and how you are connecting them, take a picture and upload it.
Let me make it simple. I'm simply asking what are your thoughts on whether I should upgrade my DAC since the Oppo has a pretty good DAC? Would the Modius be an upgrade? Also, I'm debating how much I actually care about how good the TV sound is, which i do to some extent.
Modius does not have LAN nor USB input. How would you connect it/use it in your system?? How can Modius replace the functionality provided by the OPPO103 inbuilt DAC (and its LAN input?)
Okay. I will give an opinion. There is far better SQ available than Oppo. The really good stuff is not cheap though. So as a practical matter how much better than Oppo can be had depends in part on how much can be diy'ed, what the overall budget is, and what features you consider to be essential.
I would connect the digital audio out from the Oppo (The Oppo has toslink and Coax) and TV to whatever external DAC I bought, if I bought one.
Oppo has always had a lot of fame in its CD players and well deserved. The Dacs were very good, and the players had incredible versatility, anything you put in there played.
When they raised the bar one small step, they stopped producing.
I have the Oppo Sonica DAC with the Ess9038 chip and I am happy. Of course, -according to measurements- they say that there are currently "better" chips ......
I seriously doubt that this is easy to perceive by adult ears, perhaps some privileged ones (there are, not to be confused with "golden ears", which almost always have more imagination than ears)
But I don't understand what the OP wants to do. Use the internal Dac of the Oppo BD103 for what? and can that be done? Well, I'm sorry I can't help.
https://www.esstech.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ES9038PRO-Datasheet-v3.7.pdf
When they raised the bar one small step, they stopped producing.
I have the Oppo Sonica DAC with the Ess9038 chip and I am happy. Of course, -according to measurements- they say that there are currently "better" chips ......
I seriously doubt that this is easy to perceive by adult ears, perhaps some privileged ones (there are, not to be confused with "golden ears", which almost always have more imagination than ears)
But I don't understand what the OP wants to do. Use the internal Dac of the Oppo BD103 for what? and can that be done? Well, I'm sorry I can't help.
https://www.esstech.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ES9038PRO-Datasheet-v3.7.pdf
Ok, now I understand, so do it, I don't see the problem of using an external Dac and leaving the BD103 to play CD's , Blue Ray´s and DVD´s, which is what it was invented for.
http://download.oppodigital.com/BDP103/BDP-103_User_Manual_English_v1.2.pdf
I am trying to decide if it's worth the investment for a secondary system, to add an external DAC, or just use the DAC in the Oppo. It's not really a question of whether other DAC's are better, clearly there are. I use a Bluesound Node for music in my primary system, so part of my debate is am I going to invest more for a better DAC for the secondary system, and if that was the case, then the more expensive/better DAC would have to go into the primary system and the Node into the secondary.
I guess the more simple question is this, are the mid level to entry levels DAC's from say Schiit Audio a better DAC than the Oppo's built in DAC? That's really all I am trying to get opinions on.
I don't know what I'm doing wrong in explaining this...LOL!
You're not doing it wrong, you're just the only one who knows all the connection possibilities you have.
And for everyone to find out it would be a great waste of time, excuse him, but do you expect others to do the work for you?
So, if you can't make a sketch, it's easy to put the photos of the back panels of the equipment, that would help a lot.
But don't count me out, I'm sorry, but you don't understand that you want to have an optimal sound by squeezing the lemon when it has no more juice.
Look, for example, I don't know the specs of the TV you have, the Samsung in my bedroom I have prepared to use quality headphones and a simple 3,5mm cable extension) and I also have an excellent HI FI with an external amplifier and small but good quality baffles (it will always be better than what is inside the TV and its plastic case) for when I am without/withon company, according to what my wife and I want to watch.
So everyone has to use common sense according to what he wants to get.
Here we advise and opiate fundamentally on specific technical issues, and for that we need data, information, I understand that sometimes we go through rudeness, but it is what it is. I would try forums like AK, for example. Luck.
And for everyone to find out it would be a great waste of time, excuse him, but do you expect others to do the work for you?
So, if you can't make a sketch, it's easy to put the photos of the back panels of the equipment, that would help a lot.
But don't count me out, I'm sorry, but you don't understand that you want to have an optimal sound by squeezing the lemon when it has no more juice.
Look, for example, I don't know the specs of the TV you have, the Samsung in my bedroom I have prepared to use quality headphones and a simple 3,5mm cable extension) and I also have an excellent HI FI with an external amplifier and small but good quality baffles (it will always be better than what is inside the TV and its plastic case) for when I am without/withon company, according to what my wife and I want to watch.
So everyone has to use common sense according to what he wants to get.
Here we advise and opiate fundamentally on specific technical issues, and for that we need data, information, I understand that sometimes we go through rudeness, but it is what it is. I would try forums like AK, for example. Luck.
This is what I'm trying to get the OP to understand, I add something....
Attachments
Let me boil it down to this. What is your opinion on what kind of improvement the Modius DAC would be over the Oppo DAC?
Thanks for that I was actually looking for the manual. Just downloaded it and saved it to a folder.
I've seen reports of people getting the Modius E version, with ESS DAC. Then I checked the Schiit site... the DAC mentioned is now ES9028 but the photo still shows AKM DAC (AK4493 as I recall). A bit confusing. Nevertheless, let us know how it measures (sound-wise) against OPPO103.
I think I'm going to try to figure out a way to also incorporate it into 2 channel speakers with this setup. Paul from PS Audio had a question about something like this that he did a video about it...I'll have to think about it for a few days. The thing is I don't really listen to music in here that much, but I don't get to listen to it in my main system either where my Elsinores are! So I'm trying to work out a remedy so I can enjoy my music more. You know cause of kids and wife and such.
Just got the DAC. My Denon has a digital toslink out and turns out I was able to send the source signals from my TV and Oppo to the DAC from the Denon and switch between the two sources with the remote, which I am really happy about. I just ordered a 25 ft toslink cable so I can setup the DAC and amp on my nightstand. I also ordered XLR connectors to make my own interconnects.
Haven't listened to it yet other to confirm it's working.
Haven't listened to it yet other to confirm it's working.
OK, just spent some time streaming The Terminal List, not much in the way of acoustics there, but I still noticed a big difference, and now I have spent some time with music on Tidal, and I'm really impressed pleasantly so. Pleasantly surprised as well. I had no idea headphones could sound this good. I recently discovered Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet album Polka, that I like to listen with my Joe Rasmussen Elsinores that I built, when I really need to chill out. So I put that on, and there are 3 or 4 songs that have become new favorites in the last 6 months, and I am truly blown away. Like I said, I was not expecting headphones to sound this good. Holy crap!
The only bad thing about this is now it's going to be driving me nuts thinking about upgrading from my Node 3 DAC in my primary system, with my true high end equipment.
Maybe the Nukes will go off before that and I won't have to worry about such trivial concerns.
The only bad thing about this is now it's going to be driving me nuts thinking about upgrading from my Node 3 DAC in my primary system, with my true high end equipment.
Maybe the Nukes will go off before that and I won't have to worry about such trivial concerns.