New DAC or OPPO 105

[heman_]

Im starting to look around for an upgrade to my digital end.

 

I'm pretty set on the NAD DAC or the OPPO 105 but not sure what performs better. I do like the idea of a box solution, but it is not a priority by any means.

 

I'm slightly inclined to the OPPO as it can play SACDs and unwittingly I have built up a collection of maybe 30-40, many of which I have given the CD layer a decent workout. 

 

Anybody have experience with either of these units? Or can recommend anything similar? 

 

Better yet...anybody directly compared the two? 

 

FWIW I currently have the Eastern Electric Minimax

Edited May 20, 2013 by heman_

[Guest yamaha_man]

Oppo 105 with JLTI mod.

[Addicted to music]

Im starting to look around for an upgrade to my digital end.

 

I'm pretty set on the NAD DAC or the OPPO 105 but not sure what performs better. I do like the idea of a box solution, but it is not a priority by any means.

 

I'm slightly inclined to the OPPO as it can play SACDs and unwittingly I have built up a collection of maybe 30-40, many of which I have given the CD layer a decent workout. 

 

Anybody have experience with either of these units? Or can recommend anything similar? 

 

Better yet...anybody directly compared the two? 

 

FWIW I currently have the Eastern Electric Minimax

I've just found out the OPPO 105 has digital volume control, if you liked the EE Mini Max, then you are going to like the OPPO105 as they have the same ESS9018 chip. The beauty of the OPPO is that you can play SACD as well as a range of other media. It also has USB 2.0 in and you can hook up computer audio to to play FLAC files. In fact from what I have seen and understand unless someone prove me wrong is that the OPPO 105 can do every thing the NAD51 can do and it has all the inputs/outputs incl XLR out for a all in one box!

The competition is the CA 752, this is the latest player that is directly competing head to head with the 105! Check that out while you are at it.

And as the $AUD is sliding, it may be good to have a look at Clef audio web site as the have the OPPO 105 on special!

[betty boop]

I understand oppo compromised the dac wiht including the headphone stage. with the cambridge your probably going to get its really nice discrete dac setup as in the previous 751 player

[DoggieHowser]

I understand oppo compromised the dac wiht including the headphone stage. with the cambridge your probably going to get its really nice discrete dac setup as in the previous 751 player

 

The SQ wasn't compromised according to owners with both the 95 and 105. It just doesn't use the DACs in a stacked manner like in the 95. I don't think the CA uses stacked DACs either. Just a pair of Wolfsons for L and R?

 

The CA also doesn't seem to have balanced outputs or DAC inputs?

Edited May 20, 2013 by DoggieHowser

[davewantsmoore]

I understand oppo compromised the dac wiht including the headphone stage

 

No.   When you scratch the surface of this myth .... we actually find the reverse is true (when compared to its predecessor).

[betty boop]

No.   When you scratch the surface of this myth .... we actually find the reverse is true (when compared to its predecessor).

 

um you telling me that it is using stacked dacs like the 95 ? 

 

as far as I know they did have to make compromise on the dac setup and were not able to use the stacked arrangment on the 95 because of the headphone stage they decided to implement on the unit instead. the fact is we will never know what the 105 would have been like with the stacked dac arrangement of the 95. there are a lot of improvements on the 106 vs the previous 95. I know as I was one of them to point these out to them quite early in the piece and great to see they have listened

 

as far as sonically I know I myself compared my 95 to the cambridge 751 I swapped to and there was 2/5s of bugger all in it. and this is through a true balanced pre amp. with some friends we also recently compared the 105 with my 751 and an old mf cd player from yesteryear. guess what there was bugger all in that comparison too ! one song if listened carefully to a cymbal you heard a sharper sound on the oppo vs a more mellow sound on the 751 and tad more warmth on the vocals with the mf. but jees I would want to put any precious body parts on it ! especially given how hard it was to try pick them blind !

 

personally I would ardently like with the 95 suggest to people check out other player options. the 105 certainly not be all and end all and definitely there are some great options out there not only in players but dacs as well

Edited May 21, 2013 by :) al

[DoggieHowser]

Well if i had dosh to burn, I'd send a 105 to Dan Wright

[betty boop]

Well if i had dosh to burn, I'd send a 105 to Dan Wright

 

why not ! I would hehe even just to see what his hand could turn it into lovely valve stage on the end who knows

[samman]

Oppo 105 with JLTI mod.

Yep, absolutely great sounding product especially with the JLTI mods....

[Keith Anderson]

Well I listened to one today at Keith's from Vinyl Eye, impressed great sound, just realised it uses the same DAC chip as my Eastern Electric MiniMax Plus. 

[Addicted to music]

um you telling me that it is using stacked dacs like the 95 ? 

 

 

personally I would ardently like with the 95 suggest to people check out other player options. the 105 certainly not be all and end all and definitely there are some great options out there not only in players but dacs as well

 

Then what ar ethe other options????

[Warren M.]

Im starting to look around for an upgrade to my digital end.

 

I'm pretty set on the NAD DAC or the OPPO 105 but not sure what performs better. I do like the idea of a box solution, but it is not a priority by any means.

 

I'm slightly inclined to the OPPO as it can play SACDs and unwittingly I have built up a collection of maybe 30-40, many of which I have given the CD layer a decent workout. 

 

Anybody have experience with either of these units? Or can recommend anything similar? 

 

Better yet...anybody directly compared the two? 

 

FWIW I currently have the Eastern Electric Minimax

 

If you have any likelihood at all in enhancing the unit, I would definitely opt for the 105.  

 

I had the pleasure of listening to the JLTi-modified 105 at Joe Rasmussen's home (I have his modified Oppo 95 which is about as good but has a slightly different sound), and I can tell you that there is no digital player of any description or price that I have heard, which betters the JLTi Oppo 105!  I repeat: At any price.  I'm not exaggerating   Joe and I listened to the 34-minute last movement of the Mahler 2nd Symphony on SACD conducted by David Zinman, and you could practically close your eyes and imagine yourself in the concert hall (and I know what that is like because I heard Vladimir Ashkenazy conduct it not so long ago in the Sydney Opera House).  The experience was mind-blowingly real - something I can't say I've experienced except with vinyl before.

 

You could shell out for the Oppo fully upgraded for something like $3K (like I did with the Oppo 95), and step straight into the best digital player you are ever likely to hear in your life.  Or you could buy the Oppo first and then upgrade with the JLTi mods as your finances allow (as I would expect of most Oppo 105 upgraders).

 

Good luck in your deliberations.

 

Regards

Warren

[Keith Anderson]

Just out of curiosity has anyone tried the headphone out on the Oppo 105 and can give impressions on sound

[heman_]

There is probably no liklihood of enhancing the unit. Not because I wouldn't want to, but at the point where I'm willing to drop 2-3k on a player isn't anytime in the near future. 

 

Im not interested in the Cambridge. From what I have heard, it's nothing on the 105.

[Addicted to music]

I have actually tested FLAC files loaded on a cheap Sandisk 8gb USB stick and it recognized the FLAC that is 24/192 and played it today, it also play wav files that was loaded on. I had a 32gb that had tons of files and work files that was loaded the same folders and files but failed to recognized the stick was valid and didn't see the files.??? With the Sandisc the files played well. The other beautiful thing that is a real bonus is that its volume control is done in the digital domain, to me this is way better than a prehistoric dinosaur mechanical pot and can be used to drive a power amp direct in analog 2 channel mode only, this can bypassed the dreaded preamp and enhances your rigs transparency, micro details are also more focus and audiable.

The disadvantage is that you need a display with HDMI to navigate the USB, this will be fixed as they are working on a firmware and app so you can navigate without a HDMI supported display.

Absolute bonus if you can get it $100-200 less than the $1399-1499 tag as the $AUD slides further!

[sthpaul]

Hi, I have recently purchased and setup my Oppo 105.  I have upgraded to the latest official release firmware (the beta firmware available which is supposed to work with the Oppo Media Centre App does not work with AU models and so we have to wait for the official release of this).  I have downloaded the Media Centre App anyway and it does work to some extent.  I can use my ipad as an interface and control and play media files off USB sticks without a monitor connected to the Oppo.  I also have my Oppo on my home network but at the moment I need my TV on to navigate to the network attached storage files (in this case off my desktop and laptop, I don't have a NAS yet.  The Media Centre App is definately better for scrolling through files to play but it is certainly not as user friendly as say a Sonos interface, ie the files appear like on Windows explorer rather than thumbnail type pictures accompanying songs and albums.

 

PS i did listen to both the Cambridge and 105 in a store before making a purchase (unfortunately the room we were in wasn't the best for proper A/B'ing) but I thought the Oppo sounded better to me, the Cambridge felt a little too reserved.  The Cambridge for some reason was also very attenuated compared to the Oppo and had to have its volume pumped up quite a long way to equal the Oppo for the comparisons.