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Classe SSP 800's DAC vs Oppo 105's DAC

Hello,
I am wondering which is a superior sounding DAC for listening to CD? The DAC in the Oppo 105 or the DAC in the Classe SSP 800 preamp processor? 

I have the Oppo 105 connected via Transparent Premium HDMI cable to my Classe SSP 800 in my dedicated home theater room. My power amps are : Classe CAM 600 monoblocks (pair) to power front speakers; Classe CAM 300 monoblock (single) to power a center speaker; Classe CA-5300 multi-channel amp to power the surround speakers. Doing 7.1 setup. 
My front speakers are B&W 800 D3, B&W HTM1 D3 center, B&W 804 D3 & 805 D3 used for surrounds. 

I'm using these gears strictly for home theater, bluray movies mostly but occasionally I wanted to spin some red book CD in this home theater room.
I do have a dedicated stereo setup in a separate dedicated 2ch listening room that consists of completely different equipments and speakers. And I use this 2ch room to listen to music (hi-rez PCM/DSD, SACD & CD. My 2ch equipments in this dedicated 2ch room are of much higher qualities than my Classe/B&W gears in my home theater room. 

So back to my dedicated home theater room setup....before I purchase a pair of xlr balanced analog interconnects to connect my Oppo 105 to my Classe SSP 800 I wanted to know which has superior sounding DAC for listening to CD, the DAC in the Oppo 105 or the DAC in the Classe SSP 800 preamp processor? So far I've only been using the Oppo 105 strictly as a bluray player for bluray disc playbacks only via HDMI to my Classe SSP 800. I never got to try the quality of the DAC in the Oppo 105.
Again this would be for occasional listening to cd.

Thanks in advance.


caphill
lalitk's avatar
lalitk
5,550 posts
 
caphill,

The 707 is no longer in production. Like Classe, Krell has also moved to more value priced range since Dan’s departure. I seriously doubt if they upgrade the 707 with latest codec’s and 4K video board.

In my 7.1 setup, 707 sounds phenomenal. I honestly don’t feel the need for an audio upgrade as much visual upgrade. I am going to buy a 4K projector once prices are bit more competitive.

Thanks for sharing your picks on processors. You should also add Trinnov Altitude to your list.

Cheers!



caphill OP
674 posts
 
lalitk,
I did suspect so cause the Evo 707 is longer on the Krell website. The only HT processor currently offered by Krell is the Foundation. 
Eventually I want to go dolby atmos & dts-x setup in the near future but currently waiting for more processors that will support them. And when that happens I will need to add more multi-channel amp and of course speakers. 

Are you doing hybrid setup or do you have separate rooms and setup for each 2ch and home theater? What are the rest of your equipments and speakers? 

In regards to a 4K projector for your HT setup I would highly recommend Sony. 

todd666
1 posts
 
Classe is bringing out a new pre-amp at the start of 2018 it will be called delta ssp and will do all the new formats 
hitsofmisses
50 posts
 
I’ve been on a fence for getting a used PreAmp for over 4-5 yrs now. However my budget is very low ~$2000, especially after reading about some of you guys’ setup & investment.

My Setup: Oppo 105, Parasound Halo A51 amp, Tyler Acoustic Linbrook System II for L, R, C; JBL S312 for Surround, & SVS 2039 PC Plus sub, connected to Panasonic ZT60 plasma (1080p). I primarily watch movies but also love music that emphasizes on vocals (80/20). That’s why I’m leaning more towards tube or tube sounding preamps that can also provide 5 channel balanced XLR output. Also Video processing is not a priority.

I’ve shortlisted SSP-800, Krell S-1200U or HTS 7.1, Anthem AVM-50V or D2V, McIntosh MX series (don’t know a specific model yet), etc. Modded Oppo 105 may not be an option because I think most enhances Stereo but don’t affect HT setup much.

After reading some of the comments above, I’m still not clear:
@ caphill: "... Both DACs (Oppo 105 & SSP 800) sounded pretty good and IMO the SSP 800 is slightly superior but not by much. IMO the Classe was a bit more refined and smoother overall. The difference wasn’t large..."
@ lalitk: "... Modwright Oppo 205 is the only way to go in your HT room, IMHO ..."

Is it worth spending $2000 for a slight improvement on SSP-800 or go with Modded 205 or something else?
auxinput
2,920 posts
 
Some additional info for you all.  I recently discovered that 2 channel PCM through HDMI is really bad.  Sound is compressed without dynamics and tends to be shouty in the upper midrange (due to clock/jitter issues with spdif through hdmi).  You will get highly superior sound quality by using a really good digital coax cable from your Oppo (or other Blu-ray player).  
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