New CDP or standalone DAC...?


Current source is the Oppo 103, bought three years ago. Would greatly appreciate any and all comments on buying a better-sounding CDP, or buying a better-sounding DAC and using the 103 as a transport.
Thanks in advance!

Tom
tomcarr
By all accounts your Oppo is very good. So what are you looking for and can you describe the rest if your gear?
Thanks guys. System is: dedicated room, dedicated line, acoustic treatment, Krell s300i, Anticables, Vandersteen 2Cs.

Tom
PS-
What I'm looking for is...a little more air, bloom, texture, delicacy, realistic timbre and tone, imaging, soundstage dimensions, etc. Typical audiophile wish-list, LOL!

Tom

Then I would recommend to use the transport for movies and move to computer-based audio and get a good DAC for this.  Ethernet is the preferred interface now, not USB.  With Ethernet, you can use any old computer or laptop.  The Ethernet interface will deliver lower jitter than 99% of transports.  You will have to spend big bux on a transport to compete with it.

Ideally, you want Ethernet -> I2S bus -> D/A chip on the input of the DAC.

If you like another DAC that does not do this, then you can get an outboard Ethernet network renderer and drive the S/PDIF input on the DAC with it.  The Interchange that I offer does this.  It outputs several digital interfaces, including S/PDIF coax.  Similar to my older Off-Ramp, but with Ethernet instead of USB.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio