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Oppo 105, Oppo 205, or Legacy SACD (Esoteric, Cary CD 306, etc)

I currently have a Cary DAC-100t for all of my digital files, but I would like to purchase some sort of CD & SACD transport / player. The challenge in my decision lies in that the Cary DAC does not support DSD and likely cannot be used unless the player has conversion to PCM in the player. I know that Oppo has this capability, but I also want to spend a budget like that on equipment that is solely invested in audio. So I guess my question is, with a budget of no more than $2000, should I settle for one of the Oppos, or go for something more legacy like an Esoteric DV-60, Cary CD 306, etc?

I would love to find something that has a solid transport and laser, can upsample CDs well, and either has a great internal DAC for SACD or has DSD to PCM/Redbook conversion so I can use my existing standalone DAC.

System includes
VPI 299D integrated
Audio Art SC-5se (R) and Clear Day Cables Double Shotgun
Alta Audio Lelantos
DH Labs Corona power cables
PS Audio Power Plant P3

The Lelantos are resolving yet refined and all of my stages are all tube, so I don’t mind a player that can present serious detail.
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atacgene
24 posts
 
a response year later ! The SA-60 works great for M-ch SACD! There is however some noise on the main 2-ch. probably need some repair/refurbishment.  Is it worth getting a mod ? Is SACD going to continue to be made? There are still lots on sale, new productions. 
atacgene
24 posts
 
Also i don’t see any new hi-end SACD player for m-ch out there
mahler123
3,356 posts
 
What kind of music do you listen to?  There are thousands of Classical titles in SACD and will remain so in the foreseeable future.  Pop music will probably not be a big SACD presence.
  I have a Sony 5400 ES CD/SACD Player currently not being used that is built like a tank, currently not being used , will output DSD over HDMI or play SACD from it’s native DACS.
   In your position I would look at Universal players from Sony or Pioneer.  Sony sells them for around $350.  You can use them as a transport for Redbook into your current DAC and then just use the native DAC in the Player for what sounds like a small SACD collection.  The Pioneer funds about a grand, is supposed to sound really great.  Both can play Blu Rays, DVD Audio
melm
1,082 posts
 
You might look into an Oppo, either 105 or 103, and rip your SACDs and then use any number of programs to convert to DoP, a lossless conversion to a PCM file that your DAC may be able to use.  JRiver, for example, does that seamlessly.
atacgene
24 posts
 
I have explored some of these options but I don’t want DSD—> PCM. Any DAC that can accept DSD natively via HDMI and then do M-ch? byrson only does DSD stereo. I have huge collection of SACD. Ripping as iso files may work but I have no DAC that does DSD M-ch 
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