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Oppo 103 comparison with an Ayre Codex

I have a new Ayre Codex DAC, a pretty good DAC.   I connected my Oppo 103 to my preamp with RCA cables and also connected the Oppo via a decent Toslink cable.  I could switch back at forth RT between the analogue path vs the digital path > Ayre DAC and I will be damned if I can perceive any difference, not even in SPL.  The Codex was a bit of any improvement over my Ayre QB-9, a much-heralded DAC, which itself was a demonstrable improvement over the five sub-$1K DAC’s that preceded it streaming music from my iMac.  The QB-9 acquisition prompted me to sell my TT, it was that good.  The Codex is slightly better.

Two observations:
1.  The DAC in the Oppo 103 is very good.  
2.  Knowing that my $20 Toslink cable is as good as the RCA connection, it frees up the $350 Cerious Technology Graphene Express IC cables to be used elsewhere in my system.  

While I am moving to have all my music on an external HD and playing the music through the Audirvana software, with its error correction, etc., I will always have use a CD player.   By far, the great valued-component component in my sytem has long been the Oppo 103.  It was the best $550 I have ever spent in an audio purchase.  I did hear an Oppo 205 and it was slightly sonically superior to my Oppo 103, which makes sense.  I have no clue why Oppo discontinued their sales of the Oppo CDP’s.
whitestix
whitestix OP
730 posts
 
Noble,
Very interesting.  Personally, I always wished that Oppo would produce an audio-only DAC and dispense with the video aspect of the units. But I understand that the video folks love the Oppo's as much as us audiophiles.  Thanks.  
tgrisham
1,291 posts
 
@whitestix The Oppo Sonica DAC is an audio DAC but has been discontinued.  The used units are still reasonably priced.  I think their implementation of the Sabre PRO ES9038 32 bit hyperstream DAC chip is wonderful. 
whitestix OP
730 posts
 
tgrisham,
I meant to say that I I wished that Oppo would have made an "audio only" CDP without all the bells and whistles for video.  
noble100's avatar
noble100
2,419 posts
 
whitestix,

Good idea but don’t hold your breath.

The 105 is like a high quality swiss army knife. It’ll play almost any video or audio disc (CD,SACD, CDROM, DVD, DVDA, BLURAY), it’s a surround sound processor, add external amps and it’s an ultra high quality A/V receiver with a remote, a high quality DAC, connect your wi-fi and it streams audio and video, it has rca unbalanced and xlr balanced stereo outputs, separate internal circuit boards for stereo and surround channel outputs and utilizes high quality and expensive Saber DAC Chips for all audio channels. It was a hi-end bargain new at $1,199 and I’d still consider any used ones in good condition near that price as bargains. The only negative is it’s not 4K like the 205.

Tim
whitestix OP
730 posts
 
Noble,
You well described the attributes of the 105.  I sure wish I had snapped up a 205 in the end, but with some simple mods to my 103, my ears tell me that it is a great player.   I dunno, maybe there are CDPs in their former price range that are as musical, but overall, I still say that the Oppo players are astoundingly fine and I lament their demise.   I will be surprised if Oppo doesn't somehow license their designs to somebody.  
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