Connected Roku 3 to my Oppo 105 Blu-Ray Player

I purchased the Roku 3 for use with my Oppo 105 Blu-Ray player so I would have access to additional music streaming sites. The Oppo 105 only provides Pandora and Rhapsody (have not used Rhapsody).

The Roku is plugged into my Oppo 105 (HDMI #1 on the back) using the Audioquest Cinnamon HDMI cable and my Ethernet cable is plugged into the Roku. The Roku display selections are displayed on my Samsung monitor. The Oppo connects to my integrated amp using its balanced connections.

The Roku setup was interesting. The Oppo remote would NOT work on the Roku. I called Oppo (has outstanding customer service) and they said I had to use the Roku remote (The Oppo remote only works with the Roku Streaming Stick). Whoops, the Roku remote did not work either. I had to install batteries. Okay, I am ready to go. Setup was then very easy and fast.

I added Pandora, MOG, TuneIn and Radio Paradise. Roku has 81 additional music stations but I have enough (for now). I cannot believe all the music choices I have.

Pandora on the Roku provides an option to sort your albums into alphabetical sequence. This makes album selection much easier. You cannot do this when running Pandora on the Oppo. I like being able to enter an artists name and have Pandora build a station around my selection.

TuneIn offers many stations to choose from. It is easy to use and I like its selection. There is one problem. TuneIn provides you the ability to add custom URL’s. This is an outstanding feature if you are running it on your computer. Unfortunately, the Roku does NOT support custom URL’s. I added stations like Radio Swizz Jazz and Linn Classical. TuneIn has different music types that you select. For example, you can select classical (or Blues, Folk, Jazz, Rock, etc). Within each category, you have another 20+ selections of classical music. It has several other options that I need to review. You can also type in artist’s names for a list of selections to choose from.

MOG setup was a problem but it is now fixed. I signed up for the free version and, when I accessed MOG, I received the “Invalid Song Code message”. Sorry. Free Music accounts do NOT provide Roku access. You only have access through your computers web browser. If you would like Roku access you need to upgrade your account to the basic account that is $4.99 per month. MOG has many options for selecting music and saving them in a favorites section. MOG utilizes high quality (320 kbps CBR) MP3 files for the audio streams by default, unlike many other sites that deliver low quality files (typically 64 kbps). When you connect to the MOG service, it will try to determine the best quality for your connection and adjust accordingly, at the 320 kpbs default or 128 kbps for slower/busier connections. MOG has many selection options that I am reviewing. Preliminary listening suggests its listening quality is very good.

Roku also includes Radio Paradise. RP is a blend of many styles and genres of music, carefully selected and mixed by two people. You will hear modern and classic rock, world music, even a bit of classical and jazz with no commercials. It is a great station. RP is free and has no commercials.

My first impression is the Roku and its music selections running through the Oppo is very good. It is not difficult to use but there is a slight learning curve plus some computer setup time for the selected sites. Since I am only using the Roku in an audio system, I deleted all references to video selections. This makes the screen selection easier to use. The Roku box is 3.5" x 3.5" x 1".

The Roku and some selected music source sites (Pandora, MOG, TuneIn, etc) require you to set up an account with your ID Info and password on your computer.

I also replaced my single port Ethernet over power-line connection to another device that provides 4 ports (Linksys Power-line AV 4-Port Network Adapter Kit, PLSK400, $60 from Fry’s). This enables me to plug in my Oppo 105 and Roku 3 direct with no switch box. Power-line adapters are devices that turn a home's electrical wiring into network cables for a computer network. They come in handy when you need to bring the Internet connection to a location where Wi-Fi signals can't reach. A power-line connection is generally also more reliable than a wireless connection and provides more security.

Sound quality on my system is very good. I will invite some friends over for a listen.