Oppo Sonica USB DAC and Streamer Review

[restorer-john]

The lesson to take away from this is to NOT buy any product which relies on apps or any external program

I'm amazed it's taken so long for people to realise that. The 'app' functionality should be icing on the already complete cake and something you can either take or leave.

It's the same with PC based test equipment or industrial machinery (CNCs etc). You end up either with an expensive doorstop/brick or you have to maintain ancient computers, unsupported operating systems and interfaces for sometimes, decades.

 

[PenguinMusic]

Hi,

Yes, software is a problem.

I could circumvent that problem by downloading the Oppo Sonica APK file from several sites.

It installs perfectly on my Android 13 smartphone and seems to open as it should.

Problem is, I do not own the Sonica :-(
But would like to get one used...

BUT : if it does not support gapless, then it's more or less a "No Go" because I listen to classicla music and operas + live music => no gapless ruins the experience !

 

[dualazmak]

I am not sure what is your point, what is your critical goal, with OPPO Sonica DAC.

I still keep Sonica DAC working perfectly fine (and still the excellent sound quality!) in my second audio system in my office upstairs. I use Sonica DAC as "pure USB DAC" receiving digital audio signal from JRiver MC (or Roon, if you like) on my Windows 11 Pro PC; if needed I can also use DSP software EKIO digitally between JRiver and Sonica DAC.

As for the "gapless" playback, JRiver (and Roon) can do it perfectly; I (you) have no need at all to ask Sonica DAC for "gapless".

Just for your ref, I never used Sonica APP on my smartphone, except for the firmware update only once.

 

[C. Cook]

The Sonica DAC works fine without the app, IIRC. Mine came with a little credit card remote too, which I think may have been limited? Don't see too many listings for used ones with the remote. But you should be able to find one. Otherwise, all functionality is accessible via the interface and knobs on the fascia.

 

[flognuts]

The best thing about expensive new products being released is you can find stellar products like this for sale at incredible prices.
Recently got a mint condition one, with box and all for $200USD.

 

[Arjestin]

Apologies for reviving this old thread, but I still own an OPPO Sonica DAC and hopefully some of you do too. Mine functions as both streamer and DAC in a 2 channel audio system.

The native Spotify app no longer connects to OPPO Sonica DAC, despite the streamer being detected and displayed in the app as one of the output options. I tried connecting it from Spotify running on a PC and an Android smartphone with no success. However, foobar2000 and other UPnP services still work fine with the streamer.

I was wondering if my OPPO Sonica DAC started malfunctioning or Spotify has discontinued its support for the aging streamer. Can you still connect via the native Spotify app? Is your OPPO Sonica DAC connected to the home network via WiFi or Ethernet?

 

[gvl]

This is what happens when a manufacturer drops support for a software component that has dependencies on third party services. The third party stuff evolves and obsoletes the abandoned piece. Not a Spotifys fault. Most streamers are affected by this issue to various degrees, the silver lining is the Oppo has digital inputs so you can use any external streamer with it.

 

[PenguinMusic]

Hi,

As GVL wrote, this is a common issue.
But OPPO can not be blamed for that because this device is now really old and they went out of buisiness anyways.
I'd say it is even quite a good thing that it worked for so long.
I can name a few devices that used to be flagships released by companies that are still really active that do not get support for Music streaming services that were included in the original release. The worst of all being Shanling...

Now given there is no more OPPO in the audio business, I'd say you're doomed to find something to replace it :-(
Or find some trick to circumvent the error... Like send to an app that works and that can send to OPPO. It may work.. Or not :-(

 

[Arjestin]

Thank you for letting me know that the issue OPPO Sonica DAC now experiences is actually common for aging streamers.

In case other owners come across this post in the future, I’d like to inform you that, at the time of writing, there are several workarounds addressing Spotify and AirPlay support for UPnP-enabled streamers. The one I chose to use is SpotConnect by philippe44. It is available on GitHub and can run as a lightweight Docker service.

 

[gvl]

How reliable is SpotConnect? All these open source hacks into Spotify probably tend to suffer from issues and Spotify likely has a way to shut them all down at once. I used a libresoot based client and the Connect mode was very finicky.

 

[Arjestin]

I used to think that the native OPPO support for Spotify Connect was very reliable, until it stopped being so. Who knows whether SpotConnect will still be available in a few years, but for now, it seems to be working well enough.

 

[Billy Budapest]

Oppo Digital, Oppo Electronic’s U.S.-based subsidiary that developed its audio products, no longer exists. However, Oppo contracted with a US-based third party, OT Service, Inc., to provide long term product support. Try emailing them using the link towards the bottom of the page linked below and see if they can offer any help. You might also want to contact Spotify customer support.

OPPO Digital - Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Players

Based in the heart of Silicon Valley, OPPO Digital designs and markets high quality digital electronics that deliver style, performance, innovation, and value to A/V enthusiasts and savvy consumers alike. The company's attention to core product performance and strong customer focus distinguishes...

www.oppodigital.com

 

[Hikmer]

I've been looking around on seeing if people still use the Oppo Sonica DAC and I was one of the hold outs still trying to squeak out a few more years out of this unit.

I still have an old iPad that won't update anymore so the Sonica Control App is still functioning on it. I lost the App on my new iPhone once I upgraded recently. My unit has this mod on the single end (wish I had done it for balanced too now) http://tweakaudio.com/EVS-2/Oppo_Sonica_DAC_mods.html

Suffice it to say, I have put new life into this DAC when paired up with a newly purchased Eversolo T8. I've disabled the wireless and Bluetooth and even unplugged the wireless networking module on the inside and it sounds pretty good, much better than a stand alone wireless streamer now....and I have gapless finally! So if you are looking to get a bit more life out of your Sonica DAC, you might consider making it a dedicated DAC and add a new streamer device. I'm really quite surprised how much better it sounds. Currently using the USB interface for the T8 but have other devices hooked up to the Coax (Oppo 105) and Optical from television and have the little remote that you could buy for the Sonica to switch inputs.

 

[Billy Budapest]

I've been looking around on seeing if people still use the Oppo Sonica DAC and I was one of the hold outs still trying to squeak out a few more years out of this unit.

I still have an old iPad that won't update anymore so the Sonica Control App is still functioning on it. I lost the App on my new iPhone once I upgraded recently. My unit has this mod on the single end (wish I had done it for balanced too now) http://tweakaudio.com/EVS-2/Oppo_Sonica_DAC_mods.html

Suffice it to say, I have put new life into this DAC when paired up with a newly purchased Eversolo T8. I've disabled the wireless and Bluetooth and even unplugged the wireless networking module on the inside and it sounds pretty good, much better than a stand alone wireless streamer now....and I have gapless finally! So if you are looking to get a bit more life out of your Sonica DAC, you might consider making it a dedicated DAC and add a new streamer device. I'm really quite surprised how much better it sounds. Currently using the USB interface for the T8 but have other devices hooked up to the Coax (Oppo 105) and Optical from television and have the little remote that you could buy for the Sonica to switch inputs.

These days, I think the best use of Oppo Sonica hardware is to either sell it or get trade-in credit from a retailer like Music Direct or TMR and then purchase a new streamer.