Focal Kanta 2
Michi is a good amp for the money, neutral sound and lots of power. It replaced a Naim Supernait 2 in my system which sounded sweet but wasn't coping well with the Kanta's almost 2 ohm loads around 100Hz
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Oppo UDP 205 7:1 analog outs
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Michi is a good amp for the money, neutral sound and lots of power. It replaced a Naim Supernait 2 in my system which sounded sweet but wasn't coping well with the Kanta's almost 2 ohm loads around 100Hz
Does anyone have HDMI Audio Jitter Reduction Circuit beside OPPO?
OP
audiogeek
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Thanks for posting this. It is a good read and owning 205 has been very rewarding for me. I do wonder though, if the human ears can hear "significant differences" in audio because of the Audio Jitter Reduction Circuit using the audio only HDMI. I have often pondered what the human ear can actually perceive as "sounding better" with subjects such as this as well as another highly controversial subject - bit rates on Mp3, Wav, FLAK, MQA and so on. There is probably a thread covering this subject somewhere on this site.
My question is how much will the audio quality improve (vs HDMI) by using the 7:1 outs on the 205?
Little late to the party but I'll offer my two cents if people are still reading
.
If you have a 205 and you can take advantage of the the multi-channel analog output from it,...now that's where you're going to find something special. The right receiving equipment for that output will blow the doors off the HDMI connection. I probably have the best match in history because I have the 205 with analog outputs into the awesome Audio Research 100% analog multi-channel MP1 preamp (with three balanced and unbalanced multi-channel inputs)...and the result is just jaw-dropping amazing. I'm just now changing out the amp into a Cary Cinema 5-ch which will match the preamp gain better than what I had before. I'll find out how that affects the sound this weekend...but it should be very positive. I also went through the hassle of modifying the 205 so it can directly play my disc-ripped image files for both SACD and DVD-Audio... now that's a big deal. Yes....there is a reason Oppo offers all the speaker matching, distance and level corrections on the unit itself on the 205 (and why it's used prices have gone through the roof)... because it's meant to be hooked up through the analog outputs. Otherwise you should just get the much less expensive (especially now) 203.
In terms of my rig, although certainly not the case with source components, I've not changed my speakers in nearly 25 years: custom 3-way cabinet speakers by Innovative audio that have top line Scandinavian Peerless/Seas drivers and a 10" woofer (along with the matching center and a potent sub with two of those same 10" drivers)...coupled with surround sound speakers from Acoustic Research when they used to actually innovate and produced the killer Phantom 8.3 wall speakers.
I'm currently searching for a streamer and possibly DAC upgrade but i have to be very careful not to duplicate what I already have...or bring the sound quality down in the other direction!
Little late to the party but I'll offer my two cents if people are still reading
. If you have a 205 and you can take advantage of the the multi-channel analog output from it,...now that's where you're going to find something special. The right receiving equipment for that output will blow the doors off the HDMI connection. I probably have the best match in history because I have the 205 with analog outputs into the awesome Audio Research 100% analog multi-channel MP1 preamp (with three balanced and unbalanced multi-channel inputs)...and the result is just jaw-dropping amazing. I'm just now changing out the amp into a Cary Cinema 5-ch which will match the preamp gain better than what I had before. I'll find out how that affects the sound this weekend...but it should be very positive. I also went through the hassle of modifying the 205 so it can directly play my disc-ripped image files for both SACD and DVD-Audio... now that's a big deal. Yes....there is a reason Oppo offers all the speaker matching, distance and level corrections on the unit itself on the 205 (and why it's used prices have gone through the roof)... because it's meant to be hooked up through the analog outputs. Otherwise you should just get the much less expensive (especially now) 203.
In terms of my rig, although certainly not the case with source components, I've not changed my speakers in nearly 25 years: custom 3-way cabinet speakers by Innovative audio that have top line Scandinavian Peerless/Seas drivers and a 10" woofer (along with the matching center and a potent sub with two of those same 10" drivers)...coupled with surround sound speakers from Acoustic Research when they used to actually innovate and produced the killer Phantom 8.3 wall speakers.
I'm currently searching for a streamer and possibly DAC upgrade but i have to be very careful not to duplicate what I already have...or bring the sound quality down in the other direction!
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I thought of the same, too but 205's own DAC is still rated among the top here in ASR tests and frankly I don't believe any DAC will audibly beat it (at least within the limits of my system).
Yeah I know. As I was writing a much bigger comment on the main Oppo 205 (testing) thread, I began to realize when I looked over those numbers that they really are at the top testing here and have not been beaten many times since.
You may be interested in my entire "novel" comment where I go deeper into my system and the streamer question. Here is the full comment
I'm not sure what they were thinking about either but I'm sure glad they asd that HDMI because I have a 100% analog system and that HDMI in is the only way to get something digital into it (video game system / Android box with high res audio etc). I'm sure everyone's noticed that players like Magnetar have completely copied the Oppo look, but NO ONE has added that critical (to me) HDMI in feature. Even on their ridiculous expensive 900 model, HDMI IN is nowhere to be found! I still have the 205 from when I picked up a Taiwanese model from a trade show as a last-ditch effort to get it for they were gone for good...and it's amazing that they're still putting the same DAC they put in there 6 years ago in current equipment. As I look for a DAC and streamer I realize that the 205 does 90% of what a streamer will do... except stream Qobuz in the highest resolution.
Besides Roon being an expensive memory hog (as well as now being taken over by a questionably shady conglomerate leaving its future highly in question)... someone rightly pointed out that Oppo left things a little unfinished on the Roon front when they jumped ship. You cannot stream multi-channel audio to the Oppo through their RAAT..or much more concerning it wont stream Native DSD! But I'm wondering just what I need to get to improve the sound of the 205 DAC? I mean that Eversolo DMP-A8 uses the awesome new AKM chipset... but I wouldn't use its i2s output, or it's highly touted analog volume control... and of course it's only two channel. Yes its got a lot a lot of features....but many are superfluous for me.
Like someone else here I have hundreds of ripped SACDs and DVD-Audios from back in the day so I made sure to modify my 205 to play those image files direct from SSD drives (it definitely makes an audio difference!). There's really not much this 205 beast cannot do. Heck even the new Schiit Syn analog surround sound "processor" would work beautifully with the two channel RCA-out of the Oppo into the Syn...and then into a multi-channel preamp--of which I also happen to have the equally coveted (and awesome) Audio Research multi-channel MP1. That ridiculously great sounding beast has three multi-channel analog inputs... so I can hook up virtually anything I want and switch from there.
I'm thinking of getting the base Eversolo A6 model to use as a streamer (and a nice feature NOT on the A8 is it can send multi-channel files including DSD through the HDMI port). I would Oppo-connect it via HDMI or Asynchronous USB because it has a lesser DAC than the Oppo...but a reportedly top-shelf streamer section and companion app. On the other side of things, if I could find a *better* DAC, I could run the digital audio output of the Oppo into that DAC and then into a separate input on my preamp.
Has anyone run the Oppo into an external DAC they recommend? Maybe a ladder/R2R from Denafrips (Ares/Pontus) or even Gustard (R/A26)? I debated pulling the plug on an older Aurender A10 (4 TB local storage & great ASR results), but in the digital world I kind of want to get something a little more modern the A10 is about the same vintage as the Oppo.
What's everyone's current thoughts on this now 6-year-old Oppo wunderkund...that's still at the top of its game?
You may be interested in my entire "novel" comment where I go deeper into my system and the streamer question. Here is the full comment
I'm not sure what they were thinking about either but I'm sure glad they asd that HDMI because I have a 100% analog system and that HDMI in is the only way to get something digital into it (video game system / Android box with high res audio etc). I'm sure everyone's noticed that players like Magnetar have completely copied the Oppo look, but NO ONE has added that critical (to me) HDMI in feature. Even on their ridiculous expensive 900 model, HDMI IN is nowhere to be found! I still have the 205 from when I picked up a Taiwanese model from a trade show as a last-ditch effort to get it for they were gone for good...and it's amazing that they're still putting the same DAC they put in there 6 years ago in current equipment. As I look for a DAC and streamer I realize that the 205 does 90% of what a streamer will do... except stream Qobuz in the highest resolution.
Besides Roon being an expensive memory hog (as well as now being taken over by a questionably shady conglomerate leaving its future highly in question)... someone rightly pointed out that Oppo left things a little unfinished on the Roon front when they jumped ship. You cannot stream multi-channel audio to the Oppo through their RAAT..or much more concerning it wont stream Native DSD! But I'm wondering just what I need to get to improve the sound of the 205 DAC? I mean that Eversolo DMP-A8 uses the awesome new AKM chipset... but I wouldn't use its i2s output, or it's highly touted analog volume control... and of course it's only two channel. Yes its got a lot a lot of features....but many are superfluous for me.
Like someone else here I have hundreds of ripped SACDs and DVD-Audios from back in the day so I made sure to modify my 205 to play those image files direct from SSD drives (it definitely makes an audio difference!). There's really not much this 205 beast cannot do. Heck even the new Schiit Syn analog surround sound "processor" would work beautifully with the two channel RCA-out of the Oppo into the Syn...and then into a multi-channel preamp--of which I also happen to have the equally coveted (and awesome) Audio Research multi-channel MP1. That ridiculously great sounding beast has three multi-channel analog inputs... so I can hook up virtually anything I want and switch from there.
I'm thinking of getting the base Eversolo A6 model to use as a streamer (and a nice feature NOT on the A8 is it can send multi-channel files including DSD through the HDMI port). I would Oppo-connect it via HDMI or Asynchronous USB because it has a lesser DAC than the Oppo...but a reportedly top-shelf streamer section and companion app. On the other side of things, if I could find a *better* DAC, I could run the digital audio output of the Oppo into that DAC and then into a separate input on my preamp.
Has anyone run the Oppo into an external DAC they recommend? Maybe a ladder/R2R from Denafrips (Ares/Pontus) or even Gustard (R/A26)? I debated pulling the plug on an older Aurender A10 (4 TB local storage & great ASR results), but in the digital world I kind of want to get something a little more modern the A10 is about the same vintage as the Oppo.
What's everyone's current thoughts on this now 6-year-old Oppo wunderkund...that's still at the top of its game?
OP
audiogeek
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I like my 205. Ita plays all formats flawlessly and has the dedicated "audio only" HDMI output which I have tried but hear very little if any audible difference (at least to my 60 year old ears). I am one of those "old school people" who like physical media and own well over 700 CDs and another 100 or so SACDs and DVD Audio.
Sure I stream when I am driving my tractor trailer on Spotify via a Soundboks Go speaker with an Qudelix 5k recieving the blue tooth audio from my phone and then hard wired to the Soundboks Go speaker via 3.5mm aux. The audio for me is fine for the atmosphere inside my tractor and I am on the road 11 hours every day so I listen a lot but when I am home my Oppo UDP 205 gets as much use as possible.
As an aside last month I ordered a Sony UBP-X800M2 Region free 4k UHD Blu-ray Player Multi Region (region free). It plays SACDs and DVD Audio and, believe it or not, my 60 year old ears can hear an audible difference between the Oppo UDP 205 and the Sony. All of my discs, regardless of format, sound better on the Oppo UDP 205.
I was thinking that when I finally upgrade from my 6 year old Yamaha RX-A2060 AVR I may get a Marantz SR 8015 with the 7:1 analog in and see if I can hear an audible difference going that route instead of my current HDMI connections. A few members here at ASR (look upthread) have said this is obsolete and the HDMI connects are the way to go as the analog outs would not have any "significant" audible difference and you cannot use DIRAC or or my Yamaha YPAO when using the analog connects.
Still pondering.....
Sure I stream when I am driving my tractor trailer on Spotify via a Soundboks Go speaker with an Qudelix 5k recieving the blue tooth audio from my phone and then hard wired to the Soundboks Go speaker via 3.5mm aux. The audio for me is fine for the atmosphere inside my tractor and I am on the road 11 hours every day so I listen a lot but when I am home my Oppo UDP 205 gets as much use as possible.
As an aside last month I ordered a Sony UBP-X800M2 Region free 4k UHD Blu-ray Player Multi Region (region free). It plays SACDs and DVD Audio and, believe it or not, my 60 year old ears can hear an audible difference between the Oppo UDP 205 and the Sony. All of my discs, regardless of format, sound better on the Oppo UDP 205.
I was thinking that when I finally upgrade from my 6 year old Yamaha RX-A2060 AVR I may get a Marantz SR 8015 with the 7:1 analog in and see if I can hear an audible difference going that route instead of my current HDMI connections. A few members here at ASR (look upthread) have said this is obsolete and the HDMI connects are the way to go as the analog outs would not have any "significant" audible difference and you cannot use DIRAC or or my Yamaha YPAO when using the analog connects.
Still pondering.....
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A mathematical figure derived from the sum of noise and distortion.
I am one of those "old school people" who like physical media and own well over 700 CDs and another 100 or so SACDs and DVD Audio.
Welcome to the "in the know" Club I took all my original SACD & DVD-Audios and made images out of them. Coupled with all the great redbook upconverts from "Holland" & others, I've built up quite a collection of both. My all-analog system is specifically designed to play those 5-channel recordings...the best of which I still think sound as good as any Atmos version.
I still can't believe they died an early death... at one time @ Best buy they were both priced the same as a CD ($14.99--I remember vividly), and in the case of most SACDs there was even a regular CD layer that could be played!
Welcome to the "in the know" Club
I took all my original SACD & DVD-Audios and made images out of them. Coupled with all the great redbook upconverts from "Holland" & others, I've built up quite a collection of both. My all-analog system is specifically designed to play those 5-channel recordings...the best of which I still think sound as good as any Atmos version. I still can't believe they died an early death... at one time @ Best buy they were both priced the same as a CD ($14.99--I remember vividly), and in the case of most SACDs there was even a regular CD layer that could be played!
I own over two hundred multichannel SACDs primarily classical music and a few from major rock bands that released them, glad I had purchased an OPPO BDP-205! Not sure what I am going to do when it doesn’t work anymore!I am one of those "old school people" who like physical media and own well over 700 CDs and another 100 or so SACDs and DVD Audio.
Welcome to the "in the know" Club
I still can't believe they died an early death... at one time @ Best buy they were both priced the same as a CD ($14.99--I remember vividly), and in the case of most SACDs there was even a regular CD layer that could be played!
Rip them while you can.
Don't have your use conditions and only a 203 owned. However, listening for slight dac spec advantages is kinda nuts. I just use hdmi and am done with it....YMMV.
Rip them while you can.
That's exactly what I've done--as SACD and DVD-Audio ISO. Unfortunately overrated and overpriced software like Roon doesn't read them...but J River and Audi do (SACD) but neither of them stream Qobuz like I want. I'm about to pick up a Raspberry Pi streaming DAC and I believe there's a way to get PiCorePlayer to stream native Qobuz. I know I would hook in the Pi through the optical out of the 205... so I would use the Oppo for multi-channel but the more modern hi-end AKM DAC in the Raspberry Pi for anything else Qobuz/internet radio/DSD 2-channel)
I'm completely new in the world of Raspberry Pi to say the least--so wish me luck!
That's exactly what I've done--as SACD and DVD-Audio ISO. Unfortunately overrated and overpriced software like Roon doesn't read them...but J River and Audi do (SACD) but neither of them stream Qobuz like I want. I'm about to pick up a Raspberry Pi streaming DAC and I believe there's a way to get PiCorePlayer to stream native Qobuz. I know I would hook in the Pi through the optical out of the 205... so I would use the Oppo for multi-channel but the more modern hi-end AKM DAC in the Raspberry Pi for anything else Qobuz/internet radio/DSD 2-channel)
I'm completely new in the world of Raspberry Pi to say the least--so wish me luck!
How I only have a Mac no PC?
Count De Money
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Sadly, from listening with my ears, The Oppo 205 is still clipping the Subwoofer RCA out if you so much as set one speaker to small. If you leave all your speakers set to LARGE the subwoofer RCA will not clip. But who has a 5.1 system that has full range speakers ....
Audioholics didint mention this for their 205 review but Gene did notice this on previous oppo generations. Gene measured the Oppo 205 with speakers set to LARGE
Bob pariseau who was a beta tester for Oppo implied it may have been fixed by firmware by Oppo but it never was . This was proven on 2 other forums with guys with Oscilloscopes. Other than that , the sound from the Multichannel analog outs is incredible (if you dont need Bass Lol)
if you prefer to use Analog outs do NOT go into the Oppo 205 menu and turn the multichannel analog subwoofer setting to "OFF" : that re-directs all the LFE and Bass frequencies to the centre, Front left and front RIght . Just dont hook up ur sub or dont turn it on
Audioholics didint mention this for their 205 review but Gene did notice this on previous oppo generations. Gene measured the Oppo 205 with speakers set to LARGE
Bob pariseau who was a beta tester for Oppo implied it may have been fixed by firmware by Oppo but it never was . This was proven on 2 other forums with guys with Oscilloscopes. Other than that , the sound from the Multichannel analog outs is incredible (if you dont need Bass Lol)
if you prefer to use Analog outs do NOT go into the Oppo 205 menu and turn the multichannel analog subwoofer setting to "OFF" : that re-directs all the LFE and Bass frequencies to the centre, Front left and front RIght . Just dont hook up ur sub or dont turn it on
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I'd seen about this issue and did think it was resolved. I have no desire to use my Oppo as a pre-pro otoh.
But who has a 5.1 system that has full range speakers ....
Luckily...me! This setup sounds fantastic with those new Rhino Quadio releases--and I don't have to worry about the subwoofer clip to boot. Everyone should check out the classic albums coming out in that format all this year.... Meticulously remastered of course.
These speaker sets are closing on a 25 years old... and I will have them both till the cones disintegrate because they sound so good. Definitely take advantage of the 205s enhanced analog outputs. That's the only way you get the much-superior Sabre Pro DAC implementation rather than the mid- range AKM in the 203.
FRONTS/SUB (10" Innovative audio cabinet speakers with Seas & Peerless drivers. Sub with two 10" drivers):
SURROUNDS: (Acoustic Research Phantom 8.3 with slick carbon-fiber woofer)
Luckily...me! This setup sounds fantastic with those new Rhino Quadio releases--and I don't have to worry about the subwoofer clip to boot. Everyone should check out the classic albums coming out in that format all this year.... Meticulously remastered of course.
These speaker sets are closing on a 25 years old... and I will have them both till the cones disintegrate because they sound so good. Definitely take advantage of the 205s enhanced analog outputs. That's the only way you get the much-superior Sabre Pro DAC implementation rather than the mid- range AKM in the 203.
FRONTS/SUB (10" Innovative audio cabinet speakers with Seas & Peerless drivers. Sub with two 10" drivers):
SURROUNDS: (Acoustic Research Phantom 8.3 with slick carbon-fiber woofer)
How I only have a Mac and no access to a Windows machine!
I have all large speakers so to be honest I don’t need subs for music! O no the other hand got movies I got four subs
How so? What is a "large speaker" In bass management language all that means is using a crossover between mains/sub.
ps sloppy writing as it more means not using a crossover for a speaker set to large
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