All in one digital source? Digital in blu ray player?

[Lugs]

I was quite keen on buying an OPPO 95 blu ray player to be new digital source in new system I am thinking of putting together. Although will network up to NAS drive I was rather disappointed to read no "digital in" that any product with a "digital out" could hook into. I swore not to buy another cd player but the new audiolab cdp's have multiple digital inputs that a blu ray player or whatever could hook in too. I would prefer to have xlr balanced outputs. Is there any products I am not thinking about I should have a look at?

Budget is arounda grand but total electronics budget is probably around 5.

 

[shooter]

A dac?

 

[Anonymous]

An OPPO 95 should make for a pretty good CD player also with dedicated ESS Sabre DAC just for the Stereo outs. What else were you considering inputting to the DAC? Your Cable Box?

EDIT: Also consider an amp withi Digital inputs such as the NAD C 390DD.

 

[Lugs]

I like the idea of amp with dac built in but the likes of studio master quality downloads etc that will turn up soon enough would make the dac obsolete rather quickly and the cost of then changing the amplifier I'm thinking about would hurt bad compared to updating the digital source (the OPPO) which is 1/5th of the price. Thanks for the suggestion though. As for a separate DAC I really just want a clean two or three box solution. I have ten items plugged in already. However I bet that's the value for money solution. Thanks.

 

[electro69]

The Oppo can play hi res music files from a conected hard drive, but you cant plug your cable box into it. Given that DACs are changing technology so quickly and are available for a low price I certainly wouldn't want an amp with one built in. Only last year for example you could spend thousands on a well known British Digital Streamer which didn't support 24/192, now we will need DSD playback too, which is gradually gaining support duw to the large number of SACD's available, ablity to rip them and companies providing DSD downloads. Very few DACs support this but the new Chord QuteHD DSD does for £1000, but Linn's £12k streamer doesn't. So I wouldn't even try to get everything in one device, the Oppo is great value for money as a Blu-Ray player and stereo SACD player (multichannel somewhat lacking).

I'm on my forth DAC now third in 4 years (Audiolab 8000DAC - 44and 48khz only, Benchmark DAC1 USB 96Khz, M2 Young -USB 384khz and wil be picking up the Chord soon for DSD playback).

Fortunately ebay makes upgrades so much simpler these days!

For pluging the TV satelitte box in you idelly want a dolby decoder for multichannel, if stereo only, then there are loads of low cost and very small DACs that can be hidden behind your rack.

 

[Overdose]

I was quite keen on buying an OPPO 95 blu ray player to be new digital source in new system I am thinking of putting together. Although will network up to NAS drive I was rather disappointed to read no "digital in" that any product with a "digital out" could hook into. I swore not to buy another cd player but the new audiolab cdp's have multiple digital inputs that a blu ray player or whatever could hook in too. I would prefer to have xlr balanced outputs. Is there any products I am not thinking about I should have a look at?

Budget is arounda grand but total electronics budget is probably around 5.

Seems to me that you might be better served with an AV receiver and a more basic Bluray player. The AV receiver would be the main hub with the ability to deal with all sources and have plenty of power available for just about any speaker combination.

 

[Lugs]

Yeah I think you and I are pretty much on the same wavelength. I had had a look at the wee chord DAC. Seems a very little thing for a £1000! Make nice stuff though the chaps at chord. Thanks for your thoughts though. I reckon might just spuzz a grand on the oppo and as you say E-bay makes selling it on so much easier these days.