Oppo is best known for producing some of the best Blu-ray players on the market today. It’s not just the visual performance of these players that stands out, it’s their audio capabilities. The $799 Sonica DAC takes the digital-to-analog process found in their flagship UDP-205 Blu-ray player and puts it into its own standalone product. The result is an affordable, high-performing component that even the pickiest reviewer would have a tough time finding fault in.
The Sonica DAC is a high resolution audio player that utilizes an ESS ES9038PRO Sabre digital-to-analog converter (DAC). ESS has a reputation in the audiophile world for producing some of the best sounding digital-to-analog converters. The ES9038PRO is a 32-bit DAC that has a claimed dynamic range of 140 dB.
According to Oppo, “Sonica DAC’s audio output path is fully balanced from the DAC chip all the way to the XLR outputs, and even the RCA output signal is converted from the balanced output. The balanced design provides better common-mode noise rejection, improves signal quality, and results in better channel separation by eliminating the common ground return path.” All of the audio circuitry is powered by a toroidal transformer which helps ensure the Sonica DAC is powered by clean power. These design choices will help ensure your digital music is converted into a very high quality analog signal that can be fed to your new or existing stereo by either a balanced or unbalanced analog connection.
Oppo has packed the Sonica DAC with plenty of connections. You can send digital audio signals to it via the coax, optical, USB, or an Ethernet port. The USB port is “asynchronous,” meaning that the Sonica DAC manages the flow of the digital signal exclusively utilizing its extremely accurate DAC clock instead of relying on your computers.
If you prefer to go wireless, the Sonica DAC has you covered. You can stream music over your Wi-Fi connection using a smartphone or tablet. Oppo is also compatible with Apple AirPlay, so you can use iTunes to stream your music. If you don’t have a home network and want to send music directly to it wirelessly, you can connect to the Sonica DAC via Bluetooth from your portable device or computer.
Oppo believes in universal playback, and because of this, the Sonica DAC supports a large variety of digital audio formats. Thus, you most likely won’t have to worry about converting your digital audio collection to a format it can handle.
Oppo has always been about flexibility and this DAC/Streamer embodies this philosophy. You can enjoy your music how you want to, because the Sonica DAC is like a Swiss Army knife. It gives you all the tools you need to make the most of your digital music collection.
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source https://www.electronichouse.com/home-audio/breathe-new-life-into-your-existing-stereo-system-with-the-oppo-sonica-dac/
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