[MickeyBoy]

Considering the complexity of configuring a PC, setting up software, selecting a USB cable and a DAC, I've wondered about a more direct, brute-force approach: Copy your FLACs or WAVs to a USB flash-memory drive and pop it into an Oppo, which can drive a power amp directly.

There are fewer variables in play this way, which, at least in the analogue sphere, would usually guarantee better sound quality.

Any comments?

MickeyBoy

[JonDave]

That is what I have started doing with my DSD and AIFF hi res files, then plugging the flash drive into the front usb drive on my Oppo 105. It sounds superb. I am interested to hear comments on this too.

[jarcher]

If your on a tight budget what you suggest would be a good  start, especially if you need / want something to also play CDs and Blu rays, but to reach the next level you're really going to have to go to seperates.

The oppo is great for the money but isn't going to do better than even a modest computer with good player software and a decent dac. Eg a Mac mini + pure music + a $500 dac + USB cable is going to côst you about the same as an oppo 105d and have more upgrade potential. Once you use iTunes + pure music with a tablet (with which you can control your library and volume) you'll see how easy and convenient vs the oppo GUI.

There are many options with PC based audio that can drive you crazy if you let it. But it doesn't have to be so complicated if you don't want it to be.

[Russtafarian]

The Oppo + USB drive approach works and can sound very good.  There are too many variables to definitively say that either the PC or Oppo approach is better than the other.  I use both.  For stereo playback I use a PC music server into a Benchmark DAC.  For PCM and DSD 5.1 files I use an Oppo 103 with an attached USB drive.  The Benchmark system sounds better but it won't play back 5.1 files like the Oppo does.

The downside to the Oppo approach is that the user interface is file/folder based and downright primitive compared to a computer music server with tablet control.  Using the latest Oppo tablet app helps, but forget building playlists or searching by artist, album, genre, etc.

Russ

[JohnR]

FWIW, you don't have the option of USB from computer for the 103. So the stick is the only option in that case.

However I'm not all that impressed with the analog output from the 103, there's a DC offset when it mutes so if you connect it directly to power amp/s you get a pop between every track or whenever you rewind/FF video etc. Oppo's response to a query on the issue was cryptic.

Still, it's (the 103) a very versatile unit for the price.

[Starchild]

I kind came at this thing backwards.  When I purchased my Oppo 103, computer audio was the furthest thing from my mind.  Over the last year or so, I've evolved to the point where my Dell Inspiron 660 is sitting on my equipment rack running J-River Music Center.  It's connected to my Oppo 103 via an Audioquest Forest ethernet cable.  I'm using my Zu Ash digital cable from the coaxial digital out to my dac (currently a Musical Fidelity X-Dac, my regular dac is sick).  By the way, you'd be amazed by the improvements you can realize if you put some decent footers (I'm using Herbies) under your desk top computer.  A larger improvement was realized by using an audiophile grade power cord on the computer (Zu Bok).  This may be to complicated for what you want but it sounds very very good!