Can one use a HDMI to USB converter to play DSD discs from a Oppo BDP-105

Freo-1 · « **on:** 26 Feb 2016, 09:18 pm »

Trying to work out if one can use a HDMI to USB converter to send the DSD bitstream from the Oppo BDP 105 to a Benchmark DAC2 HGC?

Always just played DSD from the Oppo directly. Now, with a recent addition of the Benchmark DAC, wanted to know if the Oppo could feed the Benchmark.

This is outside my normal swim lane, so any advice would be most welcome.

ted_b · « **Reply #1 on:** 26 Feb 2016, 09:32 pm »

Nope. HDMi licensing must do a handshake with DSD-capable HDMI AVRs on the other end, period. The only way to fake it is to use an HDMI de-embedder (I reviewed the technology 6 years ago here)
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=82217.0

The downside is that it is PCM, mostly relegated to 24/88, and only via toslink or coax (once you set the Oppo or other universal for SACD=PCM).

Freo-1 · « **Reply #2 on:** 26 Feb 2016, 09:40 pm »

Quote from: ted_b on 26 Feb 2016, 09:32 pm

Nope. HDMi licensing must do a handshake with DSD-capable HDMI AVRs on the other end, period. The only way to fake it is to use an HDMI de-embedder (I reviewed the technology 6 years ago here)
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=82217.0

The downside is that it is PCM, mostly relegated to 24/88, and only via toslink or coax (once you set the Oppo or other universal for SACD=PCM).

Thanks. Was afraid of that.

So, can I set up the Oppo to play SACD's with SACD=PCM, and the PCM bitstream will work at 24/88 via toslink or coax?

Or, you need the box you referenced to achieve this?

ted_b · « **Reply #3 on:** 26 Feb 2016, 10:14 pm »

The box is needed. Your digital outs from the Oppo are not connected to the SACD process, DSD or PCM.

Freo-1 · « **Reply #4 on:** 26 Feb 2016, 10:25 pm »

Quote from: ted_b on 26 Feb 2016, 10:14 pm

The box is needed. Your digital outs from the Oppo are not connected to the SACD process, DSD or PCM.

Thanks. That's what I needed to know.

Freo-1 · « **Reply #5 on:** 26 Feb 2016, 11:08 pm »

Ted, one last question.

Would you say that the sound from DSD through the de-embedder out of the Oppo to the Benchmark DAC-2 is improved vs just playing DSD through the analog out of the Oppo 105?

ted_b · « **Reply #6 on:** 26 Feb 2016, 11:20 pm »

Tough call. The Oppo outs are cleaner and DSD to analog. The HDMI de0embedder is a bit of a kludge, with DSDtoPCM, which is lossy of course, and not without jitter concerns.

Freo-1 · « **Reply #7 on:** 19 Mar 2016, 12:22 pm »

Picked up a KanexPro Audio De-Embedder. Quite a neat audio toy. Seems to work very well.

From some initial comparisons between SACD direct from the Oppo and the Benchmark, it appears that the Benchmark is a step up sonically from using the Oppo directly. The Benchmark also does sound better with the other LCPM data streams via the De-Embedder as opposed to the Oppo directly (with my setup). The noise floor is lower, and there is a noticeable increase in clarity via the Benchmark.

I'll need to spend some time to confirm these observations. So far, so good.