DIrect Stream DAC Jr vs Oppo BDP-105

Is this the solution to stream high res blu-ray audio to the DS?

http://www.essenceelectrostatic.com/product/hdacc/#reviews

I have both a Jr and an Oppo 105. I bought a de-embedder from Monoprice. These are also known as HDMI audio extractors.

The de-embedder has an optical out and I have not had any problems with the Jr locking on the digital output of it. I can now play my limited collection of DVD Audio discs at full resolution. I use the PCM conversion for SACD on the Oppo, so it outputs a 88.2/24 digital stream to the Jr. And through HDMI, the Oppo upconverts redbook CD’s to 24 bits for some reason.

The de-embedder was around $50 including shipping. Of course a native DSD stream from the DMP would be ideal, but I consider the de-embedder to be money very well spent. I keep hoping Paul will come out with a DMP Jr, but this seems like wishful thinking.

1 Like

That is very cool. Would your de-embedder do the same thing for Blu-ray discs? In other words, if you play a Blu-ray disc in the OPPO with, say, a 24/192 PCM audio track, would 24/192 audio reach your DSJ? Thanks.

Thanks for this information, hard to believe a $50 device un-taps valuable 24/192 data, reading the description of the Monoprice it seems like the ticket!

Edit - Based on the Monoprice specs it can be configured to send either 2 channel PCM or multi-channel to the DAC. I would assume if you set it to 2 channel the concerns of noise listed below would be nullified?

“The converter supports all HDMI 3D video modes and high-definition, multichannel audio, including Dolby TrueHD™ and DTS-HD Master Audio™. A switch on the back of the converter allows you to switch between two different audio modes. Mode A allows the capabilities of the display to be sent to the source device. In most cases, this limits the audio output to 2-channel PCM. Mode B allows the source device to output any available audio mode”

bootzilla,
I do not have any Blu-ray discs. But, if the Blu Ray PCM audio track is output through HDMI, then it would work for these too. Basically, anything that is output though HDMI would be extracted. But, I would be careful not to send any of the multi channel sound tracks. Hopefully, the Jr would mute anything it does not decode, otherwise there could be a very loud annoying noise.

1 Like

The DS and DS Jr don’t do any decoding (except if you consider recognizing DoP or preemphasis flags.) They play the bits they are given. If there are multiple tracks that look almost like stereo then at worst if the aggregate bit rate is a valid sample rate you’ll get chopped sound of the wrong pitch. On the other hand some deembedders don’t produce a properly formatted stereo stream and indeed the DS and DS Jr mute. And (unfortunately) if there’s a single channel output the DS and DS Jr will also mute. If your player is passing the DTS encoded bits then they are already formatted as stereo you’ll get some noise. Adding a DTS decoder to the DS to detect DTS streams would make everything sound worse and essentially all players that will output DTS will also output legitimate stereo if so configured.

1 Like

Find the threads on I2S sources. There is a Chinese board referenced inside of one of these threads which can convert the Oppo’s HDMI output into an I2S output. These boards work very well, and with them (combined with the proper settings on your Oppo), it is possible to decode any Hi-Res signal for playback on your DS at native resolution.