Highstream, it is my goal to figure out why the sacd setting is messing with your tv config. I’ll email you and maybe we can do a call
Card’s TV switching problem apparently solved: Taking a cue from the card’s manual (Nov 17 photo/graphic by Veneet), I switched the coax cable output going to DirectStream dac from the Oppo’s coax port to the card’s. Holding judgment on comparative sound quality of that connection until a new power fuse for the P10 is burned in.
Update: All of a sudden that method quit working, so I switched the coax back to the Oppo’s port and now it’s fine. Very slightly better sound from the card than the coax.
Hi, Í m new. I have a new Oppo 205, a DSDac and the converter. My DSDac does not recognize anything. The connection-light does not change from „red“ to „green“. No sound.
Does anybody have an idea?
When you say converter do you mean the card? If so did you move the selector switch to 5.1 on the card? Also switch the Oppo to dsd output from sacd ( if you are using sacds) also you will have to change the hdmi output to lpcm 192k. Others can chime in, I am not in front of my stereo. You may also want to ensure you are using reasonably new hdmi cables that can carry enough signal, the old hdmi cables I used to use didn’t work, new 4K cables work and ps audio cables. Make sure you have the right i2s port picked on the DS, it is something that I managed to screw up…
How are you connecting the Opposite to the DS DAC?
eBay hdmi to i2s converter board, works great except dsd channels are reversed, oddly pcm is fine (post is above around Nov ‘17) the adventure began around post 53
Let’s organize it:
Physical connection:
- board switch set to 5.1 (even with stereo system)
- cable Oppo HDMI Audio Out to the board’s input (check not hooked up to output on that side of the board)
- board’s HDMI plug on other side to DSD I2S input
- if also s/pdif cable, run from Oppo coax to DSD coax, but note that connection is not dsf capable per Oppo’s design (same result from board’s coax out)
Oppo settings: Audio Output Setup
- HDMI Auto Format: LPCM
- S/PDIF: 192K LPCM (if needed)
- SACD Prioriy: Stereo (if that’s your system)
- SACD Output: DSD (applies for USB files too) - board reverses channels playing SACD/dsf files
Audio Processing:
- Dynamic Range Control: Off
DirectStream Dac settings:
- Set dac’s remote input mode to I2S (shows I2S on dac’s LCD screen)
Other:
- to stop board sending pre-emphasis signal, which turns on the DirectSream’s emphasis function and undermines SQ, either de-solder R47 on the board or cover pin 15 on HDMI/I2S cable.
I think that covers it.
og-rs, Did you pick up the board awile back or is it available again?
Gene
Gene you may want to add to turn off dynamic range control on the Oppo to your list
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Good morning together,
first I wanted to thank you for your help.
I connected and set everything the way you described but without any result. Later this day I will get 2 new HDMI cables (4K) and try again. As a precaution I ordered a further card from Hongkong by ebay.
I hope everything will work this weekend. I will let you know.
Roman
Roman, For troubleshooting purposes, we need more information from you:
- What’s the eBay link for the card you’re using? The original listing was discontinued after we reported problems with the board (see below).
- What is your system?
- Does the DS’s LCD screen show I2S? (forgot to include that in the list)
- What happens when you use coax from Oppo to DS?
- With the DS in I2S mode, are there two red lights showing on the converter card?
- An eBay search shows some cards listed now that look similar, although I’m not sure they are from the same manufacturer (the last one is the same seller as Venett linked):
.
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The photos of the units I just linked show a 5v DC power connector for an LPS, but say it’s not connected, use HDMI power. That can be taken two ways: the connector is inoperative or it’s not connected in the photo. I’m guessing the first, but anyone tried?
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Hi Gene,
the new HDMI cables have arrived and I changed everything.
My system: Oppo 205 (model January 2018)
PS Audio DSDac (model January 2018) with Brigde II
Converter Card (from https://www.ebay.de/usr/2012htj*2012htj); that is the last one of
your pics but a new ohne is ordered from powerproaudio
My DS does not work on both I2S Inputs (the light does not change from red to green)
Only one light of the card (right side of the plug Input Oppo or left side to the power plug), the Otter light in the middle of the card is off
With coax everything works with all other components of my system. Do I have to use coax from Oppo to DS anyway?
Roman
If coax works, then the DS seems ok in general (coax is not needed if your card is working, but makes a good backup just in case). That leaves either the card, card hookup, your Oppo settings, the DS I2S setting via the remote or the I2S ports;
-
card hookup: that looks ok, as long as the cables are. HDMI 1.3 or later required
-
card lights: Mine is inside a box right now, but as I recall there are two red lights and each light comes on when the component it is connected to is turned on. If I have that right, then if either light doesn’t come on with the connection, then there’s your problem, which means either the cable or the card;
-
Oppo settings: I gave the 203 settings; the 205 settings are presumably similar. Veneet can be more specific;
-
I2S ports - if everything else is ok and the DS input is set to I2S on the remote, then the I2S ports would need to be checked. If there’s a local PS Audio dealer, maybe you could take the Oppo and card and cables over there and check; otherwise, the DS would have to be sent to PS Audio to check.
Veneet and tarnishedears, do I have that right?
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So, one thing to check, is that switch on the bottom left moved to 5.1?
That would not affect the light. Other thing to check is that you have the OPPO going into the Input and the I2S going to the DS (I am sure you have this right)
Do you have a 5v power supply you can try plugging the board into (you should NOT need to, the OPPO has power over HDMI enough for the board, but worth a try)
Also, are your HDMI cables directional? if they have source written on one end then they are and you need to make sure the cables are plugged in the correct direction.
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Roman’s photo shows the board’s connections to be correct. Are there directional HDMI cables?
Veneet, You probably didn’t notice my other post this morning (#130) about using a 5V power supply. Have you tried it? The question I posed has to do with the language of the board photos (eBay), which have text that says that port is “not connected - use the HDMI power,” and whether that means not connected in the photo or not connected on the board, i.e., at all.
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Hey Gene,
I did see the connections, maybe he has the oppo and the ds hdmi connections reversed (that would be too obvious, but worth a try) I have tried the 5V, I didn’t notice any difference, and nothing blew up, which I thought was good.
Maybe he has a bad board?
Other quick thing, on the Fuse, I think I am going to pass right now, I am actually needing to buy some speaker post jumpers to match my new speaker cables so I want to save up for those.
Thanks so much for asking!
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Thanks Highstream and Veneet,
I connected everything the way you described with new (bi-directional) cables and tried with and without 5V power - always without any result.
So I ordered 2 new but different boards, maybe I have a bad board.
If all doesnt work I only have one more idea: its the Oppo (German Version, not code-free).
As soon as I know more I let you know or ask for further ideas to solve the Problem.
Roman
After some weeks with the HDMI-to-I2S card, I’m ready to say that I’m not entirely happy with its sound quality. The good news is a modicum of greater transparency and openness and sense of being a little more stage forward relative to the very good Snake River Boomslang coax cable I’d been using. The bad is that the greater transparency comes with a subtle shift up in tonality, and something like a top to bottom glare or sheen (or ringing) that makes music not quite seem right and longer listening sessions fatiguing.
Take its tonality. If you have a good coax cable (plugged into the Oppo), one test I’ve been using is to listen to short passages with a deep acoustic bass or piano and compare the tonality of the coax vs. card. The difference is fairly subtle, more so than the rest of the range, but very consistently here the card does not have the sense of digging down in the lowest notes like the coax does. I’m not sure if it’s a lack of undertones or exactly what, since the output is very close in tone tests, but the card sounds like bass tonality has been rolled upward slightly to make it sound more pleasing. That’s similar to what seems to be going on in the rest of the frequency range.
I noticed some of these effects early on with the card, but figured there was burn in to be had and so decided to hold off judgment until I got ahold of a second I2S-12 cable. That one is running from the card’s output to the DirectStream and now has about 340 hours on it, including “settling” time. I’ll continue with burn in, but it seems that what I’m hearing is a feature of the card, not of cables.
