Last summer I decided to raise the quality of my SACD system, and since I LOVE Classical music in multichannel form and already have some PSA equipment, I fairly quickly decided on a system based on PSA’s old DirectStream Memory Player for its ability to output raw DSD to six channels of PSA DACs… After talking to PSA personnel many times thereafter, I determined recently that even if one uses two or three identical PSA DACs, nothing synchronizes their output-level controls. So…no PSA SACD-playback equipment.
Since then I’ve decided to do something to get higher-quality sound from the equipment I have… I have achieved that using my existing, stock Oppo UDP-205 driving directly my existing excellent system of three poweramps, five loudspeakers, and two subwoofers… I have now achieved my BEST-ever quality of musical playback, at the LOW cost of reterminating one high-quality IC cable and buying maybe-$100 of inexpensive cable for the subwoofers.
The ‘new’ SACD system continues to use my high-quality ‘backend’–AQ Dragon interconnect for the two main feeds; Atma-Sphere Class-D monoamps and Emotiva multichannel poweramp; and loudspeakers (PSA FR20s, Martin Logan centerchannel, and HHR TLS-5 polydirectional surrounds)… The role of video-system surround speakers has been assumed by its former rear-surround speakers that I had previously switched off after buying the HHR Exotics TLS-5s… The Oppo ‘205, too, continues, but in an expanded role; it’s now decoding the discs’ digital signals and driving the poweramps directly instead of digitally via HDMI into the pre/pro.
Switching from one subsystem to the other requires flipping one switch on the MC poweramp and moving the two Dragon XLR connectors between the pre/pro and the Oppo…plenty simple enough.
The sonic result is another clearly audible increase in sound quality–more resolution including spaciousness, significantly less ‘steelyness’ of violins played in their higher registers, and a ‘creamier’, more-attractive (but still highly resolved) midrange.
WOW–all for maybe $300! I’m thrilled!
