Best way to hook up my Oppo UDP-203 for audio?

HiFiJeff

Super Member
I am getting conflicting information from multiple people. So I am turning to you guys for guidance. I have the UDP-203. I wanted a dedicated BD player a long with the CD and SACD capabilities. So I picked up the 203. I also just purchased an Integra DTR 50.3 AVR with 7.1 multi channel audio inputs and will be hooking it up this week. The AVR says it decodes DSD in it's native format. So...... How should I hook up my Oppo? Analog outputs? HDMI? Should I let the Oppo do all the decoding? What's the best possible way to listen to music and get the most out of my system?
 
Either analog or digital connections are fine. Both units have good DACs, so it's really which method you prefer. Here's some info I found that might help sway you to HDMI (since it involves just one cable, and your receiver is more than capable of good decoding):

DSD Output via HDMI:

If your A/V receiver supports native DSD, your OPPO player can send DSD signal over HDMI to the A/V receiver or audio processor. You should connect the HDMI 2 port of the player to your A/V receiver or audio processor since the HDMI 1 port does not transmit DSD signal. The following settings in the player's setup menu should be used:

  • Playback Setup - SACD Priority: set to Multi-Channel or Stereo based on your preference
  • Audio Format Setup - SACD Output: set to DSD or Auto
 
Thanks for your help! Did you find that in the Oppo manual?
And do you know much about the Integra AVR? It's about 4 years old but it seems pretty legit and is only lacking Atmos, which right now I don't really care about.Should I ever get a stand a lone DAC, or dedicated CD player to hook up to the analog inputs of the Integra? Or is that redundant and a waste of money? I even had Oppo tell me to hook up the 203 through HDMI.
 
Thanks for your help! Did you find that in the Oppo manual?
And do you know much about the Integra AVR? It's about 4 years old but it seems pretty legit and is only lacking Atmos, which right now I don't really care about.Should I ever get a stand a lone DAC, or dedicated CD player to hook up to the analog inputs of the Integra? Or is that redundant and a waste of money? I even had Oppo tell me to hook up the 203 through HDMI.
I know a little about the Integra. It's certainly no slouch, and there's really no good reason to purchase another DAC at this point. You already have two good ones, one in the Oppo and one on-board in the Integra. So why get a third when it's (in my opinion) unnecessary?

And no, I don't see any reason to buy another CD player right now. Your Oppo is more than up to the task of handling CDs, either as a transport (meaning the Integra handles the DAC process if you choose a digital connection between the two) or by using the Oppo's analog outs and using its on-board DAC for playing CDs.

I think you're pretty much all set here, to be honest. Connect them together via HDMI and let us know how everything sounds.
 
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