New to DACS...help needed with an Oppo Sonica issue.

[Paul K]

I was given an Oppo Sonica to try out and see how I liked the experience - and it sounds great except for a few problms....
I have been using a Blue Jean Digital Coaxial cable between my BDP-83 and the Sonica and occasionally it will just lose the signal and the OPPO main menu shows up on the display - kinda like it turned off and then on again...
Also when playing files using the app and having a USB connected to an external drive, the Sonica will also stop playing and say that there is no signal coming through...it loses it's place and stops...The app acts weird as well...
Here's the thing...I do love the sound this thing makes and I like the fact that I can finally play hi rez files (even through a USB connection from an external which is kinda where I am at with those things) as well as blue tooth if necessary (or Airplay as my wife has been doing)
I love the sound of the DAC and am wondering if this is something fixable (we know that Oppo has said goodbye to this area of it's manufacturing) or should I move over to something like a Topping...(I have been reading a lot about them but their models are confusing to me as to what I would need from them and what would work...I do like the volume knob on the front of the Sonica and really like not having the remote to depend on here - although it's not a deal breaker!)
Does anybody have any idea what could be plaguing this?
I am very new to the whole DAC world so please be easy on me if I don't really understand a lot of what the terminology is wrt. them...
Oh and I am running it into an old McIntosh MX110Z so I don't need balanced inputs or anything!

Thanks in advance!

 

[gvl]

I’d steer away from an unsupported software driven product that isn’t reliably working for my use cases to begin with. That said, Toppings have their own share of problems with Coax/Toslink inputs.

 

[Bill Ferris]

I was given an OPPO Sonica to try out and see how I liked the experience - and it sounds great except for a few problems....
I have been using a Blue Jean Digital Coaxial cable between my BDP-83 and the Sonica and occasionally it will just lose the signal and the OPPO main menu shows up on the display - kinda like it turned off and then on again...
Also when playing files using the app and having a USB connected to an external drive, the Sonica will also stop playing and say that there is no signal coming through...it loses it's place and stops...The app acts weird as well...
Here's the thing...I do love the sound this thing makes and I like the fact that I can finally play hi rez files (even through a USB connection from an external which is kinda where I am at with those things) as well as blue tooth if necessary (or Airplay as my wife has been doing)
I love the sound of the DAC and am wondering if this is something fixable (we know that OPPO has said goodbye to this area of it's manufacturing) or should I move over to something like a Topping...(I have been reading a lot about them but their models are confusing to me as to what I would need from them and what would work...I do like the volume knob on the front of the Sonica and really like not having the remote to depend on here - although it's not a deal breaker!)
Does anybody have any idea what could be plaguing this?
I am very new to the whole DAC world so please be easy on me if I don't really understand a lot of what the terminology is wrt. them...
Oh and I am running it into an old McIntosh MX110Z so I don't need balanced inputs or anything!

Thanks in advance!

While I have no experience with the OPPO-BDP-83 or Sonica, I`ve never had any playability issues with my 2 different OPPO Universal players that I`ve been using for playing WAV. ripped music off either a 1 Terabyte flash drive, or a 2 Terabyte SSD USB adaptor connected to the OPPO`s front panel USB connector.
They both (the first player used was a BDP-103, & later also purchased new and currently in use a UDP-203) were & are powered up playing 24/7365 with a UPS backup power, after installation.

The players reside in my sunroom and are S/PDIF coax connected via 20 meter (66ft coax cable non "audiophile marketed" but HQ RG-6 Sat. ant. coax) that have fed the 2 different DACs that resided in my living room`s A/V rack that I have bought and used since 2011.

Not only is my coax feed from either of the OPPOs longer than any member on A/K has ever mentioned using, after the S/PDIF coax reaches the rack it feeds 4X1 S/PDIF selector switch and a active S/PDIF splitter so to be able to feed both my DAC, and my Integra brand A/V/P that used for my living room`s HT system`s audio.

No dropouts or freeze ups are ever been experienced by me as I`m home all day listening to my ripped music that either of the OPPOs have provided, just clear sounding, both regular resolution 44.1/16 & high (192/24 down load purchased rips), as I prefer not to stream, but on rely on my inhouse WAV. ripped digital music sources instead.

 

[Paul K]

I’d steer away from an unsupported software driven product that isn’t reliably working for my use cases to begin with. That said, Toppings have their own share of problems with Coax/Toslink inputs.

Is that linked to a specific Topping model or in general with most of them?

 

[kray]

This is completely anecdotal but I had a Soekris DAC years ago and had the same issue over RCA Coax digital input. also after proving it wasn't the cable.

They wrote this to me and I sent the DAC back to them to fix after I emailed them...

I read something about the early models had issue with sensitivity on RCA input causing sync issues. How do we go about rectifying this issue?

The sensitivity can be improved by changing one small resistor.

 

[gvl]

Is that linked to a specific Topping model or in general with most of them?

2021 onward, most of them. There was shortage of AKM chips after the factory fire end of 2020, so Topping had to use a different receiver chip and that’s when issues started. It might work with your sources, or not. Buy from a store that offers a good return policy.

 

[gvl]

This is completely anecdotal but I had a Soekris DAC years ago and had the same issue over RCA Coax digital input. also after proving it wasn't the cable.

They wrote this to me and I sent the DAC back to them to fix after I emailed them...

If memory serves it was a common issue with earlier Soekris DACs.

 

[kray]

If memory serves it was a common issue with earlier Soekris DACs.

correct... so trying to connect dots, as if OP is experiencing almost same issue, maybe same problem area in his DAC.

 

[Paul K]

correct... so trying to connect dots, as if OP is experiencing almost same issue, maybe same problem area in his DAC.

Searching all over the internet hasn't revealed a problem with this DAC in terms of a hard drive plugged into the USB connector...more like the app crashes...that sort of thing...

 

[kray]

Searching all over the internet hasn't revealed a problem with this DAC in terms of a hard drive plugged into the USB connector...more like the app crashes...that sort of thing...

Sorry I was referring to your sync issue:

I have been using a Blue Jean Digital Coaxial cable between my BDP-83 and the Sonica and occasionally it will just lose the signal and the OPPO main menu shows up on the display - kinda like it turned off and then on again...

 

[Paul K]

Sorry I was referring to your sync issue:

Yes - sorry - you are right...that seems to be happening right now....I guess it's intermittent.

Does anybody think this could be related to how large the external drive is or maybe the cord connecting it to the USB Host port?

 

[gvl]

Might be a compatibility issue, you can try a different drive, like a flash drive.

 

[Paul K]

Might be a compatibility issue, you can try a different drive, like a flash drive.

I have done as you say and it works great now...
Bothers me that that's all I can use for my files at this time....
I may have to revisit all of this....
New dac?
One where the company doesn't go awol on their products?

 

[Sliphorn]

I have done as you say and it works great now...
Bothers me that that's all I can use for my files at this time....
I may have to revisit all of this....
New dac?
One where the company doesn't go awol on their products?

..
New dac. I recommend the Geshelli J2. It’s a great dac for $250. Made in FL by the entire family. Great customer service too.

 

[gvl]

I have done as you say and it works great now...
Bothers me that that's all I can use for my files at this time....
I may have to revisit all of this....
New dac?
One where the company doesn't go awol on their products?

If you’re willing to accept a solution that includes a player/streamer for your files outside of the DAC you will have more options to choose from. You also need to define the minimal feature set you’re looking for in a DAC.