Over the past decade, the California audio/video manufacturer OPPO Digital has established itself as a benchmark digital A/V company. Adding to its product line, OPPO has announced its new Sonica DAC & Network Streamer, which it says ups the performance ante from its HA-1 Headphone Amplifier and BDP-105 universal player products.
OPPO says with more music coming from digital sources, digital to analog converters (DACs) are becoming increasingly important. With the launch of the Sonica DAC & Network Streamer, OPPO balances the value of a network streaming device and a traditional DAC product all in a single package.
Using the Sonica' s companion Apple iOS and Android apps, homeowners can employ the component as a streaming music device, and as a means to playback audio stored on their network via their computers and NAS Drives.
As a traditional DAC, the Sonica features ESS ES9038PRO SABRE digital-to-analog converters that enable the product to deliver state-of-the-art performance, as well as a choice of inputs, and compatibility with PCM and DSD (SACD format) files.
Some of the Sonica's inputs include an Asynchronous USB that allows the product to bypass the internal DACs built into computer's soundcards to use the Sonica's high-precision internal clock. The USB input supports PCM signals as high as 32-bit/768kHz and DSD up to 25MHz (DSD 512).
Homeowners that prefer to listen to streaming content can stream via the Sonica's built-in Wi-Fi connections or its Ethernet port. As a streaming player OPPO explains the Sonica supports audio files up to 24-bit/192kHz, and file formats such as FLAC, WAV, Apple Lossless, and DSD files at 64x sample rates.
The Sonica also features an auxiliary input that allows dealers to setup existing analog audio sources to Sonica-based wireless whole-house audio systems. The Sonica DAC & Streaming Network Player also includes single-ended RCA and balanced XLR inputs, and OPPO points out the solution's RCA output converts balanced signals to single ended to maintain better common-mode noise rejection for improved sound.
Other performance features include a toroidal linear power supply that delivers clean power to the Sonica DAC & Network Streamer's audio circuitry, and it offers Apple AirPlay, Bluetooth for more audio playback options, as well as 12-volt input and outputs to facilitate control system integration.
The Sonica DAC & Network Streamer carries an MSRP of $799.
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