John
Going ground up, OPPO Digital’s UDP-205 is a D/A converter and a headphone amplifier. Asynchronous (DSD512/PCM768kHz-capable) USB, coaxial and TOSLINK inputs each feed a pair of internalised ESS Labs’ 9038PRO chips to output via balanced XLR, singled-ended RCA on the back panel; or a 6.4mm headphone socket on the front. Multi-channel hi-res content – PCM up to 192kHz, native DSD64 and PCM-converted DSD128 – are also supported.
However, it’s the UDP-205’s optical disc playback capabilities that take it from the ordinary to extra-ordinary: 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, regular Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, SACD and Audio CD.
Refresh your memory on the UDP-205’s full feature set here.
The disc spinner / headphone amplifier / disc spinner is also firmware upgradeable. September’s update saw OPPO Digital add Roon Readiness to the UDP-205’s already bountiful feature set. This month the Californian-headquartered company are adding MQA support.
From the press release:
“The latest firmware update to the UDP-205 adds MQA decoding to the UDP-205’s digital audio file playback. When a user navigates through music files using the UDP-205’s “Music” app, the player will be able to identify and decode files encoded with MQA.”
That reads as though MQA support applies only to files served locally via direct-connected USB drive or CD, leaving Tidal MQA via Roon when its own official MQA partnership is formally inked.
Already own a UDP-205? Update your player directly from the Internet via the online firmware update tool. Don’t have your 205 connected to the Internet? No worries: that same firmware is also available as a direct download from OPPO Digital’s website. Freshly purchased units will come with MQA/Roon functionality pre-installed.
Refresh your memory on MQA’s proposition here.
“What about the UDP-203?”, you shriek. No news means no news.
The UDP-205 sells for US$1299 in the USA, €1799 in mainland Europe, £1399 in the UK and AU$2199 in Australia.
Further information: OPPO Digital | MQA
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to the UDP-205 as the ‘BDP-205’.
