Hi
Having just bought the NAC 272 to primarily play my ripped FLAC files (currently all 16 bit 44 khz from my cd collection), I am keen to eventually explore the 24 bit remixes and also 5.1 surround sound files that are on many blu ray discs. These are becoming more common, particularly from Steven Wilson, with many of my favourite artists working with him on remasters/5.1 mixes etc.
As yet I don't have a Blu ray player or a surround sound set up but it is something that I am hoping to buy eventually.
I saw Adam Zielenski's comments about the Oppo 105 here: https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...lu-ray-player?page=3
Does anyone know if the Oppo can be played through one of the NAC 272's inputs? I assume it can, and I imagine it is preferable to use the Oppo's internal DAC and so output to the 272 in analogue rather than HDMI.
The alternative, at least for playing his res 24 bit FLAC files is to rip these files from the Blu Ray disc using software such as DVD Audio Extractor. But this won't allow me to access the 5.1 mixes obviously and so I am thinking a Blu Ray player like one of the Oppo's is the way to go for me.
I would be grateful for any thoughts or advice. Thanks.
Posted on: 28 August 2017 by Mr Underhill
Hi OTJ,
You are going to hit the limitations that are deliberately built into the hardware. The software owners are rightly leery of allowing the manufacturers being able to directly output HiRez digital audio. I use the 105 to decode my BR discs and then play the front L&R channels via my pre, which you can via the 272, and I would expect it to have uniti gain; this will be analogue processed within the Oppo. The manufacturers will be constrained to only export the unprocessed data via an HDMI output, which includes encryption.
I am very impressed with the 105, and understand the newer boxes to be perhaps better - but, I am sticking for the present. The 105 comes with RCA outputs for the channels, so you would need to get a cable made up to take the analogue output into the 272. I have a selection of Chord cables I have had made up over the years!
WRT DVD Audio Extractor. Not sure if this will work with BluRays, 'Make MKV' does. This presents the available soundtracks for you to rip. be they stereo or 5.1 etc. This processing will depend on the support libraries that are present on your PC, and the hardware conformation of your drive. For instance, I bought the Beethoven Karajan 60's cycle on BR and then ripped them, or tried. My BR drive is only single layer so I can only access the first three; at least I think that is what is going on.
Hope this assists,
M
Posted on: 28 August 2017 by Odd Time Jon
Thanks very much for that Mr Underhill. If I do eventually wish to rip from Blu Ray disc then I will look at Make MKV. I think I read somewhere that Make MKV possibly can be used alongside DVD Audio Extractor to deal with any encryption issues but essentially I am pretty sure that DVD AE is now able to rip Blu Rays in principle. I would buy an external BR drive as my Lenovo Think Pad's internal drive is multi DVD but not BR capable.
Do you or anyone else have any ideas on how I would then best connect up the centre and rear speakers for surround sound and any recommendations on speakers and cables for these please? I will be looking to upgrade my current front two left and right speakers soon too so these two will presumably form part of the 5 speaker set up.
