It’s always fascinating to read through these threads.
A number of posters have stated it’s a waste to spend money on a streamer. I’d be curious as to how many better quality streamers they’ve actually tried in their own system.
To some of us, investing in a quality streamer was more beneficial than upgrading the DAC. In my search for a new DAC, I auditioned the Simaudio 680 DAC (very nice unit, BTW - with built in streaming function).
I had been planning on getting an all in one DAC/streamer and figured I would sell my streamer, saving me some money, cables, boxes.
I then auditioned that same DAC but with my Auralic G2 streamer sourcing it - just to compare. The dealer doesn’t carry Auralic - so he was certainly not biased in favor of it. He was as surprised as me at how much better the DAC sounded when sourced by the outboard streamer as opposed to the Simaudio built in streaming function. (As an aside, he started working on picking up the line).
This is but one example I can share. Those looking to improve the performance of their DAC should strongly consider exploring improving the source feeding the DAC. You just might be surprised at the results. Streamers can make a very significant difference for the better if you choose well.
It’s certainly worth auditioning one instead of dismissing it.
