2. digital
  3. 179322-96

Anyone else feel like it’s the Wild Wild West?

I’ve been following the streaming threads here for a while now, and I find it both exhilarating and intimidating.  I mean, we all know everything in high-end audio matters to some degree or another, right (Ok, maybe except for the flat earth contingent)?  From what I’m reading and from my own experience the process of optimizing steaming has near unlimited potential, and some even say it rivals or even surpasses vinyl if taken to the max.  Cables, routers, optical, filters, extenders, power supplies, switches, etc., they all seem to make a significant difference despite the naysayers who say bits are just bits.  I’m all in on this steaming renaissance, but most of the jewels of useful info are buried in other posts, so I’d like to have this be a consolidator post of your best streaming experiences and recommendations for others who could benefit greatly from your hard-won victories and maybe save a lot of people the agony you went through to get to streaming nirvana.  So have at it — let’s empower this community in this noble task and help everyone realize the amazing potential of this magic gift to audiophiles.  What say you?

soix

Showing 2 responses by sns

sns
3,601 posts
 

You'll only become more confused over the course of this thread as nearly unlimited presentation of best subjective results with various equipment and schemes.

 

Believe this due to a technology in fast growth phase, expect much innovation in coming years. I'd expect more consolidation over the long run as some equipment and/or innovations are proven to be more universally superior. Until then, we're running real time experiment, sure innovators observing our, and their own test results, correlation to certain sound qualities being determined.

 

I see vast majority of streaming equipment as pretty disposable at this point, expect the churning to continue.

sns
3,601 posts
 

@soix There is rep from Ifi who regularly contributes on headfi forum. I'd PM him at that forum, goes under moniker, IFIAudio.

 

I'd add vinyl is pretty much on par with streaming for complications or lack thereof. Streaming is different in that far more experimentation taking place at present, less mature technology.

 

Very astute observation by @blisshifi per ubs preferable when dac clock superior,  aes, coax if streamer/server superior clock. I'm expecting to explore this very thing with upcoming server/streamer audtions/purchases. Custom server in midst of being built and an off the shelf server will both have great adaptability in allowing all the above comparisons and additionally I2S, also ability for Roon and/or proprietary music software/player.

More to discover