2. digital
  3. 192710-196145

ARE SUPER EXPENSIVE STREAMERS REALLY WORTH IT

Folks I am confused why some streamers need to be so eye wateringly expensive. I appreciate the internal basics need to be covered such as a high quality, low noise power supply and a decent processor speed etc..  but that is not rocket science.

So my question is could a decent streamer outputting its data stream via I2S to a good quality DAC receiving the I2S stream be a more cost effective way of rivalling let’s say a streamer costing 5k upwards.

I have heard and digested the argument for expensive streamers quality being centred around the management of the data timing via a quality clock circuit but there are very reasonable in relative terms, DAC’s out there that have dual super high quality temp controlled clocks within, at least the equal or arguably even better than the say a 5k streamer with some sporting dual high end DAC chips etc.

So could utilizing a good quality streamer and a separate high-quality DAC connected via I2S indeed offer significant benefits and potentially reduce the need for a very expensive streamer.

I say this with the knowledge that I2S is designed to preserve and separate the Signals so avoiding the timing issues connected with multiplexing. I2S (Inter-IC Sound) separates the music signal from the timing signal, potentially eliminating jitter or at the very least greatly reducing the possibility for the pesky music killing jitter which we all could agree would lead to improving overall sound quality.

Wouldn’t this separation ensure that the timing information is more accurately preserved, even when compared to a high price streamer, leading as clean or cleaner and more precise audio data output. With I2S, the DAC can use its own high-quality clock/s to synchronize the data, which will reduce jitter and improve sound quality.

Could this possibly mean that even if the streamer has a less advanced clock, the DAC’s superior clock can take over, ensuring best  performance.

So bang for buck would it not be advantageous to investing in a high-quality DAC and using a good but not necessarily top-tier streamer to achieve excellent sound quality without the need for an extremely expensive streamer. Surely the DAC’s performance will play a crucial role in the final sound quality.

Play gentle with the pile on please....................

nubiann
mclinnguy's avatar
mclinnguy
640 posts
 

You rarely see people fighting about amps.

ARE SUPER EXPENSIVE AMPS REALLY WORTH IT? 

devinplombier
286 posts
 

ARE SUPER EXPENSIVE AMPS REALLY WORTH IT?

@mclinnguy 

No.

Folks look for certain attributes in amps that supports their listening styles. Those attributes don't necessarily command high prices.

Some folks like 10-watt single-ended triodes. Those rarely cost a lot. You can even build them yourself.

10-watt amps are not my style, however. I like high-current big iron. That doesn't necessarily cost a small fortune either, on the used market at least.

Now, if you like that new-gear smell and you don't know a soldering iron from a clothes iron, then "super expensive amps" may well be your best bet.

Also, there is no need to yell, unless you were just emulating OP's caps style.

 

oddiofyl's avatar
oddiofyl
3,982 posts
 

Expensive has different connotations for different people.  Really good amps that cost more than you should probably spend are worth it.  Just my two cents.  

russbutton's avatar
russbutton
439 posts
 

@soix  So what youʻre telling me is that you can transfer terabytes of data halfway around the planet, transversing dozens of routers, going from fibre to copper to fibre and wireless with 100% accuracy routinely, but you cannot reliably transfer 10 to 50 megabytes over a USB cable?   

I hear what youʻre saying about timing, but why should that be an issue?   Are you telling me that a DAC youʻre sending data to doesnʻt have a buffer of sufficient size to guarantee proper operation 100% of the time?  Timing shouldnʻt be an issue if your buffer size is large enough. 

Are people dropping thousands of dollars on DAC devices and the DAC engineers canʻt add enough memory for an adequate buffer?  That makes no sense.  Your typical CD contains about a half gig of data in wav format.  Seeing how cheap memory chips are, why is that a DAC cannot easily have a buffer big enough to hold all of the data of a whole CD?

qwin's avatar
qwin
11 posts
 

I was a believer in i2s fairly early on and on paper it makes sense, however.......

After trying both PS Audio and Topping DAC's with i2s inputs, connected to either a RPi streamer or NuPrime CD transport with i2s outputs, the results were not show stoppers and in all combinations a decent (Only £50) coax lead sounded better using SPDIF!
As in everything, its all about implementation and for what ever reason, i2s just didn't work for me using these items, so be aware that improvements using i2s is not a given. The HDMI i2s pin outs were compatible and correct, as indicated by the manufacturers diagrams, but it only ever sounded ok, even with a short but expensive HDMI lead, supposedly designed for such a connection.
I now use 75ohm coax with BNC connectors all round and I'm happy with that arrangement.

I use an Eversolo DMP A-6 ME with LPS upgrade and BNC digital in/out conversion.
This Streaming DAC is very user friendly and sounds great. In my opinion, you would have to have a very good quality and costly set up to hear any benefit from a more expensive Streamer/DAC. My set up is a Pass XP-12 Pre into Neurochrome 686 Monoblocks with balanced XLR connections throughout.
I try to keep my box count to sane levels and feel certain combinations go well together. A Streamer/DAC combo is a natural choice in my opinion as is a Pre Amp/Phono stage, but having said that, I have the Pass XP-17 which is a separate phono stage. The one thing I don't want is a Streamer/DAC/Pre combo, as this is invariably a digital Pre Amp and the built in analogue to digital conversion, needed for my phono stage will be a joke.

My only complaint with the Eversolo A-6 is its only available in Black, other than that, it's a keeper until the next leap in technology, provides even better quality/features at a reasonable price.

God luck with your system building, I hope you find the synergy we all seek in this hobby, strike that, obsession! smiley

More to discover