I have been using a friends Wadia 321 DAC mostly as a learning experience. I sent an email to Aurender about compatibility and got the attach response. If I read correctly, it looks like I would never use DSD as the music offered it nothing I would listen to. Is my thinking correct or is there something I am missing? The more I research the more the Vault looks appealing. My only concern is I would have to use the RCA outs or buy a CD player with DAC.
Response from Aurender:"The Wadia 321 should be compatible with the USB output of the Aurender
N100H and N10 in terms of working, however the Wadia 321 DAC is limited
to 24-bit and 192kHz sampling rate. This means it cannot decode DSD or
other high resolution files above 24/192. All Aurender music servers can
reproduce digital files up to DSD128. If an N10 was used the SPDIF
outputs could be used to connect, but then again, you are limited to
24/192 by both server and DAC. If playing these kinds of files is
something you want to do, then perhaps you should consider the A10 and
it will also give you full MQA decode. MQA files and Tidal streaming of
MQA files sound exceptionally good."
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Interesting thread because we are all playing at different levels of cost. It's just so obvious. The OP wanted an all in one unit or system that was affordable. He got what is one of the few on the market that has it all and that includes the streaming he wants and MQA (not sure if it's core or all the way). Folks are still trying to talk him out of it, which is kind of funny.
I've seen someone post that Aurender is the best.....no it's not. What is best is what we listen to vs others and like the best in our system. Digital is funny in that what sounds great in one system may not be the best in the other one in the same house. It's more dependent on the other digital feeds that analog amps are I think. I could be wrong, but it sure seems that way. So much we are learning about digital sound still. I think we still have miles to go with it and we will in time.
Personally, I've heard Melco vs Aurender in many many shops and also in my own system and I prefer the Melco (the N1A not the N1ZH). Melco is coming out with new units in the next few months so I'll wait to see what they have, but Aurender just sounds differently. It's a great unit and I"d happily have one, but I will get what's best in my own system. It's audio and there is no best in any category. Just isn't and cant' be as we all hear differently.
I too like the Antipodes gear and always have. Nothing not to like about it. Nice distributor also. I may have gotten one, but my rebuilt Mac mini still sound better than even their new TOL ref unit. Steven Nugent used it for his shows (he builds the high end Empirical Audio DAC's of which I owned until Ayre came out with theirs). He sold me one of his two servers and went with Antipodes, but he eventually went back to his as it just sounded better. HE wanted a one box solution (the mac has a huge Paul Hynes LPS), but needs the best sound to sell his 14k DAC's.
I read about guys wanting to get rid of their mac's, but if optimized and using the top LPS you can get and changing the drives to the best sounding (not most expensive) SSD's and changing some other components you can have as good a server as a W20 Aurender or Antipodes ref or any other out there. Just not always the prettiest or the easiest to use maybe.
For the price point OP is at, it's the perfect solution of him as the sound is nice and he doesn't want a second box for an external DAC. He's have to upgrade to a Codex or higher (DAC alone will cost much more than this full set up now) to get better sound. JMHO |
I do agree that the 20 minutes and get up to change the vinyl can get old, it is still just a very different experience that sometimes it is worth it.
@juke4u,
yes the sound quality over bluetooth will be vastly inferior, it is definitely a convenience medium and not a hifi medium.
Both mp3 and bluetooth are vastly inferior in sound quality.
I do have a few odd mp3 files I transfered to the vault and you can really tell the difference between them and flac files. Very compressed, boxy, nasal sound.
@randyhat
yes there are plenty of great sounding cdp with dig ins and outs at about the same cost of the Vault. And IMHO the rca out of the Vault were definitely a lot weaker performing than when run though its dig out, may just be my system but it was very bass heavy, over heavy, boomy. This totally changed when run through its dig out to a very clean ,as good if not better than original cd state. |
@mahler Very sorry. It was never my intent to start a debate. I am new to forums of any kind and will have to be more attuned to what I post. I very much want to get digital music in my system and I was thrilled to hear, that the Vault sounded so good and most of all, I feel I might be able to learn how to use it. Yes, I love vinyl, but it is a pain. Digital music is much easier and lets you enjoy it without the record ending, getting up, cleaning it, and putting it away. All I know is Bluetooth to my AV receiver and it does not sound that good. Maybe I should have asked to compare the sound to MP3 or Bluetooth to get a comparison.
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Look up Antipodes Audio (NZ) - and the reviews that AP products get. I have their DX and also ref. series cables - fantastic. When (if ever) they re-sell second hand they go for almost full retail. Also great service.
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@randyhat
I agree with your last thought. I love my Vault2 but in your case for the same expenditure you can get a pretty good CDP that will have digital inputs. You will enjoy your CD collection and every other digital source more.
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@juke4u. I, for one, am not interested in having a vinyl vs digital debate. There are plenty of other places to go looking for that discussion. I have decided that digital is it for me and ain't lookin back. You may notice that this folder is labeled "digital " and you may perhaps infer what people's preferences tend towards based on that folder name... |
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The Mac is the c-48 which is digital and solid state, no tubes
i really do not think you can compare vinyl, it is just so different, guess the word "warmth" may be a little cliched but thats my best summation.
I have a Funk Firm Vector with Grado Gold cart and play it through the macs phono input and it really is just so sweet, I usually end up playing an evening of vinyl once I start...lol.
The Vault for me just does everything i wanted although I am sure higher end with higher price tags may do it better for sure.
But to end up sounding better than my esoteric?
That was quite an achievement |
Uninteresting that the Vault sounds the best. I would have guessed the Esoteric would be on top but it could also be the DAC making a difference. Is the Mac a tube DAC? Have you ever compared vinyl or is that a bad word, when we have obvious peolple posting, that are probably digital only. I have all my old LP's and all are in mint condition and also have many CD's that have newer artist not available on vinyl.
I saw "hickbones" earlier post about the Aurender where you auditioned both players and got the N10. At this point I do not have a DAC, Streamer, or CD player. I can play a CD but with a Sony blue ray player.(yes a $49 dvd player) I have read as much as possible about streamers and the Aurender and Lumins seem to be the best. Uberwaltz's experience with the Vault has got me thinking in a hole new direction. If it sounds better than the high dollar CD players that's amazing. Maybe they will come out with a new Vault with Balanced outputs.
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It's not that Bluesound is not "high end enough" for me. From what I've heard the DAC is good and the digital output connection is good. Unfortunately I have neither a separate DAC nor do I have a preamp with digital inputs. I would have to use the RCA outputs to my preamp...which may be the weak spot. In any case I am curious enough about it to give it a try. It shouldn't take me too long to determine the sound quality vs CD. I do like the built in disc drive/ripper. It's not that it is difficult at all to rip CDs to my computer...I just dread the chore more doing it this way than just popping them in the drive and letting it do it for me. The other product I've considered is the Aurender A10. It has everyone in one box except the CD ripper....and is considerable more expensive than the Bluesound. Another option would be to upgrade my CD player to a model that has a good DAC and then have the best of both worlds. |
For those of you concerned that the Bluesound Vault 2 may not be high end enough for you, I suggest that if you already have a DAC that you like, play it through the DAC and call it a day |
@juke4u
I may have gone one better in comparisons...lol
I actually own two genuine cd discs of one of my favourite bands( counting crows).
So i was able to compare both my cd players (mcintosh and esoteric) vs tidal AND the vault rips, makes it easy to instantly switch between them, not just rely on memory of what a track sounded like 5 minutes ago.
My preference order, and this is just my opinion
1/ vault
2/ mcintosh
3/ esoteric
4/ tidal
now tbh they are ALL really close and 3 and 4 are probably more a tie
we are talking points of a percent apart really
I still buy odd cd,s ( still some stuff not available on tidal yet) but the first thing i do is rip them to the vault and listen to them from there!
I see Pandora is starting up their full streaming service next week for just $9.99 a month, hopefully as a present Pandora user they will offer a free trial as well. Be a nice comparo to Tidal |
Hick, in the beginning of the thread he said that was out of his budget. That's why he went with the Bluesound Vault. As for the W20 and N10, the difference in sound is only if you use the balanced output of the W, otherwise the N10 will sound virtually the same based on my auditions. He also wanted an all in one so most of the higher end units didn't work for him. Nice units though, that's for sure. |
Not sure of your budget, but Aurender N10 or higher priced W20 are fantastic pieces. I auditioned the N100 and bought the N10 ONLY 'cause the W20 wasn't in my budget. No need to listen to the CD player anymore! |
Check out fidelizer-nimitra |
Thank you ubewaltz for starting this post. Years ago I worked & owned audio stores. I have been out of audio for 30+ years. My bucket list included getting back into music, now that I have the time to enjoy it. I have gotten a pretty good system for vinyl and have been trying to educate myself on digital. I am fine, when it comes to vinyl, but digital is a different store. I remember the first time we got a CD in the store and a player. We hoked it up to our Ref. system (Mags MG2s, Mac C28, Mac 275 and a B&O linear TT ) and quickly realized that the cassette tape sounded just as good as the CD and compared to vinyl the CD was a joke. That being said, an Edison phonograph compared to what we have today, you have to start somewhere.
I have been debating getting a good CD player with a DAC, seeing as I have 500+ CDs and all the CDs are on my computer. After reading all the outstanding comments in this post, I am forced to rethink the CD player. I was looking at the Esoteric, Ayon, and the ARC players costing $5000+ on average. The idea of a streamer sounds fantastic on the surface, but I am far from a geek. In fact I spent as much time looking up what computer terms meant, as I did reading the post.
I don't want to start up an old battle, but in reading all your comments as to the sound quality of the Vault, I was wondering if you had ever compared a CD, tidal, or streaming to Vinyl? I have been listening to music from my Ipad, phone, or bluetooth MP3 in my car and to my AV system. The other night, I finally got the system I have been putting together to play vinyl and played a record. I must say I was blown away. I had to just sit an enjoy the music. Can't believe I was away from it for so long.
I just wanted to put my 2 cents worth regarding coping CDs to the computer. I am sure I have purchased the same music over and over thru the years. I have purchased my favorite music on 45 rpm, 8 tracks, cassettes, LPs, CDs, buying off the internet, and now with say Tidal, I have to pay per month to listen to the same music I purchased many times before. No wonder the records companies make so much money. Than goodness for the internet, so anyone can get there music to the public without the record companies.
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I have a Bluesound Vault 2. I'm happy with it. It does everything I want it to do, rip CDs, catalog them, play them. There are CDs that do not have their information and picture on the Grace Note internet database, so you have to use Mp3Tag to add the song/artist information to the ripped files, but it's not that often I have to do that. And I think that would be the same for any ripping device or software. The Vault 2 also streams from the online sources, and it has a full internet radio capability which is nice if you want to hear different music at time. It also gets the local streaming radio stations, so I don't need a tuner. I don't think that, for the money, you would be unhappy with it.
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@jond
Bit of a dinosaur at times I am afraid but when I checked and saw a free 30 day trial, what was there to lose!
Now I have been listening to stuff from my youth I would most likely never buy but nice to have an option to stream it!
Stuff like Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Rick Wakeman, Wishbone Ash etc.
I really do like the fact that Tidal can be run inside the Bluos app as I did see that the standalone Tidal app on my droid phone was quite a bit of a memory hog, nearly as bad as Farcebook....both of which have now been forced into stop mode...lol. |
@uberwaltz let me say sir you are very graceful in defeat! :-) Seriously glad to hear you're enjoying Tidal it is a really amazing service! Happy listening!
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@randyhat
in all honesty the rca outputs of the vault are a little soso, i thought the bass was overcooked
however using the digital coax out i think i prefer the sound to the original cd played through my esoteric sa50!
and yes prior to the vault i was using the esoteric to stream simple stuff like pandora and spotify through and it did sound good, but the vault sounds a lot better.
of course there are pc based systems that will sound better but i am very satisfied with the results
so much so that i have put my esoteric up for sale right here on agon!
mostly listening to tidal right now...yes you lot were right! |
Regarding "best" standalone server. I too am looking for something with an integrated DAC, storage and ability to stream Tidal. I am thinking about ripping all my CDs (about 1000...sigh). I considered the Bluesound Vault. It certainly is inexpensive and appears easy to use...however I am concerned about sound quality. The only reason I would go to the trouble to rip my CDs would be for convenience AND sound quality. If my ripped CDs don't sound as good as they do on my CD player I doubt I will listen to them very much. I want a streamer/DAC that will sound AT LEAST as good as my CD player if not better. A product like the Aurender A10 looks appealing as a higher end alternative to the Bluesound.
I have a Sony 5400ES SACD player and a Meridian 805.24 CD player. I realize neither of these players are anywhere near state of the art so maybe it will not so difficult to equal or surpass there performance. My other option is to abandon the Music Server idea altogether and replace my two disc players with one high end player like the Esoteric and use it's DAC with an inexpensive streamer for online content. Any opinions? or alternatives? |
Antipodes have it all, including Ruin... |
Yes, all too often we (me too) try to tell folks what sounds better etc...when all they want is a simple all in one solution. Once they use that solution and it's easy, they enjoy music. Real music. I too am going through trying to become an IT guy to get the best sound quality and it's taking away from the fun. I keep waiting on that one component to come out that will be the be all end all. Roon core and a decent hard drive, ethernet that is isolated and have all the noise taken out of the signal chain. Yes, I want it all, but right now, that's not out there. Melco is the closest, but no Roon core and it won't have that. I may wait for the new Melco units to come out, get the Roon NUC from Roon once that comes out and call it a day.
Glad you love your VAult2 |
@mahler123
Exactly my thought process right from the start
Nobody in my house wants to be an it expert after a hard days work, just select a few tracks or pick an internet radio station on the bluos app and let it play.
Glad to see my choice was a path others have already taken for much the same reasons
still enjoying my unit and maybe adding a Node for my daughter to use in her room, probably just connected to a soundbar...lol, evil I know! |
I've just seen this thread for the first time.
I have the Bluesound Vault 2, and in other rooms in the home I have a Node 2 and the Minipulse.
I had tried a PC based system and frankly it was to much hassle. I have no desire to be dealing with IT issues at home when I want to relax with music, and no one else in my family liked it. Bluesound isn't entirely hassle free but I have found it to be much more elegant than my former Mac based system, and it covers the whole house as well.
The DACs contained in the Vault and the Node are decent but not exceptional. In my two channel system where the Vault resides I run it into my external DAC, the Mytek Manhatten and it sounds as great as any other source in that DAC. In the kitchen we listen to a lot of Internet Radio .
I have recently started using the Vault to pull in the files that I had on my Mac and so far find it much easier than just the pc by itself.
Different strokes for different folks. If a PC based system works for you, then fine, but not everyone will find them so accommodating. If they were Universally easy, then there would be no market for seperate servers. I do find myself scratching my head here when the OP clearly stated he was not interested in a pc based system and yet others are badgering him or her to go that route |
My vote for the NAD M50.2.
True all in one with MQA included. |
soundsrealaudio 177 posts 03-12-2017 11:01pm So not to be labor a point. The Melco has been rated Class A, big deal right? So it has 4Terabytes of storage plus as many external as you could want. Plus, and it is a big plus it has integrated software that is easy with a capital E to use. Is it as good as the Aurender, probably. It doesn't rip. Using AccurateRip technology you get the most exact CD importing. It even works with worn or damaged discs that might otherwise be unplayable. To rip grab the Buffalo BRXL-16U3 for CD ripping ion Melco Music Libraries for $159.00. Check it out. I dumped my computer, couldn't stand the beta versions software BS. http://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/melco-ha-n1a-part-1/I love the Melco units. Can';t wait for their updates ones to come out in a few months. I am waiting to see what they end up changing before getting one. As I've said from day one, it's the best NAS out there from what I've heard and what I will use even if I don't use the streaming feature etc... That said, if you read what OP wanted, it doesn't have everything for him. I forget when it was left out. It may even have been cost. It also doesn't do Roon and unless they change their language it still won't. I will need a work around IF I can get it to work seamlessly. That will mean using my rebuilt mac mini running Roon on the net and then using the Melco ONLY as a server. I'd use the ethernet connection for everything in they system/network. |
I bought a used MS1 with a 1 TB SSD on ebay over a year ago. I have no basis of comparing the sound to other music servers. It is easy to rip CD's. It is easy to back up. It is easy to add music downloads from the internet. The iphone app is OK. I am not a techie I have had some issues with the metadata but that is not important to me. I sent it back to W4S to add the I2S output to use the feature on my W4S DAC2DSD SE and while it was better than optical or coax the USB output was better with the right USB cable. I found big improvements adding the USB Curious Cable, Uptone Audio LPS and W4S Recovery (and the recovery was better with power form the Uptone Audio LPS.) I added Audioquest jitterbugs to the unused USB ports in the back of the MS1 to benefit. The jitterbug on the USB cable was detrimental. I recently changed to a Schitt Yggdrrsil ladder dac (I cant say enough how this brought the rhythm and pace and musicality to the digital files) I only keep the DAC2DSD SE to play the 2 dozen or so DSD albums I purchased. Although after hearing digital thru the Yggdrrsil the DSD doesnt sound right anymore but it is different.
After all that I took my 30 year old Linn LP12 in and had it reconditioned. I am using a $ 129 Schitt Mani phono pre-amp with the LP12 and the sound is so so so much better than any hi rez digital. I only listen the the MS1 when I am too tired to flip a record or want background music. I have thought of trying another music server like the Aurender N100T as a digital source to see if the problem is the MS1 but I really believe after going thru all the nonsense to improve the digital that in my equiptment/price range it is not going to happen. My take home lesson was dont sweat trying to get the best stand alone server, one because I dont believe it will ever be as good as vinyl and two because there are so many other considerations on what is going to effect that digital signal. It is really nice to not have to change CD's anymore and to have them all at my fingertips. And I did find a/b listening to a ripped CD to the same CD playing from the digital out of the CD player to the DAC that the ripped file sounded much better-- so I have that going for me and thats nice. |
So not to be labor a point. The Melco has been rated Class A, big deal right? So it has 4Terabytes of storage plus as many external as you could want. Plus, and it is a big plus it has integrated software that is easy with a capital E to use. Is it as good as the Aurender, probably. It doesn't rip. Using AccurateRip technology you get the most exact CD importing. It even works with worn or damaged discs that might otherwise be unplayable. To rip grab the Buffalo BRXL-16U3 for CD ripping ion Melco Music Libraries for $159.00. Check it out. I dumped my computer, couldn't stand the beta versions software BS. http://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/melco-ha-n1a-part-1/ |
@uberwaltz ha glad you finally broke down and gave Tidal a spin I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
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Thought I would look into Tidal and as I saw was offering 30 days free trial thought I would give it a whirl.
Very well laid out and a breeze to use INSIDE the Bluos app on my phone.
Just another very useful feature of the vault. |
ctsooner, thanks for the comments. Didn't realize the Vault 2 was not wireless capable.
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@ctsooner
Thank you for all posts on this thread as I find your input to be both inciteful and extremely beneficial!
I agree that the vault would not be and is not my main source of music but only because the rest of the system is pretty well sorted!
But it does exactly what I wanted, my daughter loves it too and it is so easy to use and the sound quality is pretty darn decent tbh.
Yes my esoteric still sounds better but it damn well ought too!
I feed the vault by digital coax through my Mc C48 out to my BAT VK600SE and into B&W 804D speakers and I am very happy with the results.
Discovered a lot of great internet radio stations using the vault as well.
Some may say not having a remote for it may be a downside but the BLUOS app on both android and apple is so simple and well thought out who needs a remote? And direct from this app you can access tidal, spotify and a number of other paid subscriptions if you need to.
Pretty slick for the total cost of around $1000 brand new, $1200 is list but enough peeps are selling at discounted price of $1000 which is what I paid. |
Someone asked how the DAC sounds in the Vault. That's impossible to answer. What DAC's is it going against and what are your system's limitations? On the systems that it will be playing on most of the time, the unit is outstanding for what it give you. Can you get a better stand alone DAC? Of course, but at what price point is the better question. I've gone to many stores around the country (US) and many use the Vault to serve their systems and that often includes their high end systems. Now most of the store owners don't understand digital if they do this (I promise you that most of the owners feel that folks don't honestly audition anyways and that if they are all getting fed the same signal, they will still sell their gear). Is it as good as a Codex? Not even on the same planet. That said, the Codex is balanced unit that has a balanced headphone amp and costs 1800. I've heard it against one of the Schitt units that lists for under 1k,but I don't remember which one and I felt the Vault 2 was right there and it has everything else with it that folks in this thread seem to want. I wouldn't use it for my main system, but I also have a pretty nice rig going, but I love putting systems together for folks starting off or upgrading. I think it is in great company with a pair of say Vandersteen 2c's an NAD integrated/separates and some inexpensive Audioquest cabling. Throw in a decent little turntable and you have an outstanding system that most folks would kill for. Would you listen and keep wondering if you should have gotten a better DAC? Of course you would as you are an audiophile. Just use your ears though and enjoy the music in MQA, streaming from Tidal and how easy it is to use with Roon. You'll be in heaven and loving what you hear for many a year.
JMHO...I also think it's a bargain, especially because it's also small and so easy to use. |
The Vault 2 only has the option of being hardwired to the internet/network, no wireless to ensure no dropped bits and superior signal at all times I am sure.
I send the signal out of my vault to my c48 via digital coax cable as this sounded much better than through the rca analog outs.
I have only listened to my ripped cds through it and various internet radio stations as I do not subscribe to any paid service as of yet.
I believe I got exactly what I was looking for and have not seen a downside as of yet.
I have backed up the vaults contents on a standalone 2tb hard drive just in case though....... |
Correct, I have 500 cds ripped into the vault, plus a hifi tidal subscription, in addition I use 'Roon' as the engine. I much prefer vinyl (5000 plus) , but the convenience of being able to stream to various areas of the house is a great benefit. The vault is hard wired via Ethernet to my router.... 100 feet run through the attic.
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Re Bluesound Vault. If I read correctly, Vault contains all the features of Node 2 plus 2tb storge. (This would include a MQA compatible DAC.) Can anyone confirm this? And, if so, what are opinions on the DAC audio quality? |
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soundsrealaudio I'm more of a bloody mary guy myself but a bottomless brunch sounds pretty good to me! You buying?
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Flac may be the easiest to work with, however it's not necessarily the best sounding. Digital is funny in that it always depends on your unique situation. The problem I see in this thread is that you have posters who have systems from mi fi up to higher end hi fi. The more resolving your system the better your source better be. Someone mentioned poor recordings and that's a huge problem with hifi. There are many recordings that I love, but I will only stream them when in the car. Not a big deal as there is so much much on Tidal that I never get bored.
As for streaming, Tidal is not the only service in town anymore. Spotify just announced they will go to a premium/CD quality and Pandora should be next. As for MQA, many folks just blindly say it's better than CD's or even high res, but that's not always the case. It completely depends on what you are playing it on. I'm still not 100% sold on it in my system and with my ears. I do like much of what it does. I was able to hear it a couple of years ago when Meridian reps had demo tracks and a local store I go to asked me to come audition. I was impressed, but I don't feel it sounds as good as most of my high res recordings and it's also not better than my redbook recordings that I have on a special file where I put the top recorded tracks/albums. The other thing is that you can't make a blanket statement about a DAC having MQA decoding as a better sounding DAC as one that won't have it.
Implementation is the most important part of a DAC. My Ayre QX5/Twenty so far has crushed all the MQA DAC's I've had in the house to listen to. Ayre uses minimal filtering as does Empirical Audio (my former DAC that I also liked better than the MQA DAC's I've had in. Do I think MQA will make it for the long haul? Not sure. I've been through everything from all kinds of tape to vinyl to CD to LaserDisc to the Betamax/VCR fights to mini discs to ............
There will always be new mediums and honestly there are enough big companies who don't want to pay licensing fees to the MQA folks, that it will hold them back a bit. I do like it on my Mac playing through my AudioQuest Dragonfly Red via my Noble Savant IEM's. I still need to get a jitterbug though, lol.
The Bluesound/NAD engineered products are outstanding for many of the systems folks posting on this thread have. It gives you a simple all in one and expandable solution. I have many of my friends who ask advice, getting them. The build and SQ are quite good for the price range and it will be MQA if it's not already.
I don't see CD's becoming like Vinyl. There is something totally different about vinyl and honestly, it still sounds better than CD's and you can get a cheap rig and decent cartridge and get sound that in digital you have to pay well over 3k total to equal. If you don't believe me, take a full day and go to a store that has high end gear. Set up a TT/Cart that retails for about 500. Then start playing the same album in digital on the most expensive set up they may have and truly listen. CD's certainly have less surface noise if you don't use a great record cleaner (I built an ultrasonic cleaner and I use the top AQ carbon brush and I have very very very little surface noise and nearly a pop when playing vinyl. I'm selling my vinyl rig and phono stage, cleaner and albums because I have MS and it's a bitch for me to get up to change sides, but I'm going to miss my vinyl and I do have a great sounding digital set up that's only getting better, but it's not cheap.
There are so many digital products that take care of one to all the functions from streaming to storing music to having a built in DAC to being wireless. Some concentrate more on the SQ and others on ease of use. If I had to put a great system together for a hifi rig that was a great value, I'd get a Codex DAC by Ayre (to my ears and many others the best value in digital at 1800 list), then I'd pair it with the small Melco used as a server/storage unit. I'd also get an optical drive to rip all CD's into the Melco as it has built in ripping software and it's a breeze to rip to it's internal drives. $3600 USD list. Then you need a nice AudioQuest USB cable as the Codex can't go ethernet, which I feel is the best output on the Melco. You are at 4000 list. Different countries will offer different choices too.
Those are my thoughts and I'm sure many will disagree. Fun thread and interesting to see what others around the world are enjoying. |
@juke4u
computer dummy here too...lol
i believe flac files are reported to be the best and easiest to work with
however i was able to just import all my windows media files direct to the bluesound vault and it took them happily. I had ripped at highest quality level anyway and tbh i honestly cannot tell any difference to the flac files the vault ripped but that is my old ear! |
Thank you uberwaltz for starting this post. It is full of good information. I don't want to steal your post and please let me know if I am doing something I should not do.
I am new to Audiogon, and I am trying to learn about streaming, also. I am very computer challenged. I have saved all my music files on Microsoft Media Lossless. Do I need to switch them to Flac? A brief Flac for idiots would be great, so I can inderstand why. If I need to convert, do I need to redo all of them or can dbpoweramp convert them?
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jond
Don't forget the timeless expression..
" Be careful what you wish for "
Did you say audio brunch, would that include bottomless mimosas?
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I love Neil's products and he's a great guy to work with. Melco makes the best sounding NAS in the world and they you can easily hook up any optical drive to it to rip. It has the built in software to do so and it's a versatile unit. Can be stand along NAS to hold your music if you get a better server later, or you can just use it as a server with built in storage. I personally like the more detailed sound vs the Aurender and it's less money. It can be hooked up via ethernet (it's best sounding connection) or USB. It also have a USB hook up to load music onto an external HD for back up and you can also use an external HD or stick to play music through it that isn't on it's internal HD. Looks great, Buffalo computers builds the thing and its built very good.
It won't do Roon, but if you use it as a NAS and have a NUC for a few hundred on your network, you can still have Roon. Personally, I'm not sure Roon is worth the extra money if you are on a budget and want easy and the best sound. |
I had a personal " quest " similar to yours. I was running JRiver off my MacBook Air and really hated all the effort it took, software issues, took forever to rip, plus I didn't want a computer anywhere near my music ( somehow they don't seem to pair well together) A distributor I work with The Sound Organization, I was purchasing Wilson Benesch speakers from them, well they recommended the Melco. I said who the hell is Melco. Well turns out they make a really sweet library/server with built in software. The Melco people are also Buffalo in Japan and make an ever so simple burner. The Melco retails for 2K has 4 terabytes of storage, the burner I purchase from office depot for $169 bucks. I am so happy with this set up.
If anyone is interested they should contact Jim at Sounds Real Audio. He is a great guy, well thats what my mom used to say about me.
Best
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@soundsrealaudio Jim I hope you include yourself in "this audiogon bunch" :-p
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@jim
Thanks for the kind words sir...lol
Just know what I like, knew roughly what I was looking for and any feedback and thoughts from others is ALWAYS appreciated, hence the existence of this thread.
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Well I certainly
want to congratulate you. Not for the gear you selected rather for the manor in
which you have comported yourself. You have stayed in the conversation,
answered questions, respectfully, fully explained you desires/needs.
In short you are
way too good for this audiogon bunch.
Best
Jim
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Well the best stand alone music server is probably the Aurender W20. Though ReQuest Audio's 'The Beast' and the Burmester 111 Music Centre are right up there. |
