2. digital
  3. 149050-1604

Computer to DAC Streamer

I am looking to get a digital-to-digital streamer for my new office system. I currently have a Sonare microRendu and that unit will move to another room once my new office system is built up. I also use ROON. I was originally considering getting a DAC with Ethernet streaming built-in but I may require a DAC with DSP and those DACs do not have this feature. I should add that the Linn SELEKT DSM streamer/DAC has Ethernet streaming and DSP but lacks the analog inputs I need (it also sounds excellent).

It has been suggested to me to buy an Innous streamer to get my music across to the DAC. However, I am trying to understand why these products are better than my current noisy computer combined with the micrRendu digital-to-digital type products. Anybody done a comparison? Is it because of noise on the Ethernet wire polluting the DAC?

http://innuos.com/en

In no particular order the following streamers have have come up in my research as being better than the microRendu I currently own (I have not heard these) :

Simaudio Mind2
https://simaudio.com/en/product/mind2-network-player/

Sonare Signiture Rendu
http://www.sonore.us/Signature-Rendu-SE.html

Auralic G2 Aeris
https://us.auralic.com/products/aries-g2

I am interested in the feedback or thought process of people who were making the same streamer decision as me. What did you guys end up getting or looking to get? I know there are a lot of lower costs alternatives and I am open to anything that will take my to the top tier sound level.

My preamp/DAC choice is looking like it will be the Anthem STR.
yyzsantabarbara

Showing 1 response by dpac996

dpac996's avatar
dpac996
722 posts
 
Can anyone point me to measurements of electrical noise on various USB ports captured by a high precision (16 bit) oscilloscope?
I would love to see if there is any noise on the data lines (+/-) as well as ground and +5VBUS from a "noisy PC" compared to the same measurements on dedicated hardware streamers like Auralic, ultraRendu, etc.

I doubt these measurements exist because it would be tricky to probe these signals; one would need a 500MHz (or faster) high precision active differential probe connected to nearest VIA's or attached as direct to the connector pinout as possible. You would need an active session with an enumerated device on the bus receiving active packets.  Perhaps one does not need to measure the data lines, but just the +5V and GND signals;

I have not heard any difference between my 2018 Xenon Lenovo, Sonore ultraRendu with Linear supply, home built windows 10 pro, or my totally killer BOXX work machine when streaming directly to my Exogal Comet plus DAC. I plug my headphones directly into the Exogal and it always sounds amazing; No change in noise floor, no static, no loss of resolution, just beautiful music; These PC's all run Roon Core, Tidal, or Qobuz native apps, and more recently Audirvana.

I am not a cable skeptic, nor power conditioner. I have heard REAL and changes with my stuff all plugged into an Isotek Aquarius EVO3 (I heard NO improvement when stuff connected into Furman).
I have heard differences in speaker cables and power cords as well; 

There is much marketing talk about "noisy desktop PC's" but I have not come across anyone publishing USB noise comparison measurements. 

So, I guess I am skeptical that there is any actual electrical difference in terms of broadband noise on any of the nets mentioned above (D+/D-, +5V, GND); 



 
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