Curious to know your streaming and dac set up and the best recommended streamer under $15k

@woots 

In reading this I’m still not sure of what you feel you’re missing but definitely let me know when you make your decision. I’m not big in the streaming thing- have been trying it more recently though with a new Lumin U2 in front of an Aqua La Scala Dac (I like the fact that I’m not spending money on another Dac implementation).
Still taking notes on how I feel about it- was considering picking up a LinQ this week but don’t want to get ahead of myself. I’m using similar ARC gear- GS150 with REF6 and Dynaudio Sapphire floor standers.

So in reading back through this I think @jerryg123 has hit the nail- ROON

I don’t understand the benefits of Roon as I haven’t used it. I use a Naim Uniti Core for ripping/storage because I prefer the sound of its playback through my Dac. Its library management/app is really good- the sound is great.

@dinov - Yes, my transport is a U2 Mini. I’m just now experimenting with streaming and wasn’t sure that making my first investment into a higher priced streamer would be wise in case I didn’t care for it. I also didn’t want my impressions to be muddied by the influence of a different Dac. The U2 was the better option for the test.
Honestly I’ve enjoyed it so far but when I A/B streaming 24/96 FLAC (Qobuz) against my digital files through the Naim the Naim wins every time. The Naim playback is not as “bright” as the Lumin yet still produces a fuller more detailed reproduction. 
@yyzsantabarbara  In reading your response it sounds like you may also prefer the Lumin in the capacity of a transport through a great Dac better than an all in one (unless I read that incorrectly). If true this further galvanizes my belief that separates are still the better option (for me) as opposed to an expensive one box solution.

@woots  Where is Roon falling into play here? When you tried the Innuos did ripping CD’s play into that? 

It sounds like the Roon interface might be the center to which all things orbit, but without the user experience I’m having trouble seeing it’s value as other products have great interfaces as well. Unless of course Roon offers something that enhances sound quality but that isn’t my understanding of its purpose.

@woots

That sounds great! I was just wondering if the tracks you store on your drives were only from a disk collection, digital downloads or a combination of both.

I understand the attraction of the AI when it comes to the exposure to new music, it’s been an ongoing thing and has only gotten better. I also wasn’t sure if you were relying on digital signal processing (as yyzsantabarbara shared).

Still- with your Dac I would think that any streaming transport/endpoint would sound great in your system as you’ve alluded to when bringing the T2 back into the mix.
Have you tried the X1 with separate power supply? Another thought, the person that recommended the U2 Mini for me to test just purchased a Mytek Empire. He typically uses Audio Note gear but always had positive things to say about streaming through his Manhattan. I haven’t heard his impressions yet but as that is their new flagship I would imagine/hope it would improve upon the previous model.