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DDC or Better Streamer?

I’m trying to decide which would provide greater reward, adding a DDC or moving up to a better Streamer.  What am I looking for?  Just better everything including bang for the buck.

 

DDC – I’m a LAIV fan, but the Denafrips Hermes has optical inlet and would allow me to use it with both my OPPO (toslink) and Bluesound (digital coax).

Streamer – Am I better off just cutting to the chase and looking for used $3k Streamer (which would be more than twice the price of the Hermes)?

 

Will the better $3k Streamer be the better value over the $1.2k DDC?

 

Thanks for your input.

 

Room - Essentially 18'x18'x18' (ugh)

Power - Furman Elite 15i

Transport - Oppo UDP-203 with Glass Toslink

Streamer - Bluesound Vault 2i with Ice Age Ulitmate C7 Power Cable, Nordost Silver Shadow Digital Coax

DAC - LAIV Harmony with Shunyata V10 NR Power Cable, Kimber Cable Silver Streak RCAs

Amp - Music Fidelity M6si with Shunyata Black Mamba HC CX C15 

Speaker Cables - Cardas Quadlink 5-C

Speakers - Martin Logan Motion 60XT

Subwoofers - Dual SVS SB-2000 with Blue Jeans LC-1 Cables

audiostick

Showing 2 responses by baylinor

baylinor's avatar
baylinor
1,533 posts
 

With the price range of your equipment, I would lean to trying a DDC with I2s first. The Gustard U18 is only $500 and will definitely improve your bluesound streamer. To upgrade the streamer would require north of 5k to make big improvements imo.

baylinor's avatar
baylinor
1,533 posts
 

@audiostick 

My point was it is best to match equipment in a similar price range because a 10k amp with 3k sources is not gonna be able to perform as a 10k amp, rather it will put out 3k signals. Of course I'm generalizing. By example all my components are in the over 7k range, talking new prices. I upgraded many times to get to this point but always trying to keep components in a similar price range. Like if I go up 2k in a unit, it's with a long term goal to go up like that eventually with all the other components. Just food for thought.

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