I moved from the Bluesound node to the N150. It was a nice sonic improvement, the conductor app is very nice & the footprint is excellent. The N150 only has USB out.
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
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- 38 posts total
@baylinor Ok, I think you are telling me my system is not good enough to reveal benefits of the better Aurender or Innuos Streamer. @mbolek When I was researching the LAIV Harmony DAC, the majority of reviewers preferred i2s with it. @curiousjim & @oddiofyl Much respect for the N200 but probably more Streamer than my system will show benefit from. Yes, I understand Aurender to be very good with USB. Will there never be temptation to convert to i2s? @soix I have two other systems with Bluesound Streamers in them, and am thinking of adding an LPS to one of them. I was not aware of an LPS option for the Vault. Were you thinking of Node, or are you aware of LPS for Vault? The mediocrity of my system is a valid point here. If even a $12k Streamer would not provide benefit, I have no problem with eating humble pie and going the DDC route. Agree? Thanks everyone. |
FYI - Schiit just came out with a balanced Mesh DAC with EQ and Preamp. Up to 32 bits/384 using USB input. Other inputs are 24/192. It has an optical input. Very few times will anyone (me, included) ever offer up a audio component that actually saves money, but here it is... $349 with Forkbeard (software that enables control of devices using phone app) Schiit came to fame via the popularity of their DAC's. I have owned BiFrost and currently use the Yggdrasil. Heck, my Yggy can't do 32/384. I have not heard this product, but considering it's price and lineage, it amounts to near zero risk in trying it out. |
- 38 posts total