2. digital
  3. 174368-84634

Digital Upgrade Recommendations

Looking to leverage the knowledge of the Audiogon experts for advice on how best to upgrade the performance of my digital front end to sound more like my vinyl rig.  Currently, I have a Roon Nucleus acting solely as a streamer feeding a Denafrips Pontus II via an Audioquest Diamond USB cable.  I’m looking to spend roughly $600 and the options as best as I can tell from scanning the forum are:

  1. Upgrade the stock SMPS on the Nucleus to a good LPS power supply
  2. Add an Etherregen and place it before or after the Nucleus
  3. Purchase the Iris DDC from Denafrips and go I2S to the Pontus II
  4. Other?

All suggestions and recommendations welcome!  

tom2441

Showing 3 responses by antigrunge2

antigrunge2
1,463 posts
 

As a first step buy an Intona Isolator and cable for your USB connection. After that improve the power supply to the Nucleus or buy a better server such as Auralic, Aurender, InnuOs or Lumin

antigrunge2
1,463 posts
 

…or better doing away with the Nucleus (and possibly Roon as well) In my setup InnuOS Zenith Mk3) Sense 2.08 sounds decidedly superior to Roon and the Nucleus isn’t the quitest server to start with… Hence my Intona Isolator recommendation

antigrunge2
1,463 posts
 

…and by the way: I started with the Etherregen on its own, then added an Antelope 10m clock via Shunyata Sigma clock cable, then added a Zerozone 2020 Benchmark LPS on a Nordost Brahma PC, then switched to a sterling silver DC cord. Each step is easily demonstrably audible. The additional equipment is a multiple of the original Etherregen purchase, yet I wouldn’t want to miss it.

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