@sls883 Same here. After burn-in and room correction (RC), it starts sounding smoother, but I still prefer the MXN10 overall with both internal and external DACs. The MXN10 sounds cleaner, crispier and more transparent. The edges of both high and low notes are better defined. That said, depending on personal preference, people might prefer the smoother, more forgiven, jack-of-all-trades sound that the Ultra delivers. My son wants to explore TT and I think it might be a good Xmas gift too. I heard its phono stage is okay.
Discerning a difference between streamers is difficult...only me or common for all?
I have struggled to appreciate the upgrade to the streamer in my system. A couple years ago I had an Audio Research DAC 8 being fed by a Bluesound Node 2i. I picked up an Aurender N10 and did not appreciate anything so sold the N10. I tried a couple all-in-one units. First was the Aurender A20 and I was happy but curious about dCS. I got a Bartok 2.0 and felt the music was more natural sounding from the Bartok and sold the A20. I have always wanted the Audio Research DAC 9 to match all my other AR gear so got one that showed up on eBay a couple weeks ago. Since I couldn’t use the Bartok to stream I ordered a new Bluesound Node Nano so I could utilize the DAC 9 immediately. The pair sounded wonderful but I did not compare it to the Bartok. I ended up getting a quick buyer and it was already gone. The following week I purchase an Aurender W20. I was prepared to have my mind blown....but no. Some albums I could not tell any difference in the sound and others I think the W20 sounded slightly better but again...nothing huge. For the money and the space the W20 took on my shelf, I sold it. Over the years I always appreciate upgrades for all other components. This makes me feel like I am losing my mind. Have any others experienced this regarding streamers? I want to try more. Auralic and Lumin are on my list.
Thanks,
Dana
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To pass blind A/B comparisons reliably between streamers, dacs, cables, etc, i.e., the subtler devices in the chain, you will need to address the room resolution bottleneck. The room's always in the way.... Here are some examples...such designs (not cheap) are typically meant for the pros, but, if you are an audiophile seriously chasing such subtleties , this is where you'd drop some cash first. https://youtu.be/IiW1YfaIr_U?si=CaVKJi37cbm7stGZ
https://youtu.be/Tkqo3pN8S4A?si=btNM2ngWl6-0lgMd
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