Equal $$ for Phono OR Streaming?

the ps directstream can be equipped with an optional plug in module called a bridge which allows it to receive streamed signal via ethernet and wifi

i tried this unit and found it good but not great, esp in light of its cost of ~4k used w bridge

there is much discussion among users about the sound of these units varying a good bit based on which version of the custom decoding software done by their digital guru ted smith is installed on the fpga... gets somewhat complicated and confusing too

@hilde45

one additional, central point i would make (in reply to some other comments in this nice thread you have started) is that since i decided to tackle streaming this time last year since covid started, i very much believe that streamed music (using proper tidal, qobuz or other suitable lossless service) is absolutely able to deliver music at a superb quality into a well chosen downstream system ... to a point where the emotion-stirring nature of well recorded content will come through to thrill and move the listener

there is no doubt in my mind this is the case with presently available gear, and at quite a reasonable cost - in fact, a blue sound node 2i feeding an ayre codex or mhdt istanbul or a schiit gumby will do ’the trick’ (~$1500)

turntables are NOT needed to achieve the above - though one can argue the best tt’s may do it a touch better -- just as top-tier cd players have also been able to produce the desired goods for years now...

those who deny the above are either hopelessly stuck in their ways, can't see past what they have personally invested in in this hobby, and/or haven't tried streaming or done it properly

@hilde45

as you know, when it is about ’sound quality’ of various choices in high end hifi, it is a subjective question for each person and their sensibilities -- for anyone who really cares about it there is simply no substitute for personal experience and extensive audition, in your own surroundings

that been said, unless this friend of yours has prior experience with higher end analog (doesn’t sound like it), he also needs to understand there is a substantial learning curve to the endeavor of getting a tt/arm/cart/phono stage setup working really well... much much more involved than streamer/ethernet/cable/dac plug n play pretty much - for many of us on this board, at this stage of our lives we arguably have more money than time and energy, and i always tell someone who is about to embark on ’doing a record player right’ that they need to be really ’into it’, need to have patience, perseverance, a ’tinkerer’s mentality’, a level of fine motor skills, and a decent size wallet -- to get to a point where one can really extract and appreciate what the format can offer

to some this is a good thing, to many others, it is a deterrent

@hilde45

in my experience i have come to believe excellent streaming can be achieved at about 50-60% of the cost of a phono front end of equivalent quality (including the critical phono stages, cost are as paid, generally bought second hand)

i will use my own case in the front ends of my 2 systems (which i built for performance but with attention to value as well) to illustrate...

streaming 1: bluesound node 2i to sonnet morpheus dac or audio mirror tubador ($3500 cost including cables)
phono 1: well tempered labs amadeus/ps/dynavector tkr to ayre p5xe on townshend platform (~$6500 cost)

streaming 2: bluesound node 2i or w4s-modded sonos port to mhdt orchid w nos tube/adapter (~$2100 including cables)
phono 2: oracle delphi 2 tt/ps/origin live silver/benz glider to lehmann decade on townshend platform (~$4300)

key points:

1) phono front end does not include add’l paraphenalia like tt cover, stylus force gauge, feikert/mint alignment tools, strobe, anti static/zerostat, onbow, okki nokki cleaner etc etc... at least $1500 more there...

2) then, the record collection, if you don’t already have one will cost thousands to build!!! .... versus $200-300 a year for a lossless streaming service (or 2), a mere pittance...

3) while playing records is fun and a lovely ritual, i honestly enjoy streaming at least as much as playing records... and i enjoy the sound quality equally

4) note for $6 grand in second examples... you can have BOTH streaming and phono front ends...

hope this helps