Is there a big difference in digital streaming devices?

How does most people obtain good quality digital music to listen to?

What gear are you using to process this music so its ready for your power amp?

I listen mostly to CD rips, but I have some HDTracks 192 tracks of Joni Mitchell and others that I listen to. It is important if you like tracks from the 70’s to get a DAC that has a digital filter that sounds good with 44.1 tracks from that era.

I stream using Jriver to a DLNA device, my DAC. The Master Clock is in the Ethernet interface in the DAC. My Mac Mini is connected to my router with Ethernet cable and the DAC can connect with either Ethernet cable or WiFi to the router. The DAC is connected using balanced cables to a Final Drive transformer buffer that converts to RCA to my SET monoblock amps. The ultimate in simplicity, and there are no ground-loops in my system. Dead quiet background. Another advantage of Ethernet and the Final Drive.  I eliminated my CD transport and sold all of my LP's.  I get the analog sound from digital.

Finding a DAC that delivers an analog sound will not be easy for you, and it can get expensive.  If you are on a beer-budget, I would recommend to look on Ebay for Chinese NOS DAC's.  Because these don't have the modern digital filtering and they are often ladder-DACs, they do sound more analog.  The downside is that they don't support sample-rates above 24/96 and the HF transients are not as realistic as modern DACs.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

At $300, your streamer will not compete with other low jitter solutions.

An Ethernet or "network" DAC with a good master clock in it will easily outperform it.  WIFI can be added to any Ethernet DAC BTW.  You don't need a "streamer", just a LAN with WIFI or wired router and a computer.

It will of course cost more than $300.  My own Overdrive SX with Ethernet input can be used with Jriver or Audirvana on any computer and it will not affect sound quality.  Not sure if you can communicate to Jriver with an iPhone.

The Ethernet DAC IMO is the best way to achieve the lowest jitter possible and isolates the playback from any DSP software on the computer, such as the audio stack etc. It contains the only Master Clock and usually just before the D/A logic.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio