New at Qobuz - no HiRes sound
Just a quick update after about one year ownership of the TEAC NT 505: Great sound quality with the built-in DAC (if you followed my post you know that i use a Mark Levinson 30.5 as my "default" DAC but it can not convert the hi-res files so I am using the TEAC for that). The only setback I have from the beginning is the user interface (I tried HR and Lumin but think Linn is the best for my needs). With my previous node and Spotify I was much more satisfied. Anyway: The TEAC is a great unit! |
Update: So I was finally able to get my TEAC. As per big_greg's description, the unit is a real upgrade to my node 2. I am not ready for a final verdict but the soundstage is significantly improved. I was not able yet to compare the DAC with my MarK Levinson as I need to get an additional cable but will report back when I have that info. Setup was very easy and I did not experience any hiccup. The downside is the TEAC HR user interface as big_greg explained earlier. I did not find the Lumin app to be better and as I only use the streaming part of the app, I found the Linn Kazoo the best so far: It allows me to access playlists and is an overall better navigation tool (my opinion!). I am still puzzled that some basic functions like random title play of a playlist or an album are not available. Also: All of the apps tested do not allow to continue a playlist once you manually selected a title from the list. You either start at the beginning or you need to skip titles until you reach the desired track. Any comments or suggestions are welcome. I am very happy with the TEAC. Thanks big_greg! |
tjkurita: I agree with you that the DAC is the bottleneck. However, I am quite happy with the ML 30.5 listening to other sources (CD, DAT) so my plan is to have a dedicated DAC for my streaming source. As I am not happy with the BluOS user interface anyway and I can not spend lots of money for a DAC (plus streamer) right now I think that this TEAC unit will help me achieve this goal. Let's see (hear).... |
Agosto: if you can I would consider a DAC upgrade as opposed to a streamer upgrade. A DAC upgrade would give you a little more versatility and be a direct replacement for your one piece of gear that is aged out. You can also hook it up to your cd transport and most any other digital source. Using the node with an outboard DAC is very effective and since you already have the node in the system... |
@agosto The TEAC app is not that great. You can also use the Lumin app (or Esoteric app). The Lumin app is better. It works with Qobuz and Tidal and also allows you to stream internet radio like Radio Paradise. To stream radio, you need to set up a Tunein radio account and connect to that. For the most part, I use BubbleUpNp instead of the Lumin app. It's more user friendly, but doesn't have the ability to stream internet radio like the Lumin app. It's for Android only as far as I know. |
@big_greg: Thanks. I will start doing the same using my TP-link. Hopefully this is going to work. If not, I need to pull a cable from the basement.... How do you rate the User Interface of the TEAC? Or are you using something else? I am primarily listening to Qobuz and Tidal. Any recommendation? @benzman: No idea. Looks like they are selling black versions only @jond: I tried the entire setup options list of the node but could not find a working (downsampling) mode. Perhaps I missed something? In any case I am ok with the Node's DAC quality at this price point but my hopes are that the TEAC will beat it. |
@big_greg: Sorry our messages overlapped. I will try connection via a wireless access point (TP-Link) which I already have in my house. However some comments in this forum make me believe that such connection is prone to signal interruptions. We will see. What user interface are you using with your TEAC? |
Thanks! I looked into the TEAC unit that was suggested earlier and I ordered one. Looking at the reviews on this forum it seems to be a good fit, especially now that Onkyo USA is clearing out their stock. The downside I am seeing is that (a) I need to hardwire the TEAC to my router (which in my case is on a different floor) and (b) looking at the comments on this forum it does not seem that its user interface is better than that of the node 2 (BluOS), which I hate. However, I am looking forward to a significant better audio experience. |
@agosto The TEAC NT-505 does not have built in wi-fi. You should run an ethernet cable to it, or you can get a wireless access point. Something like this: https://www.newegg.com/tp-link-tl-wa801nd/p/N82E16833704052 |
Would you know how much I need to budget for a unit better than that integrated into the Node2 - "the next best thing"?That’s a good question. My first stop would be something like the Gustard A18 that runs $650 that I’d think would yield a meaningful improvement and the $1300 Soekris 2541 after that and would be shocked if it didn’t take your performance to a noticeably higher level. Just two potential options among many. Best of luck. |
It is too bad that the Node 2 won't downscale to something your DAC would like... Seems like you have a few options... Replace the Node with a Streamer that will up/downscale... Replace the DAC with one that will manage higher Rez files/streams... Replace the Node and DAC with an all in one Streamer/DAC solution... If you use Roon it can up/downscale for you... Although I am not sure if Roon will run on your Node... Good luck in your choices... |
Of course my pleasure. I posted a very similar question to the forum a few weeks back and got it resolved and it is nice to pass along the info. I am quite surprised that the node analog out compares favorably to your levinson. I would say that definitely puts you in the market for a DAC upgrade. The difference between the DAC I am running and the node is very very significant. Another question I had for the forum which has not been answered is can anything on the market right now compare to an Emm labs of the older generation (without spending more than $10k). Once I get a Denafrips in the fold I suppose I will answer this question for myself. I read a lot of experiences on the node in the forums but the comments do not indicate whether they are running direct out of the analog or to a separate DAC. many people might be judging it solely on its analog output rather than as a transport which would be a bit limited in my opinion. So many of us have a stand alone DAC or a high end cdp that can decode. Lastly I have found that if you have both tidal and qobuz a good bit of music not available on one will be available on the other. But this difficulty decoding is a major issue for me as A LOT of more recently released stuff is only available hi Rez on both platforms. Good luck on your quest! For my part, a new DAC (as long as it sounds good) is the only solution. |
Yes I think you are absolutely correct. I am still testing and see if a change to Qobuz makes sense to me based on my DAC limitations. I was able to compare the same recording (Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms) played by Spotify, Tidal and Qobuz using my ML 30.5: Quality with Qobuz was best, and interestingly the ML displayed "HDCD" when playing this track. Soundstage and -depth was amazing. I guess what I am doing is using the node2's DAC for my streaming source (except where my ML is capable of converting) and use the ML solely for my CD and DAT sources. In direct comparison the ML provides the better soundstage and a tighter image than the node2 but I have to say the performance of the node2 is impressive, in particular when considering the price difference. Your info about the Denafrips is well noted. I will perhaps upgrade my node2 for a better DAC and a better user interface. Thank you again for your input! |
I have a feeling your DAC has been generation gapped and cannot decode the hi Rez file formats coming from the Node. I have the exact same problem. Some HR files read while others do not. Sadly unless ML can provide a firmware update you are out of luck. I run an Emm Labs DCC2SE and I am going to replace it in the near future. The Cambridge audio DAC magic that I own decodes everything only because it is newer. This is the very big downside of digital audio. There is no future proofing. For my part the Denafrips Venus is high on my list of options as it has NOS as well as the capability to decode very high sampling rates. I could be wrong. But I think this is the most logical answer to your question. If you want to send a list of tracks I can try on my emm labs and if my DAC also can’t play then we will know the answer to your problem. Because the problem with mine is that it has been generation gapped. |
Thank you for all your responses. Meanwhile I did more testing in trying to find a solution. Here is what I found: If I play "Hi-Res" on Tidal, my Mark Levinson indicates a sampling rate of 48kHz on the display. Regular quality reads "44.1". So there must be a distinction between these two modes on Tidal. I reset my node2 and re-configured it. Took me a while as this process is flawed, as far as I can tell. Anyway, I can play music from Qobuz, however some albums do not play at all (e.g. Pat Metheny, Bright size life). No matter what sampling rate I choose on Qobuz, even with "CD 44.1kHz" it does not play at all. And yes: I reset the apps to ensure that this sampling mode is on. Other albums either show 44.1 or 48 on the Mark Levinson display. Does that mean that this record only plays on the higher resolutions? If I use the analog output of the node2 and connect it to the pre-amp I can listen to this album. So that seems to confirm that this album (and probably others) will only play with DACs that accept such high sampling rate. I guess I am out of luck with my ML. Any comments or suggestions? |
RTFM Mark Levinson 30.5 DAC page 10... "In addition to the common 16 bit at either 44.1 and 48 kHz sampling rates used by digital sources such as CD and DAT, your No30.6 also supports the two channel 24-bit/96 kHz signal that was defined as part of the DVD-Video standard (and which will certainly be included as part of a larger DVD-Audio standard when the industry agrees to such a thing). As of the writing of this manual, such “24/96” material is just beginning to become available, and we expect availability to grow quickly over time. In addition to true 24-bit capability, the No30.6 also incorporates High Definition Compatible Digital® decoding to take full advantage of the increased resolution available from HDCD-encoded 16-bit CDs. The High Definition Compatible Digital® format retains much of the reso- lution inherent in professional twenty bit recordings, by encoding this information more efficiently within the sixteen bit space available within the Compact Disc format." |
"Hi rez" on Tidal is 16/44.1 unless you have the MQA option through your streamer app or or it comes with your DAC. Hi-rez on Qobuz is 24 bit 48 to 196k. The Levinson 30.5 has a 20-bit Ultra Analog DAC which cannot do 24 bit hi rez. I think that the 30.5 is okay with Tidal because it's streaming 16/44.1 |
Unless there has been some update to your Mark Levinson 30.5 DAC you don’t want to be sending it anything other than 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz or 96kHz data... My guess is that Tidal had never sent above 96kHz if that... BTW, as I understand it, Tidal HiFi/HiRez is 44.1kHz and MQA fully unfolded could be up to 96kHz in an MQA compliant DAC... |
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