Point of diminishing returns for a Network Streamers?


You have super cheap Pi streamers (build yourself), $399 IfI Zen, $500 Bluesound Node (no DSD), $700+ Pro-Ject Stream box, then $1k -$2k for Lumins, and others.

I'm running an old iMac as my Roon Core and running a super long, active USB cable to my Dac. I probably do not have to pay much for any improvement since my setup is not ideal. 

I'm really fascinated by the Pro-Ject stream box...however...would it be a major improvement over the IFI Zen? I need DSD so the NODE is out of the question .

I could save and go with the new Lumin U2 mini, however....would it be a huge jump over the Pro-Ject?

aberyclark

Showing 2 responses by yage

All a streamer really needs to do is transmit the bits from local storage or a music service to your DAC intact. It sounds as if your setup already does this. There’s no need to make a change unless you’re detecting noise / pops / ticks / dropouts during playback.

 

As a reference, have a listen to the ’Bad cable’ sound sample from this link - What does a bad USB (or other digital audio) cable sound like? This is also what you'd hear from a streamer with suboptimal digital interfaces.

 

If you’re focused on improving / changing the sound of your system, you’ll get more bang for your buck if you look at different speakers or headphones than electronics IMHO.

@soix 

Why? Educated audiophiles can make better choices on what to spend their hard earned money on - whether that information is objective or subjective. I just happen to like to weight my purchasing decisions more towards facts than opinions.

 

In any case, I really don't care if someone wants to buy or recommend something if it sounds better to them. I'm just trying to point to actual audible phenomena vis-a-vis typical audiophile claims.