Solid state DAC under 12K retail preferably with ethernet
It’s the ODSX that has Ethernet. The SX versions with Ethernet are $10K (V-Caps) and $12,995 (Duelund caps). Look for review in the next 2 months on Audiostream and then hopefully, Stereophile. The only DAC’s I believe in the Stereophile A+ list that have Ethernet are T+A DAC and maybe Ayre. Are you looking for just good audio quality or must it be "Roon-ready"? Steve N. Empirical Audio |
You should care. Jitter is the #1 issue with digital playback and Ethernet enables the lowest jitter I have experienced in 15 years of doing this. This is why I abandoned my XMOS USB interface in favor of Ethernet. It will not matter how good your DAC is if the streaming interface produces too much jitter to achieve pinpoint imaging. As with USB, the design and implementation of the Ethernet interface also matters. They are not all the same. In the best case, it can produce very low jitter. In the worst case, it could be worse than XMOS USB. And a Network player will not solve that for you unless it has a really good clock and interface design/implementation. Most of them have proven to have sub-par jitter performance using their S/PDIF outputs. They are better using an external USB interface. If that's any indication, you will NOT be better off with a network player. It's that last Ethernet interface before the D/A that uses the master clock that matters. This is the whole advantage of Ethernet. You don't need to buy any fancy server or a computer with LPS powering it etc... Any computer on the network will do. Steve N. Empirical Audio |
I don't believe the Ethernet interface on Bricasti M1 SE is Roon ready. According to their website, it's DLNA, so it's compatible with Audirvana plus and Jriver, as is the Empirical Audio Overdrive SX. Empirical Audio also offers a WIFI solution that sounds identical to the wired Ethernet. Since these are similar, a shootout would be interesting, like this one: Steve N. Empirical Audio |
I don't understand how a reclocking of the switch will help. The stream is packetized and the master clock is in the final interface, not in the switch. The LPS will definitely help though, and it must have DC common tied to earth ground. This reduces leakage. This makes the biggest difference. Steve N. Empirical Audio |
If there is USB involved, then it's not Ethernet to the D/A converter. You are maybe using a uRendu? This is not the same as using Ethernet to I2S to the D/A chip. Steve N. Empirical Audio |
Yes, anything that will run Audirvana II or Jriver. The Bricasti webpage shows DLNA and specifically calls out Jriver and Audirvana II. This is not Roon ready. Maybe they have another Ethernet interface that is not DLNA? Like USB, all Ethernet interfaces are not equal by a long shot, and the best performance will be the Ethernet interface inside the DAC with I2S bus directly to the D/A chip or logic. Steve N. Empirical Audio |
Matt’s ODSX still has the older USB interface in it rather than the new Ethernet interface. Ethernet makes all the difference. I could not convince him to do Ethernet or Duelund caps in the DAC. I was refining both of these at the time, but they are solid now. The jitter is much lower due to the Ethernet interface, and the Duelunds deliver a more coherent sound IMO. I would be interested in a shootout of this version ODSX with the Davinci. This version ODSX will be reviewed soon in audiostream. Steve N. Empirical Audio |
I believe the Bricasti is certified roon-ready, I recently checked the Bricasti and Roon website to confirm it. Actually, you must add the Bricasti M5 to get Roon-Ready: http://www.bricasti.com/en/consumer/m5.php You could add the M5 to the Overdrive SX as well. Steve N Empirical Audio |
I rarely post comments in user forums but regarding the Bricasti M1 I feel compelled to comment. For the past few months I have owned the M1 limited gold with built in ethernet interface and must say that it is simply the most elegant piece of electronics I have ever had. I have listened to the Berkeley reference dac and have owned the Empirical Audio Overdrive SX but the M1 with ethernet takes sound reproduction to an etherial level. I would be up for a shootout between M1 with DLNA Ethernet and Overdrive SX with DNLA Ethernet. The Overdrive SX is a different animal now. Many upgrades to it. 20psec of jitter, Duelund caps etc.. Steve N. Empirical Audio |
