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Suggestions for streaming equipment

streaming newbie here so please pardon my ignorance...i used to listen to analog exclusively, but now have started listening to CDs more due to convenience.  i'd now like to venture into streamed music software as a source.  current equipment is as follows:

analog: clearaudio max solution w/ dynavector 507 arm/xv1s cart and graham 2.2/zyx airy cart
digital: wadia 861
preamp: manley steelhead (feeding amps directly)
amps: pass xa160
speakers: wp 7

what i'd like to do, if possible, is to connect the streaming device to the wadia 861 and use the 861's DAC.  is this possible?  if so, which streaming equipment would you recommend?

appreciate your thoughts.
ca2284
9 responses Add your response
ca2284 OP
43 posts
 
I've decided to go the cheap route to begin experimentation.  Purchased a Chromecast Audio, a 3ft Toslink adaptor/cable, and a subscription to Tidal.

Let's see if the jitter issue truly becomes an issue (no pun) with the Toslink/optical connectivity to the 861 DAC.  If so, then I will look into Steve's suggestion which enables BNC and RCA connectivity to the DAC.

Thanks again for your suggestions.
audioengr
3,282 posts
 

The sound quality is not in the streamer but in the DAC, and you already have that in your disc player.

If you use a streamer, you are using an outboard DAC. The outboard DAC will usually be sensitive to incoming signal jitter, so the streamer jitter does matter. Even DAC’s with resampling in them will usually sound better with a low-jitter input stream.


The outboard DAC enables the streamer/DAC combination to sound better than the CD player.  Better DAC, lower jitter signal.  I never listen to CD's anymore because my streamers sound much better.


I can however reclock my CD transport with my Synchro-Mesh, which brings the CD player/DAC combination almost up to the same quality as the Streamer/DAC combination.


Steve N.

Empirical Audio

audioengr
3,282 posts
 

These jitter measurements are mildly interesting. Low jitter measured one way is not an end-all, otherwise a few picoseconds of jitter would be all we need and no other products would compete. Not the case.

I use a completely different direct method of measuring jitter, which requires more expensive equipment. I think this method correlates more accurately to sound quality.

I'm planning to use this method to measure the Pi as well as my own renderer. Unfortunately, they don't allow posting of photos here.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

willemj
1,036 posts
 
The sound quality is not in the streamer but in the DAC, and you already have that in your disc player. I have said it before and I will say it again that dedicated streamers are a bad idea. The manufacturer will have to supply an app for each and every service, and that is unlikely to happen. Similarly, services are unlikely to produce apps for all the different streamers on the market. There are only two ways out of this. The first is to use a computer. The second is to use mass produced and therefore universal streamers like the Apple Airport or the Chromecast Audio, and particualry their digital outputs. The good news is that these are excellent, convenient, and dirt cheap.
ca2284 OP
43 posts
 
great info and will look into this -- thank you.

any thoughts on wadia m330?
willemj
1,036 posts
 
See here for some measurements:
http://archimago.blogspot.nl/2016/09/preview-set-up-raspberry-pi-3-model-b.html
http://archimago.blogspot.nl/2016/05/measurements-odroid-c2-with-volumio-2.html
audioengr
3,282 posts
 

The cheap way to get nice results is the Raspberry Pi for $40 (Amazon) and the Allo DigiOne (Allo in India) for $100 and a SD card for $10. It’s a 2-board stack with connectors. You can put it in a box, or not. They make lots of plastic boxes for this.

There are lots of instructions online to load the OS, DietPi onto the board and program the board from any computer on the network using an app called PuTTY. Google these. All free downloads. You don’t have to be a programmer to do this.

This will give you BNC and RCA outputs to your DAC. You can load DLNA driver from DietPi and Roon Bridge. Then you can use Roon, Jriver or Audirvana + to send music files to it.

The result is quite good, although not quite as musical as my outboard Ethernet renderer which costs $3K. How can you lose for $150?

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

willemj
1,036 posts
 
Chromecast Audio, using the optical digital out. See here for a test: http://archimago.blogspot.nl/2016/02/measurements-google-chromecast-audio_27.html
jl35
4,007 posts
 
I use a Wyred 4 Sound modified Sonos Connect into an Exogal Comet Plus (made and designed by Wadia engineers) and it sounds great...

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