Why not start cheap and see if you like it?
There are multiple choices with USB out <$1K.
1. Ripped CDs usually sound better to most than streamed Redbook, starting with the noise floor.
4. DSD is only available from ripped SACDs.
6. DSD512? A betting man banks on you not being able to ID it blind without <$50K in cables. |
Yeah. Why don't you cross that stream when you come to it?
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We are streaming experts We sell a lot of dacs and streamers
Good servers make a very noticable improvement in sound quality
We sell bluesound, lumin, roon and the amazing sounding 432EVO servers from belgium
In the past We have sold innous sotm, naim and aurrender
Dave and troy
AUDIO INTELLECT NJ |
i thought i mistakenly logged into a urology forum |
Listening to CDs from a streaming service works for most people, but it does put you at the mercy of the quality of the streaming service, your router, your ISP (many have throttled bandwidth during the pandemic, with everyone Zooming, streaming movies at home, etc), and finally, the ability of your streamer to connect and play with all of the above. There is a lot to be said for putting the CD in the transport and hitting play.
Assuming your must be the bees knees because it says McIntosh on the faceplate is like assuming that all Cadillacs must be great cars.
How much DSD content do you plan to purchase? Do streaming services such as Tidal even stream in DSD? And as someone else up thread implied, you need a pretty highly resolving system (I.e., probably past your budget) to really appreciate it.
fwiw, I play the DSD layer of my SACDs via HDMI using my Oppo 105, which can output the DSD layer over HDMI, into my Bryston DAC3, which has HDMI inputs, but it’s DSD 64. I was able to stream 1 recording of an SACD that I owned over usb at DSD 128 and heard no difference. |
I am paralyzed. There are so many options, reviews, recommendations... I am truly frozen, unable to choose. Wish it were easy to try things at home before you buy, and by try I mean AB. I'm sure anything I select in this range will sound nice because there is nothing to compare it to.
Unless it is streaming through my integrated and Focals, I will have no idea what it will really sound like until it's home. My answer could be to not compare, get something and never know the difference, but again, what is that one something? I think I've already researched too much and will always be second guessing unless I've heard 'em all... ugh.
I need a break... two nights of restless sleep with every model and review looping in my head. I suspect I'm not alone experiencing this type of paralysis?
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@izjjzi, Been in your shoes, don’t give up. If I may suggest, buy Aurender ACS100. IMO, it is lot more versatile than N100, within your budget and offers much better SQ (over N100) due to its isolated UPS power supply. The conductor app is way superior than Bluesound iOS app. Use it with your DA2 DAC for now and down the road audition different DAC’s. The ACS100 will give you a solid foundation and state of the art file management. 1. Your CD rips may sound better vs streaming files and vice versa. I have retained about 300 cd rips (out of 800) that are rare and sound better to my ears. 2. McIntosh expertise is in analog, their digital gear is serviceable at best. Only you can decide what’s sound best to your ear by trying different DAC’s from another manufacturer. 3-5. I wouldn’t worry too much about DSD, Qobuz high resolution streaming is pretty good. DSD is currently only available as downloads or rips from SACD’s. You may download a DSD file from Nativedsd.com to see if it sounds audibly better in your system. Personally I do appreciate the DSD (64, 128 and 256) files, in my system as they sound way superior than CD rips or streaming. 6. Roon Nucleus - No direct experience. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/9445Hope this helps! |
Don’t make it so hard. It isn’t. Just do it. A good quality DAC is the key. |
Get Roon and Tidal, maybe Qobuz for the odd thing that's not on Tidal. You music collection suddenly becomes almost everything you can think of or even hear about. Yes, there are a few exceptions that aren't yet on those two... very few. Sound quality is very high and realistically gonna take a hell of a system to expose the difference. And remember, listening is not about endless A/B testing, it's about listening to music. Roon let's one explore stuff they'd never think to buy are are surprisingly good. Samantha Fish. And have you ever seriously listened to Miley's voice? Pretty souful stuff, tho in no way my kind of music. Or Sunday morning with Chopin's Nocturnes. And the bass player in Bela Fleck is absolutely unbelievable. If we're gonna be stuck living in the future we might as well take advantage of it. And I do wish Hegel would finally get through the Roon cert process so I can ditch the old PC that's currently functioning as my Roon core.
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izjjzi OP21 posts07-27-2021 9:36amI
am paralyzed. There are so many options, reviews, recommendations... I
am truly frozen, unable to choose. Wish it were easy ... I think I've already researched too much and
will always be second guessing ... I
need a break... two nights of restless sleep ... I suspect I'm not alone experiencing this
type of paralysis? No, you're not alone. I was behind a guy like you once at Baskin-Robbins.
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@izjjzi No, you're not alone. I was behind a guy like you once at Baskin-Robbins. lmao!! 👏👏👏👏 |
@lalitk Very helpful. Advice and further reading keep bringing me back to Aurender. I would love the ACS10. There are two being offered here, but besides storage capacity, is there a difference in sound? If yes, I may spend more than I want and go with the 10 over 100. The ACS is in my top 5, especially if I want to rip the 200 or so CDs I haven’t used since the 90’s.
Side question - how do modern rippers deal with scratched discs? Do they report ripping issues / artifacts? Would be sweet to learn that they do, so I don’t discover such things through listening.
As for the McIntosh DA2... there is so little out there. I guess I’ll have to hear it. If other DA2 users went with alternatives after giving the DA2 a chance, I would love to hear about it.
I will be going to Qobuz. My Tidal Masters trial will be up soon. I was only worried about DSD because the McIntosh literature speaks to supporting it. I want to experience the "best" quality the DA2 supports and have that as my base for as you said, exploring other DACs in the future.
@surfcat I do like what I’ve seen online for the Roon and Conductor UIs. I agree that when going the digital route that software is important. I can’t believe how many new artists I’ve discovered from recent AB’ing at local shops using these apps. Discovery is one of the things I’m looking forward to the most! Thank you so much for the suggestions. Such suggestions are welcome and have joined my growing list of tracks to listen to once my system is ready.
@millercarbon @jjss49 @cleeds Thank you for the legit LOLs.
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@izjjzi,
I would go with ACS100, being a newer product; it has all the latest enhancements. Having an isolated power supply is huge plus, IMO. Having owned N100H, N10 and N20, I can say confidently that ACS100 doesn’t short change you in SQ. And you can have upto 8TB of storage in ACS100.
As far as ripping goes, I have yet to come across any errors in reading discs. If the disc is unreadable, the ACS100 will spit out the disc (like it does for single layer SACD’s).
As far as experiencing the best quality, it’s very subjective in my opinion and largely depends on the DAC and rest of components in the signal chain. |
@lalitk The only thing that makes me balk at the ACS100 is what Aurender's site says about it: best sound quality is achieved when using an N100H, N100C, N100SC, N10, A100, A10, A30 or W20SE Aurender music server / streamer as the main player They pretty much say the same about the ACS10: However, the highest audio performance is realized when using the ACS10 mated with models A10, N10 or W20 ...which I'm just reading now. This is what I mean by paralysis. Just when I'm about ready to make a purchase another detail derails me. In writing, Aurender is admitting you will not get the best sound unless you pair it with one of their dedicated streamers. Seriously wtf? Transparency is nice, but now off to a deeper dive on the competition. There must be at least one offering that covers all bases? If the only way to achieve this is to spend far north of my target...ugh. This quest was fun up until now. It is far from straight forward. I need a Baskin-Robbins... |
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they have Rocky Road, you are on it…… |
seriously, the DAC is more important than the streamer….but you also need a streamer company with longevity and a history of well executed software updates…
This is where IMO a solid relationship with supporting dealer is essential….
Have fun. The reality is there is so much quality gear out there and in a constant state of flux / improvement that the LaGrange point optimal solution you seek…does not exist…
i like Pistachio Almond, full disclosure.. |
@izjjzi,
Perhaps the only way to settle your quandary is side by side audition of ACS100 and N100 or N200. I very much doubt you’ll will be able to tell the difference :-)
All of the aurender streamers are built to very high standards. Honestly, you don’t get to appreciate nuances until you step into N20, N30SA or W20SE arena.
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1. What’s the point of ripping your CDs if you haven’t listened to them? especially if I want to rip the 200 or so CDs I haven’t used since the 90’s. 2. What’s the point of ripping those CDs if they are available through the streaming service you use? 3. What’s the point of adding component complexity and cost from a feature set you (likely) don’t need? 4. What’s the point of adding unneeded requirements to a checklist you are already overwhelmed with? |
Paralyzed again... there are SO many flavors! I could be in this line forever! ...honestly, you had me at "ice cream". Heath bar crunch all day!
Just spent the last hour reading reviews, specs and watching videos [drum roll] I'm seriously considering the HiFi Rose RS150. The DAC seems impressive, which will allow me to AB vs the DA2. Talk about features, upgradability, build... and I can attach an external drive and rip my CDs. I know it's just north of my range, but the features! lol You can toggle all inputs / outputs on or off so your actual connections are more isolated. Don't know if it really translates, but wow, seriously thoughtful engineering. I can't not see this thing pushing the current envelope. Anyone own this kit? |
Paralysis by analysis. We've all been there. Try to take a deep breath and simplify. If that's possible. |
@david_ten I did not get into my backstory, but I grew up in a music loving home with my Audiophile uncle next door as well. I was raised on vinyl and 8-track. Fast forward more years than I care to count and I'm finally in a good place financially and with the backing of my wife. I've been revving my engine for a long time and the light just turned green at the end of June. I am eager to remember what I have in my CD collection and to discover new artists. I may not rip all of them but definitely want to try it and see what my ears think vs paid-service streams. What I have so far has been an emotional experience. It's like I'm hearing music for the first time. The right kit for you really does makes a difference.
I am loving it, trying to be patient, but this aspect has not been easy, especially because I've already had to return speakers (B&W), two integrated amps (Sim Audio & NAD), a power conditioner, and now have to sell my brand new, week-old Node. Almost forgot, I also purchased a VTI BL304SC rack that will not fit my MA-9000 (my fault) and it cannot be returned because I opened the box! This is why I'm having trouble and so thankful for everyone's help and humor! |
@izjjzi Thanks for sharing your 'backstory.'
My advice. Keep it simple. Focus on your core requirement / need. You can add additional layers once you are comfortable. All the best. |
"[A collective sign resonates from forum members upon seeing STREAM in the title]".
Can someone please tell me what the sign is? Nobody told me the sign and I feel like I've been kicked out of the club. |
I recommend trying to listen to a Antipodes S30 or S40 music server. I think Antipodes competes with music servers at various price points and their customer service is outstanding. I rip all of my cds, because I prefer the sound to streaming. I actually like streaming for background music or to find new music to purchase and rip to my harddrive. |
I have found if you want a streaming system on par with a good
cd setup or hard drive , wifi is not as good ,direct Ethernet cable
for sure ,then you need good filtering a good streamer and dac is a must , right before your streamer you need a Ethernet Switch
or something very good like a Ether regen which totally makes a new clean signal right before the streamer . Melco N10 for $3k
a fantastic low noise hard drive ,and Roon ready hub super regulated low noise ,made in Japan class A rated. A high quality
dac with hi quality $500 and up usb cable is a must . The NewWireworld - Platinum 8 USB is finally out and only $500. I have the excellent Final touch audio Callisto USB which is around $850. My point everything counts if you want a reference sound .I just ordered the excellent reference grade Rockna Wavelight dac
and they just came out with a matching exceptional streamer $4800 and it has true I2S connections Fron dac to streamer
which is without question the cleanest best connection method dac to streamer on the planet I will still use my purpose built computer until I can afford the Rockna streamer . |
izjjzi, I was in the same boat as you for a couple of years, finally jumped in 2 months ago, so my hands-on experience is about zero. That being said, I bought a Lumin T2, and love it. It has a very good built-in DAC, and does not contain a hard-drive. Lumin’s recommends running their app on an IPad, ideally, so you have that. I think you’ll need to jump thru more hoops to stream rips from your computer, I haven’t gotten to that. The Lumin itself is not wireless, it’s connected to your router with an ethernet cable. Musically, I think it’s excellent. Good luck.
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Almost forgot, if you're still interested in ripping high-quality files from your CDs, look for a program called Exact Audio Copy. It's not only one of the best out there, but it's free, and will enable you to rip FLAC files. It's a little tedious to figure out the install, seems like the website is translated from German, if I recall.
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Being from McIntosh assuming the digital is good you could not be more wrong ,since theysold their company out went the Audiophiles and part of their integrity .
some are in part made in China ,only their upper end is made in NY,and digital is by far their worst product ,if you want great digital
buy from a company that specialize in just that Digital !! |
1. There will be many opinions, some well formed, some not on ripped vs streaming, but having both, i almost never listen to my ripped CDs when there is likely a better sounding version on Tidal. Why better? Typically because they have re-mastered versions. I don’t find a big difference to most HD formats if the original recordings and masterings were excellent 2. I don know much about the McIintosh DAC 3. I also pretty much ignore the oddball format wars. Most music is RedBook - so i worry about where the music is. USB is a fine interface, if you take the proper precautions. Much to learn there- mostly about noise / ground isolation. 4. more on DSD and I’ll continue to say "who cares?" 5. Yada yada. You may think i don’t care about sound. Wrong -- believe me I care a LOT about sound quality, and have a crazy revealing system, but you are barking up the wrong tree worrying about all the niche steaming/digital formats. They really are not needed for great sound, and what does it matter since the music is not in those formats, unless you want to keep replaying the remastered version of "some nobody plays obscure songs, not very well". Pass. 6. Roon. Roon. Roon. I cannot imagine buying a last-century tech streaming appliance. I also dont want to pay for custom hardware. Nucleus is nice, but start by running it on an old computer. read up about how to get the best out of Roon. (the whole USB and network interface bit from above). Roon has its issue, but its also a great music-centric platform. I went from running it on a space 9 year old macbook pro, to building a dedicated ROCK server from an intel NUC. One key to good USB and roon sound is truly quiet, well isolated bridges. I custom build those from Raspberry Pis with custom power supplies and isolation. Not for everyone, but you can pay various firms to sell you the same thing. Roon. Roon. Roon. Now to really learn abotu streaming and the ins and outs i’d rather spend qutie a few hours watching this guy’s videos that asking random people here. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR4tuhqPppVp-PD0q17sPEAG |
@ricred1 Nice stuff. I see it's another offering where you have to buy the separate PSU to deliver considerably better audio performance. a re-clocker if you want even better SQ. Add and a ripper if you want to rip. It's an unexpected education / learning of how something that seemed like a lay-up (before I knew better) is turning out to be the most difficult part of my journey. The funny part is Antipodes has a photo with all 4 components together and they look like a single, normal sized component. Maybe besides the benefit of isolation it makes sense to piecemeal a solution because instead of one very expensive box, you can buy each over time to "get there"? It is something to consider. @audioman58 You brought up something I had not mentioned - I have the Netgear Orbi WiFi 6. One of the satellites is the rack so I'm able to connect via cat6. I am getting close to 1Gbps, so I'm not worried about throughput, however, you've introduced yet another expensive component I need to consider - an ethernet switch? Where does it end?! haha The Rockna gear looks solid. @builder3 The Lumina was on my short list before I started thinking a ripper would be nice. @audioman58 Understood. The McIntosh DAC may not be good and being new I thought for the reputation and price that it had to be decent. I could be dead wrong. I get it. I'm now leaning toward a streamer with a good DAC. A streamer that can interface with a ripper. The HiFi Rose seems to fit the bill again. Speaking of the Rose - I could save money by buying it outside the US, but will the power will be different and unusable in the US? The UK for example has far better pricing than the US. |
@itsjustme Funny, I found Hans a few days ago on YouTube and have watched at least 9 of his videos. After midnight here... more ground covered, knowledge tucked-away, closer to something. Tomorrow, actually later today I have consulting phone call planned where I hope to have a number of other questions answered as well as some follow-ups on what I've learned here. Goodnight everyone.. |
@izjjzi, I can only speak for myself and my gear of course.
Check out the Antipodes server/streamers from New Zealand.
They range from under $NZ5K to 5 times that. Factor in your exchange rate and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
I have a D2 which is about 5 or 6 years old now. It has a CD transport built in.
I reckon it sounds fantastic and their after sale service is second to none.
They have a DAC built in, which sounds very good but encourage a separate DAC via USB and
I use a Denafrips Pontus. They invested more time and effort into the USB section as this was, at the time maybe, the go to output for the majority of users. They do also have SPDIF outputs.
Bear in mind that I am talking about an older unit. Their focus may well have shifted since 2015.
They also say that a FLAC ripped CD from the HDD will sound better than the same album when streamed from Tidal etc. It might only be by degrees but I would agree with their claim.
I have some DSD tracks in my library and the Antipodes and Pontus both handle them perfectly.
Naturally, if you just want to stream and play your CDs on a CDP, there will be an extra box on your rack.
So, a one-box solution as a server (for your ripped CDs)/ streamer makes sense to me.
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Auralic Aries G1 @ $2900 is serious a contender.
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Glad you found and like Hans. Happy to provide details on things i have tested and built - not because you would build it, but because it indicates what technical characteristics actually matter and which don't. Suffice it to say "buy this I did" is not he most useful advice....
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“because it indicates what technical characteristics actually matter and which don’t”
@itsjustme,
I would like to learn from your experience ‘what matters most in a server or streamer’. Would you also share your system details, thank you!
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@lalitk +1 question to @itsjustme. Would love to know the configuration.
@griff69 The Auralic is also on my list. Thank you.
[ Warning: niave question ahead! ]
I like the idea of leveraging currency exchange rates to either pay less (Canada, Australia, etc) or purchase a solution from another country. My fear is with the power cord / supply. Is this a risk that I will have to have a solution to work in my Massachusetts home??? |
You can rip any damn thing with Foobar in Win 10. Ripped digital files played from a RAM Disk are the best I have heard, and the NVMe drive I use is very close.
A Blueray/DVD Burner is perhaps the most capable device for ripping CDs. I have about 100G of ripped CDs and Hi Res files, well backed up, on my machine.
As a computer is a noisy thing we need a good way to get the bits out in good order. A Pi2AES used in a network bridge delivers astonishingly low levels of both noise and jitter to your DAC.
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izjjzi,
". I see it's another offering where you have to buy the separate PSU." I started with the Antipodes S40. After I had the S40 I decided to purchase the S30, S60 PSU and K10 ripper. No absolutes in audio; therefore no matter one's preference only your ears can decide. Unfortunately it's impossibe to audition everything in your system.
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For me, at a certain point, I realized that I needed to focus on what I really wanted. First and foremost, it was a streamer and high-quality DAC in one box. The rest fell by the wayside.
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@izjjzi
If you don’t mind me asking. What did you not like about the sim audio integrated as I am considering one. Thanks |
@ronboco I don't think I ever said I didn't like it? I love and HIGHLY recommend it. It is the best integrated amp I've heard to-date. Period. It's just that at its price point I wanted more in terms of features and the McIntosh integrated had it all. What I've learned after the fact is that is that I may not end up using much of the McIntosh. I'm not going to invest in vinyl, headphones, etc. I may also end up with a discrete DAC. So my basic thinking at the time was $14k for the MOON and then have to shop for a DAC, or spend the $11k I did for an "all in one", with a dac, display, meters, etc. I can't say I regret my choice and I have an MA-12000 on the way, but I cannot argue that I may have been better off having separate components for everything. I hope you get to hear the MOON, and I'm talking about the 700i. I did demo the 600 at home and it is NOT close to the 700. It is entirely different and I didn't like it, especially after hearing the 700i. Please let me know if you get it? I would love to hear about it. |
IN reply to the requests above, her is (part of) what I’ve learned.______________________________________________ Guys - I’m not sure where the best place to put this all is - since i expect I’ll think of many things over time, and since i cant write everything in one sitting. LMK if there is a place for a blog-type entry. Start with "what’s in my system?" The rest of the system: _____________________In the large this list may not be all that meaningful -- because it almost cannot be familiar as a reference. I design stuff commercially so much of what i have are in fact prototypes. Some are prototypes of old products my companies made; others are prototypes of designs I performed contractually for others, and never appeared exactly in the form i use them. Most today are new designs I’m working on and kinda like, so i keep. In my reference/main system - -- speakers are Vienna acoustics Mahlers
- -- amp (either one or two monoblocks ’depending") is a Sonogy Concept 60 prototype from the late 90’s. Still as good as anything i know.-- preamp is a prototype where I’m using computer controlled logic to provide remote control with fidelity that exceeds the best high end volume, balance and selector hardware. Its addictive.
- -- alternate preamps when the prototype is down for experimentation or loaned out ) are either a Sonogy Concerto or a Rappaport PRE-3 of which only ~ 3 were made and mine may be the only one that works properly - it never did as built - i finally tore it down, reverse engineered some issues, and rebuilt. Its pretty damn good and used actual stepped attenuators with 1/2% mil-spec resistors for volume and balance. A user-factor horror show but pretty revealing sound.
- -- cables are high quality but nothing brand name or particularly fancy. I do have fuses since systems often have hand made, experimenter equipment in them and the thought of blowing up $20k worth of speakers that don’t always have replacement parts is not attractive. Anyone who tells you home depot fuses ruin the sound is hearing the glass of wine. The fuse holder and its contacts, OTOH, matters.
The digital chain; _______________OK, now to the stuff at hand - the digital playback chain. I have about 300 CDs ripped, FLAC. I also have a Tidal subscription and may add qobuz. Library/streamer: Roon. I like Roon a lot. I also hate Roon a lot. Its software; there are issues and always feature development disagreements - but it does more better than anything else i know and will get better over the ages, rather than just old. I like Roon for many reasons:-- myriad remotes - any laptop, tablet or phone works-- multi-room, with synched or independent streams-- excellent UI with all those liner notes etc of years gone by-- MQA first unfold-- upsampling-- DSP for many possible uses including not-bad digital volume control (with only minimal loss of resolution)-- lots more. read up I run Roon on a dedicated 4-core intel I5 NUC headless server. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next_Unit_of_ComputingI run what is called ROCK Roon Optimized Core Kit, the free linux appliance base code that makes Roon an appliance on the server, and self-updating and managing. Mostly. Roon + ROCK + NUC = Nucleus. A NUC like mine with one SSD for Roon and another for music (1TB) can be had for $700-800. Roon is like $750/life or $129/year or something. I’ve had it for years. IMPORTANT: early on i had good luck running Roon on a 10 year old MAcbook pro. But i was not doing fancy things, liek DSP on 4 streams, at that time. I do not have a particularly fancy power supply for my NUC, but i do have an in-line noise filter on it that i built. But careful- this is only because i don’t hook stuff directly to my Roon/ROCK/NUC. I run ethernet (cabled, not wifi, wifi is compromised for music, mostly by jitter radiated noise, to a "bridge" for each room. A bridge connects tow different networking types/protocols, in this case Ethernet and USB. That provides electrical and ground isolation so the power supply doesn’t really matter much. My bridges are all Raspberry Pis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry_PiA Pi is an open source computer on a board that you can buy for about $75-100. But its DIY - you need power, a case, blah blah. For mine i built a very quiet linear power supply that costs more in parts than the computer/bridge itself. But i do that. You can also have regular cheap Pis and cheap-y wall warts in places you care less about. It still sounds damn good, just less good. I run DietPi Linux OS with Roon Bridge and Airplay too. I can hook several DACs to it via USB, and i do. Int he big system sometimes there are 3, some of them experiments. All of my DACs also have, right at the USB input: - ground and power supply isolation. This means you need to power the DAC side and the USB plug side independently. The USB plug side is powered from the computer bridge itself like any other USB. This cuts down noise.
- Re-clocking immediately after USB decoding to reduce jitter.
SIDE NOTE: You can read an old blog at www.sonogyresearch.com on jitter but suffice it to say that a digital signal to a DAC is not 100% digital. This is why the bits is bits argument is flawed. Music is reproduced from the SPDIF signal to essentially PAM and then reconstructed to an analog signal. You can think of this as a cartesian coordinate system (remember them? X & Y axes?) in which the digital code is the Y-value and the timing is the X-value. Jitter changes timing. Change timing and the waveform changes. Simple as that. We can argue all day about whether its significant but i hear it all the time. Or its the wine talking. But i don;t believe so since I perform repeated tests and my work depends on not lying to myself. I also recruit others to call BS on me when needed.
- Really excellent power supplies, always independent for the digital and analog stages. I don’t mean tow different 75 cent regulators: i mean independent back to the wall. I’m not alone, most really good DACs do this somehow.
None of my DACs are state of the art. I have not spent $15k on one, and the ones i have partially designed and built reflect that I am still learning. Yet even whit these, i can get some remarkable, almost analog-sound, but with much better noise and dynamics. I have typed so many times its a broken record (remember records? I also have three cool turntables, but i digress) that the key to any good digital music is the original recording and mastering. Most of the best i have heard are.......... really old analog recordings lovingly converted to RED BOOK CD. 16/44. Nothing special. Old verve. Old blue note. Old Mercury Living Presence (Matt Fine may come over and listen now that Covid is under control around here....). https://www.stereophile.com/content/fine-art-mercury-living-presence-recordingsSources: I have a wall of albums and a great Turntable ( 3 actually). I have 100s of CDs. I rarely listen to either - i listen to Tidal. There is usually a remastered version of whatever that sounds better than the one i have. And an MQA version (which i typically find to be just a bit better). But the mastering makes a vastly bigger difference. Listen to Ella and Louis on verve. Or Song for My Father on Blue Note. Or the needle and the damage done on Reprise. Still think CD sucks? Then you have system issues IMO. Do i wish that studios had learned how to filter and record digitally earlier? Of course. but what we have is much better than it is given credit for, And of course, the mid-80s awful recordings still sound awful - worse with all their shrillness revealed in its glory. But that’s not CD’s fault. Note I ma playing whit what i amusingly call a "de-nastifyier" filter. we shall see if it sees the commercial light of day in some product. I hope this helps. My fingers are tired. G |
@itsjustme (G) Thank you for taking the time to respond in such detail. Absolutely helps to understand. : ) I hope your fingers have recovered!
I am on vacation and will be reading more on this topic, but thanks to everyone's responses and a special thanks to a private helping hand, I am in a really good place mentally to take the next steps over the coming weeks.
Joining this forum was a good move and something I think can be included as a component in many of our systems - the audio loving community - you.
Best,
J |
I like streaming and it sounds pretty good. However, I do not stream my music for serious, usually by myself, listening. In those instances it is LP’s, cd’s etc...but when casually listening or with family, streaming is a great option. I also enjoy finding new music via streaming. I sort of use it to test whether or not I’d consider buying the physical copy. I have not invested a lot into the streaming stuff, as I see no benefit. What I do have sounds very good to my ears. |
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However, I do not stream my music for serious, usually by myself,
listening. (snip) In those instances it is LP’s, cd’s etc...I have not invested a lot into
the streaming stuff,
I've taken this pretty seriously and I can say, without reservation, that good streaming (minimum full red book, better: high res) sounds better than ripped CDs and ripped CDs from a good, low jitter streamer sound better than those same CDs played from a CD player --. SPDIF --> the same DAC. LPs vs digital is more of a philosophical and preferences thing. Objectively most old, commercial release records tend to suck - lots of pressing distortion, compression, etc. to me, no comparison. I am not referring to "audiophile" pressings but they are generally marginal music. But 99% of the time, LPs come in, for me, dead last. (but often romantically so) You had a different experience. Your own words explain why you feel differently. You have not put the time or $$ into making streaming good. So that's hardly a reason to criticize the format. Before you think you must spend a lot, my first epiphany came when i ripped CDs and played them backing using a Macbook pro, bitperfect, USB, running the laptop on batter to reduce ground and power supply noise. Just better. I began experimenting and never looked back. Note my ripped CDs and streaming come from the identical source: my Roon server - so its apples to apples. Just sayin' |
For build quality ,made in MA. U.SA. Machined billet aluminum case
Classic AD 1955 laser trimmed dual Multibitbit dacs ,separate modules for dsd conversion ,separate linear power supplies and Streamer card for $6500
Bricasti M3 dac with analog preamplifier is a true high end bargain. And run all your music off your tablet,no drivers to load,or firmwear headaches👍
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how do you connect your tablet to your Bricasti DAC? Does it have the power & bandiwdth (over???) to upsample and stream both full CD and HD? the convenience and simplicity soudns alluring for many at first, but leaves lots of questions.
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I think you’re way overthinking this. You don’t need to be spending a fortune. Just take itsjustme’s advice. He knows what he’s talking about. |
