Upgrade ....streamer or amp?

@fpomposo 

wow, you’ve got an excuse for everything don’t you.  So let’s just eliminate 2020 and 2021 from the statistics due to pandemic anomalies, and look at private sector job creation.  From January 2017 thru December 2019, the net private sector jobs created was 5.6 million.  From January 2022 thru June 2024 (latest data available), the net private sector jobs created was 5.5 million and this number will be significantly higher when the third and fourth quarter 2024 numbers come out).

So sorry, again you’re just wrong on the facts.

I was streaming through my computer into a Chord Qutest which I thought sounded good for about $2K. I tried it out against several Chinese DACs a little lower in price, and I thought the Chinese DACs sounded... too digital. Crispy critters.

I upgraded to a Moon 280D which is a lot better than the computer and Qutest. Much more lively fast sound. I think there is the issue of jitter to be considered. There should be less jitter in a single unit than two boxes connected by whatever.

The Moon was about $4k. But it's from Canada, so who knows? I compared the Moon to more expensive streamers and I really couldn't hear the difference. Or at least I didn't want to sit around waiting to hear the difference. If it didn't smack me in the face, then I wasn't going to spend an extra $5K. I have read audio forums in which audiophiles have said it is difficult in streamers to hear the difference between a relatively inexpensive one like mine and the higher-priced spreads.

Streamers are just Linux boxes with a custom front end.  Bits is bits.  But if you just have to spend more money to get the same exact bits coming down your wire, I'm not going to stop you.

Russ....thanks for the constructive comment!