There’s the less expensive Innuos Pulse and the more expensive Aurender N200 that are worth exploring as well. Best of luck.
What might pair well with a combined Laiv Harmony uDDC and Laiv DAC?
Beyond the title, not much to say. I am somewhat new to (some) digital equipment (though I have used it a lot at work in other realms, so some of the techno-babble sort of makes sense to me).
So I want to stream music (Qobuz) via a transport or streamer (DAC need not be part of it) to a DDC to a Laiv DAC (which arrives tomorrow!)(not the mini-DAC).
Other than the often-mentioned Rose RS130, can anyone comment on a streamer that would fit into this well? I think the uDDC opens the door to more inputs (it outputs as i2S or USB to the DAC).
Thanks.
Tim
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Not much data out there yet but what I am reading is that the DDC cleans up the signal coming to the DAC in a noticeable way. It is intended to connect to the Laiv DAC via i2S and with its own multiple inputs it allows non-i2S outputs to connect to that i2S input on the DAC. But it is said to benefit the sound even when the signal is coming to the DDC i2S input. I imagine I will find out soon enough!! |
You can add the Singxer SU-6 to the list provided by @mbolek. Most of those provide adjustable pin settings for I2S and they also provide other various outputs such as AES/EBU and S/PDIF via RCA and/or BNC. The Holo Red mentioned previously has received good reviews for sound quality (as did the Singxer) and the Holo Red can also be used as a stand-alone streamer, which most of them can’t. You should take a look at this review. |
Thank you Mitch for these suggestions. Apparently I shall be hustling to avoid tariff-related cost changes, if ordering items made (and still in) China. The Laiv components (Singapore is now subject to a 10% tariff) were already in LA at a west coast distribution facility, so I dodged that bullet this weekend. For other imported components, there is a great deal of uncertainty. "You should take a look at this review." I could tell that the reviewer was born in Germany! As Mark Twain said many years ago, “..mastery of the art and spirit of the Germanic language enables a man to travel all day in one sentence without changing cars.” Or, as he put it in another way: “Whenever the literary German dives into a sentence, that is the last you are going to see of him till he emerges on the other side of his Atlantic with his verb in his mouth.” In other words, not an easy read to get to the point! Tim |
My technoLust for a Pure Streamer shows me the following so far (not including Rose products which I started out looking at) after some of your input: Lumin U2 MINI Digital Transport/Streamer - $2,400 Lumin U2 Digital Transport/Streamer - $5,000 Eversolo DMP-A6 Gen 2 Streaming DAC - $859 Eversolo DMP-A8 Streaming DAC - $1,980 AURALiC Altair G1.1 Digital Preamp/Streamer/DAC - $3,249 Aurender A20 music server - $15,000 Aurender ACS10 Music Server with CD Ripper - $6,500 HoloAudio – Red – DDC & Network Streamer - $798 Matrix Audio Element S - $1,500 Volumio Rivo Plus - $1,400 iFi Audio NEO Stream - $1,299 I admit to being attracted most to the last 4 units. Does anyone here have experience personally with these and how they have functioned for you?[edit - experience with any of these units, not just the last four] Tim |
@timothy468 ive gone trough some Streamers and DAC’s and my current set up blows me away, these are nice pieces but the synergy is what’s magical to me. I landed on the following.
Innuos Zen MK 3, great OS and fantastic sound, warm, weighty great dynamic range. Continuous updates, User forums, and incredible customer service. LaivuDDC fantastic addition. Can now use I2s, big step up from USB to Dac
Denafrips Terminator ii 12, loves the synergy of the Innuos and uDDC combination and I2s input sounds fantastic.
Hope this helps. You bought a great combination from LAIV. |
@timothy468 DDC's potential advantage comes from clocking and power supply to that clock in DDC vs internal clock and power supply in dac. In comparing clocks, general hierarchy is OXCO best, followed by TXCO, then Femto. And then we have to consider power supplies to those clocks, this extremely important as well, with superior power supply it may be possible for Femto clock with very nice power supply to outperform OXCO clock with lesser power supply. Also, not all clocks created equal, therefore, they all vary in quality. Finally, length of I2S cable needs to be shortest possible, 1/2M at most, I2S clocks provide highest performance when located closest to data path in dac, having to travel along cables messes with timing to some extent.
Input quality also variable with DDC, do your research prior to purchase. The quality/optimization of this interface also important, when thinking about streaming one has to consider entire chain.
So, I have Harmony dac, use Denafrips Gaia, chose this for it's extremely high quality OXCO clock and power supply, also very nice input design. This relatively high price for ddc, I chose this since I wanted to hear full potential of going I2S, same reasoning for choice of Tubulus I2S cable.
Since your looking for a streamer I can see the sense of going with streamer with I2S output. Still need to research quality of that output, you could avoid need for DDC altogether if quality high, otherwise not worth limiting your choice of streamers to those with I2S output. As for my particular setup with Harmony, I2S superior vs my optimized usb, the usb board in Harmony is pedestrian, nothing special, high quality I2S setup should sound best vs usb in this dac. |
To sns, Thanks for those clarifying comments. I like the uDDC frm Laiv, as it allows several differnt sorts of inputs to go to the Laiv DAC via an i2S output (the connection from the DDC to the DAC comes with it and is very short). That makes is more intriguing to consider streamers without an i2S output as still compatible with the Laiv DAC, plus benefiting from the cleanup of that particular DDC. The information on the clock/power supply issue is also helpful. I have already purchased the Laiv uDDC as a starting point for me (at about $875 it seems pretty reasonably priced). My hope was that it would work well with the Laiv DAC as it had been designed specifically for it (though not only it). To Audioman58, I am coming to that conclusion about the Innuos line also. The ability to have a CD ripper as well is also appealing, though not as vital to me. Thanks all. Time to unbox my just-arrived DAC! Tim |
Two more from Matrix that I'm eyeing to use with my Harmony... https://www.matrix-digi.com/product/117/NT-1 https://www.matrix-digi.com/product/115/TT-1
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Another recommendation for an Innuos streamer. I have the Zen MK3 I got used from a great local dealer for $1800. It connects out using USB. It has a CD ripper and storage so you can run any CDs you have and stream from the same system. A big factor with a streamer is the operating system and the Sense app that Innuos has works beautifully with Qobuz. Allows me to control from my iPad and iPhone. I tried the Holo Audio Red. Sounds great and well built but I didn’t like having to use my laptop to control. I Went with the Innuos instead. |
For now, I am going to go with a used iFi Audio NEO Stream from ECHO Audio in Portland, and then likely change it to the Laiv NET2 when it is released. I am strongly considering the Laiv preamp and, when they are released, their 200 W monoblocks as well. In for a penny, in for a pound... And (for now) paired with my Bluesound Node in streamer-only mode, the Laiv Harmony DAC is really very detailed and warm and presents an immediate and notable improvement in the sound stage and depth. Tim |
You should know iFi streamers can be very glitchy and their customer support is basically non existent. I had a very frustrating connection issue with my Zen Stream that I couldn’t get resolved through their extremely lame online support “system,” and being in the industry at the time I was able to get the iFi US distributor involved and even he couldn’t get anyone from iFi to help, which is just ridiculous and inexcusable in my book and they’ve lost my business. If I’m you I’d just get a good LPS for the Node from LHY, SBooster, or Teddy Pardo until you’re ready to upgrade, or better yet pony up for this nice used Innuos Zen Mk3 and be done for a long time (and avoid the potential tariff increase). Just my $0.02 FWIW, and best of luck. https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisbdh49-innuos-zen-mk3-music-servers-docks |
