Best Dedicated Streamer


I have a Canary KD-2000 DAC and seek a high end digital streamer to feed it with. I don’t need an integrated unit with a DAC built in nor do I need or want a CD transport in the streamer.

What manufacturers and products should I consider? I would much prefer to buy US made.

Thank you.

tracyiver

we are the us importers 432EVO music servers these are made in Belgiium serviced in nj

 

our servers are fully modular and upgradeable

we have gotten rave reviewsfrom the absolute sound and positive feedback and a new review will be out soon in Stereotimes

we outperform innous and grimm 

the absolute sound reviewer actually purchased the review sample

please reach out to our office for more info

 

Dave and Troy

Audio Intellect nj

 

 

What impressed me when I got a Hegel 190 was how much it improved streaming music (which wasn't a particularly high priority thing for me). I wouldn't call myself highly informed, but a subject for research would be what the amplifier stage does for streaming sound.

I switched from a dCS Vivaldi Upsampler to a Grimm MU1 about 6 months ago.  It took me about 15 min. of an in home dealer demo (via UPS) to decide the Grimm was playing in a different league. If you are interested read the reviews on the Grimm and the interviews on Youtube, as I found them to be accurate to my listening experience. I didn't believe the company's claims that you don't need the usual exotic power and internet treatments, but I have found their claims to be true. By replacing the factory power cord with a Shunyata Sigma or Alpha V2 NR cord I can make it sound slightly different, but I can't tell if it's better. I also had the whole two Farad LPSs with all the upgrades, Afterdark 10MHz clock with $450 clock cable, all tied to my Etherrgen and several higher end Ethernet cables. I went naked for fun, that is I plugged the "house wire" CAT 6 cable with no switch other than the utility house switch to the Grimm. Without the big time switch, cables. and clocking, my decay and leading edge definition were better and still digital glare and sibilance didn't show up. All that extra gear did help my previous streamer, but it sounded like a filter with the Grimm. It was a humbling experience. It appears that Grimm has sorted clean power and low jitter to a level that other manufacturers have not yet achieved.  So for 12K invested in a Grimm you get a built in Roon Core, 4 to 8 TBs of storage, a world class streamer, AND you don't need to spend 7 to 8 K on ethernet enhancements and power cords. The Grimm is also designed to feed any other manufacturer's DAC which appeals to me as well. If you PM me I will tell you what Grimm dealer let me do the free in home trial. This is a difficult post to write, but I went down the wrong road for the right reasons. For me, learning is one of the joys of this hobby.  I encourage you to seek out a  free Grimm in home trial and experience the grimm within your audio ecosystem. I think you will be very happy you did so,

Also suggest the small green computer rendu roon player via usd to dac.  My house is 6 years old and built with standard cat 5, using recommended cat 5 on Amazon.   Roon core is a Microsoft surface 7.  My only issue was using Amazon hd via iPad.  The orbiter has an apple simulation called shareport  which to my ears is not up to the roon mode. maybe blasphemy, but since I prefer Amazon’s ai to find new playlists, using a 40 dollar chromecast audio via optical cable with a Lenovo tablet.  

I recently attended a presentation by Lynn introducing their new Klimax Streamer/DAC. $50k if memory serves. I asked what the new product had inside besides the DAC which made it reach the new levels he described and we heard.

His reply "The DAC is everything" .

That said I would shop DACs carefully and spend my money there.

I own an Innuos that has no DAC but rips, Streams and stores.

Made in Portugal. Support people very responsive.

For my money it is perfect. Is the Grimm better? Or is it a Grimm fairy tale?

Maybe just Grimm and bear it.

It is $10k more so lets hope so.

Odd thing is nobody reviews streamers against

each other as is done with other equipment. Why? Perhaps it is

as the old Blue Bonnet margarine French Chef ad stated " Pas difference".

 

Do make the right connections from router. Buy an Uptone Audio Etherregen.

And enjoy the new music you will discover with Roon. BTW Roon has no support

at all!. 

Innuos has its own sorting/search software called Innuos Sense. Rumor has it that

Roon degrades the SQ.  Not so with the InSense or so they claim.

 

I do like Qobuz. Hope they survive.