dac and streamer or seperates


Want to spend about 5k

System right now is a Krell S-300  love it!

B&W 804's  love them too

Well treated medium sized room.

but I'm using the built in streamer and dac.  

I would like to take my streaming to the next level.

At 5k would you go separate DAC and Separate Streamer or all in one?

128x128asmithkash

I would go separate. Get the Eversolo dmp-a6 streamer and a $4k DAC of your choice

You can't really go wrong either way.....just comes down to which you prefer.  Good options with both types.  

I tend to stick to combo units most of the time as I like the simplicity, but have recently been using a Line Magnetic LM32 Dac and Lumin U2 Mini in my demo setup and really having fun with that combo.  

No long winded answer here. Separates 100%
im not going to recommend anything nor will I push my system on you like most do. I will say I was where you were a year ago and switched to separates. Huge improvement

I would recommend separates but in this price range I would go with one unit.  Check out Lumin as they are a great value and provide versatility as well as the ability to isolate features later on should you want to upgrade.  Initially I used my T3 as a dac and streamer then upgraded my dac and used it to stream. Also Lumin is great choice if you choose to use Roon. 

Here’s a different approach - get BOTH a DAC/streamer combo and then find. Streamer separate. Keep your eyes out for a Modwright-modded Cambridge CXN V2 on the used market. This unit has a streamer and DAC built in, Dan Wright overhauls the analog stage with a tubes and quality lundahl transformers while installing robust linear power supplies for each the analog and digital sections. It can be found from time to time for $2K or so on the used market. You can use the built in streamer for a while until you settle on a better one. On its own it will best most other separates in the $7-10K range. You can then take the time to find the best streamer for your budget, or save more for an even better one. Used Aurender units will get you really far. Lumin is in pretty good for the money as well.