tk21
Responses from tk21
| Why are so many people spending so much money to build “perfect” streaming system? @laoman When I search for "Wagner Ring Cycle" in Roon, I count 29 album hits from the Qobuz service alone. On Qobuz, represented conductors include Daniel Barenboim (Bayreuth 1991), Karl Bohm (1967), Herbert von Karajan, George Solti (Nov 2014 pe... | |
| Why are so many people spending so much money to build “perfect” streaming system? Someone starting from scratch can build a HiFi system optimized for streaming for no more (and probably less) than the cost of system optimized for vinyl. Less than $2K or so probably can get you a decent set of used bookshelf speakers, an integr... | |
| Music Servers/External Drives In addition, SSD reads data without generating vibration and is supposed to give less electric noise that compromises SQ. Yes, although as I understand it, this isn't an issue if you're only using an HDD for local library storage with Roon (... | |
| Music Servers/External Drives Roon makes it very easy to share a variety of locally networked storage devices and make them integrate seamlessly with streaming services (Tidal/Qobuz). I host my local music library on a headless Mac Mini, my "Jukebox", which I access via Scree... | |
| wanting to take a digital step I recommend a new (or open box) Bluesound Node over the older version (the Node 2i). I see it on sale now for $499. The new version has several improvements over the old, including USB audio out, HDMI ARC, and (apparently) a better DAC. This is ... | |
| Power cords: Anticable vs Mad Scientist Tripp Lite power cords sell on Amazon. They come in various lengths and plug configurations. 15A, 14AWG (NEMA 5-15P to IEC-320-C13), 6-ft Black currently sells for $13.60. This style also comes in 2'/3'/10'/12' lengths. UL listed, lifetime warra... | |
| HoloAudio STREAMER is out now Interesting DDC capabilities along with the streaming. I think this is the first streamer I've seen with I2S out. A future software/firmware UG supposedly will support DSD1024 and PCM1536K. I doubt it includes an HQ Player license for that price,... | |
| Do Streamer only devices really impact sound quality? I wonder how many people have compared I2S with USB in a well-controlled A/B test. I2S still isn't all that widely available. My streaming DAC does have an I2S input but I've never used it. In my system, the most likely path into that IIS port ... | |
| Do Streamer only devices really impact sound quality? Individuals use usb because it has best SQ vs other inputs/outputs available to them. I've observed many trying coax, AES/EBU, I2S inputs on dac, finding them inferior and returning to usb. I don't know that the channel itself necessarily makes... | |
| Do Streamer only devices really impact sound quality? Not sure what to make of that title. I suppose Darko might be saying that the SBT was a relatively affordable engineering marvel, not that it's the best-sounding such device ever made, regardless of price. The same might be said of the latest Blu... | |
| Do Streamer only devices really impact sound quality? I did a quick search for Darko's streamer reviews. Not sure I found the one @soix cited. Anyway, Darko's highest praise seems to go to the Logitech Squeezebox Touch. You can get one of those on eBay for less than $200 (US). I wonder if anyone ... | |
| Do Streamer only devices really impact sound quality? For many devices recently on the market, the streamer is integrated with a DAC and possibly preamp capabilities (volume control, source selection, or both). So chances are, you won't be hearing the "streamer itself" in isolation from one or more o... | |
| Packing & Shipping Large/Heavy Speakers This is why I'd never buy very large, expensive, floor-standing loudspeakers that are not manufactured within a comfortable driving distance from home. 70 lbs per speaker is about my size limit. A ~half-day drive away is about my distance limit. ... | |
| The character of analog and digital In most digital v. vinyl discussions I've encountered, the burden of proof seems to be on the digital side. Seems to me, it should be the other way around. Vinyl is subject to damage from dust, heat, and wear that do not affect digital. Turntab... | |
| To preamp or not to preamp. That is the question. I am fully aware of the limitations of the DAC in the Node 2i as agd 101 pointed out. It's serviceable but not great. I have a Node 2i (although it hasn't been plugged in for a while.) Seems to me, its weakness isn't so much its DAC as its pre... |