2. digital
  3. 192710-196145

ARE SUPER EXPENSIVE STREAMERS REALLY WORTH IT

Folks I am confused why some streamers need to be so eye wateringly expensive. I appreciate the internal basics need to be covered such as a high quality, low noise power supply and a decent processor speed etc..  but that is not rocket science.

So my question is could a decent streamer outputting its data stream via I2S to a good quality DAC receiving the I2S stream be a more cost effective way of rivalling let’s say a streamer costing 5k upwards.

I have heard and digested the argument for expensive streamers quality being centred around the management of the data timing via a quality clock circuit but there are very reasonable in relative terms, DAC’s out there that have dual super high quality temp controlled clocks within, at least the equal or arguably even better than the say a 5k streamer with some sporting dual high end DAC chips etc.

So could utilizing a good quality streamer and a separate high-quality DAC connected via I2S indeed offer significant benefits and potentially reduce the need for a very expensive streamer.

I say this with the knowledge that I2S is designed to preserve and separate the Signals so avoiding the timing issues connected with multiplexing. I2S (Inter-IC Sound) separates the music signal from the timing signal, potentially eliminating jitter or at the very least greatly reducing the possibility for the pesky music killing jitter which we all could agree would lead to improving overall sound quality.

Wouldn’t this separation ensure that the timing information is more accurately preserved, even when compared to a high price streamer, leading as clean or cleaner and more precise audio data output. With I2S, the DAC can use its own high-quality clock/s to synchronize the data, which will reduce jitter and improve sound quality.

Could this possibly mean that even if the streamer has a less advanced clock, the DAC’s superior clock can take over, ensuring best  performance.

So bang for buck would it not be advantageous to investing in a high-quality DAC and using a good but not necessarily top-tier streamer to achieve excellent sound quality without the need for an extremely expensive streamer. Surely the DAC’s performance will play a crucial role in the final sound quality.

Play gentle with the pile on please....................

nubiann
soix
9,652 posts
 

The cleaner the incoming signal and the less jitter and noise the DAC has to deal with the better it will sound. Likewise using i2S obviates the need for the DAC to go through the added step of having to parse out the combined data and clock signals and can contribute further to better sound. So yes, to the extent a streamer can provide all these benefits it can make a material difference in how the DAC performs, and by all accounts the more costly streamers from the likes of Grimm, Aurender, etc. do seem to result in material sonic benefits. If you choose to spend less on a streamer then adding a good DDC can go a long way toward providing a cleaner signal and i2S to the DAC, which is what I did with excellent results. Hope this helps.

carlsbad2's avatar
carlsbad2
1,682 posts
 

Quit reading at I2S...

When someone shops for a component based on what I/O format they use, I lose interest.

Your thread title did interest me.  I'll say that a low to mid level streamer achieves a higher percentage of high level performance than a low to mid level DAC does.  So if you have limited funds, put them into your DAC.

Jerry

chipcalzone
29 posts
 

In my experience, one doesn't need an expensive streamer to get really good sound digitally. I use a Mac Mini M2 with Audirvana and a Denafrips DDC, which in my opinion takes the performance level very close, if not, surpasses some dedicated streamers. I've had an Auralic Aries G2 in my system for a few weeks and while it was very good, I preferred my Mac x Audirvana x DDC combination. 

The meat and potatoes of getting excellent digital sound are the software (Audirvana or Roon), managing & reclocking jitter (DDC), and reclocking the network (Audio-grade Network Switch). With that trifecta in place and with a good DAC, the sound can be sublime.

Obviously, some people prefer the one-box solution of a dedicated streamer, fewer boxes, fewer cables, and that's fine.  

 

ghdprentice
7,124 posts
 

Streamers are like every other component in an audio system. The better the component the deeper the thought has gone into it, the designer has gone through extraordinary efforts to clean power, eliminate internal interference and vibration and chosen materials and subcomponents accordingly. The fruits of this are very heavy... my Aurender W20SE weights 46 pounds, full footprint and expensive streamer that sounds simply spectacular. I have tried a dozen streamers starting with low end ones and confirmed, that in general you get what you pay for in terms of sound quality.

Nope there isn't a cheap work around.... or there wouldn't be all those expensive streamers on the market. 

 

I have tried iPhone, iPods, iPads, PCs, MacBooks running on batteries. None of them measure up to a good budget streamer... and the sound quality just gets better from there. I you just want something that sounds pretty good... than any of these work well.

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