2. digital
  3. 149050-1604

Computer to DAC Streamer

I am looking to get a digital-to-digital streamer for my new office system. I currently have a Sonare microRendu and that unit will move to another room once my new office system is built up. I also use ROON. I was originally considering getting a DAC with Ethernet streaming built-in but I may require a DAC with DSP and those DACs do not have this feature. I should add that the Linn SELEKT DSM streamer/DAC has Ethernet streaming and DSP but lacks the analog inputs I need (it also sounds excellent).

It has been suggested to me to buy an Innous streamer to get my music across to the DAC. However, I am trying to understand why these products are better than my current noisy computer combined with the micrRendu digital-to-digital type products. Anybody done a comparison? Is it because of noise on the Ethernet wire polluting the DAC?

http://innuos.com/en

In no particular order the following streamers have have come up in my research as being better than the microRendu I currently own (I have not heard these) :

Simaudio Mind2
https://simaudio.com/en/product/mind2-network-player/

Sonare Signiture Rendu
http://www.sonore.us/Signature-Rendu-SE.html

Auralic G2 Aeris
https://us.auralic.com/products/aries-g2

I am interested in the feedback or thought process of people who were making the same streamer decision as me. What did you guys end up getting or looking to get? I know there are a lot of lower costs alternatives and I am open to anything that will take my to the top tier sound level.

My preamp/DAC choice is looking like it will be the Anthem STR.
yyzsantabarbara
yyzsantabarbara OP
4,917 posts
 
@junzhang10  I had a mac mini with my music and was not a fan due to constant restore from backups i had to do. I always keep my backup disk near the macmini. I must be an outlier with this experience, otherwise people would not praise the mini. I am not a fan of the macs.

My question was really abut using a computer in the playback chain and not a fancy audio computer, Audiotroy has stated that a dedicated streamer is better due to isolation of noise in the streaming chain.

I am curious if anyone has compared the dedicated music server/streamers (really low noise audio computers) vs the noisy computer + digital-2-digital converters options.
gdnrbob
4,452 posts
 
I went with a Bluesound Node and use Ayre Codex's for DAC's.
Very simple and affordable. Great sound, too.
I would also consider Aurender. 
I got one of Sam Laufer's Mini, but am still working on getting it set up.
Bob
eag618's avatar
eag618
85 posts
 
Ya know, call me Plebian......I run a BlueNode original directly into a Primaluna Dialogue HP, run KT150's through a pair of Klipsch Forte III's and the sound is just Shocking...is that wrong?
mrdon
109 posts
 
Oh my goodness, audiotroy has no shame.. I can only say i know very little about these things. However, i can easily say the Auralic G2 (or G1 for that matter ) out performs the Innuos MKIII by more leaps then Audiotroy's bounds..  And the G2 (or G1 for that matter) is far too much of a server for an office setting.. Also i would venture to say all that is needed here in this application is the blue Sound Node which is "more than sufficient" since background music is probably the goal here.. 
Ok, Audiotroy, your up...   
rbstehno
1,472 posts
 
Imo, the worst thing to have is a streamer/computer in your audio room, and equally bad is using usb connection to a dac. Got rid of that setup a while back. Every streamer out there is a computer, don’t let anyone fool you. Sure, some USB ports on certain machines are better than the standard USB ports but that’s like putting lipstick on a pig, it’s still usb.
If you have Roon, use your Mac as a Roon server and get a good dac with a network connection to it, like the ps audio ds dac with the bridge ii card. My computer is in another room so there is no noise. 
With this setup, I have music routed to multiple Roon endpoints through out the house for background music all operated by my iPhone or iPad. The endpoints are the Auralic Aries Mini’s and Apple tv’s. 
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