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Streamer and Dac ~$4.5k for Vinnie Rossi, Dynaudio system

Hello! I’m seeking input on a streamer and dac (separates or combined) to complement my Vinnie Rossi L2i integrated and Dynaudio Heritage speakers. My Naim Nova, which was replaced by the Vinnie Rossi, is currently serving as a streamer/dac through its pre-outs. 
 

I’m hoping to complement the tonal balance of my system: warm yet detailed, a dense midrange, a touch sweet/romantic, and a bit of heft/body. I’m also looking to keep this digital front end in place for a few years, with minimal upgrading except perhaps power supplies or maybe upgrading the streamer one rung up (eg pulse mini to pulse etc).

I’m likely looking to the used market or demo deals for the purchase(s). Through reading reviews and forum posts, I’ve come up with the following potential candidates as I’m unable to demo anything except rose streamers nearby:

  • Weiss 204 + Innuos Pulse Mini (or other entry-level streamer): this Dac seems to provide a dense and detailed sound with some lushness for good measure. 
  • Merason Dac1 MkI (not MkII) + Pulse Mini: I see merason paired with Vinnie Rossi in show reports, but not sure if this may be too rounded off on the high end based on what I’ve read. 
  • Lumin T3: likely the best value and seems to have a smooth and detailed sound.

Does anyone have any experience with the above or recommended alternatives that might mesh well with my current system? Thanks!

cold_pillow
cold_pillow OP
5 posts
 

Thanks for putting the Pontus II and Iris DDC on the radar, @soix . For some reason I had overlooked Denafrips. It seems like the Pontus is a good place to start in their lineup. I read that the Venus offers a different presentation that is more detailed with less of a midrange emphasis. Do you know if there’s much difference between the Pontus II and 12th anniversary? I can’t find anything too definitive, so it makes me think the differences are marginal.
 

@bluethinker I had similar concerns about wattage and the heritage specials, so I tried a few different amps, including a Rogue Stereo 100 Dark and Bel Canto e1x. Both offered different presentations and improvements in some areas over the Nova, but not enough to justify the cost. Upon the recommendation of a friend, I picked up the L2i. The amp is a monster and grips the speakers with tons of authority, while still excelling in other areas. 
 

@primetime74 thanks for sharing your experience with the Lumin app. That’s my biggest hesitation as I only use Qobuz and am not sure about jumping into Roon or switching to Tidal in order to use Tidal connect. Part of me really wants the simplicity of a combined unit, so I’ll have to think it over a bit more. 
 

@toneranger58 , @zlone thanks for sharing your show experience. I didn’t know that Vinnie Rossi had two rooms: one with Merason and QLN and another with Mola Mola and YG. 

zlone
420 posts
 

I didn’t know that Vinnie Rossi had two rooms: one with Merason and QLN and another with Mola Mola and YG. 

The one with Merason/QLN was not specifically a Vinnie Rossi room, it was Well Pleased Audio Vida, the distributor for the brands.

 

 

primetime74
12 posts
 

@cold_pillow have you considered the Moon 390? It  has a full pre amp section, plus a steamer.  It has a beautiful,  transparent sound w an amazing 10 year warranty. Very musical and smooth sounding. 

jriggy's avatar
jriggy
549 posts
 

I have a VR L2 preamp with the big Harbeth speakers. In my system and room the more neutral DAC the better. I tried a Merason DAC1 MKII and found it to warm for me and there are other DACs with higher resolution/lower noisefloor. The Weiss 501 mkII was more like it to bring everything even and balanced. And the Lampizator sound works great too, IMO, and may for you as well, with the Dynaudio’s, as Lampi brings a nice vividness and right forwardness for speakers like ours, even as different as they are.

christianb5s4
231 posts
 

I've seen Lumin X1s getting close to your price, best I can think of. 

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