2. digital
  3. 182786-179552

Streamers?

I have 2 dacs.
I like the r2r ladder dac for some music and the delta sigma for others.
I mainly listen to streaming, qobuzz and tidal, with masters and hires qobuz.
I do not yet have a network streamer though.  I cannot find one that I prefer and, being rural, I don’t want to start just running through streamers since it is a long drive into town to send equipment back (for those that allow inhome trials) so mqa pass through, dsd 512, 32/384 preferred.

Everything I listen to is sent from phone over bt ldac.. (not great)
I would like to fix that so I can play tidal masters, qobuz and my dsd files through streamer to, selectable, outputs to each dac.. preferably using the streamer to login to the services directly and not be required to have the path run through my phone or ipad and then to the dac.
Also, I would really like to find a network streamer that caches an entire track prior to beginning playback.   It is frustrating and really irritating, to start a track and have it interrupted 4-5 times during playback of ONE track because of my network here.
I actually have 3 internet services right now: starlink, a local wireless ISP and an

t-mobile 5g “hotspot” device on its own 100gb/month line. (ie, not shared with phone) and each of them have network “drops” of the stream.

One with cd ripper would be fine, but I do not need another dac, amplifier nor pre-amp, nor do I need roon etc.

Anything under $3000 would be great.. I cannot afford a $10000 network streamer..

Figured I would ask.. also am pursuing a daphile server, just waiting on hardware (at least, if it doesn’t meet needs, I can use for something else)

Thank you,

Matt
 

nevada_matt
calieng
144 posts
 

I have had good luck with Lumin U1 Mini. There is the newer U2 Mini model now also within the price range.

I do also have the upper tier Lumin U1 and while I can hear an improvement fro the mini in many systems you would not notice a big difference. A little wider and deeper sound stage.

If you need wireless a TP-Link N300 bridge $30 can be powered by the Lumin USB port.

 

ghdprentice
7,051 posts
 

 

Better quality streamers sound better, by a very large amount, not at all hard to hear. No special testing is required to hide from bias. It is absolutely obvious. This of course assumes you have appropriate associated equipment.

I have used MACs, PCs, low end streamers, $3K, $5K, $10K…. And now own a $22K (mostly Aurender) streamer. There is nothing subtle about the differences in sound. A great streamer completely isolates you from the noise, vibration and deficiencies in the network and provides an optimal output. My streamer sounds as good as my great vinyl / phono stage analog leg. With an inexpensive streamer… it was not even remotely close.

alerrico
29 posts
 

Recently upgraded from a Bluesound Node 2i to an Auralic Aries G1.  Now that they have the G1.1 out you can scoop up a G1 and save a ton!  I got one that was a demo for an Audio Advisors for $1,200 off new G1.1.  Most changes are cosmetic. Sound is fuller and more detailed.  I switched back after a few weeks and that is when I really noticed the difference.  Next upgrade is a better Denafrips then I am calling it for a  while.! LOL

 

nevada_matt OP
155 posts
 

 

I settled on doing the innuos pulse mini (should be here in a week or so) with output over usb to an r2r dac for some types of music, and a toslink (24/192) to a delta sigma dac for other types of music (loud rock, aka AC/DC). Both dacs do full mqa unfold..  More instrumental through r2r..

I can feed the pulse mini from qobuz/tidal/NAS..

I didn’t go with Aurender simply due to my laziness where I would have to move the usb between dacs..

nglazer
846 posts
 

I have ordered the Holo Red streamer ($800) to replace the streamer card in my PS Audio DSD Mk I DAC. As streamer costs go, this one is modest, but we'll see what improvement is wrought. Probably connect AQ Vodka ethernet (excellent) from router to Holo Red, then an AES/EBU Nordost Odin digicable from Holo out to PS Audio DAC, see how all that goes. Neal

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