@jond Absolutely agreed on the interface and usability!
Time for an all in one streaming solution
Hey guys and gals.
I'm looking for advice on all in one streaming solution/DAC that can compete with my Chord 2Qute DAC in terms of detail, transparency and size of soundstage in the US $1500 range.
I was running a Macbook Pro running Audirvana and Tidal Hi Fi. I then moved on to an Allo DigiOne which bested my Macbook set up in terms of sound quality but is a real headache dealing with a bunch of apps (Volumio/BubbleUPnP etc) and crappy interfaces. And I require something my wife can operate comfortably.
Now here is the dilemma, most systems are trying to remove brightness/glare or smooth off the treble. That's not what I'm after. The best synergy with my system comes with something that is very open, transparent with a lot of detail that a lot of folks may find too revealing. (I run tubes and Audionote AN-E speakers)
The Cambridge Azur 851N is currently at the top of my list. The sound has been described as muscular with nice detail and openness on top. To be honest it's only at the top of my list mainly because of the price and I'm not sure of many other contenders at this price point.
I'm not willing to sacrifice sound quality to get into a streamer though.
Or do I keep the Chord 2Qute and run an Aurender N100 or Auralic Aries with it?
Thanks for the input!
I'm looking for advice on all in one streaming solution/DAC that can compete with my Chord 2Qute DAC in terms of detail, transparency and size of soundstage in the US $1500 range.
I was running a Macbook Pro running Audirvana and Tidal Hi Fi. I then moved on to an Allo DigiOne which bested my Macbook set up in terms of sound quality but is a real headache dealing with a bunch of apps (Volumio/BubbleUPnP etc) and crappy interfaces. And I require something my wife can operate comfortably.
Now here is the dilemma, most systems are trying to remove brightness/glare or smooth off the treble. That's not what I'm after. The best synergy with my system comes with something that is very open, transparent with a lot of detail that a lot of folks may find too revealing. (I run tubes and Audionote AN-E speakers)
The Cambridge Azur 851N is currently at the top of my list. The sound has been described as muscular with nice detail and openness on top. To be honest it's only at the top of my list mainly because of the price and I'm not sure of many other contenders at this price point.
I'm not willing to sacrifice sound quality to get into a streamer though.
Or do I keep the Chord 2Qute and run an Aurender N100 or Auralic Aries with it?
Thanks for the input!
- ...
- 12 posts total
I have had the Qute DAC here, and it is quite good because of the custom FPGA D/A, however the power supply needs upgrading to deliver good bass. Do that first. Then, get a good streamer that delivers low jitter. If they don't publish their jitter data (not "intrinsic jitter"), go somewhere else. I recommend Ethernet to your DAC. If you use Ethernet, then an all-in-one streamer makes no sense. It's just a computer with a playback software on it. You are better off to get a Mac Mini. This way you can try out various different playback software driving a renderer. If you must use USB, then I recommend Aurender or Antipodes. If you just want an Ethernet renderer, this one delivers 10psec of jitter:
Steve N. Empirical Audio |
- 12 posts total