Steven,
This response to your Aug. 28 questions is so late it will probably go unread. I suppose one shouldn't jump into discussions if one isn't going to monitor them with some regularity. Also this response will mostly address peripheral considerations, although meaningful. And maybe you've made decisions by now.
At any rate, your question re upgrading Pandora to Eclipse for $6,500, or buying Antipodes DX (Gen 3 with 2TB SSD storage is $9,150) is a tough choice. I do think the Gen 3 upgrade for the DX is better, and I know it handles Roon/Tidal much better (no more delays and interruptions in streaming). As for Aesthetix, I have total confidence in their performance and honesty in pricing, meaning I feel the Eclipse upgrade will be well worth it. I think I'd opt for the Pandora upgrade, feeling it would have more impact on overall SQ than the Antipodes, especially if you're listening to digital other than streaming. If you desire a streaming upgrade, there are good streamers available at much lower price points, like the Aurender N100H that I had and replaced with the Antipodes. I did like the Aurender's SQ, ease of use and customer service.
It does sound like the range of choices you are considering are all good, so in that sense you can't lose.
Jim Heckman
This response to your Aug. 28 questions is so late it will probably go unread. I suppose one shouldn't jump into discussions if one isn't going to monitor them with some regularity. Also this response will mostly address peripheral considerations, although meaningful. And maybe you've made decisions by now.
At any rate, your question re upgrading Pandora to Eclipse for $6,500, or buying Antipodes DX (Gen 3 with 2TB SSD storage is $9,150) is a tough choice. I do think the Gen 3 upgrade for the DX is better, and I know it handles Roon/Tidal much better (no more delays and interruptions in streaming). As for Aesthetix, I have total confidence in their performance and honesty in pricing, meaning I feel the Eclipse upgrade will be well worth it. I think I'd opt for the Pandora upgrade, feeling it would have more impact on overall SQ than the Antipodes, especially if you're listening to digital other than streaming. If you desire a streaming upgrade, there are good streamers available at much lower price points, like the Aurender N100H that I had and replaced with the Antipodes. I did like the Aurender's SQ, ease of use and customer service.
It does sound like the range of choices you are considering are all good, so in that sense you can't lose.
Jim Heckman