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Newbie Looking for Advice on Streaming Music

Hello Audiogon world.

I am new to this hobby but I think it will suit me well as it looks like it is an endless pursuit of perfection of sound without ever really getting there.  I love the endless possibilities, difference in thought, technology driven aspect mixed with old school art.

I am in the process of building my first 2 channel set up and recently picked up a Primaluna Dialogue HP and a pair of Sonus Faber Chameleons for starters.

Im looking to stream music from Tidal to the new equipment as simple as possible without compromising sound as much as I possibly can (budget permitting of course)

I have been doing some research and I must say this part of the equation is rather confusing with a lot of technical speak that gets brought into the discussion which is a bit overwhelming for a newbie trying to soak it all in.

Do I need to purchase a high quality DAC?
Can I just buy a streaming box like the Paradigm PW Link or Def Tech W Adapt and hook it into the Primaluna?
Do I go with the Halide Design DAC HD D/A Converter from computer straight into Primaluna?
I also read about the wyred4sound modified Sonos Connect.  Does that plus into a DAC or straight into Amp?

Apologies for all the newbie questions.  I did try searching and doing some research but found myself getting confused.  If someone could help me clear up what I will need that will set me on the path to researching the best value for my budget for each component I will need to accomplish my goals of streaming my music from Tidal.

Thanks in advance.  I think this will be a fun hobby!

Don

donblackie
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Just looking at your oscilloscope plots, I would say you have plenty of triggering issues - this would explain why you get bimodal distributions and distributions that look a mirror image of each other.

You would be much better served by analysis of the final analog output of the DAC - any jitter will show up as distortion of the known digital input signal.


I don’t believe they are triggering issues. The trigger error is something like 1-2 psec.  All of my products don’t have the bimodal shape. Even the bimodal is only maybe 10 psec between peaks. Insignificant.

I don’t want the DAC in the picture when I’m testing my various interfaces. I want to measure the digital jitter directly.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

audioengr
3,282 posts
 

gary wrote:

@audioengr, for those of us who don’t have an Ethernet-enabled DAC and use a Windows-based PC to stream our song library (JRiver) / TIDAL to a USB DAC using Wi-Fi, is there an Ethernet-based solution - other than buying a different DAC - to reducing jitter in the digital signal prior to it arriving at the DAC?


You bet. I make a version of my Off-Ramp with Ethernet input. It is the same interface I use in my DAC. Has these outputs: S/PDIF coax on BNC, AES/EBU, single-ended I2S on RJ-45 and Differential I2S on HDMI (for PSAudio etc.) It is called the INTERCHANGE. Comes with a Dynamo power supply and umblical. 20psec jitter on the S/PDIF output.


Steve, I know you believe ethernet delivers the highest quality signal, but I’m not able to run a cable from where my router sits to my audio-based PC.

I also have my WIFI option that adds onto the Interchange or my Ethernet DAC. Its a 3-box solution for Interchange and WIFI. 2 IEC power cords.

I don’t have these on my website yet, but I have had them for 6 months or more.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

audioengr
3,282 posts
 
My integrated, a hegel h360 has an onboard dac but i'm new to streaming and currently run a usb from a laptop to the unit and with tidal's highest res option many songs sound very good but am I getting the most from both formats? 1 being tidal and the other being the onboard dac? a dealer recommends the blue sound into my analog outs which makes no sense to me?

Not to me either.

The USB interface on most DACs is a weakpoint IME.  you have the issues with USB SQ mixed with an unknown USB implementation.  I would avoid the analog outs and use your Hegel DAC.


The Bluesound would be a good choice if there were features in there that you like ie; player software, user interface and streaming accessibility.  I would use the S/PDIF output from it and reclock it with a Synchro-Mesh to lower the jitter.  I would use a very good S/PDIF cable, like this one:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=154425.0

If you want to improve your USB, then get a Berkeley USB converter and a good S/PDIF cable to your DAC.  Get a good power supply to power the 5V in the USB cable, which powers the input side of the converter.  This still requires a good player software and a good USB output port to sound decent. All USB ports are not the same.   

I use Amarra for USB, but Jriver with Ethernet is better.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
5,358 posts
 
I too have been looking at the Oppo Sonica, DAC. For the money it seems to give the best bang for the buck.


JD

Now if only Charter would give me a clean and stable internet...
curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
5,358 posts
 
I too am looking at the Oppo Sonica, DAC.  Seems to give the most Bang for the buck.

JD

Now if only Charter would give me clean, STABLE, internet...
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