New DAC or New Streamer or New Streamer/DAC

This is interesting, also looking for a streamer without DAC.

Like  'clio09'  I have a DAC I'm extremely happy with, an ancient Wadia 15 which also uses the fabulous Burr-Brown PCM63. This beauty does redbook only but I do not miss hi-res. I have a Bryston that can do that, which is by all accounts a great DAC

The Wadia makes the Bryston sound thin and screechy which was an upgrade over my OPPO103 and is used only for hi-res.  Wadia playing redbook keeps me up listening late at night, My OPPO and Bryston playing hi-res doesn't!

The PCM1702 is another chip to look out for. These DACs have a sound that I have not heard in all-in-one units hence my quest for streamer only. New streamers are hitting the market all the time, great DACs not so much.

@cal3713  You claimed  'I moved from USB to ethernet input and it made a huge impact on the sound quality'  I would much appreciate if you'll please explain what you did in a way that someone not familiar with streamers can understand. Did you use el-cheapo ethernet cable or something more upmarket?

@OP  I suggest you keep the Terminator which uses the same architecture as my beloved Wadia and find a separate streamer.

Just to clarify: one does not need a PC to use Roon. I have a Roon Ready streamer/server from Innous and Roon is installed there and works in principle like a Roon Nucleus. The Innuos has a drive, which I use for the few songs I cannot find on Tidal (Rammstein), hence a server as well as a streamer.

My Innous is, however, connected to my RME ADI-2 DAC via USB. 

I opted for this solution as I wanted to separate the streamer and server to be upgradeable for the future. And I opted for Roon to get all the information and reviews on the music, which I really appreciate as like to listen to new music. 

The solution with the Innous Zenmini against the Roon Nucleus was driven by price. 

Michael

Many suggest having all in one box solution (like the T2, Brooklyn Bridge, etc) due to eliminating the usb connection. Is the usb connection from streamer to the dac is as big of deal as many say (noise, jitter, etc) or over hyped? One benefit of the Lumin T2 is the usb output  so one could use a different DAC if they wish.

@lemonhaze I purchased the ps audio bridge ii, which puts a network input in my dac. 

@lemonhaze  And I use a "decent" ethernet cable, a Supra cable I bought off of Ebay.  Periodically a change in the system configuration has forced me to use another random cable and I haven't ever noticed a change, so I wouldn't focus on that variable a ton until everything else is totally dialed in.  And I say this believing strongly that interconnect, speaker, and power cables can make impactful changes to your system sound.  

And too elaborate a bit more on the setup, I use bubbleupnp on an android tablet to stream CD resolution music from Tidal to the PS Audio bridge.  The bridge is just wired into my router using that Supra ethernet cable.