Lumin X1 or dCS Bartok

It is [a one box solution] if you are not using Roon. Tidal, Qobuz, etc. can be streamed directly.

If you are already using Roon, would you not have a Roon Core already?

Yes indeed. I have an Innuos, but was hoping to sell and help fund this purchase.  I love Roon.  I understand this unit sounds fantastic and I like the simplicity and direct ethernet hook up. Bummer on the need for a separate wired/dedicated computer for Roon core. 

If you want to avoid having an additional networked computer to run Roon Core, there are NAS setups which some find sufficient to run it while also providing your library file storage.

I ran my Roon core on a laptop for a year with no problems.  

Re transformers, McIntosh uses transformers. They have their followers, but many people do not consider them high-end (coloration, pace, etc). At the same time, I think dCS cut corners with Bartok. Imagine you have a Ferrari and now you want to cut corners on it. I still remember some silly Mercedes Benz whose corners were so much cut that it no longer looked like Mercedes.I investigated 100s of forums and formed an opinion that both of these products have their MSRPs ballooned big time to begin with (the truth of the matter, though, is that the MSRPs of lower tiers, Mytek etc. are ballooned too).In conclusion, I think neither of these products can justify their hefty MSRP.