Everyone is always shocked at how much improvement can come from a streamer, a DAC, an amp, etc. They also tend to think that with any major improvement they don’t have much left to improve. That is a poor conclusion.
This is typical; all systems have many levels of improvement available to them. Power cords, Ethernet to optical conversion, interconnects, preamps, tube changes, etc. Whatever touches the power and signal paths can be upgraded with efficacious results.
For some reason, likely inflated pride, the audiophile tends to think their rig as it sits is oh, so close to SOTA. Not really, as most are quite a ways from it. I know that my system is still quite a ways from what can be done ultimately. There are still many of levels of improvement available, and I will keep seeking them.
A comment was made in regard to the SONORE sonictransporter, "I admit to some curiousity on the SonicTransporter i9 Optical that has fiber optic output (through built-in Sonore Optical Module). " I wrote up both the SonicOrbiter and Signature Rendu SE for Dagogo.com, and later added outboard the affordable systemOptique converter from Ethernet to optical. Sensational change, a gorgeous improvement. I have done a lot of changes to rigs, but the systemOptique conversion was efficacious beyond my expectations, a bonus in digital playback.
My guess is there will be some who scoff at such things. Good for them; that’s their problem. Let them sit with their mediocre sound, as they deserve it. The same group trots out misnomers such as the "jitter immunity" argument, that supposedly DACs immune to jitter render other such changes as server/streamers obsolete. Don’t you believe it. See my review of the Benchmark DAC3 and AHB3 Amps at Dagogo.com, wherein I found that Benchmark products are every bit as sensitive to cable, playback changes as any other component.
The closest I have found in regard to an agnostic result in regard to the outcome given the signal input is the Exogal Comet, but even that unit can be changed significantly through matching with different components, and surprisingly, by switching from use of the on board hardware attenuation to the media software attenuation! No, I'm not interested in the snarky comments of the ignorant/Inexperienced in that regard. :)
I developed an adage in regard to the hard-headedness and skepticism of some: The greatest impediment to advancing an audiophile system is the audiophile.
This is typical; all systems have many levels of improvement available to them. Power cords, Ethernet to optical conversion, interconnects, preamps, tube changes, etc. Whatever touches the power and signal paths can be upgraded with efficacious results.
For some reason, likely inflated pride, the audiophile tends to think their rig as it sits is oh, so close to SOTA. Not really, as most are quite a ways from it. I know that my system is still quite a ways from what can be done ultimately. There are still many of levels of improvement available, and I will keep seeking them.
A comment was made in regard to the SONORE sonictransporter, "I admit to some curiousity on the SonicTransporter i9 Optical that has fiber optic output (through built-in Sonore Optical Module). " I wrote up both the SonicOrbiter and Signature Rendu SE for Dagogo.com, and later added outboard the affordable systemOptique converter from Ethernet to optical. Sensational change, a gorgeous improvement. I have done a lot of changes to rigs, but the systemOptique conversion was efficacious beyond my expectations, a bonus in digital playback.
My guess is there will be some who scoff at such things. Good for them; that’s their problem. Let them sit with their mediocre sound, as they deserve it. The same group trots out misnomers such as the "jitter immunity" argument, that supposedly DACs immune to jitter render other such changes as server/streamers obsolete. Don’t you believe it. See my review of the Benchmark DAC3 and AHB3 Amps at Dagogo.com, wherein I found that Benchmark products are every bit as sensitive to cable, playback changes as any other component.
The closest I have found in regard to an agnostic result in regard to the outcome given the signal input is the Exogal Comet, but even that unit can be changed significantly through matching with different components, and surprisingly, by switching from use of the on board hardware attenuation to the media software attenuation! No, I'm not interested in the snarky comments of the ignorant/Inexperienced in that regard. :)
I developed an adage in regard to the hard-headedness and skepticism of some: The greatest impediment to advancing an audiophile system is the audiophile.