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Wisdom of buying high priced digital gear (given new advancements underway)

Wanted to ask for thoughts from others on the forum who have been playing with digital front ends longer than I... I only recently dove into streamed hi res music given the Covid shut-in...(although I am climbing the learning curve pretty fast)

I have been an avid trader/tester of good used hifi gear for many years now, a cost effective way of auditioning and understanding high end pieces in my own system, my own home.  Not for publication or posted reviews, just for my enjoyment and improving my own rig.  Buy smart on the front end, can usually get all or most of your money back when you sell, so it is a fairly low cost trial and ownership experience.

As I am fairly new to the world of stand-alone streamers and DACs, as well as combo units like a Hegel amp with onboard DAC, my question is whether it is wise to buy some of the more expensive high end streamers and DACs, say in the 3-4-5 grand (and up) range.

For instance, a Bluesound Node 2i is a capable digital bit-source (weak internal DAC noted) at only $500, so I question the benefit of buying a $2-3-4k unit from Innuos, Brooklyn, Auralic etc etc?  But if I do, just to try them, I am concerned there will be newer units out in the future, and these used units may take significant value hits.

Same thought for high end DACs... there are so many DACs out there, from high-value units like Chord, Schitt, RME for around a grand (or even less) -- what is the downside risk of climbing the curve of diminishing returns to get, say, for example, a Denafrips Terminator or PS Audio DS or Chord Dave for $4-5-6 grand used?  

I guess what I am really asking is what is the relative stability of the technology, product development, and the trickle down effect in the streamer and DAC markets, and does this materially affect the loss of value for the higher priced units more so than with old school analog gear.  This is something I feel I pretty well understand for speakers, preamps, turntables, the like...but not so much for the digital stuff, especially as streaming is really developing fast on the high end scene in recent years...

Thoughts welcome.  Thanks in advance.
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jjss49 OP
6,612 posts
 
Good discussion so far, thanks for the thoughts.

I have pretty much decided for now it is not worth it to go for a more expensive streamer than my Node 2i and Sonos w/ reclocker - both are nice, clean bit sources with good useability. I think todays’s streamer choices are more tied to user interface, which can vary all over the map in quality, flexibility and ease of use. SQ is pretty decent as long as the bitstream is low jitter. I have not given in to the Roon thing yet, despite its purported superiority - prefer to see if Roon survives the streaming shake-out that is likely coming. Shouldn’t surprise us if a few years down the road only Spotify and Amazon are the whales -- having eaten Tidal, Deezer, Quboz all niche players...

DAC’s are more challenging and unclear. I agree that some inexpensive DACs sound really really good. On a lark, I picked up an old Van Alstine TOPP FET tube DAC for $400 - old thing, 15 years old, NOS Philips chip, big box, redbook input only -- but OMG it sounds so right!   Better to me than hi res thru a ’modern DAC’ like a Topping D90 with newest AKM chip... which is clear but somewhat bleached out, much more mechanical sounding...

Also got a nice MHDT NOS R2R tube DAC and a Border Patrol to try... they are both sub $1K pieces used, sound very organic and musical, with excellent detail and slam in my system. Just wondering how much better the DACs are that are 3-4-5-6x in price.... not sure I want to pay to find out!


gdnrbob
4,462 posts
 
@jjss49 ,
Try an Ayre Codex. A used unit goes under $1K.
I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Bob
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three_easy_payments
2,097 posts
 
In a second system I use a Node2 for streamer and pair it with a Benchmark DAC3 with great success.  No urge to change anytime soon.
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millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
 "given new advancements underway"
Good one. Like that's anything new. 


naimfan
166 posts
 
I think some perspective helps.  On the DAC side, there was a rather dramatic improvement in sound quality from the introduction of CD through the Introduction of, say, the Levinson 30/31.  And, for me, while digital sound has improved, the improvement is smaller than the leap from the introduction of digital music, via the CD, to the release of the 30/31.  I'd suggest, based on hearing a 31.5/30.6 vs. a dCS Rossini, that there has been less improvement in terms of sound quality over that timeframe than before.  It's rather funny to host a demonstration (well, pre-COVID) and to play something modern, like the Benchmark DAC3 vs an old Meridian 563 or 566 or an older Theta or an older Wadia.  Most people say the older DACs sound better - go figure!

Streamers appear to have undergone a similar rapid development that is now slowing.  Martin Colloms implied that the Naim ND555 with two 555 power supplies is the finest source he has ever heard.  Interesting, then, to juxtapose that with Naim's own R&D head saying there was not a clear winner between the ND555 and its predecessor, the NDS.  Less expensive streamers appear to be the beneficiary, as their price/performance ratio appears to be improving as companies work to improve them.  On the other hand, the sonic difference between the newer Naim NDX2 and its predecessor, the NDX, is relatively small, which the NDX2 counters by providing more services (amongst other things). 

So, to answer your question, I'd say find what you like and stay with it.  "Worth" is entirely too subjective and dependent a term for anyone to answer here. 
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