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Streamers in the scheme of things.

I needed a streamer with AES3 out to connect to my Dutch and Dutch 8c’s so I began home trials. First I gave the Simaudio Moon Mind2 a go then a Bel Canto e Stream since I didn’t need a DAC . I am running Roon on a NUC and used these as roon ready devices. They both sounded very much alike or I guess I should say they didn’t do anything to mess up the stream. Before I used a raspberry pi4 as a bridge since I didn’t notice improved sound wondered how I could keep using it when I found a USB to AES3 converter the Matrix X SPDIF 2. At $400 I figured I had nothing to lose and $1600 to gain over the streamers. Today it was delivered connected my little raspberry pi4 to it and yes it sounds just as good. Streamers don’t have a hard job just get info to the DAC. Back go the Moon and Bel Canto.
djones51
djones51 OP
4,947 posts
 
Yes, I already shipped them back. I looked at the Pi2AES it was a 4 week time frame on orders. It wasn’t that much cheaper figuring in power supply and case. Everything I stream through roon on Quboz is 192/24 or lower. My flac files are all redbook.
fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,629 posts
 
You should have bought a new Baby Ambre with the $400.
djones51 OP
4,947 posts
 
What good would an Amber do it doesn't have AES3 out. I looked at a Hermes but I figured it wasn't going to do anything better than the streamers I tried.
djones51 OP
4,947 posts
 
At least I recieved my refund on the  Simaudio and Bel Canto. I tried an Innous as well never heard any difference between these streamers going to the same DAC.  I think with streamers it has more to do with the software and if you like the UI. 
mahler123
3,364 posts
 
I went from Bluesound to a Bryston BDP3, using the same Bryston BDP3 for both, and the sonic improvement was significant. ymmv
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