To run Roon the cleanest simplest way with good SQ is using a NUC which I prefer because it's cheaper or a Nucleus. Either of these run roon core on Roons OS ROCK. Connect the NUC to your router, connect any hard drives or Flash drives to the NUC. If you want to fully unfold MQA I would use a Mytek Brooklyn, connect it to your network router with ethernet use it as a roon endpoint and DAC.
Help with DAC and Streamer suggestions
I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy and spending lots of time listening to great music!
Before I ask for your advice, I thought it would be good to tell you my system:
Here is what I've been considering:
I live in a very small town in Central Oregon and can't audition different components.
I'd love to hear your suggested changes for my DAC and streamer!
Thank you!
Steve
Before I ask for your advice, I thought it would be good to tell you my system:
- Martin Logan Summit X speakers connected with Acoustic Zen Hologram II speaker cables.
- Shiit Yggy DAC connected with Acoustic Zen Matrix II reference interconnect.
- Bryston BDP-1 music player connected with Kimber Kable D-60 digital cable.
- Oppo 105D for SACDs, modified by Ric Shultz connected with Toto Tungsten interconnects.
- Prima Luna Dialogue HP integrated amp with original tubes.
- Furman Elite 20 power conditioner.
- I have a dedicated 20 amp line running to all audio electronics.
- All electronics are connected with Pangea power cords.
- All music passes through Roon on my computer, and while playing music the computer does nothing else. The computer has a direct connection to the internet, and all music is sent to the streamer via Cat-7 cable.
- I listen to Tidal primarily, along with some of my own FLAC files.
Here is what I've been considering:
- Primaluna EVO DAC - $3,000, not MQA, won't add a better streamer, but might sound great with my Primaluna integrated.
- Aurender A10 streamer/DAC combo - $5500 new, will make the MQA unfold. Not sure about combining the streamer and DAC.
- Mytek Manhattan II DAC with network card - $4700 new, does not add a better streamer.
- Roon Nucleus Plus streamer ($2500) and perhaps a better DAC.
- Small Green Computer Sonictransporter I5 for Roon and music ($1075) and better DAC.
- Keep the Bryston and buy a Holo Audio May DAC ($5,000).
- Certainly open to other suggestions.
I live in a very small town in Central Oregon and can't audition different components.
I'd love to hear your suggested changes for my DAC and streamer!
Thank you!
Steve
- ...
- 29 posts total
To run Roon the cleanest simplest way with good SQ is using a NUC which I prefer because it's cheaper or a Nucleus. Either of these run roon core on Roons OS ROCK. Connect the NUC to your router, connect any hard drives or Flash drives to the NUC. If you want to fully unfold MQA I would use a Mytek Brooklyn, connect it to your network router with ethernet use it as a roon endpoint and DAC. |
This is an interesting thread. I am not familiar with much of your kit. But the front end of your kit sounds solid on paper. Is there something with your sound that you are not happy with? Before throwing money at new streamers and DACs I would give Qobuz a good listen before focussing on thinking Tidal’s MQA might dramatically change things for the better? Just to play devil’s advocate I would consider your speakers and amplification. Your room, speakers, amplification will be the crucial factors, more so than streamers and DACs. Your front end is solid, so I would consider this. If you can try auditioning different speakers and amps in your space. If your room is “difficult” then I would pay close attention to speaker placement and possible room treatments. |
I'm just putting together my first streaming front end and have no idea what I'm doing, but first thing I noticed was you said "all Pangea power cables on all components." I would change out some of the Pangea for others out there, I think everything would open up. Your Acoustic Zen matrix are nice, I have AZ silver ref 2 out of dac and really like it. I wanted to start off with a analog sounding dac and came super close to buying MHDT orchid or Audio Mirror. I ended up with the RME adi2 v2 which I really like and am going to add the Teddy Pardo power supply for the RME going into Auralic Aries. RME sounds big tight bass and very open and clear and have not grown tired of it, just the opposite I enjoy it more as days go on. I still feel I may try the Orchid/AM but may always keep the RME for being so transparent and so many adjustments, I keep everything flat with NOS filter or slow filter sometimes sharp filter can be fun. Someone mentioned out board power supply's help, my preamp and phono preamp, CD player have outboard PSU's and think it makes a very nice difference, thats why I would think a dac should be no different. |
We are importing the best sounding roon server from europe the 432 evo server The 432 evo has been taking over the server market in europe and the servers employ a tremendos amount of novel technology They have 4 different models with ever improving sound quality Starting at the 3k 432 evo standard All model Designed from the ground up as a state of the art roon core and player Un like any other server they are upgradeable from one model to the next The aeon model 6k compares with an innous statement yet costs half as mutch We offer 2tb ssd for the price of others 1tb All service is performed in the usa Unique 432 plug in for more analog like presentation https://youtu.be/m_sYbgFvUOg 432 The 432 in 432 EVO refers to 432 Hz, and is one of the possible frequencies used for tuning acoustical instruments in the keynote A. Over the coarse of the last centuries, the tuning for keynote A has changed, from 415Hz via 432Hz to the current 440Hz, ever since WW2. More specific to this review, it is processing software developed by Klinkt Beter, based on research done by Maria Renold on the perceived differences between 440Hz and 432Hz. Maria’s research was carried out with a group of more than 2000 people, which were presented pairs of tones along with their octaves, at 440Hz and 432Hz, and over 90% of the people chose 432 as sounding, amongst others, more “peaceful” and “pleasing”. Converting to 432 Hz can be done in a number of ways, and although I have not tested any of the alternate methods myself, most of them are said to result in music that sounds more relaxed, but also off-tune, destroying micro detail and spectral imaging in the process. For example the method using normal pitch shift which lowers the pitch but retains tempo, will apparently cause resolution loss and kill the upper harmonics. Another method to convert to 432 Hz is by using speed shift, which is best demonstrated by playing a record on a turntable at a slightly lower speed. The 432 Hz method does exactly the same and lowers the speed on the fly in the digital domain, to map A=440 back to A=432. Although this may sound simple, according to Klinkt Beter, it took them considerable time to implement an algorithm that was both very efficient and free or artefacts. As a side note, remapping to A=432 with the default setting for the plugin only works well if the source of the music is indeed A=440. Most modern pop/rock/electonic/dance/jazz is produced at A=440 Hz, but classical orchestras tend to tune even higher than A=440 and for those instances, there is a setting that can be made to choose the base frequency for the 432 plugin. For my purposes (I don’t listen to classical much), I left it at its default setting which is 440 to 432 conversion and assumes the original music is produced in A=440 One could argue that the EVO is changing the music from how it was intended, and this is something that I cannot deny. But this is very much a theoretical matter. I always feel that if it sounds right, it is right. Whether or not it sounds right to you, is something that needs to be experienced. In any event, this method absolutely has some very obvious benefits, about which I will report further below. The 432 EVO utilitizes the 432 software in the shape of a plugin that processes the music from 440 Hz to 432 Hz in real time. This means that the unit still plays all formats, up to DSD256. Incidentally, while most USB chipsets are limited to 24/192, the EVO will play any file in PCM up to 24/768 and up to DSD256 via DoP when playing 1:1, and PCM up to 24/768 and DSD up to DSD256 output as PCM when using 432 processing. https://topnewreview.com/432-evo-aeon-review/ https://youtu.be/_jAv1e42RK0 a state of the srt room core and player https://www.hifi-advice.com/blog/review/digital-reviews/music-server-reviews/432-evo-music-server/ Dave and troy Audio intellect Nj Us importers 432 evo |
- 29 posts total