@jjss49
I absolutely agree for my own ears and sonic tastes. I’m 56 and I grew up with turntables, and I’ve listened to them through the early 2000s. I’ve heard great ones. The comments by the analog-is-the-only-way people make me very curious to see what I may have overlooked (about what I’m able to discern) but the overall phono-path is too burdensome for me.
That said, the system I’ve built over the past year has transfixed me at times; I get completely lost in the music, hear tremendous things, and don’t find myself with a "grass is always greener" bugaboo gnawing at me in my listening position. I heeded advice about getting an R2R DAC and while I’m curious about how "lowly" my Node 2i is, I do recognize the warnings about how quickly streaming technology (in contrast to DACs) is evolving. If there is one thing which shows me I’m not "done" with digital, is the occasional DSD files I’ve heard. In a few years, after I’ve dialed in my room or settled into a new one, a much better streamer (and DAC, possibly) is on the short list, but until the room’s impact is addressed, it’s not my priority. My friend may very well read some of the more economical suggestions here and decide that savings should not be spent on trying to do *both* digital and analog, and should instead go toward the room.
streamed music (using proper tidal, qobuz or other suitable lossless service) is absolutely able to deliver music at a superb quality into a well chosen downstream system ... to a point where the emotion-stirring nature of well recorded content will come through to thrill and move the listener
there is no doubt in my mind this is the case with presently available gear, and at quite a reasonable cost
I absolutely agree for my own ears and sonic tastes. I’m 56 and I grew up with turntables, and I’ve listened to them through the early 2000s. I’ve heard great ones. The comments by the analog-is-the-only-way people make me very curious to see what I may have overlooked (about what I’m able to discern) but the overall phono-path is too burdensome for me.
That said, the system I’ve built over the past year has transfixed me at times; I get completely lost in the music, hear tremendous things, and don’t find myself with a "grass is always greener" bugaboo gnawing at me in my listening position. I heeded advice about getting an R2R DAC and while I’m curious about how "lowly" my Node 2i is, I do recognize the warnings about how quickly streaming technology (in contrast to DACs) is evolving. If there is one thing which shows me I’m not "done" with digital, is the occasional DSD files I’ve heard. In a few years, after I’ve dialed in my room or settled into a new one, a much better streamer (and DAC, possibly) is on the short list, but until the room’s impact is addressed, it’s not my priority. My friend may very well read some of the more economical suggestions here and decide that savings should not be spent on trying to do *both* digital and analog, and should instead go toward the room.