@anzaanimalclinic, you seem to have a lot of experience with these digital delivery enhancers, so what is the level of improvement you perceive from the additions and changes you described?
I struggle to justify the amount of improvement for the price with most of these types of enhancers. As an example, I changed DACs recently, which resulted in a pretty big difference in the sound of my system....not so much the "quality" since both DACs are good, but more in how the musical sounds are presented with differences in smoothness, frequency emphasis, sense of power, clarity, and dimensionality, moving things in the direction of my individual sonic priorities.
OTOH, with respect to small boxes, digital cables, optical connections, and other digital enhancers - I have tried many and in most cases the differences have been.....meh...whatever. In my experience, small boxes and digital cables have not made huge differences in my enjoyment of the music. Slightly different sound, sure, but "gotta have it"....not so much. I would love to try the ENO and associated NA cables, as well as a bunch of other stuff like the Sonore Signature Rendu SE, the Intona USB Isolator, and different digital cables, but at the end of the day I struggle to justify spending a bunch of money on more small boxes or cables that will likely wind up on the shelf next to my other small boxes and extra cables. I know many here with good systems and ears have promoted the ENO and the NA cables, as well as other digital stuff, but I have seen too many other products over the past 20 years here that go through the flavor of the day cycle of huge admiration/praise/promotion only to be surpassed by something else within 6 months to a year....particularly in the digital arena. I guess I am a skeptic, based on my experiences - guilty.
I struggle to justify the amount of improvement for the price with most of these types of enhancers. As an example, I changed DACs recently, which resulted in a pretty big difference in the sound of my system....not so much the "quality" since both DACs are good, but more in how the musical sounds are presented with differences in smoothness, frequency emphasis, sense of power, clarity, and dimensionality, moving things in the direction of my individual sonic priorities.
OTOH, with respect to small boxes, digital cables, optical connections, and other digital enhancers - I have tried many and in most cases the differences have been.....meh...whatever. In my experience, small boxes and digital cables have not made huge differences in my enjoyment of the music. Slightly different sound, sure, but "gotta have it"....not so much. I would love to try the ENO and associated NA cables, as well as a bunch of other stuff like the Sonore Signature Rendu SE, the Intona USB Isolator, and different digital cables, but at the end of the day I struggle to justify spending a bunch of money on more small boxes or cables that will likely wind up on the shelf next to my other small boxes and extra cables. I know many here with good systems and ears have promoted the ENO and the NA cables, as well as other digital stuff, but I have seen too many other products over the past 20 years here that go through the flavor of the day cycle of huge admiration/praise/promotion only to be surpassed by something else within 6 months to a year....particularly in the digital arena. I guess I am a skeptic, based on my experiences - guilty.