Streamer Advice / Recommendation for Denafrips R2R DAC

@pmreagan2

@soix  @jjss49 Took me a moment to process your redirect. If I’m understanding, I should first get the preamp and DAC.   Bypass the Denon. Later on, add a
streamer. Correct?

In case you missed the point I’ll state it clearly- in high end audio everything in your audio chain matters.  A weak link component, such as your Denon after purchasing  Auralic Aries G1 feeding Denafrips Pontus, would bottleneck the performance.  Often upgrading your weakest link component would yield the best sonic benefits.  

After you iron out these purchases, you may want to upgrade your cables to seek further sonic upticks.  
You can save a lot of $ buying components used which is how I purchased my Terminator and Innuos Zenith streamer.  Cables can also be purchased used with great $ savings.

If others are reading looking for advice then I’d suggest the Pro-ject Streambox S2 Ultra over the Auralic Aries G1. It is one-third of the price, one eighth of the size and in my A/B tests in a very revealing system it sounds just as good. Also, in the same price bracket as the Pro-ject and as good sonically are the SOtM sms-200 Ultra Neo and the Stack Audio Link II.

For reference I found no improvement to the Pro-ject by changing its power supply. However the SOtM did improve marginally with a separate power supply. With an external power supply this means the SOtM is marginally better than the Auralic G1.

I would add that these improvements are marginal compared to the improvements you get from a better DAC. Better to buy a Pro-ject Streambox S2 Ultra and spend on a better DAC, than buy a more expensive streamer (or network bridge as a streamer with no dac is more commonly named) and compromise the DAC.

I have the new ZEN Stream from iFi Audio arriving sometime next week. At $399, it seems to be a very well sorted piece. Looking forward to sharing my impressions.

https://ifi-audio.com/products/zen-stream/

Another vote for upgrading the preamp as the weakest link in the chain for 2-channel audio.  The pre-outs are a convenience but the preamp in the AVR is meant for the amps in the AVR and won't match well with anything else.  Nor is it anywhere near the quality of the DAC.

Be skeptical of the advice on tweaking/cables.  Not saying it's all snake oil, but be skeptical and watch budget carefully with that stuff. 

If you get a preamp or an integrated amp that has a home theater bypass, you'll be in good shape. It will pass through the front right and left signal from the AVR at 100% level so that you can use both pieces as preamps for their specific function. 

I'm confused--undoubtedly due to my lack of understanding of the function of the components involved.

Soix instructs that: "Since your Denon has preouts, all you’d need to do is connect the front L/R preouts from the Denon to an input of your choice (or HT Bypass if it has one) on the stereo preamp and that’s pretty much it. Choose that input on the stereo pre when you’re doing HT and another input when listening to streamer, CD player, etc. That’s really all there is to it, and the AVR will be completely out of the signal path when listening in 2-channel."

I was my belief that when a preout was used from the home theatre receiver to a separate preamp that preamp would need to be connected to a power amp, then to speakers. If I grasp the instruction above it means the second preamp is essentially taking over for the preamp section of the receiver for the front L/R speakers and that no additonal outputs from the separate preamp would be required. Under this scenario apparently the separate preamp would control the volume of the front    L/R speakers and I assume the volume of the reveriver would be reduced to zero or slightly above in order that the front center ans surround speakers are not audible. When home theatre sound is desired I assume the receiver's volume knob is then brought into play.

The last part also leaves me with a further question. Soix says: " Choose [the  input into which the receiver's preouts are connected] on the stereo pre when you’re doing HT and another input when listening to streamer, CD player, etc." Does this mean (in my case the Bluesound Node 2i and Topping D90) should be connected to the separate preamp and not to the receiver as is presently the case? Of course the output of the Topping must still be connected to the receiver in order for the speakers to function.

Thanks.