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To Stream or not to Stream

[A collective sign resonates from forum members upon seeing "Stream" in the title]  ...Before you run away, I read a number of threads dealing with streaming, so this is to ask about what I didn't learn.

I am trying to select a streaming option into my McIntosh DA2 DAC. I would like to stay south of $4k and get the best bang for my buck. It would be best if I could sit in the comfort of my chair with my MacBook, iPhone or iPad and control my music. I do not need a fancy screen on the component. They are nice, but I only care about the sound.

To make a decision / purchase I hope to get answers to the following:

  1. I have a CD collection, but none are HD. Why do people rip CDs when all of those CDs can be streamed from music services? I have Tidal and want to drop it for Qobuz. Learning more about the burning CD topic will help narrow down if should go with a ripper / streamer combo. 
  2. I can't find much on my DA2 DAC but assume it's top notch being from McIntosh? Consensus? How do I know if I should use it versus another streamer option with its own DAC?
  3. It appears that a USB connection is needed for DSD512 (basically the most demanding formats)? I can't find much on this but many of the recommended streamers on this site do not always have USB-out, which is confusing at some of the high price points!?
  4. Is DSD only achieved from ripping CDs?
  5. What are people doing to stream DSD512 or other formats of this quality? 
  6. I haven't seen anyone recommend the Roon Nucleus? If I'm not going to rip CDs, is it one to add to my consideration list?

This would be easy if I had money... Aurender ACS10 if I want to rip or N20, up. Others as well at these price points.

I see used N100s here... maybe that's my answer unless I want to rip. The Innuos is intriguing, but you have to buy a separate power supply... I just want to get this right the first time and be happy. I'm already gun-shy of making another purchase mistake like the new Bluesound Node 2i I need to sell... It's only a mistake because it does not do USB-out (as of this post) or support the formats I wish to stream to my DA2. Not a fan of its software either. 

Thank you!


izjjzi
izjjzi's avatar
izjjzi OP
104 posts
 
@lalitk Very helpful. Advice and further reading keep bringing me back to Aurender. I would love the ACS10. There are two being offered here, but besides storage capacity, is there a difference in sound? If yes, I may spend more than I want and go with the 10 over 100. The ACS is in my top 5, especially if I want to rip the 200 or so CDs I haven’t used since the 90’s.

Side question - how do modern rippers deal with scratched discs? Do they report ripping issues / artifacts? Would be sweet to learn that they do, so I don’t discover such things through listening.

As for the McIntosh DA2... there is so little out there. I guess I’ll have to hear it. If other DA2 users went with alternatives after giving the DA2 a chance, I would love to hear about it.

I will be going to Qobuz. My Tidal Masters trial will be up soon. I was only worried about DSD because the McIntosh literature speaks to supporting it. I want to experience the "best" quality the DA2 supports and have that as my base for as you said, exploring other DACs in the future.

@surfcat I do like what I’ve seen online for the Roon and Conductor UIs. I agree that when going the digital route that software is important. I can’t believe how many new artists I’ve discovered from recent AB’ing at local shops using these apps. Discovery is one of the things I’m looking forward to the most! Thank you so much for the suggestions. Such suggestions are welcome and have joined my growing list of tracks to listen to once my system is ready.

@millercarbon @jjss49 @cleeds Thank you for the legit LOLs.
lalitk's avatar
lalitk
5,836 posts
 
@izjjzi,

I would go with ACS100, being a newer product; it has all the latest enhancements. Having an isolated power supply is huge plus, IMO. Having owned N100H, N10 and N20, I can say confidently that ACS100 doesn’t short change you in SQ. And you can have upto 8TB of storage in ACS100.

As far as ripping goes, I have yet to come across any errors in reading discs. If the disc is unreadable, the ACS100 will spit out the disc (like it does for single layer SACD’s).

As far as experiencing the best quality, it’s very subjective in my opinion and largely depends on the DAC and rest of components in the signal chain.
izjjzi's avatar
izjjzi OP
104 posts
 
@lalitk The only thing that makes me balk at the ACS100 is what Aurender's site says about it:
best sound quality is achieved when using an N100H, N100C, N100SC, N10, A100, A10, A30 or W20SE Aurender music server / streamer as the main player
They pretty much say the same about the ACS10:
However, the highest audio performance is realized when using the ACS10 mated with models A10, N10 or W20
...which I'm just reading now. This is what I mean by paralysis. Just when I'm about ready to make a purchase another detail derails me. In writing, Aurender is admitting you will not get the best sound unless you pair it with one of their dedicated streamers. Seriously wtf? Transparency is nice, but now off to a deeper dive on the competition. There must be at least one offering that covers all bases? If the only way to achieve this is to spend far north of my target...ugh. This quest was fun up until now. It is far from straight forward.

I need a Baskin-Robbins...
rsf507
2,472 posts
 
OP what flavor?
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
13,189 posts
 
they have Rocky Road, you are on it……
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