If you’ve heard an iFi Zen stream, anything better under $1k?

i bought my first Zen Stream back in August and sent it back. bought a second one and the PSU was defective. that and the fact that it kept crashing. could have been my network? bought a 2i a couple of months ago and no problems. although i sent the second ZS back, however  i kept the ifi Ipower supply in hope that ifi would eventually resolve the problems down the road and make it more compatible with all network users. the 2i sounds very very good with an external DAC. the new Node is not available here yet, if i could find something under 1K that sounded as good as the ifi as a streamer only and had the reliability of the 2i i would be very interested. until than i will monitor the forums to see how the Zen Stream is progressing and if a version 2 might be released.

I was in position to purchase the Zen Stream after considering the New Node. I have a good DAC. Based on this thread I believe I will also monitor the progress with the Zen. 

Thanks to the OP and all.

i have had a zen stream for a few months like... i use it only wired with ethernet, with add'l lps, and in roon endpoint mode

sonically i find it to be really excellent, i think due to the many levels of signal filtering and isolation built in (and the lps)

it is very close to the sonore optical rendu set up, which i think is among the very best setups for purity of signal and sound

that said, there have been reports of wifi issues with the zenstream, which i hope have now been addressed by running firmware updates since the introduction of the unit last fall

Hi. Think we must have posted on this topic at the exact same time, but your posting has 22 comments and mine has none :(

haha. In any case, I think the Zen stream plus an upgraded power supply is a fantastic combo, and if you paired it with a digital to digital device like the Denafrips Iris, that outputs I2S and has a great clock, I don't really see how it wouldn't be the equal or better of much more expensive streamers. But, in fairness, I've never heard an Auralic or Aurender or any of those other $$$ streamers. I have heard the Zen Stream fed by an upgraded linear power supply from McRU ($350) into a Denafrips Ares II via USB, and streaming Tidal, and it sounds great to my ears.

I have a streamer that is not well known but which I believe is a great value for a little over 1000 new.  The Metrum Acoustics ambre streamer.  It is only a streamer and has to be connected via ethernet.  From what I know it is a pi based streamer with upgraded clocks, linear power supply and better parts in one unit.  It has digital outputs for usb, rca, aes/ebu and an optional I2s board can be purchased.  the I2s board is really only compatible with a few DACs including Metrum which I own.

I've tried both Roon and Volumio as the software and prefer the sound of Volumio so that's what I use for Tidal and Qobuz listening.