@eisen0169 The power supply still makes a difference (my Zen Stream is plugged into an Audience power conditioner). I’d highly recommend picking up a used IFi iPowerX from B&H for only $75 — that’s what I did. I’d also highly recommend doing a free trial of Qobuz. Through the Zen Stream it sounds significantly better in my system than spinning CDs, and obviously it’s hugely more convenient with a near endless world of music at your fingertips, much of it in hi res. No harm in trying.
Streamer creates a Wow experience
I started streaming by running USB from my iPad to my DAC using Qobuz, and I thought it sounded pretty good and was happy. Then I compared this to playing CDs and much to my dismay I slightly preferred the CDs. This was a depressing moment. So I reached out to you guys and several of you assured me if I got a dedicated streamer it’d be much better, and while I always believed a streamer is important and can make a difference I still found myself a little skeptical how much improvement there would be.
So I decided to heed the advice here and after some research got an iFi Zen Stream with their upgraded power supply. After getting the Zen linked to my WiFi and using mconnectHD to be able to stream Qobuz through the iFi — Holy Crap!!! I expected some improvement but I was not prepared for the huge leap in sound quality I was hearing. Every aspect of sound improved markedly and my jaw was on the floor.
Anyway, you guys were so right in assuring me a streamer would make all the difference. And this is through my HeadFi rig and can’t wait to hear what this sounds like on the big rig. Thanks for your helpful advice and getting me through this. I’m one shocked and very happy camper.
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Thanks. I did realize that after I posted that it is the power supply itself that can be noisy. I did see that iPowerX online. I then checked out some of the LPS mentioned in this thread and saw how much they cost. I also found the iPower Elite from iFi and was wondering if anyone compared it to the iPowerX. It is $300, which might be overkill I guess. Or it might not in my compact reference system, which includes a Luxman 590AXii amp, which itself is pretty quiet. I am thinking when I hear less "quality" when playing the same music streaming (although so far just Spotify) than with the same music via cd what I'm hearing from streaming is actually noise. I've had it so good with my system in terms of noise, I'm not sure what real noise is supposed to sound like I guess. Does seem like there's some kind of "graininess" when streaming so I guess that is noise. |
Congrats on your setup! I’ve heard the zen stream, sounds really great. Personally considering the Pegasus as my next dac purchase, and your relating your experience with it is confirming what I’ve read. I almost got a zen stream, but instead went with a Pi2design Mercury Streamer. Just a bit more in price, but INSANELY good for $600. It acts as both a ddc and transport with multiple and simultaneous digital outputs. So clean that it pretty well get beyond the need for a separate ddc. The pinout for its I2s is also compatible with the Musicain audio pinout. Just thought it worth mentioning, but your rig already seems to be hitting it out of the park 👌🏼👍🏼 |
@eisen0169 - I agree with @soix in that upgrading the zen PS improves sound quality & is worth pursuing. Haven't tried the "elite" so can't comment on it's performance. I do have three iPowerX PS's in my system & they are better than the standard wall wart you are currently using. |
@riccitone The Mercury Streamer looks really interesting kinda like getting a Zen Stream with DDC capability for only another $200. Bargain! I have to say one of my favorite aspects of the Pegasus is that although it provides the typical benefits of R2R it doesn’t roll off the upper treble as some R2R DACs seem to do. |
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