Streamer Upgrade

Hello. You may want to try the Metronome DSS network player and streamer. Quite an improvement compared to the BS Node (more clarity, more details, sharpened sound but no fatigue).

@willg1985, first let me ask you, what do you want your music server/streamer to do? Does it need to be an all in one box with its own built-in LPS, RFI filters, a variety of inputs and outputs, and some kind of screen so that you can see the music that you’re playing? Or do you want a simple computer that just helps you pick the music you want to hear? I ask because I read that you’re using a MacMini as your Roon core and Bluesound Node 2i with a Teddy Pardo power supply. 

I started music streaming with my Roon core on my MacBook Pro laptop, and I used a USB cable to plug directly into my Chord Qutest DAC. Yes music did come out of my headphones. But this setup definitely was not optimal when it came to sound quality. What I did realize is that Roon’s software had the best user interface that I had tried. So I asked my audio gear dealer which was the easiest music server to use and which one had the best sound? And he said that the Roon Nucleus was the easiest to set up and use, and that any music servers sound would be almost completely dependent on how good the surrounding components were, with the DAC being the most important piece in any listening chain. 

 Now from here on out there really is no absolute right way to go because internet music streaming is not an exact science. But for what you’ve got now I’d say replace the Schitt Gungnir and get the best DAC that you can afford before looking for a way to replace the MacMini and the Bluesound Node 2. Because whatever server/streamer you have the internet stream still has to go through your Gungnir DAC. I hope this helps.
 

What does everyone think of the Naim Uniti Atom?

Thanks @adasdad. I actually just bought a Schiit Yggdrasil that gets here tomorrow. I will still be looking to upgrade my streamer. I'm all in on streaming. I think a display would be great and that's one thing I like about Auralic. It also needs to be able to do Spotify connect for the wife. The Mac Mini doesn't do any streaming direct, all of that comes through the Node. The Node is connected via coax to my DAC. 

@willg1985 Unless they recently changed gears, Auralic doesn't support Roon. 

IMHO check out Sonore Rendu line of streamers. They are all Roon Ready. I've moved up from a low cost microRendu to the opticalRendu and haven't heard anything that beats unless you're ready to spend on top models like Grimm or higher Aurender models. Cheers,

Spencer