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Advice for Streaming Newbies - Best Bang for Our Bucks

Hi All,

I'm currently building up my 'streaming only' system having read more reviews and forums in the last three weeks than in the preceding three months!

I'm a firm believer that I don't need to spend thousands upon thousands to get the best out of Tidal but conversely, there are good investments to be made to get the best sound.

I'd like to call on your collective wisdom for either general recommendations or specific product recommendations that give good "bang for the buck".

To start the ball rolling, my specific system looks like this:

Tidal Premium

5G Mobile Router with stock PSU (on separate extension lead)

Audioquest Pearl CAT6 Ethernet Cable to English Electric 8 Switch with stock PSU (on shared core extension lead with 2 x ifi AC iPurifiers)

Chord C Ethernet Cable to ifi Zen Stream with stock PSU (12v iPower 2) (on shared core extension)

Wireworld Chroma USB3.0 to ifi Zen DAC v2 with ifi iPower X  (on shared core extension)

ifi 4.4mm Connector to ifi Zen Can with stock PSU (on shared core extension)

Topping PA5 with stock PSU (on separate extension lead)

Audioquest Rocket 11 Speaker Cable to Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 Speakers

I have an ifi iPower Elite on Order and two more iPower X's

Possible upgrades I am considering:

Improved PSU for the Router

Improved Power Cable to the iPower Elite

More use of iPower Elite's

eno Ethernet Filter

Gigafoil v4

Improved Ethernet Cables

Improved USB Cable

Additional AC iPurifiers for other extensions

Starting from a basic system what areas of investment have yielded the best results? An improved PSU on the DAC or the Swtich? An ethernet filter? A better ethernet cable? etc.?

jabbaman
pennpencil
117 posts
 

Definitely, try Qobuz. I’ve tried all the streaming services and Qobuz sounds the best on my system. your iFi zen stream works with tidal natively. To work with Qobuz, you have to buy mconnect in the App Store for $6. I use iFi zen with the rme dac and it’s great with Qobuz.

jabbaman OP
56 posts
 

I can certainly give Qobuz a try - nothing to lose. I will have to look into mconnect.

@gdnrbob - my setup is detailed in the original post.

However, this was intended to be less about me and more of a generic sharing of advice for all streaming newbies.

@panzrwagn - can you elaborate? are you seeing something that you believe is wasteful or unnecessary? all advice is welcome.

jabbaman OP
56 posts
 

One thing to note, if you subscribe to Qobuz via a web browser rather than the Android App, it is £3 per month cheaper! There's obviously a Google Play Store tax there.

jabbaman OP
56 posts
 

So Qobuz on Windows doesn't support DLNA. To make it work I'd need a subscription to Audirvana or another application. This is the very definition of a rabbit hole!

badger_erich's avatar
badger_erich
129 posts
 

I am a "boomer" (if you like) who built a system for classic rock and R&B.

Although I have spent ~12k on my system, one simple upgrade this past week completely changed it. I replaced a more "budget minded" TEAC NT-505 network player/streamer/DAC with a Lumin T2. Amazing difference in soundstage and overall quality. Matched with my McIntosh MA8900 and a pair of JBL L100 Classics, my sound is so much better and the T2 balances well with the warmer McIntosh. I buy "quality" cables but would never dive into the real expensive cables or power supplies. Maybe you should evaluate that cost and use it towards your upgrades.

I use Tidal and Qobuz. From my experience much of the quality lies in the original recording itself. I only keep both for more diverse Hi-Res music from specific artists. 

FYI:  The T2 is being replaced by Lumin with the new T3. Buyers might find some really good deals out there on the T2 as it is slowly moved off the shelves for the T3, I sure did.

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