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New DAC or New Streamer?

This should be fun. After I pay to get my amp upgraded at VAC next month  I plan to either upgrade my DAC or Streamer next. I should have enough for that by late spring/early summer. I'm retired so I save some each month until I have what I need. My system is in my user profile. But to keep this simple my current DAC is the Dinafrips Venus II I got a year ago. (I also have the Hermes DDC)

My streamer is the Cambridge CXN V2 via coax to the Hermes-> I2s -> DAC which is also 1 year old. I was just getting into streaming then and knew little about it. I have learned a lot this past year, a whole lot.

I think the bottle neck is leaning more toward the streamer. It seems the DAC is pretty good, I know there are much better DAC's out there but it holds it own I think. Maybe not? I cannot afford the likes of DCS, Lampizator, etc.

The next planned upgrades are a Terminator II DAC and Aurender N200 Streamer. Both are $5000-$6000. (Unless I go for the Terminator + DAC that is $7500 but I am not sure it is $2500 better than the Terminator II)

So, since both will get upgraded a year apart, which should I go for first? Which would provide the biggest upgrade?

Thanks. Happy holidays to all.

128x128fthompson251
lalitk's avatar
lalitk
5,535 posts
 

@fthompson251

I would definitely buy Aurender N200 first, ahead of your Venus II and later step up to Terminator II when funds permits. You’ve already optimized ethernet by way of ENO in your system so that’s one less thing you need to worry :-)

fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,624 posts
 

Streamer first, whichever one does what you want and makes you happy. .Just remember that you give up any chance of Roon with Aurender.

ghdprentice
7,022 posts
 

I am retired as well. The value in my audio system has increased so much because I have time to listen to it each day.

 

I think if I were you I would upgrade your streamer. Each will make a difference but I think it very likely your streamer will make a much larger impact. The N200 would be a great choice. I own two Aurender streamers after owning a Aurlic Aries G2 and cannot praise them too much. The source is really important… Aurender are great sounding streamers.

 

DACs are important as well… but yours is pretty good. So I would make this your second upgrade.

jbuhl's avatar
jbuhl
989 posts
 

just a suggestion:

SGC Sonic Transport

ROON

Optical Rendu into the Hermes

 

SGC 

oddiofyl's avatar
oddiofyl
3,879 posts
 

I recently got an Aurender N200.   It’s an awesome machine.   I’m using it with a LAB 12  DAC 1 Reference and it is a great sounding combo.   Has none of the nasties often associated with digital playback. 
 

I bought the DAC after a short demo.   It sounded great on the store and even better in my rig.   
 

I bought the Aurender sight unseen.   I traded a piece of gear toward it and it was a transaction that was easy on the wallet.  My piece plus $850.   It was a no brainer since I stream so much.  
 

Build quality of Aurender products is off the chart.   They are well built and the suppprt is excellent.    
 

I bought the LAB 12 with the option to trade up within a year but it sounds so good I’m not sure I want to spend double.   Not right now anyway 

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