New DAC or New Streamer?

I have read arguments suggesting Roon is unnecessarily burdensome on processors. I really don’t know enough to have an opinion one way or the other. I do know the Sense program is far less demanding and with each update sounds better and better. Innuos keeps adding features while improving sound quality. I understand they are working on offering a Roon Radio type of feature. I hope soon. 

It is true most off the shelf streamers use relatively less powerful processors for their lower inherent noise propagation, takes greater mitigation efforts to keep noise at a minimum with the higher power processors.

Roon dsp is pretty awful, HQPlayer plays at much higher level, still in process of determining a final analysis of it's ability to sound as natural as my particular Roon setup.  Thus far does excel on resolving powers, but does sound a bit artificial to me at least with PCM over and up sampling. HIgh DSD sampling rates are reportedly the way to go, will try that in time.

I'm also in camp of desiring analog/top flight vinyl sound quality with my digital. Just spent a tidy pile of money in order to bring my vinyl SQ up to the digital.

In the end I think we can all agree many paths to wonderful streaming SQ. If I were to go to off the shelf, Taiko, Wadax, Aurender W20SE, perhaps Antipodes K series or Innuous Statement would be at top of my list. With two machine setup, dedicated server/streamer many more would make the list. I'd only suggest one spend to top level of their financial abilities in streamer purchases if the intention is to make streaming their preferred source.

@grannyring I do know the Sense program is far less demanding and with each update sounds better and better. Innuos keeps adding features while improving sound quality

Bill, those are encouraging developments. Has the Sense sound quality upgrade been implemented within the past year? I wonder if there is further improvement with the new Pulse series network players.

Charles

“I don’t believe Roon is inherently inferior music player. I doubt Taiko would be using Roon in their Extreme streamers if they thought it had some inherent sonic liabilities.”

@sns

I do not know the exact reason why Taiko didn’t offer XDMS from the onset but it is quite obvious that Taiko designers felt the need to come up with their own UI/App. First TAS and later XDMS rolled out. When a member asked Emile on WBF,

Q. Are room correction convolution filters a possibility in XDMS?

Emile response was, “Not currently, and it’s low priority as XDMS is all about Sound Quality”.

As @grannyring pointed out, Innuos recognized the opportunity to further improve the sound quality and longevity of their enterprise by developing their own Sense App much to the tune of Aurender’s Conductor App. Again, the primary focus behind Sense App is SQ not some fancy interface or loads of features that don’t necessarily contribute towards optimized playback. 

Take this feedback as ROON not necessarily being inferior but a clear indication of superior integration, possible only through in-house development of proprietary software and hardware thus yielding to optimized playback performance and stellar customer support.

What is the basis for people asserting these other streamers they happen to fancy  are somehow better than the Cambridge? In what way other than perhaps cost? Anything concrete to back it up? Has anyone actually compared what they suggest with what the OP already has? What about feature comparisons? That can vary a lot with streamers. The Cambridge streamers tend to get top notch reviews in the press so that would suggest they are pretty good.