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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
lordrootman's avatar
lordrootman
379 posts
 

I have been streaming from cocktail audio X45Pro , streaming from IFI zen stream with IFI power elite and Teac NT505 to my preamp moon P8/W8 and I do not hear any difference with exception of XLR output really hard for me to understand that a streamer make a huge difference 

sel53
18 posts
 

I have to say I’m shocked to see so many saying streamer first!  The output stages of the DAC are directly in the signal path, and circuit architecture truly does make a distinct difference. I will always do the DAC first; it always pays off.

pokey77
1,269 posts
 

While Taiko did use Roon, it moved on to TAS, and is now in the process of completing the very purpose-built XDMS software, which essentially all users who have it say it is easily the best software for the Extreme - XDMS is I believe not in fully finished form yet, but can be downloaded to the Extreme in I think Alpha or Beta release, with help of the Taiko support staff- it is a Taiko-built product. Likewise, TAS, as mentioned above, was almost universally preferred over Roon, on a sound quality basis. As Lalitk said, Emil, designer of the Taiko Extreme, stated that XDMS is all about the sound quality. I believe you can still use Roon on the Extreme, but it will not yield the best sound quality. And some do still use it at least part time because they love the feature-rich application.

Emil also noted that the problem with Roon is that they often release updates for the software and they are not focused on sound quality, but rather the useability of the software. From what I've read, many users, and I think server manufacturers, have provided their opinion on this sound quality issue to Roon. 

As a side note, Wadax use Roon as their software interface. I believe it is a very custom set and I believe it is locked down so it can't influence sound quality. But you'd have to ask Mike Lavigne about that because he has very in-depth knowledge of the Wadax gear, in addition to being an owner/user. You can read about that here on Agon and on WBF.

mapman's avatar
mapman
22,295 posts
 

It doesn’t matter what comes first these days as long as you like the end result. It’s hard to find a clearly bad combo.Technology these days is that good. It’s clear that purely subjective personal preferences rule.

charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 

It’s clear that purely subjective personal preferences rule

Sure, how else can it be? It’s audio so you judge and decide based upon listening. You’re going to live with the product as it reproduces recorded music. If one doesn’t enjoy what they hear why bother with it? Absolutely and rightly so, subjective by default.

Charles

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