2. digital
  3. 181468-164802

Streamer upgrade? follow up.

I posted the first part of this earlier in the week. There are a few other threads running concurrently here about this same subject.This is my personal experience with this situation.Ive been using a Aurender A100 streamer/dac which is they’re entry level unit, the SQ wasn’t horrible but I was pretty sure I could get it better.In a attempt to do that I purchased a Denafrips Pontus two and a DhLabs Mirage Usb cable to use with the A100 utilizing its Usb out.The two local hi fi dealers here in SO Cal both told me this would not produce much of an result and in my opinion after trying it they were both correct. So… as I stated in the first post I was coming from a “bit is bits” perspective which was I was convinced adding a better Dac would accomplish my goals, I just couldn’t believe that the zeros and ones  could possibly effect the quality of sound. But not being one to give up I decided in for penny in for a pound Id see for myself if there was anything to the other side of this conversation, I wanted a new toy for Xmas anyway.So I traded my A100 plus some cash to TMR ( nice people btw) for a shiny new Aurender N200 which arrived yesterday. Last night the moment of truth, I hooked up the new unit with the exact same everything as before in my system nothing different but the streamer.I let the tubes and everything else warm up for a few hours,picked a song I knew inside and out sat down and pressed play. Immediately within the first few notes of the Stones “ Wild Horses “ I knew I had made the right choice and that I was wrong believing  bits are bits “. I really don’t have adequate language to describe the difference in sound quality other than to say I feel like Im in someone else’s home listening to they’re far superior system, its that drastic.I can with complete confidence say this has got to be one of if not the most significant upgrades Ive made in my system, scouts honor!              PS. Grinin ear to ear here.                                                            

bikeboy52
jerryg123's avatar
jerryg123
3,429 posts
 

@lalitk +100.

Bet this guy has not spent an hour at the local church feeding the less fortunate. I do every Saturday evening and Sunday morning before church.  He would rather chastise people here.

Charity comes from the heart not the wallet.  My time is priceless. If I spend $15K on my Innuos Statement thats my business. 

If you guys are so willing to spend your money in a magical improvement for a well-advertised product, go ahead. There are thousand people suffering because of the lack of meal, i would rather donate than contribute in making rich individuals  richer. Do you really have an idea why N200 or whatever their product costs 6k, couldn't it cost 5,4, or 2k?

lalitk's avatar
lalitk
5,583 posts
 

“Charity comes from the heart not the wallet.”
@jerryg123

I couldn’t agree with you more! There are many who have the means to give, but not the heart to shell out a dime. BTW, your reply to audiotroy was precious 🤣

bikeboy52 OP
190 posts
 

@niodari Wait!  What ? So your post of October 8 titled “Tubes , cheese, wine and congnac “where you brag about the five different and expensive boutique vacum tubes you tried in your amp are ok?? Lets see here “so far tried Mullard ,Gold Lion , and Tang Sol “its Tung Sol by the way, why did you waste money on those when the stock tubes Im sure are perfectly fine? How many could you have fed with that amount of wasted money I wonder? Tubes ,cheese wine and cognac, not bourgeois at all,nope.Please be so kind as to submit a list for me of things that you deem acceptable to purchase, thanks in advance.By the way Im warming up my stock Prima Luna tubes now, I’ll replace these when they’re dead.

niodari's avatar
niodari
305 posts
 

Charles, i share the point of view from your post, which not necessarily contradicts to what I said. I do not blame people buying these streamers, i only questioned if the price they are sold is justified and if we, buying them, are in fact pushing further rise of their public price. 

@jerryg123 , could you please be more moderate in your unproven statements and hypothesis?

@bikeboy52 , one of the supplied  tubes in my set amp was blown out and that is why I had to look for substitutes. And once you start this process it is difficult to stop until you find something ideal, which may never happen. Paying for a 60 years old nos tube pair 2-3 hundred dollars still seem to me more reasonable than 6k for a small computer. 

 

 

sonic79
80 posts
 

I notice a trend of disproportionate scrutiny towards digital on this forum. This same level of scrutiny doesn't seem to exist with analog components, and that being the land of $50,000+ vinyl rigs. Yet spending $6,000 on a streamer is inconceivable to some. Perhaps ASR has become stale and the congregation has migrated here.

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