2. digital
  3. 184330-145382

Digital Dilemma

I purchased an inexpensive Onkyo C-7030 CD Player more as just a transport, but also to use as a benchmark to compare to streaming music on-line. With intentions to get the streamed content to sound as good, if not better, than the CD player could muster.

After sitting my wife down for a listen (she has better ears than me) and playing Tidal, Quboz and then the same tracks on a CD, the CD was the clear winner every time. It also seems the CD playing without using the Gustard R26 DAC didn’t even sound all that much better than when played through the CD Player only, bypassing the R26. That doesn’t say too much for the R26 DAC or alternatively, it says a lot for the DAC in the CD Player!

I am using the R26 as the renderer via a LAN connection that is optically isolated. There are a few filters and adjustments on the DAC, but tweaking those still didn’t get the sound quality up to that of the CD Player.

A lot of you say you have achieved streaming that sounds as good as your analogue systems. What do you think, do I need a betted DAC?

128x128navyachts
audioman58's avatar
audioman58
4,138 posts
 

Direct cd in many lesser streaming dacs sound better ,to get streaming to sound good there is a fair amount of $$ to spend ,minimum of $500+ Ethernet cables, 

and usb cable for dac. A Quality Ethernet hub Sonore ,or the New coming out in June Uptone Audio ,with a good linear power supply ,the Linear tube audio 

is by far  the best under $1300 and comes with a verygood DC cable for $750 a true bargain ,I use a decent $200 Pangea sig mk2  with it and Synergistic purple fuses 

a dramatic step up in streaming refinement $4-5k I spent just for cables and LPS 

I am saving fir the Excellent T+A 200 dac ,which at under $7k bests anything under $14k imo it’s excellent by most any standards .

navyachts's avatar
navyachts OP
583 posts
 

@audioman58 - WOW!

kota1
2,706 posts
 

Onkyo makes stellar products, no surprise. I use an Onkyo receiver in the man cave and an Onkyo DP-X1 DAP as the streamer in my main system via the USB out. It has been head and shoulders better than every other dedicated streame I have tried. The thing is some people feel that low priced gear means low quality. Whatever Onkyo does is over the top, there is nothing wrong with your more luxurious separates, Onkyo is just better, regardless of price.

ghdprentice
6,967 posts
 

OP,

 

I had a look at your system. Looks like you have about $10K in your preamp and amp or an average of $5K / base component. So, you should be looking at a Streamer and a DAC for that price range. Don’t worry about interconnects, those come after you have well matched components… maybe a year or two.

 

So, for a streamer, I recommend an Aurender N150… well, better yet an Aurender N200. Then a DAC for around $5K… hmm, I am having a problem in that price category. I like the Audio Research REF 9 and Berkeley Alpha. Too expensive. The Schiit Yggdrasil… to budget. I’ll have to do some research.

kota1
2,706 posts
 

@audioman58 

Re: DAC's, the Sony Signature TAZH1ES is a headphone amp, a DAC and a preamp. It has a feature called DSD Remastering (Sony knows DSD) that is key on streaming sources.

More to discover