Streamer upgrade - best path forward


Hello,

I’ve been running an NAD C658 for about 2 years now. I was using Amazon HD initially, but dropped them after several months due to inconsistent playback. I have a decent collection of ripped (FLAC) cds that I stream from a local USB drive connected to the C658. Recently began streaming Quobuz, and I’m really enjoying it so far. I will likely do a full year subscription with them after my trial expires. That’s about the extent of my digital interests.

I also have a decent sounding (to me) older Pioneer Elite dvd player that I play newly-acquired music or guest discs on from time to time. For vinyl, I have a separate phono pre that I run into the C658. So essentially the C658 is being used as a streamer, dac and a preamp.

The C658 has performed admirably during time of ownership, but I want to up the ante in terms of streamer and dac. The onboard dac has reasonable stage width, but not very good depth at all in my setup. The clarity and instrument separation are also decent, but I have definitely heard better. I find very confined in that I cannot run a separate dac with the C658. I use the dirac function (full spectrum), but I can honestly live without it. I find myself disabling it with more and more frequency as time goes on.

I have some additional closeted components that I can push into duty to serve as temporary preamp and dac so my plan is to upgrade the streamer first.

 

So my question to anyone willing to take a crack at this would be what is a good option for improving the streamer portion of the C658 within a budget of $3000? That would include the streamer itself as well as any LPS, switches, etc. I don’t want to go too far down the exploratory/DIY rabbit hole. I’ve already done the Pi and Volumio thing, but found the hardware rather finicky, slow and frustrating. BluOS is pretty nice, but it has many limitations when it comes to playlists. I am not at all interested in Roon.

I will likely want to output to USB which my old dac/preamp supports. Other associated gear in the chain is First Watt J2 running Zu Druid V. Subs are REL B2. The temporary dac/pre will be an Emotiva Stealth DC-1. Analog is Sutherland KC Vibe outputting for a Pioneer PLX1000 with Nagoaka MP150.

From time to time I sub in Philharmonic BMRs and a Jolida/Black Ice Audio Fusion 3502S. Just for a different flavor.

I have cross shopped most of the usual suspects, but I’m honestly confused at this point. One thing I am certain of is that I want the ability to upgrade the unit itself or the ecosystem in which it sits as time rolls on. The major downside of the C658 is lack of options outside of what it was originally packaged with. I’m currently intrigued by both the Innuos Zen mk III and the package of the Exasound C62 dac and Gamma server, but I’m uncertain how that would function without Roon.

Thanks in advance. 

 

adamator

OP, thank you for all of the input and keeping us informed - please keep on doing so, especially in regards to the external clock and D/D convertor for running I2S into the R26. From what it looks like, this is how you have everything set up with your configuration: 

SGC i7 server > ethernet > FMC optical from switch > optical > opticalModule > ethernet > ultraRendu > USB > R26.

The ultraRendu is providing the stream while solely using the R26 as the DAC, is this correct? From what I've read, this is reportedly the best sonic path for the R26.

Because I'm thinking of following your footsteps, and if you don't mind, I have a few questions: 

In relation to the C658, is it safe to say that you have a wider soundstage, better separation of instruments/vocals within the soundstage, and not as forward of a presentation - a few rows back in comparison to the C658? Do you find the R26 to be "warmer" than the C658? 

Maybe I missed it, but I'm assuming your running the R26 directly into an amp. If so, volume control with Roon question since it sounds like you played around with it. Do you by chance know whether the R26 allowed Roon to use it's device controls? For example, if I move the volume slider up in Roon, is the R26's volume control utilized instead of Roon's built in volume processing? I've read conflicting information about this. If not, how did you control the volume? Fixed volume in Roon and then used R26's volume/remote or were you just using Roon's DSP volume?

Yikes, that's a lot of questions! If you answer just one, I'd be grateful.