Old phones as streaming sources

I don’t know. but it seems to me that in order to be so definitive about a position, it would seem incumbent on the person arguing that position to cite something other than “people who have better streamers”, particularly in light of the science and measurements of some credible audio professionals that support the OP’s position.  And I commend the OP for his much more humble approach here, and for acknowledging out loud what virtually every male over 50 years of age - most of us on this forum lol! - are experiencing.  Michael Fremer did a rather courageous review a couple years ago of hearing aids.  

particularly in light of the science and measurements of some credible audio professionals that support the OP’s position. 

And who would that be?

From an earlier in this post, I said …” I have streamed from about every device you can think of.” Let me go into a bit more detail.

I have owned / used extensively in my systems: iPods, iPhones, iPads, several MACs, PCs (some optimized by shutting down processes, heavily conditioned power source, using different CODEX and software, sound cards, etc), several DAPs (including my $3.5K one), And many dedicated streamers including, Aurlic Aries G2, Aurrender N100, N10, N20, and my current W20SE ($22K), Linn, Grimm MU1, Lina… and I am sure I sure I have forgotten a few.

The streamer is a critical component in sound quality of a digital system… and iPhones, iPads, Macs and the like sound pretty good, but are simply not in the same league as dedicated streamers. The gap is big at the low end and simply gets bigger and bigger as one moves up the quality level of the streamers / systems.

I have found that Aurender are at the top of the class at every level of expenditure and each level up affords a substantial improvement in sound quality over the last. I climbed slowly to this level, where my system is today, over a period of twenty years. My current digital end being equal in sound quality to my really good analog end.

A friend of mine mentioned that Aurender said somewhere in their literature that the streamer accounts for 70% of the sound quality of a system vs 30% DAC. While this kind of thing is not analytical… but intended to convey the importance. The problem is, you can’t use a low end DAC and a high end streamer, this is the first thing someone will counter with. But if you are talking high end components in roughly the same class… so say a Berkely Alpha 3 DAC and a Aurrender N20… the component that is vastly controlling the sound quality is the streamer.

I stream from a iPhone 7 to Chord Mojo to headphones. I have also read many reviews of the Mojo, some purely subjective and some with measurements. I also have a TempoTec Sonata BHD Pro Type C. Mojo delivers a less technically correct sound that is relatively easy on the ears, robust and smooth. I bought the tempotec based on it being a good value based on a stellar review and measurements. It is more detailed, crisp and dynamic sounding than the Mojo. You hear all the details with the Tempotec with no sugar coating. Which sounds better? As usual, that is a subjective determination and YMMV based on personal preference. I would probably go with the Mojo for an easier listening experience but the tempotec in order to hear everything on a recording the way it was intended to be heard ie more of a “monitor” kind of sound. I mean that as a compliment. Neither is offensive in any way nor could the sound be deemed bad. As the old analogy goes they are like two very different yet very lovely ladies. Again this is with headphone listening and Each might choose differently. I’ve tried the Mojo as a source in my good hi system and it did well there but it has been awhile and I have not revisited that. Someday I may try the tempotec there and see though it is really intended mainly for use with headphone. Never the less, I have yet to be able to confirm that “higher end” necessarily means better as opposed to perhaps a different flavor of sound case by case and that such judgements are anything more than subjective as a whole, though no doubt there are some very good sounding DACs at all price points these days compared to years past. As always YMMV.

“A friend of mine mentioned that Aurender said somewhere in their literature that the streamer accounts for 70% of the sound quality of a system vs 30% DAC…”

I don’t mean any disrespect, and I am sure your system sounds great, but that’s absurd (unless the DAC design leaves the DAC completely vulnerable to jitter and other noise).  Of course Aurender would make that argument!  Their comparative advantage, particularly from a branding and marketing perspective, is in streaming.  If someone were to believe that the streamer is less important, they wouldn’t get an Aurender.  So it is axiomatic that Aurender would make that claim.