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Best streamer for Audio Note UK dacs

I have an older audio note dac 4, and absolutely love it. thinking about upgrading my streamer, which is currently an inuous Zen 3 going into a sonicweld USB converter. I enjoy the sound a lot but I know it can get better. So I've been toying with either adding a Phoenix clock to the Zen 3, but more likely upgrading to an inuous statement or maybe a 432 Evo aeon. What I wanted to ask is whether some high-end streamer brands tend to be better on high-res sources and others may be particularly strong on 16/44? Are some known to be better on 16/44? I play mostly 16/44 because that's what the audio note dacs are built for. 

I'm also very open to hearing opinions about innuos versus 432.

Thanks

montaldo
audphile1's avatar
audphile1
5,443 posts
 

OP - keep in mind, when you use SPDIF input on your dac, the better the clock is in your transport the better the sound quality. Look for a streamer that’s optimized for SPDIF with OCXO clock. A used Aurender N10 or N20 will be a good match.
Alternative is to buy a high quality reclocker with OCXO clock to reclock USB to SPDIF. 

montaldo OP
202 posts
 

Yes audphile1, I had been thinking about adding a clock to my current Innuous Zen. And I believe the Grimm mu-1 has a very sophisticated clock and is optimized for spdif output. So I'm  definitely heading that direction one way or another. I don't know much about aurender but I'm going to read up on them. 

Thanks

deep_333
1,735 posts
 

Streamer: Aavik S-180  ($7000)

At a later date, i.e., if you think there may be a better dac out there...get the

DAC: Aavik D-180 ( $7000)

It will sound way more 'real' and give you everything in the music that the Audionote dac robbed all these years.

mdalton's avatar
mdalton
523 posts
 

 You should read this thread from the last few days.  Significant differences of opinion regarding the efficacy of spending much on streamers:

streamer thread

mdalton's avatar
mdalton
523 posts
 

btw, if not mistaken, the only purpose for reclocking is to remove jitter.  So if you start with a low jitter streamer, not clear to me what the purpose of a separate reclocker would be.  

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