ARE SUPER EXPENSIVE STREAMERS REALLY WORTH IT
THEY ARE IF YOU BELIEVE THEY ARE
What’s the deal with all caps titles?
ARE SUPER EXPENSIVE STREAMERS REALLY WORTH IT
Folks I am confused why some streamers need to be so eye wateringly expensive. I appreciate the internal basics need to be covered such as a high quality, low noise power supply and a decent processor speed etc.. but that is not rocket science.
So my question is could a decent streamer outputting its data stream via I2S to a good quality DAC receiving the I2S stream be a more cost effective way of rivalling let’s say a streamer costing 5k upwards.
I have heard and digested the argument for expensive streamers quality being centred around the management of the data timing via a quality clock circuit but there are very reasonable in relative terms, DAC’s out there that have dual super high quality temp controlled clocks within, at least the equal or arguably even better than the say a 5k streamer with some sporting dual high end DAC chips etc.
So could utilizing a good quality streamer and a separate high-quality DAC connected via I2S indeed offer significant benefits and potentially reduce the need for a very expensive streamer.
I say this with the knowledge that I2S is designed to preserve and separate the Signals so avoiding the timing issues connected with multiplexing. I2S (Inter-IC Sound) separates the music signal from the timing signal, potentially eliminating jitter or at the very least greatly reducing the possibility for the pesky music killing jitter which we all could agree would lead to improving overall sound quality.
Wouldn’t this separation ensure that the timing information is more accurately preserved, even when compared to a high price streamer, leading as clean or cleaner and more precise audio data output. With I2S, the DAC can use its own high-quality clock/s to synchronize the data, which will reduce jitter and improve sound quality.
Could this possibly mean that even if the streamer has a less advanced clock, the DAC’s superior clock can take over, ensuring best performance.
So bang for buck would it not be advantageous to investing in a high-quality DAC and using a good but not necessarily top-tier streamer to achieve excellent sound quality without the need for an extremely expensive streamer. Surely the DAC’s performance will play a crucial role in the final sound quality.
Play gentle with the pile on please....................
- ...
- 122 posts total
I believe most would consider my system high resolving. It's about $150K at retail of C-J class A, Wilson, Rega, Shunyata, WW Platinum cables and dCS stuff. That said the digital connections are all ethernet, as dCS recommends. The "streamer" is a Roon Nucleus. The dCS unit also has its own streamer built in and there's virtually no difference in SQ vs. the Roon Nucleus. Connection quality tends to be influenced by whatever the equipment designer prefers. I understand dCS invented the USB connection and does the highest quality build but still prefers ethernet.. which sounds best on their gear with less expensive non shielded cables. What connection and source does your DAC designer like best? |
@kennyc so yes I agree with your comment. I am in the same boat, I am hearing all types of noise coming out of my pc as I am using it for streaming. |
@soix my digital chain right now in my main system is as follows: Router > fiber optic > LHY SW-6 switch > fiber optic > Lumin L2 switch & music file server > fiber optic > Lumin P1 > Nordost Heimdall II USB cable > LHY UIP USB isolator > Nordost Heimdall II USB cable > Lampizator Baltic V4 or Weiss DAC204 powered by a Ferrum Hypsos LPS All source devices including router are powered by internal or external LPS except the L2 which has an internal switch mode power supply. All these devices are plugged into a Puritan PSM156 power filter. Sometimes I swap in a Teac VRDS-701t CD transport and clock it externally using a LHY OCK-2 clock powered by an LHY LPS. The LHY clock is also used to synch the LHY switch and USB isolator. BTW the P1’s internal DAC is very good, as good as the Weiss just slightly warmer. Listening to TV either YouTube or Netflix movies using the P1’s internal DAC over HDMI ARC sounds fantastic even though it’s just 2 channel stereo.
|
First, sorry about the above post. It's just that all-caps grate. Second, your questions are thoughtful and on point imo. They are far less dumb than many of the answers you've been getting, if I may. Third, since you ask, here is the truth about digital streamers. - Buy a $15000 streamer if you can't afford a $30000 one. It doesn't really matter which one because at that price level they are guaranteed to enchant (they wouldn't cost that much if they weren't amazing - think about that for a second) and they are all created by geniuses, or should I say magicians - after all, anyone who can turn a botched Linux distro running on a lowly ARM Cortex into Gold has to be a little bit of one. - Pick a team: USB or I2S (Teams SPDIF and AES are the audio equivalent of the Liechtenstein National Football Team). Acquire enough random knowledge about oven clocks, DDCs and HDMI pinouts to effectively defend your team in forum posts. In-depth knowledge of com and network protocols is entirely superfluous and will fall on deaf ears. Ditto references to the studio / mastering world, though it solved those issues eons ago with Dante, Ravenna, AES67 et al. - Absolutely invest at least $1000+ in a USB / I2S cable. Digital bits are extremely small and wily. They easily escape lesser cables, causing annoying jitter. High-end digital cables effectively capture jitter and turn it into harmless vapor, resulting in the inky darkness of a 360 degree soundstage from which you can easily pick the exact location of Diana Krall's lips. You read it here first!
|
- 122 posts total