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DAC/Streamers, Streaming, Networked Music Systems


rplace

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2 minutes ago, Fido said:

I have played tidal mqa files and side by side cd quality files and I can’t hear the difference.  Therefore I didn’t require an mqa enabled DAC when I was DAC shopping.

 

You have a Pontus, right? I ended up selling my Ares II to a forum member after being so impressed that I bought the Venus II. Do you hear differences between NOS and OS? I can't really explain why but I seem to like NOS over time. If I A/B them I can't tell much difference on the fly.

 

Also does your Pontus have a Phase button? Manual says led on is "Positive Phase" and LED off is "Negative Phase". I've always heard of phase referred to as 0 degrees and 180 degrees. Which do you use/like? Id assume Positive Phase = 0 degrees and Negative Phase = 180. I think I get a slightly more centered image with the LED off, so that has me scratching my head.

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1 hour ago, Tarheel said:

Go back to my original post.  MQA was never mentioned and was not the subject of my inquiry.  I was discussing why actual CDs played on a tubed Jolida JD100 sound more sonically pleasing (to me) than streamed CD quality Tidal (or Spotify) offerings.  Each is going through a separate DAC which may explain some of the difference though I doubt that is the only reason. One source is wireless though other posters have said that is not likely the problem.  Again, both play through the same speakers and integrated amp.

 

As to your 2 camps I guess I fit better in camp 1 but certainly have an open mind if someone can convince me that I'm wasting money choosing Tidal Premium and their MQA offerings.  But streaming is just one way I listen to music. I listen to vinyl and CDs for more critical listening and even admit to liking CD compilations recorded on my R2R! 

Old ears you know.😉

 

 

 

 

Perhaps someone with experience doing that will contribute. 

I have experience with the old ears portion, the rest is not in my scope of expertise.

How's that for not contributing?

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24 minutes ago, rplace said:

 

You have a Pontus, right? I ended up selling my Ares II to a forum member after being so impressed that I bought the Venus II. Do you hear differences between NOS and OS? I can't really explain why but I seem to like NOS over time. If I A/B them I can't tell much difference on the fly.

 

Also does your Pontus have a Phase button? Manual says led on is "Positive Phase" and LED off is "Negative Phase". I've always heard of phase referred to as 0 degrees and 180 degrees. Which do you use/like? Id assume Positive Phase = 0 degrees and Negative Phase = 180. I think I get a slightly more centered image with the LED off, so that has me scratching my head.

I can’t really hear a big difference between NOS and OS and also don’t hear much of a difference between phase on or off but perhaps the positive phase setting presents a deeper soundstage - it’s very subtle. All I know for me is that the Pontus sounds much more analogue than other dacs I have heard. Far less sheen and electronic sounding glare.

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  • 7 months later...
4 hours ago, Shiva said:

A very cool looking and impressive streamer. 

 

 

I think someone on the forum was looking to add one of these in a new home with Cornwall IV. Too lazy to look so not sure if he has any ear time yet.

 

On another note, after sending my small-ish active speakers back and settling on a pair of passives. I'm on the hunt for a single box solution as space is at a premium in my office. Almost universal praise and I'm 95% I'll have one by the end of the week. Almost sounds too good to be true.

 

https://lyngdorf.steinwaylyngdorf.com/lyngdorf-tdai-1120/

 

Initially I was concerned about the output but most seem to indicate no lack of power for a range of speakers. Talk about a minimal signal path....just add speakers.

 

@Fido I'm not sure about amazon support but it seems to do everything under the sun. For what you were thinking of the Lumin U1 you could sell the PL amp and possibly be ahead of the sound game and net money in your pocket. I'm very excited to give this a go.

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On 8/4/2021 at 11:54 AM, rplace said:

 

I think someone on the forum was looking to add one of these in a new home with Cornwall IV. Too lazy to look so not sure if he has any ear time yet.

 

On another note, after sending my small-ish active speakers back and settling on a pair of passives. I'm on the hunt for a single box solution as space is at a premium in my office. Almost universal praise and I'm 95% I'll have one by the end of the week. Almost sounds too good to be true.

 

https://lyngdorf.steinwaylyngdorf.com/lyngdorf-tdai-1120/

 

Initially I was concerned about the output but most seem to indicate no lack of power for a range of speakers. Talk about a minimal signal path....just add speakers.

 

@Fido I'm not sure about amazon support but it seems to do everything under the sun. For what you were thinking of the Lumin U1 you could sell the PL amp and possibly be ahead of the sound game and net money in your pocket. I'm very excited to give this a go.

The Lyndorf  1120 looks very cool but does not support Amazon Music. I’m happy with my system as is and my Node 2i is no longer creating static now that I removed my Pontus from my system. My PL isn’t going anywhere. I need to figure out why the Pontus is creating static and some intermittent distortion. I am very Confident that Alvin Chee from Vinshine will get it sorted out with me. When the Pontus sounds right it is more analog  sounding than any digital source I have ever heard.

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So the Lyngdorf and lure of Room Perfect got the better of me. I've always been a separates guy but I must say this all in one box is pretty impressive. I'm sure part of it is new gear syndrome but right off the bat this thing impresses. Nice build quality, super easy set up, very good detail, separation of instruments and incredible imaging. All that more impressive when you consider I have two 24" monitors sitting between me and the speakers. The integration with Roon is flawless. The easiest I've ever seen. I bet is was less than a minute after power up that I was listening to my library of FLAC files.

 

With all it features its a bit overkill for my office. I think it would really shine in a common space where music and TV were split and you wanted something less than a frat-house look. HT pass through, dual sub outs, HDMI eARC.

 

This is the kind of impact I was looking for from my KEF active experiment. To say I'm happy with the decision would be an understatement. Hopefully it stays that way and is not just another shiny object (look a squirrel 😁 ). 

 

I've been focused on sound, not looks. So, sorry for the mess. Eventually I will get the room sorted beyond just the music end of things.

 

BTW its the small black box below the main monitor's lower left side.

 

ed0739584d08e772059379b91c1d23aab5b9287a

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

So, I think I'm switching to Plex/Plexamp for my music playback. There is nothing wrong with Roon and it's the superior product right now, but I just can't keep justifying the cost. I don't use Tidal or Qobuz and I handle all of my music tagging/metadata through Beets, so it's an absolute premium for a pretty UI and playback of my own music files.

 

I looked at plexamp when it was first released and was unimpressed. It has certainly evolved over the last couple of years, enough that I feel comfortable using it instead at least. It's still lacking in the couch experience as it relates to controlling a running plexamp instance on a dedicated PC using an iOS device, but that's on the roadmap to improve. Casting to an Airplay or Chromecast device is supported, however, if I can't be bothered to get up and change the music like the old days.

 

I already pay for a Plex pass and use it exclusively for movies and much of my TV content, so it makes sense to just extend that to music as well. It's about 75-80% of what Roon offers, but it's also not $700 or more for simply existing on my network.

 

Just an FYI for those out there looking to find something between foobar and Roon.

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On 11/25/2020 at 10:22 AM, rplace said:

These would be the streamer and DAC combo in post #1 picture. Not Roon, per se.  

 

Not 100% sure since I don't do it, but they will have some way to manage your account and some way to play it (DAC). My experience has always been that the companies (Sony/Denon/NAD/etc.) UI/UX is lacking. Software built by engineers is terrible. It will work but you won't like it. Think web sites in 1994. The real joy of Roon is the actual use of the software. There are tons of way to play digital music throughout your house....most of them stink, IMO.

 

I wasn't involved in the forum when this thread was active, but I found it helped me to better understand a challenge I'm currently wrestling with. I apologize for the length of this post; I don't understand the subject well enough to be more concise.

 

I'd been uninvolved with audio for years, but have gotten back into it within the past year. I drive a pair of La Scalas from a Yamaha R-N803 receiver. The receiver has a great many features that I like. Until I got the La Scalas I had a lower-end stereo system and most of what I listened to was either:

  • MP3 files that I had ripped from CDs more than a decade ago
  • Internet radio (e.g., Radio Paradise)

Despite having enjoyed the MP3s for years, I found them almost unbearable when played on my LS/Yamaha system. That drove me to try a streaming service. Because the Yamaha receiver supports Spotify Connect, and because I could share playlists with friends, that's what I chose. I'd been happy with Spotify until recently --- when I tried Tidal. I found that the sound on Tidal was considerably better than on Spotify.

 

Unfortunately, my receiver only has good support for Spotify (via Spotify Connect); support for other streaming services is so rudimentary as to be effectively unusable. I'd like to have the flexibility to use Tidal (likely via Tidal Connect) from my tablet, and to be able to try Apple Music, Amazon Prime Music, Youtube Music, etc.

 

So ... I need an external streamer/DAC that can hook up to the Internet, feed a signal to my receiver (likely via RCA), and be controlled by my tablet or phone. And because I'm just trying things out, I don't want to spend a lot for the device. I had thought I'd try a Raspberry Pi + HighBerry combo but couldn't sort out what was needed or how it would work.

 

What would people recommend for an inexpensive (<$500) streamer+DAC that can connect to the Internet (via Ethernet or Wifi), allow access to Tidal and other streaming services, and that could be controlled via a good app (like Tidal Connect or the streaming service's own app) on my tablet or phone?

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3 hours ago, Dave MacKay said:

What would people recommend for an inexpensive (<$500) streamer+DAC that can connect to the Internet (via Ethernet or Wifi), allow access to Tidal and other streaming services, and that could be controlled via a good app (like Tidal Connect or the streaming service's own app) on my tablet or phone?

 

 

Are you at all handy...like, can you snap Legos together? If so I'd suggest a PicanPi streamer and Volumio. 

First Up - Volumio

https://volumio.com/en/get-started/

IT ONLY TAKES 10 MINUTES FOR GREAT SOUND
Install Volumio on microcomputers such as Raspberry Pi or ASUS Tinkerboard, and control it directly on your phone, computer or tablet.

 

 

As for the PecanPi they sound awesome with dual Burr Brown DACs and a linear power supply...just slightly out of your budget. So for about 1/2 the price you can build  your own

Right out of the box ready

Networked music player with DAC and headphone amp
Ultra-high fidelity, plug-and-play, ready-to-go, high-resolution music streamer with built-in DAC and headphone amplifier. Control music wirelessly using your phone, tablet, or computer. 

 

Ready to play in minutes

https://orchardaudio.com/pecanpi-streamer-1

 

Or roll your own...same DAC you just have to assemble the parts

https://orchardaudio.com/shop/ols/products/pcnp-dac

 

@orchardaudio is a member here I'm sure he would be happy to advise via the Contact Us link from his site.

 

Read up on those and see if it does not make more sense. 

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1 hour ago, rplace said:

Are you at all handy...like, can you snap Legos together? If so I'd suggest a PicanPi streamer and Volumio. 

 

As for the PecanPi they sound awesome with dual Burr Brown DACs and a linear power supply...just slightly out of your budget. So for about 1/2 the price you can build  your own

I had looked at the PecanPi but hadn't explored it in depth. I'd concentrated more on the HiFiBerry options.

 

By my figuring, the cost of a DIY PecanPi, even if I repurposed a Raspberry Pi I already have, is pretty high:

  • Volumio Premium (required for Tidal Connect) = $70/year
  • PecanPi DAC (out of stock until March) = $350
  • Power supply = $30
  • Case = $50
  • XLR-to-RCA cable = $15

That works out to about $515 with an ongoing $70/year cost for Volumio Premium. The pre-packaged PecanPi streamer is about $650 plus $70/year for Volumio Premium.

 

By contrast, a Bluesound Node costs about $550 with no ongoing costs. The Bluesound Node seems like a pretty nice device. 

 

I was hoping to find a less expensive way to test the waters.

 

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