2. digital
  3. 149050-1604

Computer to DAC Streamer

I am looking to get a digital-to-digital streamer for my new office system. I currently have a Sonare microRendu and that unit will move to another room once my new office system is built up. I also use ROON. I was originally considering getting a DAC with Ethernet streaming built-in but I may require a DAC with DSP and those DACs do not have this feature. I should add that the Linn SELEKT DSM streamer/DAC has Ethernet streaming and DSP but lacks the analog inputs I need (it also sounds excellent).

It has been suggested to me to buy an Innous streamer to get my music across to the DAC. However, I am trying to understand why these products are better than my current noisy computer combined with the micrRendu digital-to-digital type products. Anybody done a comparison? Is it because of noise on the Ethernet wire polluting the DAC?

http://innuos.com/en

In no particular order the following streamers have have come up in my research as being better than the microRendu I currently own (I have not heard these) :

Simaudio Mind2
https://simaudio.com/en/product/mind2-network-player/

Sonare Signiture Rendu
http://www.sonore.us/Signature-Rendu-SE.html

Auralic G2 Aeris
https://us.auralic.com/products/aries-g2

I am interested in the feedback or thought process of people who were making the same streamer decision as me. What did you guys end up getting or looking to get? I know there are a lot of lower costs alternatives and I am open to anything that will take my to the top tier sound level.

My preamp/DAC choice is looking like it will be the Anthem STR.
yyzsantabarbara

Showing 3 responses by rbstehno

rbstehno
1,401 posts
 
Audiotroy-are you saying that by using my Mac vs using a Linux dedicated music server that my Mac will corrupt data packets? Far from it. I’ve been in the IT industry for over 40 years and the cheapest computer will not corrupt data packets unless you have a failing device. If computers corrupt data packets then the stock market and all the banks better close up shop. 
Now I will say that hooking up a computer directly to a dac is foolish and flawed, no matter what computer you are using.
You and others always stress the need for a dedicated server. Others indicate that you need SSD for your music files. Far from it. I run Roon on my iMac streaming to multiple endpoints concurrently and the computer runs a little over idle. As for SSD, I worked for a SSD manufacturer producing enterprise grade SSD for million dollar servers and SSD is overkill for music. All computers read from disk/SSD into memory. You can read 1 song into memory within 1 or 2 rotations of a hard disk, clicked in milliseconds. Do you need your music faster than this?
i used to own an Auralic Aries which I thought was the best streamer at the time, and I had this directly attached to an external dac with the best usb cable. Got rid of all of that mess and went simple and my new setup sounds so much better.


rbstehno
1,401 posts
 
Imo, the worst thing to have is a streamer/computer in your audio room, and equally bad is using usb connection to a dac. Got rid of that setup a while back. Every streamer out there is a computer, don’t let anyone fool you. Sure, some USB ports on certain machines are better than the standard USB ports but that’s like putting lipstick on a pig, it’s still usb.
If you have Roon, use your Mac as a Roon server and get a good dac with a network connection to it, like the ps audio ds dac with the bridge ii card. My computer is in another room so there is no noise. 
With this setup, I have music routed to multiple Roon endpoints through out the house for background music all operated by my iPhone or iPad. The endpoints are the Auralic Aries Mini’s and Apple tv’s. 
rbstehno
1,401 posts
 
Audiotroy-ssd’s sound better than a disk drive? Mac’s corrupt data? Computers screw up digital waveforms? Do you make this stuff up? Auralic streamers are junk?
Somebody  at an audio show tried to tell me they only use a certain hard drive because it sounds better than the others. When I told him that I worked for the leading hard drive manufacturer, he changed his tune.
You probably should read some of Ted Smiths articles on digital instead of trying to sell equipment you carry.
Since I use the ps audio DS dac, I haven’t had any corrupt data or any digital waveform corruption processing data thru Ethernet, no lost packets, and no packets out of order. I must have the only Mac that doesn’t corrupt data, lucky me
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