DAC recommendations

i agree -- air play is the problem here, it is likely the bottleneck for sound quality, no need to change equipment before employing a better streaming method

https://darko.audio/2021/06/the-best-way-to-stream-hi-res-audio-from-apple-music/

op

seems to me you have great gear, and the dan wright modded cambridge streamer/dac is excellent (i have one sitting here, i enjoy it as much as megabuck units from msb, weiss, chord)

do you have wired ethernet into your listening room? if so just get an etherregen or na eno/muon filter to clean up the feed, then run ethernet into the cambridge - then get a tidal or qobuz sub, and listen using the cambridge app

ditch the topping, its not in the same league as the modwright cxn2 - the fact you can't currently hear the huge sonic difference between the two shows how poor your front end digital feed is...

@earthbound

merry christmas

from what i am reading in your responses, you seem pretty determined to buy a more expensive dac rather than get the right streaming service and front end delivery method

indeed there are many ways to have fun in this hobby... reading glowing reviews and then buying expensive things based on that can well be part of it, that is perfectly fine if one can afford it... but please don’t mistake that for truly improving system sound quality, especially in your case, as many folks with experience making digital streamed music sound its best have already commented

it’s wise to understand what is the real bottleneck or weak link in one’s setup and address that as the priority - you seem to have made efforts to wisely choose your gear to this point (audio notes in place of zus, for example)

I’m not just looking to spend more money jjss49. My previous system lasted 25 years because I bought quality equipment. I’m looking to do the same now. I’m not a person that wants to continually tweek my system.

glad to hear 👌👍

I currently have a cheap dac and a more expensive dac and would like to improve that segment of the sound. Speakers are great and amp is wonderful. Dac I’m not thrilled with but it’s good , just not great. So I figure I can take a chance at a higher end model.

here is my take on this... you have a cheap dac and a very very good performing expertly modded dac/streamer... the fact you cannot hear the substantial sonic quality difference between the two is very telling -- this is because of the poor quality how you have chosen to currently feed both of them -- the streaming service, the interface, and thus resulting poor quality digital feed into either/both units you own

you are focused on the dac, but the dacs you have are like having a toyota and a mercedes but you are feeding both lousy gas, so they both run badly

I have no aversion selling something if it is not acceptable to me, Zu speakers for example. As far as front end, Cambridge got great reviews and is used as a reference for Steve from Decware whose living is based on quality sound. I will also give Qobuz a try. I wouldn’t think that high resolution Apple could be too different from high resolution Qobuz, but I will find out. 😀🙏🏻

you don’t just have a factory cambridge cxnv2, you have a modwright modded unit... correct?? ....  dan wright has substantially improved the power supply, isolation, AND output stage of an already well-regarded, capable factory unit....

good you have an appointment to install hardwire ethernet... but your cambridge has a wifi plug-in module, it can pull in qobuz via wifi - i can assure you that you will....

1) hear an improvement streaming from qobuz via the cambridge using wifi (compared to apple music/airplay), then....

2) the sound will improve further when you connect into the cxn2 via hardwire ethernet... and then

3) it will improve further when you get an etherregen or eno filter to clean the ethernet feed

have fun... if... after 1, 2 and 3 are done, and you still want to try a terminator or a holo may, then your money might be more wisely spent at that point