@designsfx Steaming Tidal. Beginning to think I created a problem rather than solved one though, now my digital sounds better than my analog. It was just the opposite previously. This’ll never end😀.
Streamer upgrade? follow up.
I posted the first part of this earlier in the week. There are a few other threads running concurrently here about this same subject.This is my personal experience with this situation.Ive been using a Aurender A100 streamer/dac which is they’re entry level unit, the SQ wasn’t horrible but I was pretty sure I could get it better.In a attempt to do that I purchased a Denafrips Pontus two and a DhLabs Mirage Usb cable to use with the A100 utilizing its Usb out.The two local hi fi dealers here in SO Cal both told me this would not produce much of an result and in my opinion after trying it they were both correct. So… as I stated in the first post I was coming from a “bit is bits” perspective which was I was convinced adding a better Dac would accomplish my goals, I just couldn’t believe that the zeros and ones could possibly effect the quality of sound. But not being one to give up I decided in for penny in for a pound Id see for myself if there was anything to the other side of this conversation, I wanted a new toy for Xmas anyway.So I traded my A100 plus some cash to TMR ( nice people btw) for a shiny new Aurender N200 which arrived yesterday. Last night the moment of truth, I hooked up the new unit with the exact same everything as before in my system nothing different but the streamer.I let the tubes and everything else warm up for a few hours,picked a song I knew inside and out sat down and pressed play. Immediately within the first few notes of the Stones “ Wild Horses “ I knew I had made the right choice and that I was wrong believing bits are bits “. I really don’t have adequate language to describe the difference in sound quality other than to say I feel like Im in someone else’s home listening to they’re far superior system, its that drastic.I can with complete confidence say this has got to be one of if not the most significant upgrades Ive made in my system, scouts honor! PS. Grinin ear to ear here.
Showing 14 responses by bikeboy52
@lalitk Thanks everyone,I really appreciate the support and civility of this thread, sometimes Im not sure if I want to expose myself here, To answer your question though Lalitk Im coming straight off the Linksys router with Blue Jeans Cat 8. Exactly as bh123. Work on this is next and I was going to tap you and some of the others here on this if thats ok. I was just reading Oddiofyls tweak above, I,ll have to wait for my war chest to build back up for anything pricey but Id be game for a first move now if it were not to costy.Looks like bh123 experience mirrors my own, I consider my system mid fi Ive got a number of other similar components that I switch out from time to time I have complete solid state rig as well and a pair of esl,s I sometimes use , but nothing I’ve ever added or changed out has made this level of improvement. Thanks again everyone. |
@lalitk Grounding the chassis.You know I looked at that ground terminal and thought it unusual but was focused on everything else, thanks easy enough, I’ll get right on that. |
@fthompson251 Sorry I forgot you asked about ac cables. Ac cables on both dac and streamer are entry level Nordost. I read your post the other day about your deciding to go new dac or streamer first. My personal experience has led me to the conclusion that a lot of people are looking at this backwards, this is clearly a case of the new streamer making my old dac sound far better, best of luck on your endeavor either way. |
@1extreme “Last night the moment of truth” Yes what Im trying to get across here is that its instantly apparent that sound quality has improved. The concern here seems to be my six grand ( paid five btw), the notion that I rushed to judgment or that Im not qualified to know what Im hearing. So to that ,been listening to it for four hours a day since it,s been in my system,the money, not a problem, as a life long musician and music fan I feel pretty confident of what I hear also. But nothing I can say will convince you ,I posted my experience here because I felt that it was an honestly conducted experiment that I myself wanted to know the answer to, but you gotta be open to that and your minds already made up.Why would I lie? Aurender,s not a publicly traded company I dont have any interest in it. Audio is just a hobby of mine I’ve got a few , Enjoy! |
@ianrmack +1w Ketchup. Im a building contractor.we’ve got a whole area in our shop w equipment to chip/drill masonry,bits up to 48 inches long.The 21st century is a great time to be alive we’ve got all sorts of technology available to us to make our lives better and easier.but you know, you gotta be open to it. |
@lordrootman Huh? |
It seems that quite a few people are questioning the wisdom of spending time and money building or improving systems for streaming music.Aside from the fact that I have the ability to hear virtually any song that pops into my head,its the first upgrade path I’ve taken in this hobby that actually pays for its self, vinyl records are what ? Thirty dollars a pop , Cd,s what? the same? I saved every penny of the cost of my latest hardware purchase by not buying any physical media for the last year.Sure the subscription to the streaming service is a small cost but also what I would consider a steal to have that kind of access. Its the future and its here now.
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@niodari Wait! What ? So your post of October 8 titled “Tubes , cheese, wine and congnac “where you brag about the five different and expensive boutique vacum tubes you tried in your amp are ok?? Lets see here “so far tried Mullard ,Gold Lion , and Tang Sol “its Tung Sol by the way, why did you waste money on those when the stock tubes Im sure are perfectly fine? How many could you have fed with that amount of wasted money I wonder? Tubes ,cheese wine and cognac, not bourgeois at all,nope.Please be so kind as to submit a list for me of things that you deem acceptable to purchase, thanks in advance.By the way Im warming up my stock Prima Luna tubes now, I’ll replace these when they’re dead. |
@niodari kind of what I figured “ you didn’t inhale “ and your still a better human than I. Aurenders corporate bio says they have between 51 and 100 employees at they’re plant overseas,10 more stateside, figure another 50 in outsourced manufacturing of parts and misc suppliers. Round it out to 150. All those folks were able to eat and keep the lights on because people like me buy what they have to sell. If people like you keep insisting on pulling back the curtain and exposing them and other high end streamer companies for the charlatans that they are hundreds more will lose their jobs.So please just stop! You dont have to buy one or even believe in them. Just play along, we’re creating jobs and feeding people here for gods sake. |
@niodari Im having a hard time following you. No employing people is not a charity, it’s something much better, you know “ teach a man to fish” ??? |
@thyname Thank you , I just didn’t have the energy or time to explain that today.Ive been putting in some serious hours at my job in our free market economy. |
@sns Nice informative well thought out post , thanks sns. I’ve owned and run a micro business in Southern California for 37 years. My perspective on businesses both large and small is based on my own experiences during that time. Im constantly shocked at the cost of doing business especially here in So Cal. Sometimes Im amazed these high or higher end hi fi companies can stay afloat, they’re not dealing in the main stream market place but a rather small niche that Im told is actually shrinking.Im sure alot of these companies struggle especially at the R&D phase keeping they’re costs in line based on the number of units they anticipate selling, it’s gotta be a gamble. Keep listening, dig your system btw, Id love to hear it I can tell it sounds great you wouldn’t have it any other way Im sure. |