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Streamer v DAC - which is more important?

I know there have been other posts on this topic but I decided to add my recent experience. I have used a Cambridge Audio CXN but as I have indicated in previous posts, while happy with the SQ, I am totally frustrated with the apps. I recently bought an Auris BluMeHD for use with my second system but decided to ditch the CXN and hooked up the Auris to my Pure Audio Lotus 5 DAC which allowed me to use the Tidal app ( also very poor but better than the Cambridge apps).  Now either I'm going mad or my hearing is defective ( which my audiologist friend would likely dispute) but I could hear no difference between the $95 Auris and the $1000 CXN when played through the external DAC. This leads me to believe that the DAC is way more important than the streamer, unless perhaps you spend mega bucks on the streamer. Has anyone else experimented comparing a cheap streamer with a more expensive one when played via the same external DAC?
128x128mazian

Showing 2 responses by in_shore

in_shore's avatar
in_shore
596 posts
 
That very question was put to the test recently during a get together at a acquaintance home where he quickly demonstrated playback comparisons through a home baked Jcat ? server / streamer and a very expensive net work switch along with a selection of wires , modem , service and a hideously expensive dac to the rest of his system. We listened to a verity of known well recorded music.
He then bypassed his server streamer and Uber up stream components switch and all to a basic components and wire and kept his 30 grand dac in place , playback wasn’t nearly as enjoyable.
Actually there was a shocking difference.

I certainly do not own anything that remotely comes close to this fellows system however I know what actual music being played should sound like and this illusion was a tiny bit closer to the real thing with everything in place including a 5 grand network switch thrown in the mix.

I don’t stream music yet my library of music is ripped to a dedicated server and I have a fairly decent dac however today good performing dacs are a dime a dozen ,
 I’ve always considered the source especially the quality of recordings to be all important and still think so , actually it’s all important.
in_shore's avatar
in_shore
596 posts
 
Mahler I would agree to a certain extent today with fast moving technology I chose a 1 bit FPGA dac with separate power supplies all are upgradable with firmware updates , I feel good about that and it performs very well.

Streaming is a new frontier for me and I’m reluctant to dive in for now , I have access to a huge collection of CDs I borrow to rip and so far I’m content with that .
My server was a Black Friday special from a actual audio store and though it had a retail price in the thousands it was heavily discounted being a store and audio show demo model.
ive had another borrowed server to compare and noticed a marked difference in performance and someday soon I’ll sell off my original  purchase.
Though for now I’ll enjoy what I have and see what unfolds in the very near future.

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