What are you using as a streamer? Constructive feedback please.


Wondering what improvements I can made to my streaming end and what you all are using.

Not looking to rip CDs and I mostly listen to vinyl.

System right now is:

Node 2 (latest version used streaming only with Roon)

Bel Canto e.One ref DAC 2.7

Bel Canto e.One ref CD3t Transport.

Bel Canto e.One ref 501S (best Class D to date to ever grace my system)

Mini GaN 5 ( had to try it and swap it in and out)

AM Qualiton X200 Tube Integrated (love it and gets most use)

QLN Prestige 5 Speakers.

All cables and wires are Signal Cable.

Appreciate the constructive feedback.

Have a great day.

 

 

128x128jerryg123

Believe it or not I use an LG V 30 phone plugged directly into my amp. It has a quad dac and I hook it in with a nice quality audioquest cable. I use Amazon hi Rez and it sounds great. LG V series phones all came with a hifi quad dac built in. They are all discontinued and can be picked up used for a few hundred . It works very well.

@audiophile7605  +1 to your post. Phones are overlooked and vastly underrated as a front end streaming/player platform. 

I encourage you to take the next step with your LG (...bypass it's DAC) and add a small form factor player/DAC/amp for comparisons purposes. Easy to do and you may be really surprised and pleased with the results.

I am considering a power supply board and linear power supply from PD Creative.in my Node 2i.  About $280 from Poland.  Can't play with the big boys. 

Bricasti M5. Handmade in USA, bulletproof build, flawless performance. Roon ready. Can be had brand new for $2k. No USB needed.

+1; I can recommend the M5 as a Roon streamer.   I purchased one and was amazed at the better sound quality I heard from it vs my previous long term streamer a Pi/Digi+ SPDIF output board with a iFi Power Supply.   No complaints from me though regarding the latter as for a few hundred dollars that combo sounds good and was bullet proof running Roon for many years.

A big bonus of the M5 vs the USB only streamers is you can try its different output interfaces to see which one works best with your DAC (it may not be USB...).   I've also purchased an OpticalRendu to compare its USB output to the M5 USB output and I thought it equaled the sound quality of the OpticalRendu, but found its SPDIF output with my DAC to sound better yet.