2. digital
  3. 173977-9627

A different world

For decades I have struggled to get digital even close to comparable to analog. Then finally a couple years ago after lots of upgrading and experimentation I succeeded. Streaming is equally satisfying with analog, very, very comparable. The full soundstage, instruments suspended in space, tonal balance, dead silent background, and details of brass cymbals … etc. Red Book CDs through my CD player are bested by my streamer with Qobuz or Tidal with hi-Rez versions.

 

A new world. It takes a while to get it. No longer confined to music you “own” to play over and over. Replay is supplanted by exploration. You love an new (or old album) and hit, “add to library”. It is yours.

So, HiFi+ magazine has an article on building a European 21st Century Jazz Library. I just start with the first album in the list and listen (add to library), the 2nd album (add to library), the third… the forth, fifth… a whole new category of incredible music to sit along side Miles Davis and Hank Moberly. Just a couple days in the life of a audiophile streamer. I could have never predicted this as a possibility ten years ago.

 

You love music? The goal of having an infinite audiophile library is now possible. It is possible at any high end level… just requires knowledge that it can be done… and I guess give up the idea that there is something special about your CD collection, or players.

 

I have a 2,000 vinyl albums, play them, usually one a day. They are fun, occasionally sound ever slightly better… but not significantly, I like them for nostalgic reasons.

ghdprentice
limomangus's avatar
limomangus
1,188 posts
 

I don't stream....just play my Lp,cds,cassettes, reel to reels.....you said you enjoy your 2000 plus albums....so what's the problem then...

audiom3
137 posts
 

Ohhh man what I went through last year to get my s$%t wired up... Changed my entire LAN from copper to fiber, new router with SFP+ port and all fiber-switches.  And all gear, switches, router, FMCs and EtherRegen have linear power supplies.  What my system sounds like today is beyond compare of what it sounded like a year ago.  I still find local files stored on my NAS to sound slightly better than Tidal HiFi.  As in, a little better treble extension, air, deeper bass, improved phasing, etc, etc. The audible difference is similar to adding in a new and appropriately located linear power supply unit.  But my streaming setup now rivals my Ayre, Pass, VPI/Ortofon, PS Audio and Legacy Focus driven vinyl rig.  They were so far apart a year ago that it was laughable.  And I still feel like there is more to be gained.  Experimentation is fun and frustrating all at once while draining the wallet.

ghdprentice OP
6,362 posts
 

@audiom3

 

Wow, really sorry to hear all the work it took. I got a couple $69 wall wart repeaters for my two systems and and got there. I did put in a EtherRegen on my main system, but it made only a tiny improvement.

sns
3,003 posts
 

@audiom3 

I'm in process of converting to all fiber, just purchased fiber streamer, next will be fiber server. Doing fiber conversions via two FMC certainly one of best prior upgrades.

 

Also, another upgrade I don't hear much about is bridging ethernet out of server, shortcut ethernet so it doesn't have to route back through router/switch, direct out to streamer. Very few servers have this capability, can't figure out why.

 

USB out of server not best way to go unless one has something like Pink Faun, Jcat usb card, and I'd still prefer separate streamer for usb out.

sns
3,003 posts
 

Above is partially incorrect, brain fade. More specifically, you bridge to a second ethernet port in  order to split server and streamer duty. Most servers have only a single ethernet port, usb out to dac or usb renderers, perhaps I2S, spdif, etc.

 

Adding the second ethernet port has two advantages, possibly three, the first as above is to separate streamer. The second is one can than convert to fiber post server, galvanic isolation. Dedicated streamers can also be superior to built in streamer in some servers. The third possible advantage is usb out on server/streamer may be inferior to streamer usb, many streamers make extra efforts in providing superior usb out, such as femto clocks, superior grounding, etc.

 

In the above cases, one assigns the port they choose as ethernet port and then provide usb to ethernet conversion cable. In may case being Mac, thunderbolt to ethernet cable.

 

This was major upgrade for me, right up there with LPS and fiber conversion.

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