I’ll add my $.02. I’ve posed this very question to myself and elsewhere in these forums. I don’t have an answer in which I’m confident - I don’t know which is the more important. They both are.
I have multiple systems, and own a Node 2, an Aurender N100H and an Auralic Aries G2 to serve each. I’ve had a chance to compare all three streamers going into the same DAC - and they all sound different. Not radically different as I would note that the difference is presented primarily in spatial information. The tonality is the same, but the better streamers sound significantly more “open”. The Node 2 is excellent for its price, but sounds “flat” dimensionally in comparison - even when connected via a Nordost Heimdahl digital cable (more expensive than the Node 2).
I also ran all three streamers into a different DAC. Same result. I still don’t know which is more important - I’m guessing the DAC, but am unsure. But, let me also suggest that those who believe certain DACs eliminate or are immune to jitter (the inference being that a good source/streamer is irrelevant) may be missing something. As has been stated elsewhere - everything makes a difference. Unfortunately, this has been exaggerated as I’ve improved my system. Pairing a state of the art DAC with a budget streamer, or vice versa, would be a mistake in my view.
Stay safe out there.
mgrif
I have multiple systems, and own a Node 2, an Aurender N100H and an Auralic Aries G2 to serve each. I’ve had a chance to compare all three streamers going into the same DAC - and they all sound different. Not radically different as I would note that the difference is presented primarily in spatial information. The tonality is the same, but the better streamers sound significantly more “open”. The Node 2 is excellent for its price, but sounds “flat” dimensionally in comparison - even when connected via a Nordost Heimdahl digital cable (more expensive than the Node 2).
I also ran all three streamers into a different DAC. Same result. I still don’t know which is more important - I’m guessing the DAC, but am unsure. But, let me also suggest that those who believe certain DACs eliminate or are immune to jitter (the inference being that a good source/streamer is irrelevant) may be missing something. As has been stated elsewhere - everything makes a difference. Unfortunately, this has been exaggerated as I’ve improved my system. Pairing a state of the art DAC with a budget streamer, or vice versa, would be a mistake in my view.
Stay safe out there.
mgrif