I would add the Bluesound Node Icon to the short list. The headphone amp is the THX ultra low impedance design, which should drive anything, and the BluOS user interface is well proven, enjoyed by many. If you want to tweak, an outboard LPS can be added.
Small Footprint Streamer/DAC unit
Greetings,
I'm considering putting together a system comprised of three pieces: a Headphone Amp, Headphones, and a Streamer/DAC. Prerogative is quality pieces with very small footprints. I've seen many headphone amps with small footprints but not many combined Streamer/DAC's with small footprints.
Atoll's MS120 Streamer/DAC is a possibility with a footprint measuring 12"W 8"D 4"H. A smaller unit would even be better.
If anyone would care to suggest other Streamer/DAC units with small footprints, I would greatly appreciate it. Budget is $3K (perhaps a $4-$5K unit selling used for $3K).
Thank you!
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- 24 posts total
If you want all-in-one but are willing to compromise a bit on headphone amp quality, go with NODE ICON. Streaming and DAC are its strong suits. See the review here and here. If you want to get a high performing, small-footage setup under your budget, consider the following stackable combo in the top-down order: Schiit Midgard ($219; 9"x6"x1.5"; reviews here & here) Schiit Mimir ($299; 9"x6"x1.5"; reviews here & here) Volumio Rivo Plus (w/ Lhy LPS25va; $1,664; 10.6"x5.9"x2"; reviews here & here & here & here) Some reviews were on Rivo but Rivo+ tops it. If you want to save some but still get a mid-high performance, replace Volumio Rivo Plus with Node Nano ($379; 5.6"x5.6"x1.4"; review here) and place it on the top of combo near the Midgard’s ventilation outlet. |
- 24 posts total