A new dac?

@audphile1 Bought myself a proper Roon core, a Room Nucleus One, couple of nice reasonably priced Ethernet cables. I’m really digging this simple digital front end. 

Simplicity is beauty.  A Grimm MU2 might be even simplier because of the build-in Roon Core.  Curious how MA3i stacks up with MU2?

@lanx0003 never had the pleasure to hear MU2. I’m sure it’s great. Happy with the Meitner DAC. For now I’m done (famous last words). 

"DDC Equivalent" function should be done right before the dac conversion with the shortest signal path inside the same box. 

I think it was the Denafrips dudes that wanted to sell you an extra box...and then you’ll string it all together with some cable and achieve a sonic miracle...or that’s what they said.

There are some other clods hyping up/selling separate clocks or whatever....Such a signal should never pass through a cable like that...

The digital front end is far more important—just like the DAC. The Wiim Ultra sounds fine, but only fine. I owned it for a long time, but it won’t be considered a ‘decent’-sounding streamer (using digital out) unless it is paired with a good DDC.  If you really aim for budgetary gear, get Node Nano instead.

I later acquired the Volumio Rivo Plus, which is in another class above all budget streamers, including the Ultra, iFi Zen, and even the Node Nano. Don’t just take my word for it—cross-check with professional reviewers such as Hans, Tarun, iiWi, Passion for Sound, and others.

The clock and the cable are also critical for achieving true audiophile-grade sound.

Op if you like something different go tube Dac. Or even tube cdp. Your mytek DAC will sound close to other ss DAC below 2k.