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Dac with separate streamer or Dac with built in network card

In my search for a dac upgrade I was looking at the Weiss 501MKII, the Berkely Alpha Dac Series with the Berkely USB port. I then realized that the streamer controls the clock and hence jitter reduction in all connections except the USB.  It became apparent to me that in most cases I would not be getting the benefit of a new Dac upgrade as to clocking and hence jitter. So I then was advised I needed a new streamer whose internals were on par with the internals of my Dac. The new streamer would be a Lumin U2X or a Aurender N20, which both cost over $10,000.00,  

I was then advised by a few audiogon members that I should consider a stand alone Dac with a network card which would take the place of purchasing a new streamer. It was mentioned that I should consider the Meitner MA3i, which is a Dac with a network card. Until today I thought a network card is only found in a streamer. Was not aware of a Dac & streamer combination. I have always believed in separates such as power and preamps, as well as an external Dac running into a streamer. Does anybody have any thoughts regarding the option of a high end Dac such as the Meitner with a network card?  Thank you.  

kjl1065
mahler123
4,052 posts
 

 

i am not sure that I saw the other thread referenced.  What was the theoretical advantage of a DAC with a streamer card in reducing jitter?

  I normally recommend separates for streamers and DACs, but if jitter concerns are that paramount, then perhaps a combo player would be your best choice.

  In the budget range under discussion, you are going to end up with a pretty decent results.  I don’t particularly care for the Weiss home sound but every other brand mentioned here is superb, and you may feel differently about Weiss.

mclinnguy's avatar
mclinnguy
1,091 posts
 

@mahler123 

i am not sure that I saw the other thread referenced. 

There are 8 of them now. wink

mahler123
4,052 posts
 

I lose track of how discussions interrelate, although the OP did attempt to link them in his preamble here

jjss49's avatar
jjss49
6,926 posts
 

short answer, it depends

generalities are useless w r t this question

case in point

ps audio direct stream lan card was awful, whereas weiss and msb lan in are wonderful

audphile1's avatar
audphile1
8,040 posts
 

I don’t think the new PS Audio has a network card. The older model was indeed known for a crappy network implementation and not many thought it to be acceptable as a one box solution. 
 

I agree with @verdantaudio   figure out the DAC that suits your sound preferences first. Then worry about what connection method. But here lies the problem…to properly do it you need to have both the DAC and the streamer on hand, in your system. 
 

And I’ll continue to emphasize that with DACs like Meitner, EMM Labs, dCS and Playback Designs that feature high quality on-board network cards, adding external streamer for $13,000 is not easy to justify. 
 

Keep your mind open beyond the inventory of your favorite dealer. There are other dealers both locally and remote, who will allow you to demo a dac in your system.

One important detail to add…you should be open to try Roon. One of the best user interfaces for streaming on a market today. 

 

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