DDC Sound Improvements???

@stillbuyingtoys ,

In my humble opinion, you are limiting your sound reproduction by using the Bluesound as a DAC. 

The Matrix NT-1, looks like a very nice streamer, but you need to give it good information in order to get quality sound. I can understand not wanting to spend a fortune, but adding a Gustard, in my opinion, would be adding another element of distortion to the signal.

Have you looked into other DAC's? The Ayre Codex is pretty inexpensive, and has a very good sound. The Ayre QB-9 is another move. I owned the Schiit Gungnir and liked it, too. The worst part of this obsession, is that it takes a lot of money to achieve sonic Nirvana. You can try to add things that reviewers say are great-like the Gustard, but when it comes down to it, you are just spending money that could be better applied to equipment that does the job it was designed for. 

Bob

Have you tried the internal streamer in the x30? roon has a free trial, I think hqplayer also has a free trial. might be worth a try, wouldn’t cost anything but time.

I used a Singxer DDC for a while, with decent equipment, and improvement was noticeable. My guess is that the synergy between the Gustard DDC and DAC would be good and you would realize some gains. And the resale on the DDC is probably decent. Meanwhile, save up and ditch the Bluesound long term.

I can share some generalized thoughts based on my experiences owning the Hermes and the Singxer SU-6 (currently), and with streaming Tidal, Qobuz, and stored files using Roon in my system:

• Assuming the server is powerful enough to competently process Roon Core, I have not heard any sonic differences between servers.
• Streamers (aka. Roon endpoints) have resulted in a more significant impact on the sound of my systems.
• A DDC provides isolation, reclocking, and format conversion (e.g., multiple outputs), but since a competent DAC also provides isolation, so the better the streamer and DAC, the less influence a DDC should have on the sound of an audio system to the point where the user may not "hear" a recognizable difference in the sound of their system when using a DDC.
• One benefit a DDC does provide is that, in converting the streamer’s digital output format so that multiple formats can be selected, the DAC’s optimal digital input format may be used.
• I2S may work fine with some components but, in general, is over-rated as a connection protocol between two audio components and is not likely to significantly change the overall sonic presentation of most DACs compared to an optimized S/PDIF or USB connection (IME). 

@whart,

I don’t think of your inexpensive digital system as ’cheap’ at all. I think of it as money smartly and wisely spent. That Shanling ET3 CD Transport is a model of compact design, loaded with surprisingly high tech hardware and software at a modest price inputting external SSD via the USB.

Same with the Gustard U18 DDC, and the I2s cable into a Gustard X26 Pro. To me, that’s a lot of bang for your buck.

I’m surprised you haven’t upgrade to a (used maybe?) Gustard U26 DDC (or even the GUSTARD S26 AMD Ryzen 5 5600U Music Server) and a Gustard X26 Pro III while upgrading the USB, I2s connectors as well, if you’ve not done so already. 

I use a cheap digital front end- a I use a cheap digital front end- a Shanling ET3, as a file transport from an SSD outputting via USB. I installed the earlier Gustard (U-18 DDC) to run I2s into a Gustard X 26 Pro, as a file transport from an SSD outputting via USB. I installed the earlier Gustard (U-18 DDC) to run I2s into a Gustard X 26 Pro