SQ Comparison of 3 streamers

@donquichotte  an Innuos Pulse and an Innuos Zenith MK3 and both of these have better technicalities but not quite as great musicality and not quite as natural timbres as the Zen. 

Thank you for being the 2nd owner replying.  It is to my surprise that the higher-end (in price) models sound less musical to Zen 3.  This provides me the cost benefit as well.  Appreciated.

@lanx0003 it isn’t unusual for higher priced, higher end components to sound less musical if the design focus was on resolution. You’d get a more resolving, but more analytical presentation. 

@lanx0003 

Here’s a thought: different bit perfect applications can add different levels of jitter to a bit perfect data stream.  What is your DAC? Perhaps it’s susceptible to jitter?

for jrareform;  I have an Innuos Stream 1--with LPS1 power supply, Phoenix USB reclocking module, and 2 TB SSD-- in my main system; and tI have the WiiM Pro Plus in my second system, which consists of Paradigm 200b speakers, Rega Brio MK7 integrated amplifier, and Schiit Bifrost 2/64 DAC, which was "cascaded" from my main system.  

While there are obvious quality differences in the overall systems, I find the Innuos Sense app to be wonderful to use, and I use it exclusively with Tidal.  In my second system, I use Tidal Connect.  There is obviously a vast price difference between my two streamers, so I will not comment on sound quality other than to say the Stream 1 as configured above is simply superb--and the Phoenix USB module makes a significant difference after comparing it with the standard USB output of the Stream 1.  When I ordered the Stream 1, my dealer said he had auditioned it and thought it actually was better than the previous generation's $8k unit, even without the options I added.  I suspect you would notice a major difference, but note that I am using an external DAC with the WiiM.

Here’s a thought: different bit perfect applications can add different levels of jitter to a bit perfect data stream.  What is your DAC? Perhaps it’s susceptible to jitter?

@mdalton  Your assumption does not make sense to me. If everything else is equal and properly controlled (fixed volume no crossfade, etc., as mentioned before), is the Volumio app bit-perfect? Yes. Is QC bit-perfect? Yes. When comparing sound quality between the native app and QC, the downstream DAC remains the same.  I don’t get what you are trying to say.

I have micro DAC and D90 III Discrete.  Both pair very well with Rivo+ and Veritas cables, sound smooth, pin-point articulated with wide, tall and deep SS.  But with T8 is noticeably different story.