Can Qoboz Connect sound better than Qobuz viz Aurender Conductor?


Experience that does not make sense. In my system, streaming directly via Qoboz Connect produces better sound than streaming via Qoboz through Aurender Conductor app. Sound is more intense and liquid and soundstage is larger. (I dislike this lingo but in brief sound is more analog.) Does Quboz Connect somehow organize stream in a better way than other pathway? You would think Aurender would optimize its app for its streamers. Mine is an Aurender N150 that feeds a Berkeley Audio Design (BAD) Alpha USB 2, which in turn feeds a BAD Alpha Reference DAC 2. USB and AES/EBU cables are Audioquest Diamond. See my profile for description of entire system.

bosssound

Like mentioned in the other thread, QC sounds better not just different than all native apps I have experienced with except Volumio in Rivo plus.  Anyone knows what is the rationale?

 I disconnected my Aurender N150 and plan to sell it. Streaming via QC directly to my Lyngdorf 3400 amp which has both Tidal Connect and Qobuz Connect as inputs.  Sounds wonderful. My thought - why go through more intermediary electronics which might add/subtract stuff when I can go direct?

Cheers!

 

 

If it costs less and sounds wonderful to you, then I say stay with your approach. 

The thinking behind the opposite position is that the digital-to-digital conversion (DDC) that takes place in a streamer is (electronically) noisy and is best done outside of the enclosure where digital-to-analog conversion takes place.

In an integrated amp, where multiple functions take place inside the single enclosure, adding one more function, i.e, DDC, into the mix may have a negligeable effect.