STREAMER - WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE?

Last thought: Someone posted about their experience with Aurender products, how there were obvious benefits to spending more than $2k in that product range.  That makes perfect sense.  Remember, Aurender, Innuos and some others offer entry level products that combine the server and the streamer in one box.  It’s a great idea for convenience, but sub-optimal for noise mitigation.  CPUs for servers typically require a lot more power than streamer CPUs, and therefore generate more noise.  So the entry-level Aurenders are noisier than their higher-priced products.  Therefore, if you want the convenience of a single-box solution, I whole-heartedly agree that it would be tough to get state-of-the-art performance for $2k.  That’s precisely why I recommend you keep your server separate from your streamer.  If you do, you can get a whole lot more performance for less $.

Keep in mind, many say use your existing Streamer section in your Eversolo streamer/DAC combo.  The stand alone, Eversolo T8, streamer IMHO, is waaay better SQ than their Streamer/combo DACs.  It's $1200 USD, and most Eversolo retailers have a waiting list to get one.  Eversolo put alot of engineering and premium parts into just a streamer only.   In my opinion, it's on par with an Innuos Pulsar as far as sound quality.  I suggest you try one, from a dealer who has a 30 day return policy.  If you don't like a screen, you can always turn it off

Not sure if this helps , @patrickalston , but This Aurender N200 came to the Music Room from me in a complicated trade; it is truly in mint condition; I bought it in September 2025 from a highly respected dealer (Don Better) who was selling it for the widow of a late client of his. I only traded it because I loved the Aurender quality and had the opportunity to upgrade to the N20 by adding in some other components I had no longer had any use for.  This still had (and i assume still does) the plastic film protection over the screen.

I'm certainly enjoying all the input about the said class of streamers / servers. Has anyone demonstrated the Matrix NT-1? It seems to have all the bells and whistles along with a couple of good YouTube reviews. Problem is that the reviewers leave an element of question by not testing apples to apples. Buhler...Anyone?

I have a dealer friend who likes their stuff a lot.  Haven’t heard it myself, but keep in mind that the NT-1 combines a server with a streamer, which I’m not a fan of.  The TT-1, on the other hand, is streamer-only, and goes for my magical number of $2k.