Streamers are like every other high end audio component the higher the quality provided the sound design objectives are in alignment with your own, the better they sound.
Do streamers make a difference?
Just added the Nagra Streamer and I can wholeheartedly say yes, it does. Without buttons, remote control or a screen, it is elegant in its simplicity. On the other hand, its music selection is anything but simple as it accommodates Qobuz Connect, Tidal Connect, and Spotify Connect. It is Roon ready/Roon Tested, JPLAY Certified, and plays with Audirvāna, Airplay 2, UPnP/dlna for local files and vTuner for radio access.
It is a wonderful device and I hear more music and I hear the music more clearly. But in the interest of full disclosure, is it the streamer or the result of removing a USB connection?
My previous system used a Roon Nucleus Plus as server and streamer and was fed via an AudioQuest Vodka RJ/E ethernet cable from an Xfinity XB7-T modem/router. The Nucleus was then connected via an AudioQuest Dragon USB cable to a Playback Designs USB-X4 interface, which connected to a Playback Designs MPD-8 DAC using their proprietary high-bandwidth fiberoptic cable. In addition to the fiberoptic connection providing galvanic isolation, the USB-X4 also reduces jitter with a clock that is identical to the clock in the MPD-8.
The new system has the Nucleus and the Nagra Streamer each connected via Vodka ethernet cables to the Xfinity XB7-T. Nagra and Playback Designs share design technology and the Nagra Streamer connects to the MPD-8 with the same proprietary fiberoptic connection as the USB-X4 and also incorporates the identical clock, yielding the same sonic benefits in terms of noise and jitter reduction.
There is definite improvement in terms of detail and space. There is simply more to the music. I venture that the streamer contributes the lion’s share but acknowledge that I have removed a USB connection from the flow, which may also contribute to the difference.
While I believe it is a great addition to my system, the Nagra is not for everybody since its connectivity is limited to only two outputs, the second being an S/PDIF. The USB port is an input for hard and flash drives.
The matching Nagra Compact PSU almost doubles the purchase price so I have ordered a Teddy Pardo LPS to replace the included SMPS.
I do not use a network switch since I have only the two ethernet connections and see no reason to isolate one from the other. I also believe clocking is not an issue, but I am interested in what others think on both fronts.
Of note, EMM employ a similar proprietary fiberoptic cable set-up but utilize a different format that is not compatible with Nagra and Playback Designs.
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The overall result is a factor of both how well the streamer manages noise and how well the DAC manages noise that originates from the streamer. Better streamers are designed with power supplies and other features that minimize internal noise and mitigate the transfer of noise to the DAC. Similarly, better DACs have features to mitigate the impact of external noise that gets passed through the digital connection and into the DAC. USB audio is an asynchronous connection, meaning unlike SPDIF and I2S connections, the DAC holds the clock and data passed via USB is timed inside the DAC. When you eliminated the USB connection, you simultaneously shifted the clocking duties from the DAC to the source (Nagra streamer), so that factors into some of the overall audible difference. |
My understanding is that the clock in the Nagra Streamer, which is identical to that in the Playback Designs USB – X4 interface, complements, not replaces, the clock in the MPD-8 DAC. I do not think clocking duties changed at all. From the manufacturers manual: "Jitter prevention through reclocking: The USB-X4 sports the same reclocking / buffering algorithm (PDFAS) as all our other products (DAC, transport, player) and therefore provides a second level of filtering and jitter removal in addition to the connected DAC. |
@tcutter Yes, your understanding is correct, as I see that your X4 interface essentially functions as a DDC - USB in and different, clocked(synchronous) format out. What I explained applies only where the DAC receives its input via a USB connection. |
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