@phusis lalitk isn't being condescending—he’s just authoritative and highly knowledgeable in the area. Do you have a turntable? If so are all turntables, cartridges and stylus alike? No they aren't and neither are streamers. It's not about flavor, it's all about the electronics that make one streamer superior over another. Streamers and DACs like anything else continue to evolve and improve.
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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@fire_water wrote:
Might well be, but going by his reply just above I'd say he's full of it.
Did you read what I wrote above? If you did, and was able to comprehend it, you wouldn't reply the above. But for sake of leniency, what was the context of my reply? I'll reiterate: streamers, and that I found the differences between them to be of a lesser magnitude than other component groups. So where exactly did I say streamers all sounded alike? Nowhere, and of course you should be able to deduce that the same goes for the other categories of equipment, more so even.
This is not what's really discussed by me on a broader scale, but within a certain range of streamers, which was my context, it can very well be about flavors. Until it's not when that pricier unit (like the Grimm Audio MU1) improves in areas that I regard as objectively better being more resolved, tonally more accurate, better dynamic contrast (lower noise floor), spatially more acute, etc. |
@phusis streamers don't all sound alike and extremely expensive streamers are objectively better. There's a clear difference in SQ between a streamer that comes with a NAD or Cambridge preamplifier, a Bluesound Node, a Lumin, an Innuos Pulse, and Innuos Pulsar based on my past experiences having owned them. And just when I thought the Pulsar couldn't get better, I replaced the factory power cord with a custom Furutech power cord and the SQ was significantly better. USB cables from my Pulsar to my Accuphase DC-37 Processor/DAC also affected SQ. |
I appreciate the support and thanks for catching my drift. You actually get my point which is more about framing our experiences. And system context, which plays a much bigger role in whether those gains are actually heard. That’s why I brought up system philosophy. Not as a knock, but as context. Where I see it a bit differently is in how those differences present themselves in real systems. In my experience, especially in the mid or low tier range, the delta often comes across more as flavor in presentation rather than a clear “this one is objectively superior” across the board. That’s what I meant by nuances and not dismissing engineering, but acknowledging how those design choices translate sonically. You analogy is spot on but even there, we know synergy and implementation can outweigh hierarchy. A “better” component doesn’t always yield a more meaningful result if the system isn’t set up to reveal or benefit from it. So for me, it’s less about denying differences and more about how much those differences matter within a given system and set of priorities. Different paths, same goal…enjoying the music 👍 PS: How’s your search coming along with room acoustics. |
@lalitk I have the room acoustics worked out and now it's just a matter of time before I get everything made and installed. I'm looking forward to it. How can I send a rendering over? |
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