Does anyone have a digital system that is as involving as their analogue front end?


I have a good analogue front end. Not stratuspherically good but good enough for this comparison. VPI Prime Signature 21 turntable, Pass Labs XP-25 pono preamp, Pass Labs XP-30 preamp and Hovland Radia amp. It has a lovely, very involving sound. On the right recording, I just drop everythng and am drawn in to listen.

My streamer, on the other hand, is decent but not spectacular. It is better than my CD player, but it is not jaw-dropping like my analogue front-end. My question is this: does anyone have a high-end, tier-one streamer (dCS Bartok Apex, Lumin X2, or something like them) that can rival a good analogue system?

audio-b-dog

@audio-b-dog 

When you get the Meitner MA3 and doing listening tests be sure and hook the Meitner directly to your amp bypass the preamp and give it a couple days and you might be pleasantly surprised. I am a Pass Labs fan, I had the Pass Labs preamp, went back and forth in the end the Meitner MA3i is hooked directly to the Pass XA-25  amp or when I want a different sound directly to the First Watt Sit-4, the preamp is sold, and you won’t see any vinyl or CDs in my listening space…no need for all that…now it’s the Meitner MA3i dac, Pass or First Watt amp to the Volti Lucera speakers..no need for all those cables, gear…a glorious simple sound..and access to all the music in the world with my iPad…

I am old too, 73 lol

I have a Holo Audio May that in NOS mode in conjunction with HQPlayer that with a good master can rival my Linn LP12 Klimax with a Kiseki  Purple Heart. Without HQPlayer it's merely adequate. Peak experience is still vinyl by a little though. 

@slantgut 

I think the Meitner MA3's internal software is supposed to do what HQPlayer does. I'm not even sure how I'd use it with a streamer.

@deep_333 love your post. I want to believe it.

But, seriously, how high were you when you wrote it?