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 added thar album to the list. 
As to network…it could be tp link, could be settings.  In either case it’s tp link that doesn’t allow dns settings changes. Funny thing is, music streaming doesn’t require much bandwidth, under 20mps. It is unlikely speed that is the culprit but rather to way your network is setup. 
 

@audphile1 

So, the reason I need to buy Eero (sp?) is to be able to change the network settings? That may be the way I  have to go. I don't think Meitner has network gurus. Qobuz connect helps a little, but I still can't listen to Stravinsky's Rite of the Spring. Its tracks are a couple minutes long and that seems to confuse whatever music streaming app. I use. 

Could you tell me the least expensive mesh I can get where I can change settings? I'll need three of them. Thank you for your help.

If you want more music suggestions, let me know. I'm holding back. If you like Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders, I can take you a step more into the abstract with a woman's voice.

@audio-b-dog i think it’s worth trying eero. No risk, you can return it

https://a.co/d/0b84LeY1 this one is $199

I have some thoughts on Alice Coltrane…overall a cool listen but in my opinion Pharoah is trying too hard to sound like John Coltrane. Tone, style, sound…that’s the part I’m not sure about…

@audphile1 

Pharoah Sanders played with John Coltrane before Trane died. He was not only mentored by Coltrane, but Coltrane thought he was an exceptional sax player to continue his legacy. Considering that legacy, I think Sanders was able to expand it and find his own voice. An analogy I might make is Haydn teaching Mozart and Beethoven. So, I don't compare Sanders to Coltrane, but appreciate that somebody took Coltrane to places he had not yet gone. Think of "Love Supreme" and compare it to what you're hearing from Sanders.

The next album I was going to suggest is "Encounter" by Flora Purim. She has an amazing voice which can go from singing standards to extremely complex abstract jazz. She plays with her husband Airto who plays percussion. On vinyl, Encounter is one of the best sounding albums I have. It streams at 16/44 but sounds good.

The eeros you suggested are relatively inexpensive. Is there any argument for buying the more expensive ones. Considering that two TP Links cover our entire house without problem. Also, if I switch networking to DNS will I have any problems elsewhere, like smart TVs?

@audio-b-dog I heard elements of Love Supreme on Phaorah Sanders Karna album. I need more time with this to appreciate it for what it is. What sticks out initially is Pharoah trying to be Coltrane but I need to go deeper. 
Familiar with Flora Purim but haven’t listened to her in quiet some time. 
 

Yes the higher models of eero provide better coverage. Eero 6 covers up to 1500sq ft per node, eero 7 covers up to 2000sq ft. As I said earlier, they are backwards compatible so you can mix different generation nodes. 
If I were you I’d get the eero 7 in a 2 or 3 piece set and add cheaper nodes later on.