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My HRT Music Streamer HD DAC is a game changer

I haven't started a thread this long for years, I think, so you have a hint right there. The truth is that I can't say enough good things about the new inexpensive DACs that seem to appear every week. I have only tried two -- the Audioquest Dragonfly is the other one -- but when I decided on the HRT Music Streamer HD, I knew I had hit gold for not much dough. I have been an audiophile since the early seventies, now retired, and my audio system is just appropriate for a small room, but forget the system --I don't remember enjoying music as much as I do now-- perhaps during my Thorens/ADC analog days, but that was a long time ago. A few years back I settled on a Squeezebox with Bolder power supply, but there is no comparison between it and the new DACs. My decision on the HRT HD was heavily due to its (true) balanced outputs, since my system is on the opposite side of the room from my computer. When the HRT HD is "correctly fettled," as Alan Sircom rightly puts it in Hi-Fi+ (meaning for me KingRex battery power and Elijah Audio Isolaate BL USB cable magic), it is awesome and then some. Ambience, natural timbre of instruments and voices, performers and instruments that have real body (not paper ships on a paper sea), huge soundstage, the feeling that you are there with the performers. Audio Nirvana!
vladimir
vladimir OP
346 posts
 
HRT DACs are just a few of the relatively inexpensive ways to get into computer audio. To make the fight more competitive in this segment, M2tech just came out with a new 32bit/384kHz flash-drive size DAC, the $295 HiFace.

I also think that any computer-powered USB input would improve if driven by batteries or dedicated linear power supplies, because it bypasses the electronic grunge in the computer.
dtc's avatar
dtc
1,047 posts
 
Mitch2 - no offense taken. As I said, I am very happy with my 2 Streamer IIs and I do agree that Dudley is the odd man out on this discussion. I do wonder if there was something else going on in his system that was adding to the problems he reported. It is also possible that his PC was struggling to provide adequate clean power to the HD. In any case, the HD seems like a good option, although once you add in an outboard power supply it reaches a price with a lot more competition.

I do agree that reviewers with the influence Dudley has should take extra steps before reporting a poor result. I remember when Chris over at Computer Audiophile panned the M2Tech HiFace when it first came out. People were dumb founded, since most people found it a very good product at the time. I always thought he should have gotten another sample and tried other systems before his poor review. I know it can be a lot of work, especially for a low end product, but I still think reviews should go the extra mile in that type of situation.
kbuzz
214 posts
 
I am curious about this dac. Can anyone comment on what devices are available to use in powered usb sircom mode. I see mention of the iusb. Anything else. I wonder if we could convince dudley to do another listen with just suvpch a device
vladimir OP
346 posts
 
Kbuzz, I can see three choices right now for getting cleaner power to a bus-powered USB DAC: a simple and cheap way is to separate the DAC from the computer by a hub as Sircom suggested (however, the hub has to get its power from the grid and won't be particularly clean); an external power supply like the iFi-Audio iUSB which is competitive in price ($199 I believe) to my KingRex U Power; or a rechargeable 5V regulated battery supply such as I'm using. Given the choice between an external regulator like the iUSB that is still connected to the grid by a switching wall wart supply or battery power, I would choose the latter every time.
fitzo
7 posts
 
I bought this dac out of curiosity, and actually liked it better than AMR 777 which I then had the home for evaluation, but sent back!

HRT HD plays "music" in an engaging, fun and musical way. I also think it sounds quite analog and natural, something I value very much.

I use an external 5V power supply from German Aqvox with brilliant results.
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