Need some opinions on streaming

[bart]

Originally Posted by robfine

At least as to my dissertation I’ll make it really simple. Do you have vinyl? If yes, do you use a RCM or otherwise clean your records before playing them? If yes, you would probably do that whether you had a $2000 Clearaudio or $20,000 VPI or $200,000 whatever; and whichever of those categories you fall into you would invest different amounts as you deemed appropriated, proportional and affordable. The signal that comes into your streamer (or computer that serves as one is the record. The cleaner you get it the better it will sound no matter what you are playing it on/with. Puma Cat mentioned a fairly inexpensive way or ways to do that. I mentioned a slightly less expensive way that I just started using to great beneficial effect (IMO). I spent $800 (excluding the cable to my tv) and it made a very noticeable difference. That covers my part in this discussion.

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by robfine

I am going to reiterate something Puma Cat has been preaching on. I am also in a position of being budget conscious- not as much as some and way more so than others but I digress. A dirty record played on a $100,000 totally tricked out turntable isn’t gonna help that TT sound its best. The signal coming into your streamer is what contains the music. If it is a “dirty” signal your streamer is going to have to.. well, you know the saying “garbage in garbage out”. Now good streamers can do some cleaning up but the cleaner the signal the better whatever goes from your streamer to your dac all things being equal. I just got myself an Uptone Audio EtherRegen switch and 2 Wireworld Starlight Ethernet cables, 1 meter and 3 meter(the WW courtesy of Ivan right before the price change— great deal, great price, great service- great transaction— and within a vey tight budget at that moment). The 1 meter goes from the ER to my Bryston BDP-3 and the 3 meter to my 65” LG OLED tv. I didn’t know really black blacks could get noticeably blacker (the TV) and this really crisp picture crisper but not in an artificial way. The music- not to be cliche, but blacks blacker- listening to something like Jen Chapin or Sinne Eig and Thomas Fonnesback, the spaces between notes are noticeably quieter and the listener (me), more there- not so much like the performers are more in my room but It is more like I am in the performance space. You can get certainly get your signal cleaner where it makes a significant difference using Shunyata Sigma or Omega caliber cables, etc.. But if you can’t afford that like me (and I am not pleading poverty here, I just have two adult kids who are not fully independent yet), you can still get a great headstart on cleaning up your signal by running that fiber Puma Cat mentioned to an EtherRegen (about 600 bucks) or running Ethernet from an Airport Express to an EtherRegen, and then from the EtherRegen a meter of WW Starlight or Shunyata Venom if your budget can handle it… and you won’t have difficulty noticing the difference. If you drink really good single malt with one ice cube, do you make your ice (to have for drinking the scotch) with tap water?

[PeterMusic]

Hmmm...I have only minimal streaming experience, but when I take all these posts together, maybe I don't want any more? I have a Bluesound Node 2i that does fine on a secondary system (Schiit Bifrost, 50wpc NAD integrated, B&W CM-1). But when I plug it into my main system below, it cannot compared to ripped CDs on my Naim Uniti Core. If Cheeze, Puma, and rob are correct in their posts above; it does not appear possible to get a streaming solution that will be acceptable.

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by PeterMusic

If Cheeze, Puma, and rob are correct in their posts above; it does not appear possible to get a streaming solution that will be acceptable.

I used to think that, but I'm not convinced of that anymore...but to get audio quality from a "streaming set-up" comparable to a disc or file resident on a hard drive ripped from a disc, it's going to cost a fair bit of money. I'm thinking Aurender N200, N20, or Lumin P1, etc., level products here.

[PeterMusic]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

I used to think that, but I'm not convinced of that anymore...but to get audio quality from a "streaming set-up" comparable to a disc or file resident on a hard drive ripped from a disc, it's going to cost a fair bit of money. I'm thinking Aurender N200, N20, or Lumin P1, etc., level products here.

Thanks, Puma. The dcs Bartok is on my to-do list. I expect I'll crack then

[rjinaz86323]

Well I got the Bluesound NODE yesterday and spent the evening configuring everything except access to my CD's that I ripped to the Mac. Stuggling with that a bit. I must say I am quite please with the audio quality of Amazon HD and Radio Paradise has some nice stuff as well.I am currently using the internal DAC. I will wait awhile to get totally familiar with the sound and then try a USB hookup to my Schiit Modi 3+.

[FreddieFerric]

Originally Posted by PeterMusic

Hmmm...I have only minimal streaming experience, but when I take all these posts together, maybe I don't want any more? I have a Bluesound Node 2i that does fine on a secondary system (Schiit Bifrost, 50wpc NAD integrated, B&W CM-1). But when I plug it into my main system below, it cannot compared to ripped CDs on my Naim Uniti Core. If Cheeze, Puma, and rob are correct in their posts above; it does not appear possible to get a streaming solution that will be acceptable.

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

I used to think that, but I'm not convinced of that anymore...but to get audio quality from a "streaming set-up" comparable to a disc or file resident on a hard drive ripped from a disc, it's going to cost a fair bit of money. I'm thinking Aurender N200, N20, or Lumin P1, etc., level products here.

This clarifies a lot for me. Thanks for that.

[grandee14]

I am getting excellent results streaming Apple Lossless music directly from my MacBook Pro via USB to my McIntosh D150 DAC. All the Mac does is to deliver the exact digital bits, the work to shape the actual sound quality is done inside the D150.

[eljr]

Originally Posted by grandee14

I am getting excellent results streaming Apple Lossless music directly from my MacBook Pro via USB to my McIntosh D150 DAC. All the Mac does is to deliver the exact digital bits, the work to shape the actual sound quality is done inside the D150.

I thought this interesting.

Apple Music boss Eddy Cue says most people can’t tell the difference between compressed and lossless audio but he believes that spatial audio is ‘a game-changer’.

https://audiomediainternational.com/...ossless-audio/

[rjinaz86323]

Sent an inquiry in to Bluesound and they provided a PDF file with complete instructions on how to make the necessary changes on my Mac mini so my music library is listed with all the Bluesound music sources. So now it is accessible just the same as Tidal, Amazon Music, etc.

Happy Day!