Bluesound Brennan B2 or?

Electro

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Mac , don't forget the recently released Electrocompaniet ECM1 streamer / dac at £2995.

It has the Electro ECD2 dac built into it and does just about everything. *smile*

You can choose the amount of internal storage you want to install , it will accommodate any size of storage you need inside it.

It is also self installing ,fit and forget and self upgrading as new software is released.

It does ,

Streaming services:[/b]http://http://www.mackenziehifi.com/electrocompaniet-ecm-1-music-streamer-cw-dac-3978-p.asp
 

Macspur

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Electro said:
Mac , don't forget the recently released Electrocompaniet ECM1 streamer / dac at £2995.

It has the Electro ECD2 dac built into it and does just about everything. *smile*

You can choose the amount of internal storage you want to install , it will accommodate any size of storage you need inside it.

It is also self installing ,fit and forget and self upgrading as new software is released.

It does ,

Streaming services:http://http://www.mackenziehifi.com/electrocompaniet-ecm-1-music-streamer-cw-dac-3978-p.asp

Electro, it was in my mind, but the price is a bit prohibitive at the moment... does it have it's own CD drive for ripping?

Forget I asked that, just realised you said abouthooking up the EMC1UP.... hmmmm maybe I'll wait till I can afford one lol!

Mac

www.realmusicnet.wordpress.com
 
Q

QuestForThe13thNote

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Hi macspur,

ive been in the same boat looking at these nas drives and to see what they can do, with a view to getting one. My main aim is improving sq off an nas with Ethernet. These are my thoughts.

the drives like the Brennan and bluesound vault are basically, so far as sound quality off an nas, just storage drives with little more than ripping and storage, compared to say a few hundred pound nas and just ripping CDs by a computer. Obviously what you are paying in the vault is the streaming software too, and the costs to get that to market etc. Not sure of the Brennan on spec in regards streaming servicesc.

But with devices like Innuos zen or zenith and Melco n1a (and perhaps less so from advertised spec of the naim uniti core) what you are buying is a dedicated audiophile type usb streamer and nas, that you can either use usb or Ethernet connections to the hi Fi for best sound. These devices have better power supplies, fast processors for quick indexing, they play the music through a memory buffer so that you don’t get the junk off the hard drive, the hard drive is acoustically dampened, and you have isolators from the router to the streamer with dual Ethernet ports. One port goes to the streamer and another to the router, such you don’t get junk off the router. Also the zenith drives use quieter in house designed ssd drives and have linear power supplies. I think the melco might have power conditioners.

now all these things on the Innuos or melco devices may not be individually worthy of good regard, and I’m sure people on here will come in and argue the toss (I’ll leave them too it), but I’m quite sure the sound quality end game of these things combined is better than a vault or Brennan, or possibly the electoacmpaniet devices swell, which don’t have the same tech, for the sake of feeding a streamer over Ethernet or a dac by usb etc. So in this sense I don’t think the vault is comparable to the Innuos zen/zenith. From what I’m reading in the reviews, the melco has best sound quality with Innuos second. If you want a good nas with a drive, the Innuos zen mini looks good value, but it doesn’t have the same features I’ve mentioned above of higher specced Innuos stuff, or melco, and I suspect it’s little more than a pc world nas in its sound quality.

So in summary, if you are buying a device for the functionality and ability to rip from a drive in the nas, rather than computer, I think a vault or a zen mini or Brennan will serve the purpose well in comparison to a nas and pc ripper, allthough you probably pay double the price for the privilege of the more expensive devices in this type, like the vault . Something like the Brennan will be best value it seems because it would be easy to spend around £500 on a nas and ripping cd drive from pc world, as comparably the same, but if you are thinking of a device above a thousand or thousands, like has been recommended then the considerations are different ones and really trying to push best sound quality from Ethernet/usb and paying for all the things I’ve mentioned above, which probably do have good sq benefits worthy of spending more than a thousand and around £1700 for the melco, or perhaps beyond.

Ive been looking at the melco n1a/2 which doesn’t quite have the slick ripping interface of Innuos, but I think it will probably sound the best around the price. I’m not sure of the naim uniti core as to performance comparably, as details on how it benefits better sound quality above big standard nas drives are scant. But it’s similar on price. The other drives are Kstor sold by Ripcaster, but details scant too. Zone rippers look like glorified pc world nas drives, so do these kstor devices but with ssd drives.
 
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QuestForThe13thNote

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The vault might be an upgrade for a better streamer to your sonos connect, as another way of looking at it. I’ve had both connect and node2, so it could be a kill two birds in one stone type device.
 

Electro

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Macspur said:
Electro said:
Mac , don't forget the recently released Electrocompaniet ECM1 streamer / dac at £2995.

It has the Electro ECD2 dac built into it and does just about everything. *smile*

You can choose the amount of internal storage you want to install , it will accommodate any size of storage you need inside it.

It is also self installing ,fit and forget and self upgrading as new software is released.

It does ,

Streaming services:http://http://www.mackenziehifi.com/electrocompaniet-ecm-1-music-streamer-cw-dac-3978-p.asp

Electro, it was in my mind, but the price is a bit prohibitive at the moment... does it have it's own CD drive for ripping?

Forget I asked that, just realised you said abouthooking up the EMC1UP.... hmmmm maybe I'll wait till I can afford one lol!

Mac

www.realmusicnet.wordpress.com

You could sell your M dAC and Sonos as they will no longer be needed, then put that money towards the Electro.

As for ripping it depends how many Cd's you have, if you have more than 500 it might be worth considering a ripping service, or buying a usb multi - speed disc drive for about £20 .

Or you could just rip as you play the Cd . *smile*
 

Macspur

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Electro said:
Macspur said:
Electro said:
Mac , don't forget the recently released Electrocompaniet ECM1 streamer / dac at £2995.

It has the Electro ECD2 dac built into it and does just about everything. *smile*

You can choose the amount of internal storage you want to install , it will accommodate any size of storage you need inside it.

It is also self installing ,fit and forget and self upgrading as new software is released.

It does ,

Streaming services:http://http://www.mackenziehifi.com/electrocompaniet-ecm-1-music-streamer-cw-dac-3978-p.asp

Electro, it was in my mind, but the price is a bit prohibitive at the moment... does it have it's own CD drive for ripping?

Forget I asked that, just realised you said abouthooking up the EMC1UP.... hmmmm maybe I'll wait till I can afford one lol!

Mac

www.realmusicnet.wordpress.com

You could sell your M dAC and Sonos as they will no longer be needed, then put that money towards the Electro.

As for ripping it depends how many Cd's you have, if you have more than 500 it might be worth considering a ripping service, or buying a usb multi - speed disc drive for about £20 .

Or you could just rip as you play the Cd . *smile*

Got way too many CD's to rip in real time... shame, as you know I'd prefer the Electro kit over the rest.

Mac

www.realmusicnet.wordpress.com
 

Macspur

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QuestForThe13thNote said:
Hi macspur,

ive been in the same boat looking at these nas drives and to see what they can do, with a view to getting one. My main aim is improving sq off an nas with Ethernet. These are my thoughts.

the drives like the Brennan and bluesound vault are basically, so far as sound quality off an nas, just storage drives with little more than ripping and storage, compared to say a few hundred pound nas and just ripping CDs by a computer. Obviously what you are paying in the vault is the streaming software too, and the costs to get that to market etc. Not sure of the Brennan on spec in regards streaming servicesc.

But with devices like Innuos zen or zenith and Melco n1a (and perhaps less so from advertised spec of the naim uniti core) what you are buying is a dedicated audiophile type usb streamer and nas, that you can either use usb or Ethernet connections to the hi Fi for best sound. These devices have better power supplies, fast processors for quick indexing, they play the music through a memory buffer so that you don’t get the junk off the hard drive, the hard drive is acoustically dampened, and you have isolators from the router to the streamer with dual Ethernet ports. One port goes to the streamer and another to the router, such you don’t get junk off the router. Also the zenith drives use quieter in house designed ssd drives and have linear power supplies. I think the melco might have power conditioners.

now all these things on the Innuos or melco devices may not be individually worthy of good regard, and I’m sure people on here will come in and argue the toss (I’ll leave them too it), but I’m quite sure the sound quality end game of these things combined is better than a vault or Brennan, or possibly the electoacmpaniet devices swell, which don’t have the same tech, for the sake of feeding a streamer over Ethernet or a dac by usb etc. So in this sense I don’t think the vault is comparable to the Innuos zen/zenith. From what I’m reading in the reviews, the melco has best sound quality with Innuos second. If you want a good nas with a drive, the Innuos zen mini looks good value, but it doesn’t have the same features I’ve mentioned above of higher specced Innuos stuff, or melco, and I suspect it’s little more than a pc world nas in its sound quality.

So in summary, if you are buying a device for the functionality and ability to rip from a drive in the nas, rather than computer, I think a vault or a zen mini or Brennan will serve the purpose well in comparison to a nas and pc ripper, allthough you probably pay double the price for the privilege of the more expensive devices in this type, like the vault . Something like the Brennan will be best value it seems because it would be easy to spend around £500 on a nas and ripping cd drive from pc world, as comparably the same, but if you are thinking of a device above a thousand or thousands, like has been recommended then the considerations are different ones and really trying to push best sound quality from Ethernet/usb and paying for all the things I’ve mentioned above, which probably do have good sq benefits worthy of spending more than a thousand and around £1700 for the melco, or perhaps beyond.

Ive been looking at the melco n1a/2 which doesn’t quite have the slick ripping interface of Innuos, but I think it will probably sound the best around the price. I’m not sure of the naim uniti core as to performance comparably, as details on how it benefits better sound quality above big standard nas drives are scant. But it’s similar on price. The other drives are Kstor sold by Ripcaster, but details scant too. Zone rippers look like glorified pc world nas drives, so do these kstor devices but with ssd drives.

Thanks for the reply Quest, you've given me options to think about.

Mac

www.realmusicnet.wordpress.com
 

Samd

Well-known member
@Quest

You said inter alia:

But with devices like Innuos zen or zenith and Melco n1a (and perhaps less so from advertised spec of the naim uniti core) what you are buying is a dedicated audiophile type usb streamer and nas, that you can either use usb or Ethernet connections to the hi Fi for best sound. These devices have better power supplies, fast processors for quick indexing, they play the music through a memory buffer so that you don’t get the junk off the hard drive, the hard drive is acoustically dampened, and you have isolators from the router to the streamer with dual Ethernet ports. One port goes to the streamer and another to the router, such you don’t get junk off the router. Also the zenith drives use quieter in house designed ssd drives and have linear power supplies. I think the melco might have power conditioners.

I get all those benefits for less than a couple of hundred quid using a large SD card in my tablet. Perfect FLAC from tablet to player (CXN in my case) via totally lossless wifi with sound better than the CD.

I agree with everything you have said here - just putting an alternative which does the job as well as the high end options at a fraction of the price.
 
Q

QuestForThe13thNote

Guest
The innuous drives are meant to be used in high end systems with different requirements to just sending music across a tablet to a streamer, as a streamer and a usb transport to a dac. You can’t as easily send huge libraries accords a card in a tablet to a streamer, than you can with one of these devices, with wi Fi playing hi resolution music, and anyway the question wasn’t about a tablet but a nas drive, preferably with a drive. All these products exist in markets for their purpose.
 

Macspur

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Looking at the Innuos ZENith, I think this may be my favoured option.... seems to get plenty of favourable reviews throughout the World.

It's over budget at the moment, plus I need to home demo if possible to make sure my blindness won't prevent me being able to use it.

So on backburner for now

Mac

www.realmusicnet.wordpress.com
 
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QuestForThe13thNote

Guest
The zenith has a ssd drive and triple linear power supply, and is also meant to be a decent transport with usb. Would defo outdo your sonos connect, if you can use a usb input to a dac etc. I was looking at the zen with good features but a compromise on the zenith, but trialing these power cables on my power amps at the moment and getting a big hike in performance, I’m thinking how on earth do you go higher!!??
 
I used to use a Sonos ZP90 (Connect predecessor), which I swapped out for a Bluesound Node - big difference. The Sonos was sold.

As for the Innuos models, back when I was using my old, flat fronted Innuos Zen Mini (along with the Sonos) into my Audiolab 8200AP, That system worked fine. I upgraded the processor to the Classé Sigma SSP, which was a staggering upgrade for both movies and music. I wanted to change the older Zen Mini to the new one for the new user interface, and thought that I may as well jump up a model to the Zen, but after an open day with Innuos, and hearing the difference between a Zen and a ZENith through a Classé system and a pair of Blade 2s, I was sold on the ZENith. With the ZENith (connected directly to the USB input of the SSP), I knew that if the system was lacking in any way, it wasn’t the front end - it’d be down to the amp/speaker combo.
 
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QuestForThe13thNote

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Have you tried any melco devices in comparison to Innuos David?
 

Electro

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QuestForThe13thNote said:
Have you tried any melco devices in comparison to Innuos David?

Also David as you deal with Electrocompaniet have you been able to compare the new ECM1 streamer / dac with the nearest Innuos equivalent ?

I have narrowed my search down to these two devices and I am very interested in comparing them .
 
QuestForThe13thNote said:
Have you tried any melco devices in comparison to Innuos David?
I haven't, but a customer of mine has moved over to Innuos from Melco - I forget which model he had, but he went for the ZENith SE. When he tried my ZENith, he felt it was better than the Melco he had, which I believe was a little more cost-wise, and I believe, a current model.
 
Electro said:
Also David as you deal with Electrocompaniet have you been able to compare the new ECM1 streamer / dac with the nearest Innuos equivalent ?

I have narrowed my search down to these two devices and I am very interested in comparing them .
My initial dealings with Electrocompaniet have been for the EC Living range of multi-room and wireless products - I haven't explored the Classic line as yet.

The ECM1 seems to sit between the ZENith and ZENith SE price-wise, and the HDD drives are an option, so I suppose if you add SSD drives, it's nudging towards the ZENith SE, but the last I was told was that the SE has sold out - I'd need to confirm that though.
 

Macspur

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davidf said:
I used to use a Sonos ZP90 (Connect predecessor), which I swapped out for a Bluesound Node - big difference. The Sonos was sold.

As for the Innuos models, back when I was using my old, flat fronted Innuos Zen Mini (along with the Sonos) into my Audiolab 8200AP, That system worked fine. I upgraded the processor to the Classé Sigma SSP, which was a staggering upgrade for both movies and music. I wanted to change the older Zen Mini to the new one for the new user interface, and thought that I may as well jump up a model to the Zen, but after an open day with Innuos, and hearing the difference between a Zen and a ZENith through a Classé system and a pair of Blade 2s, I was sold on the ZENith. With the ZENith (connected directly to the USB input of the SSP), I knew that if the system was lacking in any way, it wasn’t the front end - it’d be down to the amp/speaker combo.

Thanks for the feedback on the ZENith David, sounds very promising.

Mac

www.realmusicnet.wordpress.com
 
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QuestForThe13thNote

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Please keep me posted mac on what you decide and hear etc, as I’ll be in the market for one of these devices too.
 

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