DACless streamer

[Gray]

I've just read this review of a streamer.

https://www.whathifi.com/moon/neo-mind/review

There's no built in DAC and 'the app could be more intuitive'. So what have we got?

A £1700 box that passes files out to a DAC of your choice. The DAC used for the review was the Chord 2Qute.

The 4 bullet points in the review's 'for' column all describe the sound quality and are very encouraging - but.

Wouldn't you think that the positive findings are more to do with the DAC than the streamer?

Forumites have often made the point that a bit perfect file is all the DAC needs. My Raspberry Pi sends a bit perfect file to my DAC. So can anyone tell me how this streamer could send the file any more perfectly?

Or give me any reason why it would sound better than the Pi?

 

[Deleted member 108165]

I've just read this review of a streamer.

https://www.whathifi.com/moon/neo-mind/review

There's no built in DAC and 'the app could be more intuitive'. So what have we got?

A £1700 box that passes files out to a DAC of your choice. The DAC used for the review was the Chord 2Qute.

The 4 bullet points in the review's 'for' column all describe the sound quality and are very encouraging - but.

Wouldn't you think that the positive findings are more to do with the DAC than the streamer?

Forumites have often made the point that a bit perfect file is all the DAC needs. My Raspberry Pi sends a bit perfect file to my DAC. So can anyone tell me how this streamer could send the file any more perfectly?

Or give me any reason why it would sound better than the Pi?

In short... Nope! *unknw* A streamer without a DAC just sounds like another way to part us with our hard-earned cash. Why buy one box when you can have two at twice the price... whoopie doo!

 

[tino]

Take a look at the Bryston BDP PI ...

 

[Pedro]

Maybe it's handmade by unicorns...

 

[Gray]

I've just read this review of a streamer.

https://www.whathifi.com/moon/neo-mind/review

There's no built in DAC and 'the app could be more intuitive'. So what have we got?

A £1700 box that passes files out to a DAC of your choice. The DAC used for the review was the Chord 2Qute.

The 4 bullet points in the review's 'for' column all describe the sound quality and are very encouraging - but.

Wouldn't you think that the positive findings are more to do with the DAC than the streamer?

Forumites have often made the point that a bit perfect file is all the DAC needs. My Raspberry Pi sends a bit perfect file to my DAC. So can anyone tell me how this streamer could send the file any more perfectly?

Or give me any reason why it would sound better than the Pi?

In short... Nope! *unknw* A streamer without a DAC just sounds like another way to part us with our hard-earned cash. Why buy one box when you can have two at twice the price... whoopie doo!

That sums up my thoughts Doug, but I'm sure someone will beg to differ, not least WHF. After all, they mentioned that fans of the Moon signature sound would be happy with the tuning and described the sound as more 'human' than other streamers - so they're making it clear that this box is better than others at sending identical files???

 

[SemiChronic]

Hahaha . . If that was made by Cambridge, it would probably be about £170(complete with wonky app)

I just dont get it either . . or want it

 

[QuestForThe13thNote]

It's to do with stuff like the dacs ability to deal with the jitter as I understand it (with somewhat rudimentary knowledge). Send it too much jitter and it can't cope as well. It's why I think my cyrus streamer sounds without a dac, better better than a sonos connect bypassing its dac and using the digital out, and also something like a chromecast audio I've tried which sounds terrible against the Cyrus but it's only £30.

 

[Pedro]

Jitter is a timing error. Every digital transport can have jitter, but those timing errors are in nanoseconds. Jitter of one nanosecond = 1Ghz.

I never was able to pickup an artifact created by jitter. But there are golden ears out there. Some people can even spot differences between FLAC files and WAV. Lol.

 

[Gray]

Take a look at the Bryston BDP PI ...

I remember others saying they found that one hard to believe.

EDIT: One advantage though, is that it's got a display screen (if you want one). But apparenty the screen is disabled when using it into a USB DAC!

 

[SemiChronic]

Its got 'BT" stamped on the front twice. Looks like an early HomeHub prototype "our best wireless signal ever" . . but BT gave these out for free

 

[QuestForThe13thNote]

How do those small timing errors equate to little audio difference it seems in your view

 

[emcc_3]

I'm with you on this. Without a DAC you may as well get really good software and hook your PC up to a DAC. No need for a separate streamer.

 

[Gray]

I can think of at least three reasons why it is guarenteed to sound better than your Pi.

It has a posh looking aluminum case, it costs £1700 and most important of all it has a 5 star review.

Sounds like a good buy (goodbye to 1700 quid)

 

[ifor]

I asked their UK distributor what made it special before I went down the R Pi route a couple of years or so ago. I was told it had special hifi quality internal components!

 

[Al ears]

I can think of at least three reasons why it is guarenteed to sound better than your Pi.

It has a posh looking aluminum case, it costs £1700 and most important of all it has a 5 star review.

Make that four:- It's made by SimAudio

If you simply must have a wireless streaming node to go with your shiny new DAC then the Auralic Aries Mini can be had for £449 ;-)

 

[steve_1979]

I can think of at least three reasons why it's guaranteed to sound better than your Pi.

It has a posh looking aluminum case, it costs £1700 and most important of all it has a 5 star review.

 

[QuestForThe13thNote]

Before anyone can be pessimistic they would have to know what greys system is, and have a listen to this £1700 device against the pi in the system, to work out if it's worth it. I suspect if a pi is being used, this expensive device is not something that would fit in and get benefits from even if it's decent at its price. Depends on rest of system.

 

[ifor]

... I suspect if a pi is being used, this expensive device is not something that would fit in ...

No, it wouldn't fit in, because it's place would already have been taken by a Raspberry Pi and a Digi HAT (in my case a HiFiBerry Digi+, but others are available).

 

[steve_1979]

Before anyone can be pessimistic they would have to know what greys system is, and have a listen to this £1700 device against the pi in the system, to work out if it's worth it. I suspect if a pi is being used, this expensive device is not something that would fit in and get benefits from even if it's decent at its price. Depends on rest of system.

I don't need to have a listen becasue I already know that it will sound identical to a Pi or any other computer or streamer would sound (if used with the same DAC that has adequate jitter rejection hardware implemented in the chip etc)

For the same reason I also know that I don't need to personally test a perpetual motion machine to know that the claims are false.

 

[QuestForThe13thNote]

Well I'd say Steve you are welcome to come round to mine (Sussex ) and check out the difference of one streamer compared to another and I will convince you. The proof is always in the testing.

 

[Deleted member 108165]

Well I'd say Steve you are welcome to come round to mine (Sussex ) and check out the difference of one streamer compared to another and I will convince you. The proof is always in the testing.

What an invite, guess it's all round to 13th's house then. I'll hire a coach for the day *biggrin*

 

[nopiano]

These are strange and costly things, yet those with deep pockets and fabulous systems seem to swear by them! In particular I'm thinking of Aurender and Melco products.

I do have an old friend who fairly recently bought a Devialet amp to use with a dedicated Mac Mini as a source, but found a significant improvement from an Aurender.

HiFi News magazine, among others, has reviewed several so I won't try (and fail!) to explain further here, but they worth reading if you are curious about digital music replay

 

[jjbomber]

What an invite, guess it's all round to 13th's house then. I'll hire a coach for the day *biggrin*

Given how many will actually turn up, better to hire a couch for the day. *biggrin*

 

[Andrewjvt]

What an invite, guess it's all round to 13th's house then. I'll hire a coach for the day *biggrin*

Given how many will actually turn up, better to hire a couch for the day. *biggrin*

Lief, grimharry and myself in the back row of the bus

 

[Deleted member 108165]

What an invite, guess it's all round to 13th's house then. I'll hire a coach for the day *biggrin*

Given how many will actually turn up, better to hire a couch for the day. *biggrin*

Lief, grimharry and myself in the back row of the bus

*biggrin*