DACs And Network Music Streamers: Here’s The Truth

DACs And Network Music Streamers: Here’s The Truth

When Deciding to upgrade a Hi-Fi System the first natural port of call tends to be the loudspeakers or amplifier.

The DAC or source equipment can also make a difference, their are definitely a good amount of options in the under £1000 price range such as the Eversolo dmp-a6, Cambridge Audio Mxn10 or even the more budget focussed Wiim Pro, however in this video today I will be discussing the reasons why targeting this section to upgrade may not necessarily be the best idea.

[bogroll]

Excellent advice this has been my hobby for over 40 years - the best advice is to get your speakers and amplification done first. My current power amp is a Krell KSA-50S (circa 1990) no reason a good amp can't last more than 33 years!

[kevingest]

I think there is much more to be gained from having a separate DAC to keep the digital components away from the analog amplifier circuits than from eliminating the loss from the 12 inches if RCA cable, particularly if what you are worried about is the cables not being 'high end'" enough.

[a.grayman]

Thank you for the video. After decades in this hobby the only thing I would not recommend is going the integrated route with the amplifier. Unless you are willing to invest well above $1k for an amp, you are getting a built in mediocre DAC. I've heard it in system after system and it's really easy to hear. And then, there's no upgrade path.

[BrianGarside]

Integrated is fine if you want cheaper but not necessarily will give you better DAC sound quality performance by eliminating cables. Just buy some decent XLR cables and be done with it. The SQ will improve with separates by keeping the amp separate from the sensitive digital components will help more than avoiding cables.

[adaboyz]

I use a laptop dedicated for streaming only connected to a $100 SMSL dac into an amplifier. The sound is wonderful to my ears.

[yhonmontes]

I was just considering buying a streamer, and yes, you're right, just connecting my macbook air to my Cambridge dac into my Cambridge amp will expand the possibilities without expending more money unnecessarily. Thanks for the recommendation.

[vidFame]

I just bought a Bille Heaven 11 amp with an integrated DAC. Before that amp I was using a Chinese tube amp (Yaqin MC-100C) with a SMSL DO200 DAC. The integrated Billie amp with a lower rated DAC chip does actually sound much better than my previous combination - while using the same Bluesound Node streamer. I totally agree with your thesis!

[rickmilam]

Part of what you're describing is not at all limited to DACs and streamers re: pricing. I've been a high end dealer for almost 30 years. Doubling amplifier power will increase your output by 3db. So.. 20-40 3db, 200-400 3db, et., etc. I think the same kind of thing often applies to increasing your budget. So, $2k to 4k to 8k will often given you the same kind of level of improvement at each step.

[birdyflying]

Some people like to spend tons of money to have a certain brand, just like people buy Apple or Nike. Hi end gear is the most bling bling focussed market you can imagen and targeted on wealthy men with a big ego. I have had a class A tube amp (16 kg) and now use a class D, (0.5 kg) el cheapo $ 50 amp and the difference is very small about sound. In a double blind test most people will not hear the difference! I use my notebook with Tidal and a DAC dongle and it sounds just great. I made my own speakers and subwoofer and tuned it to my taste.

[NemoPropaganda]

As someone who has reviewed many streamers I'll chime in and say I've always felt they were all more similar than different. Nice video, you seem down to earth and fairly reasonable, a rarity in the hifi crowd :)

[GregPhilip]

Thank you for this video. I rely on my PC and enjoy the many facets it offers but also have some dacs and some streamers. I look forward to more from you.

[ms]

My Denon X6500h streaming services built in. I believe it has a built-in DAC. It plays HiRes music files too. Sounds great.

[jgsburnett]

I agree with you about computer (laptop) based streaming. I use a windows laptop (used exclusively for music) running Audirvana into a high quality dac via usb and a Jitterbug. I have compared the sound with that from a mid £500 streamer only device into the same dac and, though the difference is small, the laptop is the better choice. I hear lots of comments about computers being 'noisy' but I don't think it is difficult to overcome that. Further, I have not heard an explanation of how that noise manifests itself. In other words if there is noise what will I be hearing? For me the background is silent so that is not the problem. I have almost been talked into adding a DDC but I really am not sure that it would make much difference - other than being able to use I2S input on the DAC. Audirvana is continually being upgraded which happens seamlessly so I will never get left behind. The computing power of a laptop is much greater than most streamers with more RAM as well.

[rangerscoach]

I spent a year of my life on my stereo (14k :-/) and dacs dramatically change my system but it’s the system at large that reveals the qualities of the dac not the other way around.

[jamiermathlin]

You can always look towards what equipment may be available in the future, instead of buying what is right for you today. Personally, I like the Chord DACs, but the price balance between the Streamer, DAC, Amp and Speakers needs to be relative. The mainstream DACs (ESS/AKM) are fine when you are building a sub £1k system, but as you climb the tree as an audiophile, you need a dedicated Streamer with a digital out, allowing the separate DACs to be utilised. I have grown my system over the years, now I run an Eversolo Streamer (optical out sounds best), through a Chord Hugo/M-Scaler DAC combo, into a Michi X3 and finally to a pair of B&W 804 D4s and a pair B&W DB4S subwoofers (tuned for the 804 D4s). It sounds stunning 🙂

[autonomous-hmyf]

I would suggest the better amplifiers were made a long time ago. Those of us that have been around a long time know this and get them serviced as opposed to replaced.

[gbmwaz]

Like another person said I have moved up from sub$100 dacs in MANY small steps over several years to now $700-$800 dacs. EVERY step up was VERY worthwhile. Yes I improved my amp and speakers a little along the way but the dac is the most critical as it's the front end of the whole system. Buying an integrated amp with a mediocre built in dac quickly outdated is the wrong way to go. It's easier to move a used dac to someone also moving up from below then selling a more expensive dac/amp combo. As a Brit you should know the Linn audio path via upgrades first in the front end. Same applies to digital front ends. BTW I've been in audio 50+ years and a former high end dealer. Thank You

[svtcontour]

I'd say not really. Depends what bitrate you're after but my vintage DAC from the year 2000 is holding up just as well. In a blind listening test it was not really picked out as being inferior in any way vs much newer DACs while playing standard 16/44.1 uncompressed WAV.

[Raynl]

I play all my music (flac, DSD, DSF, SACD and UHQR-flac) from my NAS. I use a raspberry pi with hifiberry dac on a vintage NAD amplifier and it sounds good!

[toucan]

Nice advice sometimes we need to be reminded of the basics