Any Thoughts?

[rwwjr44]

I can get a new Pioneer N-50 for $400. I would use it as a network renderer (digital out to Invicta DAC). Will this work? Pass XP 10, Magnepan 1.7 and NewClear amp. DS 713 NAS.

 

I want something that sounds really good and isn't fussy. The nearest thing to this seems to the Simaudio MiND.

 

Any thoughts?

[ecwl]

It is very hard to predict the synergy of Pioneer N-50 with your Invicta DAC. I've heard of people who are unhappy with a Meridian Sooloos hooked up to their DAC but there are people who are happy with the sound of the N-50 hooked up to their DAC. It also depends on your comparison point and expectations. If you have a well-setup computer hooked up to the USB of your Invicta, there is a reasonably good chance that you may not be happy with any streamer by comparison. But all these things are DAC, computer and streamer dependent. And all I have addressed so far refers only to sound quality.

 

And then you have to decide whether you'll be happy with the user interface, be it the N-50 or the Simaudio MiND, including the speed of that user interface with your current NAS.

 

My take is that you should just make the leap with the N-50 first. You've already mentioned that you don't want any setup that's fussy so streamer is much more preferable to a dedicated computer. Chances are that you'll be very happy with the results from the N-50. If you ever get the itch to upgrade later, you can always sell the N-50 and recover some of the costs.

[rwwjr44]

Thanks.

[MikeJazz]

I can get a new Pioneer N-50 for $400. I would use it as a network renderer (digital out to Invicta DAC). Will this work? Pass XP 10, Magnepan 1.7 and NewClear amp. DS 713 NAS.

 

I want something that sounds really good and isn't fussy. The nearest thing to this seems to the Simaudio MiND.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Ideally you would be able to test the N-50 against the MiND...

 

After all you are in the right side of the atlantic (americans seem more adept of audiophile streamers than europeans)...

 

You could add the Sonore Rendu to that short list. Recently a colleague in this forum reported a very successful Rendu integration in his system...

[rwwjr44]

Ideally you would be able to test the N-50 against the MiND...

 

After all you are in the right side of the atlantic (americans seem more adept of audiophile streamers than europeans)...

 

You could add the Sonore Rendu to that short list. Recently a colleague in this forum reported a very successful Rendu integration in his system...

 

I can get a new N-50 for ~ $400.00 new versus $1200 for the MiND and ~ $900 for the Sonore Orbiter (the Rendu is even more). If I don't like it in my main system, I can use it in a more modest system. At any rate that is my logic which may be faulty.

 

Thanks for you input.

[MikeJazz]

I can get a new N-50 for ~ $400.00 new versus $1200 for the MiND and ~ $900 for the Sonore Orbiter (the Rendu is even more). If I don't like it in my main system, I can use it in a more modest system. At any rate that is my logic which may be faulty.

 

Thanks for you input.

 

Well, if your hi-fi dealers are not willing to let you test it at your system, before commit to the purchase, then, after all, I am not in the wrong side of the atlantic...

 

But I heard nice thinks about the Pioneer. Last one, there is a firmware upgrade for gapless...

[realhifi]

Ideally you would be able to test the N-50 against the MiND...

 

After all you are in the right side of the atlantic (americans seem more adept of audiophile streamers

 

At a blow out price of $400 the dealer that you think should be lending it out to compare is making $0 on it. Lot's of incentive to lend things out when you are making nothing on something.

 

As far as us Americans being more adept at audiophile streamers? Really? Surely you are forgetting Linn, Naim, Meridian, Cambridge Audio, Cyrus?

[MikeJazz]

 

As far as us Americans being more adept at audiophile streamers? Really? Surely you are forgetting Linn, Naim, Meridian, Cambridge Audio, Cyrus?

Well, being myself a Linn owner...

Clarifying, I was thinking in terms of "pure streamers", with no dac function...that is the need of the OP (digital out to invicta dac)...

 

The illustrious european streamers you mentioned are all focused on an integrated function (stream and dac, and sometimes, preamp...).

[rwwjr44]

Well I ordered an Auraliti PK90. Finally, the audiophile in me couldn't resist the concept of getting the best sound within my budget. I stretched the budget for this year but decided that I didn't need the DAC or other "bells and whistles" that came with the N50 and wanted better sound.

 

I considered the Sonore Orbiter, the Simaudio MiND and the Chord Stream N2 but decided that the PK90 was the most I can spend. Our house renovations consumed far more funds than anticipated. It is good that the PK90 is relatively small and innocuous, I'll be able to hide in the rack for a few weeks.