Streamers ranked by sound quality

[One and a half]

3 hours ago, jaaptina said:

I would like to hear comparisons with Lumin U1 mini and also Teac NT-505. 

 

Thanks! 

That’s not quite a fair comparison, the U1 and U1 mini do not include a DAC, whereas the NT-505 does.

A closer comparison would be the Lumin D2 which has DAC built in. Out of the two, I haven’t listened, sorry so can’t make a comment on the sonic differences directly, but little is mentioned here of the TEAC, probably due to availability.

[Doak]

3 hours ago, One and a half said:

......but little is mentioned here of the TEAC, probably due to availability.

Availability where?

Does not appear to be a prob in the U.S. 

[wklie]

11 hours ago, jaaptina said:

I would like to hear comparisons with Lumin U1 mini and also Teac NT-505.

 

These are functionally very different products.

 

U1 Mini is a streamer with a variety of digital outputs, for people who have another DAC.

NT-505 is a streamer/DAC with analog outputs.  Its functional role is more similar to Lumin D2 than U1 Mini.

[One and a half]

5 hours ago, Doak said:

Availability where?

Does not appear to be a prob in the U.S. 

I don't live in the US, TEAC AU does not import the UD or NT units.

[jaaptina]

11 hours ago, wklie said:

 

These are functionally very different products.

 

U1 Mini is a streamer with a variety of digital outputs, for people who have another DAC.

NT-505 is a streamer/DAC with analog outputs.  Its functional role is more similar to Lumin D2 than U1 Mini.

You're right. I presumed the Teac NT-505 would also have digital out. But it doesn't. Thanks for pointing out. 

[wklie]

2 hours ago, jaaptina said:

I presumed the Teac NT-505 would also have digital out.

 

For a digital out-only streamer from Teac / Esoteric, it would be Esoteric N-03T.

[mrvco]

How does the SPDIF output on the Blue Sound Node 2i compare?  Too bad the USB port on the Node 2i can't connect to a downstream DAC.

[BilboAlaska]

I connected the Node 2 to a PS Nuwave dsd dac by coax. It sounded better. 

 

[sfseay]

Based on streamers I have owned: (best to worst)

Lumin U1

Aurender N10

ESOTERIC N-03T

Aurender N100C

Aurender N100H 

Auralic Aires G2

Oppo BDP-103

Auralic Mini

[Doak]

17 hours ago, sfseay said:

Based on streamers I have owned: (best to worst)

Lumin U1

Aurender N10

ESOTERIC N-03T

Aurender N100C

Aurender N100H 

Auralic Aires G2

Oppo BDP-103

Auralic Mini

Very interesting ranking. 

I have had the Aurender N100H and Auralic Aries G1 in my system each for a few weeks to compare directly with my original Aries (Femto). I preferred the sound of my Aries to the Aurender and thought the Aries G1 to a bit better than my Aries. Discussions with the folks at Auralic indicate the their Aries G2 to be significantly better than the G1. I am surprised to see the G2’s position on your list. 

Would very much like to know more about your experience with it. 

 

[thyname]

Where does Chromecast Audio stand among all these? There is huge group of scientists that believe bits are bits and anything that streams stuff, as cheap as a Chromecast Audio would do, and will sound the same that any streamers out there. Key word: "bitperfect"!

[BilboAlaska]

How does Chromecast connect to a home hifi amp with no tv or hdmi?

 

[nbpf]

5 minutes ago, thyname said:

Where does Chromecast Audio stand among all these? There is huge group of scientists that believe bits are bits and anything that streams stuff, as cheap as a Chromecast Audio would do, and will sound the same that any streamers out there. Key word: "bitperfect"!

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-schiit-bifrost-dac.7206/#lg=attachment24411&slide=0

[sfseay]

16 hours ago, thyname said:

Where does Chromecast Audio stand among all these? There is huge group of scientists that believe bits are bits and anything that streams stuff, as cheap as a Chromecast Audio would do, and will sound the same that any streamers out there. Key word: "bitperfect"!

Bits maybe bits but the timing of sending, receiving, and processing of the bits is why better streamers and DACs give you better sound

[mav52]

17 hours ago, thyname said:

Where does Chromecast Audio stand among all these? There is huge group of scientists that believe bits are bits and anything that streams stuff, as cheap as a Chromecast Audio would do, and will sound the same that any streamers out there. Key word: "bitperfect"!

 

Google killed ChromeCast Audio in Jan of this year, which was a bummer to a lot of folks. . https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/01/google-kills-the-chromecast-audio/

[wklie]

And left the 24/96 bug unfixed.

[Tin]

On 4/5/2019 at 10:17 PM, thyname said:

1. Where does Chromecast Audio stand among all these? There is huge group of scientists that believe bits are bits and anything that streams stuff, as cheap as a Chromecast Audio would do, and will sound the same that any streamers out there. Key word: "bitperfect!"

I'd suggest that you'd visit a dealer and start listening to a couple of devices. This way you can make up your own mind. Real scientists love doing experiments.

 

As waveforms are a 2 dimensional affair, the perfection of the bits is only half the story in the digital domain, so the scientists you mention seem to have one-dimensional approach, which is really never a good thing in science.

And than we have the tricky part; convincing the bits to transform themselves to music. It's all mighty complicated, really.

 

 

 

 

 

[audiobomber]

On 4/5/2019 at 4:17 PM, thyname said:

Where does Chromecast Audio stand among all these? There is huge group of scientists that believe bits are bits and anything that streams stuff, as cheap as a Chromecast Audio would do, and will sound the same that any streamers out there. Key word: "bitperfect"!

I was using Chromecast Audio in my secondary system into an iFi iOne DAC. I replaced it with a Raspberry Pi 3 B+ because the Chromecast was experiencing dropouts and making little popping noises with hi-rez files (anything above 48kHz sample rate). The RPI plays all files up to 176/24 and 2X DSD with no dropouts or noise. Note that amirm did not test CCA at higher sample rates. Archimago did and found high levels of jitter at 96/24.

 

I would say that CCA sounded a little better than the basic RPI, both powered by an iFi iPower 5V. The RPI had a more robust sound but PRaT was not good, and that is my main criterion for good sound. Adding separate power to the DAC moved the RPI ahead sonically. I am now powering the RPI with a cheap Canakit SMPS and the the RPI with the SMPS that came with CCA.

 

I moved the CCA streamer to my downstairs system, connected via glass Toslink to an Audiolab 8200CD/DAC/preamp. Again I heard popping noises on hi-rez files and sometimes even when streaming Google Play music. Fortunately the Audiolab has a firmware setting for managing higher levels of jitter. I set it to Medium and have had no further issues.

 

I only use CCA in my main system to cast Google Play music. For streaming from my NAS, I use an sms-200 with Welborne Labs PS-Reg via USB into the Audiolab. Chromecast is connected to a USB port in the sms, so in effect, both are powered by the Welbone Labs PSU. CCA sounds OK in this system but the sms has a more powerful and detailed sound. 

[bobfa]

On 4/5/2019 at 3:23 PM, BilboAlaska said:

How does Chromecast connect to a home hifi amp with no tv or hdmi?

 

I am not sure I saw an answer for your question. I use a standard (not 4K) chromecast with and HDMI Audio Extractor.  This device has both analog and optical digital out.  I feed the optical out to the Kii Control that switches inputs and more.  The one I bought was about $30 on Amazon with tax.  I also have the HDMI pass through run to a 23in monitor in the system so we can see what is being cast such as YouTube or SoundCloud.  

[davide256]

On 4/4/2019 at 12:16 PM, Doak said:

Very interesting ranking. 

I have had the Aurender N100H and Auralic Aries G1 in my system each for a few weeks to compare directly with my original Aries (Femto). I preferred the sound of my Aries to the Aurender and thought the Aries G1 to a bit better than my Aries. Discussions with the folks at Auralic indicate the their Aries G2 to be significantly better than the G1. I am surprised to see the G2’s position on your list. 

Would very much like to know more about your experience with it. 

 

environment matters... I suspect the PS audio power plant  changes the equation vs audition with equipment fed direct by mains. In the latter you have to

worry about how bullet proofed the power supply is against mains interaction.

 

[davide256]

On 4/12/2019 at 3:36 PM, Tin said:

I'd suggest that you'd visit a dealer and start listening to a couple of devices. This way you can make up your own mind. Real scientists love doing experiments.

 

As waveforms are a 2 dimensional affair, the perfection of the bits is only half the story in the digital domain, so the scientists you mention seem to have one-dimensional approach, which is really never a good thing in science.

And than we have the tricky part; convincing the bits to transform themselves to music. It's all mighty complicated, really.

 

 

 

 

 

There's nothing really hard about the math, although any engineer who thinks CD resolution is adequate is being monophonic/lazy. The real problem

is that our ears are more sensitive than the lab equipment, we hear compromises in the hardware/software that engineers don't know yet

how to measure/mass produce for.

[Doak]

On 6/27/2019 at 9:49 AM, davide256 said:

environment matters... I suspect the PS audio power plant  changes the equation vs audition with equipment fed direct by mains. In the latter you have to

worry about how bullet proofed the power supply is against mains interaction.

 

I use a Blue Circle PLC which I find quite effective. It was on line for all of the units I mentioned in earlier post.

[wanta911]

On 4/5/2019 at 12:16 AM, Doak said:

I preferred the sound of my Aries to the Aurender and thought the Aries G1 to a bit better than my Aries.

 

 

I had the Aries Femto in my setup since it was introduced but I kicked it out of my setup 6 months ago in favour of the much cheaper Allo Digione Signature. I recently compared them again using both the original LPS and an SBooster LPS on the Aries to make sure, and it confirmed my initial thoughts - the Allo is staying in. The downside is that the UI & feature set with Volumio is not even close to Lightning DS but I can live with it for the preferable SQ in my system.

 

I haven't compared with the likes of Aurender, Lumin or the new Auralic offerings and probably never will as I am at a stage where I have a subconscious expenditure cap on components after a history of spending way too much.

[audiobomber]

On 4/15/2019 at 9:35 AM, audiobomber said:

Adding separate power to the DAC moved the RPI ahead sonically. I am now powering the RPI with a cheap Canakit SMPS and the the RPI with the SMPS that came with CCA.

I meant to say "I am now powering the RPI with a cheap Canakit SMPS and the iOne DAC with the SMPS that came with CCA". 

 

The main message is,  don't power your DAC from the dirty RPI bus.

[jaaptina]

I replaced my streamer recently for the Minidsp SHD Studio. The SHD Studio sounds very good but also has Dirac room correction. Reduction around 56Hz really makes a difference in my system/room.