Recommendations for a network streamer for my system playing Tidal Masters

[LawrenceT]

4 minutes ago, R1200CL said:

How do you connect DCC2 and CDSD today

It is connected with the included ATT glass BNC cables.  Three of them (one for data and two for clock).  But I was told this is not the Same as the Optilink on the NS1.  

[LawrenceT]

On 9/6/2020 at 7:51 AM, R1200CL said:

Here is a simple test you can do. This should sound better. 
Purchase the CCK to your iPhone and make the iPhone an endpoint. 
Make sure it’s the CCK, not anything else.  
Meaning you disconnect the MacBook and control Roon from there. 
The trick to make this work is to turn of private zone

Tried this today.  Sounded great but then when I went back to MacBook I wasn’t sure that iPhone was better. So I went back to MacBook so I could use my iPhone as wireless remote control. 

[R1200CL]

 

Quote

Can anyone answer why I can use my iPhone to play Tidal music in my stereo (iPhone X > lightning USB-3 camera adapter > USB-A to USB-B cable > Schiit Eitr > coax > emmlabs DCC2 and it sounds good.  Yet, when I listen to IEMs with my iPhone X  > lightning USB-3 camera adapter > USB-A to USB-C > Earmen Sparrow DAC >> balanced cable to Fiio FH3 IEM, I get iPhone EMI intermittently (some places worse than other) which is not present when using my MacBook Pro with Sparrow and IEMs, or when I put phone in airplane mode.

You are using Roon ? So the phone is acting as an endpoint controlled by your MAC. 

Got a second DAC ? (What is IEM)

[LawrenceT]

1 hour ago, R1200CL said:

 

You are using Roon ? So the phone is acting as an endpoint controlled by your MAC. 

Got a second DAC ? (What is IEM)

IEM= in-ear monitors

 

I've hooked the phone up to my stereo two ways.  One with Roon, using the iPhone as a Roon endpoint, connecting the lightning to USB-3 camera adapter to the Schiit EITR > coax > DCC2 DAC.  Second, I used the iPhone without Roon, using the iOS Tidal app to send the audio output through the lightning to USB-3 camera adapter to the Schiit Eitr > coax >DCC2 (DAC).  Either way, I didn't noticeably hear EMI noise (?LTE) from my iPhone in my speakers.  Yet, when I use to iPhone and Tidal app to play music through lightning to USB-3 camera adapter to the Earmen Sparrow DAC and then connect Fiio in-ear monitors (IEM) to the balanced output of the Sparrow I get intermittent iPhone EMI noise in the in-ear monitors.  It is not continuous and can be eliminated if I put the phone on airplane mode and play downloaded files from Tidal.

 

[R1200CL]

You may investigate if Aqua LinQ can be something for you. (If keeping your present DAC). 

[LawrenceT]

3 hours ago, R1200CL said:

Aqua LinQ

Sounds wonderful, until I saw price for just a network bridge.  

[R1200CL]

18 hours ago, LawrenceT said:

Sounds wonderful, until I saw price for just a network bridge.  

Did you read this review?

https://www.hifi-advice.com/blog/review/digital-reviews/network-player-reviews/aqua-linq/

[atp263016]

I own a Moon 390 and absolutely love it as a pre-amp - beautiful, articulate, warm sound with a huge sound stage and great imaging, where it falls over however is as a streamer, the streaming is relatively poor compared to the rest of the system with a low level of resolution and an annoyingly tinny upper mid, instruments tend to mesh together which is really frustrating when you know what the rest of the system is capable of. Buy as a pre-amp only if you’re prepared to add an external streamer, also the headphone amp is relatively poor (Chord Mojo sounds fairly significantly better).