Upgrading from SoTM SMS-200 Ultra neo

[frieddr]

I'm looking for advice on where to head in my streaming journey.  I have an Uptone etheregen from my router feeding ethernet into SoTM SMS-200 Ultra powered by a SPS-500 psu.  The streamer happens to have a 50 ohm external clock input, but I don't have an external clock.  What's a practical, reasonable upgrade to my streaming chain? Or is it time to replace it?  I'm looking to increase soundstage width without loosing the filigreed detail I get from the SMS-200 ultra. I'm considering adding a Tx-usbultra to the chain. I guess a SCLK-OCX 10 clock would be a much bigger upgrade (much bigger cost...), especially on soundstage?  Both would be best?  Am I right in understanding that I would connect both the SMS-200 streamer and the tx-usbultra into the SCLK-OCX 10external clock?  Hard for me to justify buying a $3,000 SoTM clock plus required $1000 BNC cables new when the entire chain of boxes would be potentially outperformed by an Auralic Aries G2, from reviews I've seen...?  In the used market folks seem to sell mostly a set of all the SoTM streaming units, rather than separates.  Hard to find a separate used sclk-ocx or 12v TX-USNUltra with 50ohm input. People would rather sell their whole SoTM setup.  Investing in audio $1500 at a time is more palatable to me than buying a $5,000 streamer, but does the multiple box, external clock route have a future?  Any advice for a relative beginner would be appreciated.

[mitch751]

I have been using SOtM Ultra Neo + SPS 500 psu for two years, I must said it was not as good as UltraRendu + LPS1.2 (I own one too).

 

I have been told that the weaknesses the SPS 500, therefore as suggested I bought a Paul Hynes SR4T to replace SPS500, the result is very satisfactory and the improvement is quite significant, and now SOtM Ultra Neo is as good as or even slightly better than UltraRendu.

 

[Duckworp]

 

On 4/5/2021 at 9:20 PM, frieddr said:

I'm looking for advice on where to head in my streaming journey.  I have an Uptone etheregen from my router feeding ethernet into SoTM SMS-200 Ultra powered by a SPS-500 psu.  The streamer happens to have a 50 ohm external clock input, but I don't have an external clock.  What's a practical, reasonable upgrade to my streaming chain? Or is it time to replace it?  I'm looking to increase soundstage width without loosing the filigreed detail I get from the SMS-200 ultra. I'm considering adding a Tx-usbultra to the chain. I guess a SCLK-OCX 10 clock would be a much bigger upgrade (much bigger cost...), especially on soundstage?  Both would be best?  Am I right in understanding that I would connect both the SMS-200 streamer and the tx-usbultra into the SCLK-OCX 10external clock?  Hard for me to justify buying a $3,000 SoTM clock plus required $1000 BNC cables new when the entire chain of boxes would be potentially outperformed by an Auralic Aries G2, from reviews I've seen...?  In the used market folks seem to sell mostly a set of all the SoTM streaming units, rather than separates.  Hard to find a separate used sclk-ocx or 12v TX-USNUltra with 50ohm input. People would rather sell their whole SoTM setup.  Investing in audio $1500 at a time is more palatable to me than buying a $5,000 streamer, but does the multiple box, external clock route have a future?  Any advice for a relative beginner would be appreciated.

the SOtM clock is a good improvement but you could use a cheaper clock (see Afterdark sponsored forum on this forum- they do a range of Chinese clocks). SOtM with the SOtM clock is better than Auralic G1, though I have not heard the G2. I tried cheap and expensive cables with the SOtM clock and heard no difference. Studio quality Van Damme bnc cable sounded the same as SOtM cable on my system.  An EtherREGEN just before the sms-200 Neo was a notable improvement also, and it connects to the SOtM clock.