New to streaming Melco + V1 DAC?

In my opinion, a streamer would be the best & most flexible option for you, and would provide you with a choice of access to Tidal integration or Spotify (with Naim) or Tidal, Spotify or Qobuz integration (with Linn).

In my opinion (having gone down this path), the best option for you in respect of both convenience and ultimate sound quality (if you can find one) would be a Klimax Renew. I can certainly vouch for the sound quality, and the Linn Kazoo (or Kinsky) apps which are available for IOS, Android and Windows are pretty good.

I doubt if the Melco + V1 DAC would match the Renew (although I haven't heard the Melco/V1 combination), and in my opinion you would have to move to an NDS (+ power supply of course so well outside your budget even on the 2nd hand scene) to have a chance of beating the Renew via the Naim route. Of course, if you are able to compare an NDX with a Renew so much the better, but I own both a Renew and an ND5 XS, and the Renew is much better in my system.

Good luck.

Thanks, ill try to demo both the renew DS/1 and a ND5XS

there seems to be a few Renews for sale but seem to range from 2-3k, not sure why the price differential?

ive found a dealer in London that has naim, linn and Melco brands so will see if I can book a demo

Maxice,

Unfortunately, it is unlikely that you will be able to demo a Klimax Renew at a Linn Dealership.

Linn never offered the Klimax Renew for sale. The Klimax Renew DS/0 was offered to Linn Klimax DS/0 owners who returned their streamers to be upgraded to DS/1 specification. The internal electronics of the Klimax were removed from the Aluminium case, upgraded with a 'Dynamik' power supply & rebuilt within a new Klimax Renew case. The original Aluminium case was then used to house the new Klimax DS/1 electronics. The upgraded Klimax DS/1 was then returned to the owner along with the additional Klimax Renew DS/0 to be used as an additional unit or sold on by the owner to recoup some of the upgrade cost.  

All Klimax Renew DS/0 units are rebuilt units that will have been put onto the market by owners who have upgraded. There is no such thing as a 'new' Klimax Renew. It is the original Klimax DS/0 in a cheaper case, but with an upgraded power supply.  

A similar later upgrade process has resulted in the appearance of the Klimax Renew DS/1 which is a by product of an upgrade from a Klimax DS/1 to a Klimax DS/2 specification.

To complicate matters still further, there has also recently been the introduction of an Akurate Renew, as a result of a similar upgrade approach for the Akurate streamers.

I would suggest that the Klimax Renew DS/1 (which is a relatively recent introduction) is likely to be outside your price range. I would guess that owners would want at least £3,500 or £4,000. Your best bet would be to look out for a Klimax Renew DS/0, which is still excellent, and which you should be able to pick up for somewhere between £2,000 and £2,500. Bear in mind that the original Klimax DS/0 on which the Renew is based would have retailed at around £12,000, and so you will be getting something of a bargain. I know that the Klimax Renew DS/0 is very much better than the ND5XS, and I would be very surprised if it wasn't also better than the NDX. It is also better (in my opinion) than the Akurate DS/1 which would cost you much more.

Hope this isn't too confusing.    

If you want the flexibility of streaming from a cloud based service such TIDAL and playing back downloads, whilst keeping a USB DAC separate from the streamer, take a look at the Aurender N100H and V1 (or Hugo / 2Cute).  Should be about £4K.

I am assuming you have amplification already.

There will be many comments about SQ, in the end yours ears are the ultimate judge.

Enjoy your demos 

Jude

If you shop around you could get an ex-dem NDX for less than a new Melco + V1. I'm all for 'source first' but it looks to me like the Melco might be swallowing up a disproportionately large amount of your budget. 

Hmack posted:

Maxice,

Unfortunately, it is unlikely that you will be able to demo a Klimax Renew at a Linn Dealership.

Linn never offered the Klimax Renew for sale. The Klimax Renew DS/0 was offered to Linn Klimax DS/0 owners who returned their streamers to be upgraded to DS/1 specification. The internal electronics of the Klimax were removed from the Aluminium case, upgraded with a 'Dynamik' power supply & rebuilt within a new Klimax Renew case. The original Aluminium case was then used to house the new Klimax DS/1 electronics. The upgraded Klimax DS/1 was then returned to the owner along with the additional Klimax Renew DS/0 to be used as an additional unit or sold on by the owner to recoup some of the upgrade cost.  

All Klimax Renew DS/0 units are rebuilt units that will have been put onto the market by owners who have upgraded. There is no such thing as a 'new' Klimax Renew. It is the original Klimax DS/0 in a cheaper case, but with an upgraded power supply.  

A similar later upgrade process has resulted in the appearance of the Klimax Renew DS/1 which is a by product of an upgrade from a Klimax DS/1 to a Klimax DS/2 specification.

To complicate matters still further, there has also recently been the introduction of an Akurate Renew, as a result of a similar upgrade approach for the Akurate streamers.

I would suggest that the Klimax Renew DS/1 (which is a relatively recent introduction) is likely to be outside your price range. I would guess that owners would want at least £3,500 or £4,000. Your best bet would be to look out for a Klimax Renew DS/0, which is still excellent, and which you should be able to pick up for somewhere between £2,000 and £2,500. Bear in mind that the original Klimax DS/0 on which the Renew is based would have retailed at around £12,000, and so you will be getting something of a bargain. I know that the Klimax Renew DS/0 is very much better than the ND5XS, and I would be very surprised if it wasn't also better than the NDX. It is also better (in my opinion) than the Akurate DS/1 which would cost you much more.

Hope this isn't too confusing.    

 

 

Thanks, I was aware of the upgrade process. I had read a few dealers were selling the renew boxes for customers on behalf

have also seen a few DS/1's sell for £2900-3100 on he various forums

Jude2012 posted:

If you want the flexibility of streaming from a cloud based service such TIDAL and playing back downloads, whilst keeping a USB DAC separate from the streamer, take a look at the Aurender N100H and V1 (or Hugo / 2Cute).  Should be about £4K.

I am assuming you have amplification already.

There will be many comments about SQ, in the end yours ears are the ultimate judge.

Enjoy your demos 

Jude

Thanks but £4K a bit above budget at the moment

Yes the rest of the system is Mark Levinson (pre/pwr) and Revel speakers

ChrisSU posted:

If you shop around you could get an ex-dem NDX for less than a new Melco + V1. I'm all for 'source first' but it looks to me like the Melco might be swallowing up a disproportionately large amount of your budget. 

Always been source first too that's why I'd discounted going Mac mini > Dac, seems to be too many upgrade options  make it audiophile grade

want a simpler solution as don't have time to tinker

Anything would be better than my current setup of iPhone into my preamp ��

Though it actually sounds ok

Maxice posted:

Jude2012 posted:

If you want the flexibility of streaming from a cloud based service such TIDAL and playing back downloads, whilst keeping a USB DAC separate from the streamer, take a look at the Aurender N100H and V1 (or Hugo / 2Cute).  Should be about £4K.

I am assuming you have amplification already.

There will be many comments about SQ, in the end yours ears are the ultimate judge.

Enjoy your demos 

Jude

Thanks but £4K a bit above budget at the moment

Yes the rest of the system is Mark Levinson (pre/pwr) and Revel speakers

 

Well plenty of great options still open to you.  The streamer option plus NAS has been mentioned.  The other option is computer plus DAC (Naim: DAC secondhand or V1 or the Chord: Hugo/2Qute. Of course others DACs are possible.

Hi Maxice

I've been through NDX, NDX + Naim DAC and 555PS then NDS/555.  Then tried Hugo and then Devialet. And I'm now using Klimax DS1 Renew, which I find is best for me and my musical tastes. I found something un-natural about the sound of the Hugo. The Naim was getting increasingly better but I found the timbre to be not to my liking and the up-front presentation a bit forced.  The Klimax seems for me to be the best all-round.  It's not a very exciting little box and cannot be controlled without an iPad or computer but its sounds more like vinyl then the others.  When I was getting suspicious of the Naim I tried my LP12 for reference and steered the digital as near as I could get to that.  What i would really like is the same sound out of Audirvana (MAC) through a DAC.  The Hugo didn't hit the spot but something else out there might.  I've had a few albums that the Klimax couldn't find or couldn't play.  No such problems with the Audirvana.  Klimax is one-box solution and fantastic sound for the money in Renew form.

If it was me, I'd start with a sonos connect and a good NAS (QNAP, synology).  Sonos with give you access to all the streaming services you could wish for and is an easy introduction to this method of playing music.  If you want to improve the sound quality, add a DAC.  Eventually you can move to a deicated streamer from the likes of Naim, Linn etc.

K90TOUR2 osted:

 "I've had a few albums that the Klimax couldn't find or couldn't play."

I completely agree with your post. the Klimax Renew is a great one box solution - fantastic SQ and the bonus of access to both Internet Radio and streaming services such as Tidal. Qobuz and Spotify. Nothing can touch it for value for money.

I have had no problems whatsoever in respect of playing any of my ripped CDs or hi-res downloads. I suspect that the problem you experienced must be to do with your uPnP server.

Maxice, a decent NAS (Synology or QNAP) with a Renew would be a relatively cheap and fantastic addition to your system. I haven't used QNAP, but the Synology NASs come with their own pretty decent uPnP music server. Just add a couple of Western Digital 'Red' hard drives, dbPoweramp to rip your CDs and purchase a decent network switch to sit between your router and the streamer. Get some standard cat6 Ethernet cable to connect the streamer to the switch and the switch to the router and you will be there with a solution that will be difficult to significantly beat at any price. If you really want to, you can experiment with boutique Ethernet cables at a later date, but don't worry about them for the time being.