DACless streamer recommendations

Jan

You are correct that the Linn'DS range include DACs though the Sneaky, Majik and Akurate all have Digital outs taken before the DAC if you want.

Isn't the UnitiServe in a similar way also a streamer already which provides an SPDIF out to connect to the nDAC if you so wish

Regards

Geoff

Yes it is and that is how I run it. But the Serve's S/PDIF out is substantially bettered by the S/PDIF out from a UnitiQute (or NDX) when the Serve is used to stream not from its S/PDIF but from its ethernet port, to a router (or bridge) and from there to the Qute. The Qute in this case is functioning as an expensive ethernet to S/PDIF converter-upgrader.

Hope that made sense,

Jan

Yes. Unfortunately.

Thanks Geoff. Linn is out then. I can't stand stand redundancy.

Hi  although I haven't heard it,  Cyrus has the Stream X. No DAC, or preamp,only SPDIF out. You might want to demo with your Naim kit. Certainly  thier top end mono amps go very well with Naim sources...

Simon

Thanks Simon. I had thought of the Cyrus since reading in Hi Fi Critic that it was an improvement over the UnitiQute when fitted between the UServe and the nDAC. But who would believe a hi-fi reviewer...

I was wondering if there are other contenders,

Jan

Don't laugh. The Logitech Squeezebox TOUCH actually produces a quality SPDIF ( & Toslink) out from a network connection. 

I use one to run a K&K DAC kit I built which is in my 2nd system up in the bedroom. I had a Linn Sneaky DS at one time and compared the digital out from that with the Touch which cost about 1/10 th the price and found the TOUCH was as good as the Sneaky.

The Touch is a very user friendly device with free Logitech Media server software and a free i-device or Android control point and as an alternative a hand held remote. It works off either a wired or a wireless connection. The only thing is it is limited to 96/24. It will play 192/24 but downsamples it to 96/24

regards

Geoff

NDX is at NDX SQ and would do what you want if you pretended it didn't have an onboard DAC. 

Me, I'm going to wait for the NDS and compare it with the KDS, as Geoff suggested.

Cyrus makes a DACless streamer, but never seen or heard it (it comes in black). 

There's a host of new ones in the US, all being called "music servers" with reported great sound quality.

Sonore (high end VortexBox), Widea Aurender, PS Audio come to mind. Then there's the Burmester for a reported $50K+ though I think it includes a DAC so you can cross if off your list

A dac is just a small collection of chips you could always pretend it's not there.

Tog

I don't know but I think it is a US company, but you maybe right.

As I said I compared it's SPDIF to that of the Linn Sneaky which is in the same price bracket as the Qute I believe.It was just as good and I even think it has improved over time a bit.

I know what you mean about HiFi rags but HiFi Choice compared it to a few of the contenders (which typically had DAC's in side),ranging in price from a Cambridge Sonata at 400 GBP, a Rotel, a Marantz  and a Yamaha up to the one non DAC product a Cyrus Stream X at 1,400 GBP. They used  a blind listening group BUT they listened to the Analog outs ( except of course the Cyrus which they put through a DAC X, a slightly unfair comparison IMO).

The Touch was considered a least as good from an audio point of view and won hands down on ease of use. and of course price!

That's all I can say about it except that it costs about 220 GBP to buy in the UK and at that price is worth taking a risk on just to see what you think. I would bet it would be pretty easy to sell on if not good enough and then you could dig a lot deeper in the bank account and go for a Qute or a Cyrus at about 7 times the price.

regards

Geoff

Touch has a DAC ;-)

Yes but i wouldn't use it. The SPDIF out is much better since Jan has an nDAC. There really aren't many NETWORK streamers that don't have some sort of DAC. The Touch is a cheap deal.

Must be an impressive interface if the blind listening group found it easy to use!

I was just teasing Jan and his aversion to redundancy

My employer's shareholder (the Québec government) has decreed that we shed 25 % of our workforce. Hence my aversion to the R word

LOL

Just to chip in that the nice words said about the squeezebox has prompted me to take a punt and see what one would sound like into my 2nd system. NDAC, Nait2, Kan.  In short it's great and much much better than a Sonos.

My Sonos was sold a few months back as I found the music from it strangely soul-less and much preferred a hi-face link from my mac.  As time went on thought  I did quite like the idea of having a front end that could be on without firing up the computer though and seeing the squeeze less than £200 I thought it would be worth a play.

Sound wise, my observations are:

1) the Squeeze takes a few day to burn in

2) I prefer optical to co-ax connection at the moment but it's a balance of attributes.  The co-ax has more drive but more digital hash, slightly less air and soundstage. 

3) The mods to the software server side (I use QNAP TS110) are well worth doing, reducing the work load on the squeeze and not making it do the flac decode etc.  

Very pleasantly surprised that sound quality has finally passed my old CD5x

Ease of use:

Brilliant, Sonos needed an iphone app, which every time I pick up the iphone it needed an unlock

then press pause next etc.   The squeeze remote instant access to this and I am not moving windows

around on the mac to select tracks.

All the best

Fozz