24/192 Unitiqute worth extra $500?

If you don't have 24/192 files and don't expect to get any in the near future then it seems an easy decision.

I don't know if the sound quality (on ordinary files) differs, but I doubt it.

I'd get the cheaper UQ now and use the $500 elsewhere.

Hypo:

How old are you?  If you're over 40, you might want to go for the basic setup anyway.  Me, I'm 61 and can hear the difference between good and bad sound (see my profile), but not 24/192.

I'm 26. I haven't heard both options side by side, and don't think I will be able to. I just don't want to get the 24/96 and come to regret it.

why even get a Qute??  Seems like overkill, and the wrong product, for 60% TV use and compressed audio.

I would save $2000 and get a decent HT Receiver and a passable 5.1 speaker set-up.

Especially if you can be derailed by an old man who spent his life on stage in arenas (deaf) and a multi-billion dollar global corporation that sees ZERO financial gain in you buying hires music (something they cannot/will NEVER sell on the scale they operate).

-patrick

difference between 96/192 is small and difficult to detect. not many 96 available and these are expensive. the 192 are rare. the standard will be 96 and that seems the standard and for the main stream is years away.  manufacturers are using 192 for selling product  ..maybe cloud storage will be the answer to this..

ripped cds are better than playing a cd

You may want to consider the 24/192 model for its other benefits:

• 802.11n (although the antenna is still poor)
• ALAC support (no need to transcode)
• Potential future AirPlay support (although don't hold your breath for this)

Do we know that the lower model won't (or is less likely to) get Airplay support? This would actually be enough of a selling point for me. I just hope they don't introduce a third model with Airplay in between the two current models. 

Make your choice based on what you need now. If you choose the 24\96, you will be able to upgrade it later if you need new features.

In your case, i think the 2 most important features are ALAC and WiFi N. Airplay support should not be the factor of choice for you, an airport express will do it for less...

So are you playing ALAC?

Will you use it WiFi?

Yes, a significant portion of my library is ALAC, and I plan on using UPnP streaming. I guess it's a no-brainer at this point...

I have the older UQ without the 24/192 upgrade board in it.  I have been using the UQ with an Apple TV to perform the airplay then optical into the Qute.  This setup has been working quite well for me.

I am in the process of switching my music over to FLAC to get away from the tie to Apple and so that I can use Asset UPnP to stream.

Get an original used UQ as you can usually find them at a reasonable price, then if you decide that you absolutely need to get the upgrade board it is a $400 upgrade.

This is the way that I am going at least and am very happy with the setup.

So you noticed a difference in the iRadio with the upgrade? On all stations or specific ones? Did you get additional stations with the upgrade?