Streamers without Dacs..Sound Quality Differences?

[rabski]

The CCA should be in the 'great hifi bargains' thread, if it isn't already. However, I'd have to agree it can definitely be bettered, audibly, to a substantial degree.

Of course, as with all things, it's preferences that count.

On the other hand, streaming is something I consider reasonably irrelevant and it certainly isn't one of my primary sources, but I still wouldn't be satisifed long term with a CCA. And I speak from experience, as there is one in the drawer here.

 

[Griff500]

I think the opposition to my views just sounds like people trying to justify the £k's they have spent.

It's really not that.  9_9 xD

My current system cost far more than my previous system. It's far better in every way and on an entirely different level to the previous system, as it should be. That doesn't mean I wasn't happy with my previous system or that it was bad. 

Nobody needs to justify their choices, including you.

 

[Griff500]

And I speak from experience, as there is one in the drawer here.

That's where mine is (probably with some dead batteries that got thrown in the drawer for no reason). It made it easy to stream from my phone on an old system though and was an absolute bargain.

 

[MartinC]

Streaming from your phone to a CCA isn't going to be as good as a dedicated streamer,

I may be wrong but I think the CCA works like other streamers actually, with the phone/tablet simply acting as a remote control but not being in the audio signal path.

 

[Griff500]

I may be wrong but I think the CCA works like other streamers actually, with the phone/tablet simply acting as a remote control but not being in the audio signal path.

I think you're wrong.

It's Chrome Cast - you're sending the audio from your device to the CCA, same as you can send video from your phone or laptop to a TV.

When I used a CCA I was using an app on my phone (Tidal if I remember correctly) and I then streamed it to the CCA over the network.

 

[Lawrence001]

I think the cast means your casting the orders to the CCA but not the data stream itself which it gets directly from the web. But there may be an ongoing need for the phone to keep telling the CCA to play which is the difference from streaming. I'm not sure about that last bit, I can't remember where I got that idea from.

 

[Griff500]

I think the cast means your casting the orders to the CCA but not the data stream itself which it gets directly from the web. But there may be an ongoing need for the phone to keep telling the CCA to play which is the difference from streaming. I'm not sure about that last bit, I can't remember where I got that idea from.

That's interesting. I found this stated on one website but I also found how I think it works on other websites... 

 

[Psilonaught]

I am/was a relatively firm believer that streamers are streamers, into a dac, but given some of the comments on here I've decided to cough up and buy a high quality super capacitor LPSU for my Innous, and I will attempt to see if I can hear the difference that a better PSU supposidly provides  

Important to keen an open mind, and there are some respected people on here claiming to hear differences, and I'm sure they aren't all mad!

 

[Griff500]

I am/was a relatively firm believer that streamers are streamers, into a dac, but given some of the comments on here I've decided to cough up and buy a high quality super capacitor LPSU for my Innous, and I will attempt to see if I can hear the difference that a better PSU supposidly provides  

Important to keen an open mind, and there are some respected people on here claiming to hear differences, and I'm sure they aren't all mad!

Have you decided what you are going to buy? It's good to question your own beliefs and try things and it will be interesting to hear your thoughts after trying this.

 

[Fourlegs]

I am/was a relatively firm believer that streamers are streamers, into a dac, but given some of the comments on here I've decided to cough up and buy a high quality super capacitor LPSU for my Innous, and I will attempt to see if I can hear the difference that a better PSU supposidly provides  

Important to keen an open mind, and there are some respected people on here claiming to hear differences, and I'm sure they aren't all mad!

But surely your Zen Mk2 has a LPS inside it already?

 

[Psilonaught]

Have you decided what you are going to buy? It's good to question your own beliefs and try things and it will be interesting to hear your thoughts after trying this.

https://www.templeaudio.net/supercharger.html

 

[Psilonaught]

But surely your Zen Mk2 has a LPS inside it already?

Mini (my sign is wrong just realised!)

 

[Griff500]

A good example of this is Steve Jansen or Stewart Copeland’s bass drum playing; it has more ‘feel’ to it, more syncopated, more expression. There are also some textural and bits and pieces but I mainly got it for the musical expression that is coming through more.

I very much agree about the bass drum. There's a certain sense of feeling, rather than hearing, the impact on the drum skin when you hear this live and as my system has developed I've got more of this feeling, and particularly from some live recordings (perhaps more so from older recordings as well for some reason).

Certain changes to my system have really improved this feeling significantly and I find myself drawn more into the feel of the music rather than just appreciating details that I had not previously noticed (which is nice as well).

There's also an improved sense of the attack and decay of strings on an acoustic guitar that has enhanced the feeling I get from music as my system has developed as well. I'm currently listening to Chris Cornell's 'Songbook' and it's more reminiscent of when I heard him live than it ever was in my previous system. There's also a texture and depth to his vocals that wasn't as well represented in my previous system.

It doesn't hurt that my girlfriend's away and I can have the volume up as well of course.  xD  The better my system has got the louder I have been able to listen and I've done so for far longer without turning down the volume (less fatigue).

 

[Griff500]

https://www.templeaudio.net/supercharger.html

Supercapacitors are an interesting approach and I can see potential benefits to this (the TT2 uses a similar approach).

I'll look forward seeing how this works for you.

 

[Southeastern]

For me, the biggest changes I note when improving power supplies on DAC's, switches, streamers etc is that lower treble 'snare drum' range, which can often just sound like a tin can being hit, even on very expensive systems. So the feeling of it all becoming more natural appears.

This is what I am hoping to approve moving up the streamer packing order. That Merdian streamer I had was so bad for that nasty snare drum snatch. Headache in fifteen minutes, back in the box after thirty. Same with a 2Qute. Again, both powered by SMPS power supplies.

 

[manisandher]

Have had the Zen Stream in my office for a couple of days now. Haven't done a to-and-fro with the SOtM sMS-200 Neo yet, but am confident it's at least as good. Suspect it might be quite a bit better, but will hold off from making a judgment until I've done a detailed back-to-back comparison, including capturing and analysing the analogue outputs from my DAC. (Will have to wait a couple of weeks now until the interior decorating is all finished and I've reassembled everything.)

Mani.

 

[DomT]

I very much agree about the bass drum. There's a certain sense of feeling, rather than hearing, the impact on the drum skin when you hear this live and as my system has developed I've got more of this feeling, and particularly from some live recordings (perhaps more so from older recordings as well for some reason).

Certain changes to my system have really improved this feeling significantly and I find myself drawn more into the feel of the music rather than just appreciating details that I had not previously noticed (which is nice as well).

Just to clarify my musician speak. When I said that Steve Jansen was playing with more feel, what I meant was that rather than the kick drum sounding like it almost always had the same velocity, it sounded like he was varying the velocity on a regular basis; which of course he would. So it was something that I heard rather than felt. Am only pointing this out as it was very clear to me and it was absolutely not what I would expect a streamer to be able to influence. 

 

[CnoEvil]

Just to clarify my musician speak. When I said that Steve Jansen was playing with more feel, what I meant was that rather than the kick drum sounding like it almost always had the same velocity, it sounded like he was varying the velocity on a regular basis; which of course he would. So it was something that I heard rather than felt. Am only pointing this out as it was very clear to me and it was absolutely not what I would expect a streamer to be able to influence. 

IME. Aside from technique, what often sets apart a great Musician from a good Musician, is "Feel". Feel for the timing, feel for the rhythm, feel for the instrument, feel for the intention of the composer, feel for the emotional content of the piece. It's what engages the listener, by connecting them to the music.

 

[Griff500]

Just to clarify my musician speak. When I said that Steve Jansen was playing with more feel, what I meant was that rather than the kick drum sounding like it almost always had the same velocity, it sounded like he was varying the velocity on a regular basis; which of course he would. So it was something that I heard rather than felt. Am only pointing this out as it was very clear to me and it was absolutely not what I would expect a streamer to be able to influence. 

You can probably hear the details that I only feel.  xD  

For me, it’s somewhat like the difference between seeing something rather than having it described to you.

However it’s described, it’s certainly a worthwhile improvement!

 

[DomT]

IME. Aside from technique, what often sets apart a great Musician from a good Musician, is "Feel". Feel for the timing, feel for the rhythm, feel for the instrument, feel for the intention of the composer, feel for the emotional content of the piece. It's what engages the listener, by connecting them to the music.

And some kit let’s this shine through more than others